We are BUSY! And I am exhausted. I have been dragging my feet for a few days. Some of it is due to the fact that our neighbors kept their huge loud dog outside all Saturday night/Sunday morning. I didn't get much sleep. AND our pianist was gone so I had to get ready to play the keyboard for two services (I usually don't do that, it takes A LOT of practice for me and is very stressful) AND someone asked me to host coffee break at church.
On the bright side, our pickup got fixed. The guy did it for free. WOO-HOOO! Jadin said something to the point of how great it is to have a car and how much less time everything takes and that we can go places we couldn't go for two weeks because they are out of the walking range. Great lesson both for me and the kids.
I had a friend come over on Monday. We had a great time! Her family is kind of new to our church and I LOVE getting to know them better. The kids are soooo well behaved and I can learn a thing or two (or a hundred :) about housekeeping and cooking from her. AND she is delightful to be around, has a wonderful since of humor and a home schooling mom (I am considering switching to home schooling when we are past baby stage).
It's finally summer here. I am sorting through kids clothes, doing laundry, putting stuff away. And there's dirty dishes, strawberries to cut up and kids calling me to come outside with them. Grrr, why can't I be in more then one place at one time?
Better go back to the kitchen :) Have a great day!
Tuesday, June 29, 2010
On Free Will
I promised a post on free will on Monday. Unfortunately life got the best of me. To keep the promise I will do it today.
God endued the will of man with that natural liberty, that is neither forced no, by any absolute necessity of nature, determined to good, or evil. Yes, I did take that quote right out of our confession of faith. It says it so well. What does that mean in human language? It means that we are not robots. Nothing created by God around us forces our will one way or the other. Whatever good or bad we do does not depend on weather or the moon or the weeds in our yard (that part is obvious but I decided to mention it anyway). James 1:14 says: 'But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed'
Before the fall we were created with the will and ability to choose between good and evil. We had the ability to do good and to choose God or to do evil and choose to disobey God. Eccl 7:29 'Lo, this only have I found, that God hath made man upright; but they have sought out many inventions'
After the fall man completely lost the ability of will 'to any spiritual good accompanying salvation' (Westminster confession of faith, ch. 9). We are dead in sin, just like God said we will be if we eat of the fruit of the tree of knowledge. Gen.2:16-17 ' And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat. But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.' We are not able by our own strength to convert ourselves to God. John 6:44,65 'No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day. 65. And he said, Therefore said I unto you, that no man can come unto me, except it were given unto him of my Father'
When God converts a man, He frees him from the bondage to sin Col.1:13 'Who (the Father) hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son'. and by His grace alone enables us to will and to do do spiritual good. Phil 2:13 'For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.' We do not do it perfectly nor exclusively (by that I mean we still do evil from time to time, not just good) having still the corrupt nature Adam passed down to us. Rom 7:15, 18-19, 21, 23 'For that which I do I allow not: for what I would, that do I not; but what I hate, that do I.For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not. For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do. I find then a law, that, when I would do good, evil is present with me.But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members.'
In the state of glory only (after Jesus comes back for good) we will be unable to choose evil and will do good only. 1 John 3:2 'Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is'
Now, how does all this apply to abortions (and other bad things people choose to do)? Do our bad choices change the will and plan of God? Of course not! He is either All powerful, or otherwise He is not God! Though he allows us to do bad things it by no means pleases Him nor does it have any affect on His plan. I recommend that any time we have thoughts of grandeur and think we can override the will of the Almighty we read Job 38-40. Job 40:2 'Shall he that contendeth with the Almighty instruct him? he that reproveth God, let him answer it.'
God endued the will of man with that natural liberty, that is neither forced no, by any absolute necessity of nature, determined to good, or evil. Yes, I did take that quote right out of our confession of faith. It says it so well. What does that mean in human language? It means that we are not robots. Nothing created by God around us forces our will one way or the other. Whatever good or bad we do does not depend on weather or the moon or the weeds in our yard (that part is obvious but I decided to mention it anyway). James 1:14 says: 'But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed'
Before the fall we were created with the will and ability to choose between good and evil. We had the ability to do good and to choose God or to do evil and choose to disobey God. Eccl 7:29 'Lo, this only have I found, that God hath made man upright; but they have sought out many inventions'
After the fall man completely lost the ability of will 'to any spiritual good accompanying salvation' (Westminster confession of faith, ch. 9). We are dead in sin, just like God said we will be if we eat of the fruit of the tree of knowledge. Gen.2:16-17 ' And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat. But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.' We are not able by our own strength to convert ourselves to God. John 6:44,65 'No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day. 65. And he said, Therefore said I unto you, that no man can come unto me, except it were given unto him of my Father'
When God converts a man, He frees him from the bondage to sin Col.1:13 'Who (the Father) hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son'. and by His grace alone enables us to will and to do do spiritual good. Phil 2:13 'For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.' We do not do it perfectly nor exclusively (by that I mean we still do evil from time to time, not just good) having still the corrupt nature Adam passed down to us. Rom 7:15, 18-19, 21, 23 'For that which I do I allow not: for what I would, that do I not; but what I hate, that do I.For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not. For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do. I find then a law, that, when I would do good, evil is present with me.But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members.'
In the state of glory only (after Jesus comes back for good) we will be unable to choose evil and will do good only. 1 John 3:2 'Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is'
Now, how does all this apply to abortions (and other bad things people choose to do)? Do our bad choices change the will and plan of God? Of course not! He is either All powerful, or otherwise He is not God! Though he allows us to do bad things it by no means pleases Him nor does it have any affect on His plan. I recommend that any time we have thoughts of grandeur and think we can override the will of the Almighty we read Job 38-40. Job 40:2 'Shall he that contendeth with the Almighty instruct him? he that reproveth God, let him answer it.'
Friday, June 25, 2010
Controversy
I always seem to get myself in trouble by what I say. My parents always told me that speaking my mind is not a good idea. I beg to differ. There are important things in life that one needs to be able and willing to defend. I feel strongly about abortion and contraception and about people who are trying to make them appear the same immoral act.
Before I even start I have to tell everyone who might be reading this that it is not aimed at offending anyone or disrespecting any one's way of life. If you choose to not use contraceptives, you have the right to do so, please, don't take this personally. I am going to tell the truth, though, the way I understand it from the Bible. I also am trying to address some of the comments I got on my last post.
Leila said:
"And, if you can show me ANY passage in the Bible which even implies that a barren womb or fruitless sex is a GOOD thing, please let me know."
The Bible does praise fertility and the children are called the gifts from the Lord. Sex in our marriage is by no means fruitless. We have three wonderful blessing from the Lord. We love them very much and are doing our best to raise them right and give them what they need.
I will deal with the next few quotes from Leila all at once because they actually prove my point:
'This is especially important for you to understand: There is NO "have as many kids as you can" teaching in the Catholic Church. Where are you getting that? Certainly not from any Church sources! Please don't misrepresent what the Church teaches. The Catholic Church does NOT teach that. Sorry to repeat, but I really need to know that you are clear on that so that you don't get misled or mislead others.
There are Christians who say that the Bible does not spell out "no abortion" and they are right. They use that to justify the practice of abortion. In the same way, there is no "do not use contraception" in the Bible. Nor is there a "contraception is good" in the Bible. Therefore, we extrapolate. We look at the Bible and say: Does the Lord see children as blessings or burdens? Does He see multiple children as good or bad? Does he see sterility and barrenness as positive or negative? Is our God a fruitful God or a sterile one? Does our God design our bodies correctly, or did He make a mistake in the creation that He called good'
First of all, the Bible DOES spell out 'no abortion'. I believe the 6th Commandment says 'You shall not murder'
Now, let's move to 'we extrapolate' part. You said 'We look at the Bible and say: Does the Lord see children as blessings or burdens? Does He see multiple children as good or bad? Does he see sterility and barrenness as positive or negative? Is our God a fruitful God or a sterile one? Does our God design our bodies correctly, or did He make a mistake in the creation that He called good' Let's take that argument to it's logical conclusion. If the children are blessings and not burdens, if multiple children is good , if sterility is negative, than the logical conclusion to that is having as many children as God gives is the Biblical mandate. So, when I say that the Catholic church teaches that, this is where I am getting it from. Your own argument. Furthermore, you yourself violated that by only accepting eight of those blessings and rejecting the rest of them (NO, I am not blaiming or judging, just showing where that argument leads). You used abstinence for that I use the pill. The pill does not kill the baby in me. It prevents conception. Just like abstinence. You say that the difference between the pill and the natural method is the same as, say, robbing the bank to feed your children and going to work to do the same. No, not really. Robbing the bank DIRECTLY violates 'You shall not steal' Using the pill doesn't violate any given commands, only what Catholic church extrapolates form the Bible. And we have just visited that one.
The issue here is not the use of modern contraceptives, or, rather, it's much deeper than that. It all goes back to SOLA FIDE and Catholic church's attempts to add to the finished work of Christ the good deeds of a person in order to earn salvation. Let me explain. Both Leila and I are avoiding having more children, BUT she goes an extra mile by avoiding the pill 'earning' her way to Heaven. No, it's not the only way faithful Catholics can earn some 'extra points', there are lots of things you can do. And they ARE good things. The point is, Catholic church adds these good deeds as a requirement for salvation. That's where it becomes a problem.
Again, please do not think I view children as a burden. They ARE a blessing to me. They are a gift. We are simply trying to be good stewards of God's gifts.
Before I even start I have to tell everyone who might be reading this that it is not aimed at offending anyone or disrespecting any one's way of life. If you choose to not use contraceptives, you have the right to do so, please, don't take this personally. I am going to tell the truth, though, the way I understand it from the Bible. I also am trying to address some of the comments I got on my last post.
Leila said:
"And, if you can show me ANY passage in the Bible which even implies that a barren womb or fruitless sex is a GOOD thing, please let me know."
The Bible does praise fertility and the children are called the gifts from the Lord. Sex in our marriage is by no means fruitless. We have three wonderful blessing from the Lord. We love them very much and are doing our best to raise them right and give them what they need.
I will deal with the next few quotes from Leila all at once because they actually prove my point:
'This is especially important for you to understand: There is NO "have as many kids as you can" teaching in the Catholic Church. Where are you getting that? Certainly not from any Church sources! Please don't misrepresent what the Church teaches. The Catholic Church does NOT teach that. Sorry to repeat, but I really need to know that you are clear on that so that you don't get misled or mislead others.
There are Christians who say that the Bible does not spell out "no abortion" and they are right. They use that to justify the practice of abortion. In the same way, there is no "do not use contraception" in the Bible. Nor is there a "contraception is good" in the Bible. Therefore, we extrapolate. We look at the Bible and say: Does the Lord see children as blessings or burdens? Does He see multiple children as good or bad? Does he see sterility and barrenness as positive or negative? Is our God a fruitful God or a sterile one? Does our God design our bodies correctly, or did He make a mistake in the creation that He called good'
First of all, the Bible DOES spell out 'no abortion'. I believe the 6th Commandment says 'You shall not murder'
Now, let's move to 'we extrapolate' part. You said 'We look at the Bible and say: Does the Lord see children as blessings or burdens? Does He see multiple children as good or bad? Does he see sterility and barrenness as positive or negative? Is our God a fruitful God or a sterile one? Does our God design our bodies correctly, or did He make a mistake in the creation that He called good' Let's take that argument to it's logical conclusion. If the children are blessings and not burdens, if multiple children is good , if sterility is negative, than the logical conclusion to that is having as many children as God gives is the Biblical mandate. So, when I say that the Catholic church teaches that, this is where I am getting it from. Your own argument. Furthermore, you yourself violated that by only accepting eight of those blessings and rejecting the rest of them (NO, I am not blaiming or judging, just showing where that argument leads). You used abstinence for that I use the pill. The pill does not kill the baby in me. It prevents conception. Just like abstinence. You say that the difference between the pill and the natural method is the same as, say, robbing the bank to feed your children and going to work to do the same. No, not really. Robbing the bank DIRECTLY violates 'You shall not steal' Using the pill doesn't violate any given commands, only what Catholic church extrapolates form the Bible. And we have just visited that one.
The issue here is not the use of modern contraceptives, or, rather, it's much deeper than that. It all goes back to SOLA FIDE and Catholic church's attempts to add to the finished work of Christ the good deeds of a person in order to earn salvation. Let me explain. Both Leila and I are avoiding having more children, BUT she goes an extra mile by avoiding the pill 'earning' her way to Heaven. No, it's not the only way faithful Catholics can earn some 'extra points', there are lots of things you can do. And they ARE good things. The point is, Catholic church adds these good deeds as a requirement for salvation. That's where it becomes a problem.
Again, please do not think I view children as a burden. They ARE a blessing to me. They are a gift. We are simply trying to be good stewards of God's gifts.
Thursday, June 24, 2010
Bucket List
I saw the pastor of this community church advertise a new series of sermons titled 'What's on Your Bucket List' by saying that he always wanted to ride his Harley across country. So, he invited people to come and talk about what's on their bucket list. And while I don't have anything against Harleys, an introduction like that to a whole series of sermons makes me question that church's theology right away.
Personally, I don't have a bucket list. I believe that I should live my every day like it's my last one. Not that I always do. But yesterday I got a chance to do what I always wanted. Donate blood. I know, it sounds simple. If you want to donate, why not simply go to their Center and do it. Well, M didn't like the idea (don't ask me why, I don't know) so I never did. Well, yesterday we went to the Mall, because M has been thinking about buying these winter tiers for my van (ours are high quality but have a LOT of miles on them and driving conditions in the winter here are less than perfect.) We don't have the money, but Sears had these 5 tires that would fit, that are normally out of our price range, on sale for 110$ each. So he finally decided to go for it. He was just looking at them at the discount rack when the manager comes up to him and says that he needs to clear the rack NOW and that he will give it to him for 45$ each! Can you believe it? He didn't have to ask M twice. So, while all this was going on, I took the kids to the indoor playground right outside of Sears. They were playing and I was staring at the 'Guns'n'Hoses' annual blood drive, a friendly competition between police and fire dpt. to see who can raise the most blood. I really wanted to go and donate. It was right there, I didn't even have to go anywhere. I knew M would say no, plus someone had to watch the kids. Well, M comes out of Sears happy as I have ever seen him and starts telling me about this great deal. And I ask if he would take the kids while I go donate. He was too happy to say no.
---------------
On another subject, I have mentioned these Catholic blogs I have been reading. I have to admit that being a user of birth control myself and thinking that it is better to take a pill to prevent ovulation than it is to have 10 kids and live on welfare, it's hard to read these blogs that call you baby killer for that. I understand that these women are struggling with their infertility. The desperately want a baby so it's hard for them to understand why someone would choose to have three and stop at that. On the other hand, you know what the people who use natural method are called, right? They are called PARENTS. So, one of the ladies is blogging about having to quit work and not being able to train her replacement so that they qualify for free maternity care since her health insurance expires in June and they barely make the cutout. Why not stay, make the money and buy your own insurance? I don't know. They have their reasons, I am sure. But that's exactly what we are trying to avoid by using birth control. And while I would never even consider abortion, birth control is a responsible choice. So, I wish they didn't go on on on about us evil woment on birth control.
Personally, I don't have a bucket list. I believe that I should live my every day like it's my last one. Not that I always do. But yesterday I got a chance to do what I always wanted. Donate blood. I know, it sounds simple. If you want to donate, why not simply go to their Center and do it. Well, M didn't like the idea (don't ask me why, I don't know) so I never did. Well, yesterday we went to the Mall, because M has been thinking about buying these winter tiers for my van (ours are high quality but have a LOT of miles on them and driving conditions in the winter here are less than perfect.) We don't have the money, but Sears had these 5 tires that would fit, that are normally out of our price range, on sale for 110$ each. So he finally decided to go for it. He was just looking at them at the discount rack when the manager comes up to him and says that he needs to clear the rack NOW and that he will give it to him for 45$ each! Can you believe it? He didn't have to ask M twice. So, while all this was going on, I took the kids to the indoor playground right outside of Sears. They were playing and I was staring at the 'Guns'n'Hoses' annual blood drive, a friendly competition between police and fire dpt. to see who can raise the most blood. I really wanted to go and donate. It was right there, I didn't even have to go anywhere. I knew M would say no, plus someone had to watch the kids. Well, M comes out of Sears happy as I have ever seen him and starts telling me about this great deal. And I ask if he would take the kids while I go donate. He was too happy to say no.
---------------
On another subject, I have mentioned these Catholic blogs I have been reading. I have to admit that being a user of birth control myself and thinking that it is better to take a pill to prevent ovulation than it is to have 10 kids and live on welfare, it's hard to read these blogs that call you baby killer for that. I understand that these women are struggling with their infertility. The desperately want a baby so it's hard for them to understand why someone would choose to have three and stop at that. On the other hand, you know what the people who use natural method are called, right? They are called PARENTS. So, one of the ladies is blogging about having to quit work and not being able to train her replacement so that they qualify for free maternity care since her health insurance expires in June and they barely make the cutout. Why not stay, make the money and buy your own insurance? I don't know. They have their reasons, I am sure. But that's exactly what we are trying to avoid by using birth control. And while I would never even consider abortion, birth control is a responsible choice. So, I wish they didn't go on on on about us evil woment on birth control.
Tuesday, June 22, 2010
It's finally here!
My new dress, that is. It is a little too big on top, otherwise it's perfect! I got Jadin to take a pic. It turned out really bad but I will post it anyway:
We bought this dress for our friends' wedding. I am trying to decide what to do with my hair. Can you help? Here are a couple of looks I came up with. Which one is better?
#1
#2
What do you think?
We bought this dress for our friends' wedding. I am trying to decide what to do with my hair. Can you help? Here are a couple of looks I came up with. Which one is better?
#1
#2
What do you think?
Monday, June 21, 2010
Miscellaneous
So, M was done with work really early on Friday. He calls me and says he will be home after stopping by the store and getting a present. Present? What present? Didn't we buy enough presents (the freezer AND the dress, all from the same pay check) The second he said it was something expensive for the kids we could very well do without I knew what he meant. He's been talking about buying it for at least a year. Let me show you some pictures:
I have to admit, it's a lot of fun. I still think it was an irresponsible financial decision.
---------------------
I was approached by this man at the gym yesterday who I secretly call Mr. Fancy Running Shoes. I never actually looked at his face until yesterday when he came over to ask me about the bicycle crunches but I definitely noticed his shoes. They are very aerodynamically shaped black shoes with white soles that look like giant toothpaste spills. The gym is quite empty these days so you start noticing things like that from sheer lack of anything else to look at :) So, anyway, he comes over just as I am switching from the mat to a weight lifting machine asking me about those crunches, of which, of course, I have no idea. So he describes them to me and proceeds to show me how you do them. At that point another girl who was on the mat at that time starts praising them. When he is done, he turns to me (completely ignoring the other girl) and says 'So, that's how you do them' Um, thanks? I mean ,what do you say to a stranger who starts giving you advice about fitness? Don't take me wrong, I had been approached by a guy before when I was using torso twist incorrectly. And I am grateful. But this is a completely different case. I felt like he was hitting on me. In the gym! Where people sweat! If you saw the way I dress to the gym you'd be amazed they don't take me for some sort of bum and throw me out. And no one hits on me EVER. Which makes this even more uncomfortable because I don't know what to do. I don't want to be impolite. But I don't want to be hit on, either. I am just going to start wearing my wedding band (I usually don't, it scratches the baby and irritates my skin, plus I just don't care about jewelry at all and usually forget to put it on in the morning) There's absolutely no chance to not see him again, I see his shoes around all the time, it seems. Any advice?
---------------
If God is glorified in our weakness, our worship team has definitely been bringing Him a lot of glory that way recently. I mean, WHO messes up 'Amazing Grace'? Apparently, I do. We transpose it a step down to make it easier to sing. And since it's only one step, I usually do it in my head without writ ting it down. I always thought I could play it in any key without music. Well, I wasn't paying very good attention because I totally lost my spot in the middle of second verse and had to drop out until I could find where we were. How embarrassing. It wouldn't be too bad, people probably thought that was planned since I usually drop out on a few verses (we I play flute only) to add variety. But our pianist skipped a whole verse on another song and went straight to the refrain while everyone else continued singing the verse. The pastor had to apologize for our disorderly worship, it was so bad. And last Sunday I almost dropped my drumsticks in the middle of a very fast song. There's no way no one noticed THAT. To make it worse a couple from our church were baptising their 6 mo baby and 3.5 yo son. We had A LOT of visitors. Sundays like that make me want to quit the worship team all together. It's a good thing our main purpose is to glorify God and not to put on a great performance. Otherwise we would all be fired :)
------
I screwed up big time yesterday. I didn't realize it was Father's day until I saw Father's day cake at church. I didn't get a card (no car). I didn't even wish M a happy Father's day (no excuse for that one). Don't worry, I went to Safeway on the way back from the gym and got him a card, a balloon and a lemon pie. Still, I feel bad.
I have to admit, it's a lot of fun. I still think it was an irresponsible financial decision.
---------------------
I was approached by this man at the gym yesterday who I secretly call Mr. Fancy Running Shoes. I never actually looked at his face until yesterday when he came over to ask me about the bicycle crunches but I definitely noticed his shoes. They are very aerodynamically shaped black shoes with white soles that look like giant toothpaste spills. The gym is quite empty these days so you start noticing things like that from sheer lack of anything else to look at :) So, anyway, he comes over just as I am switching from the mat to a weight lifting machine asking me about those crunches, of which, of course, I have no idea. So he describes them to me and proceeds to show me how you do them. At that point another girl who was on the mat at that time starts praising them. When he is done, he turns to me (completely ignoring the other girl) and says 'So, that's how you do them' Um, thanks? I mean ,what do you say to a stranger who starts giving you advice about fitness? Don't take me wrong, I had been approached by a guy before when I was using torso twist incorrectly. And I am grateful. But this is a completely different case. I felt like he was hitting on me. In the gym! Where people sweat! If you saw the way I dress to the gym you'd be amazed they don't take me for some sort of bum and throw me out. And no one hits on me EVER. Which makes this even more uncomfortable because I don't know what to do. I don't want to be impolite. But I don't want to be hit on, either. I am just going to start wearing my wedding band (I usually don't, it scratches the baby and irritates my skin, plus I just don't care about jewelry at all and usually forget to put it on in the morning) There's absolutely no chance to not see him again, I see his shoes around all the time, it seems. Any advice?
---------------
If God is glorified in our weakness, our worship team has definitely been bringing Him a lot of glory that way recently. I mean, WHO messes up 'Amazing Grace'? Apparently, I do. We transpose it a step down to make it easier to sing. And since it's only one step, I usually do it in my head without writ ting it down. I always thought I could play it in any key without music. Well, I wasn't paying very good attention because I totally lost my spot in the middle of second verse and had to drop out until I could find where we were. How embarrassing. It wouldn't be too bad, people probably thought that was planned since I usually drop out on a few verses (we I play flute only) to add variety. But our pianist skipped a whole verse on another song and went straight to the refrain while everyone else continued singing the verse. The pastor had to apologize for our disorderly worship, it was so bad. And last Sunday I almost dropped my drumsticks in the middle of a very fast song. There's no way no one noticed THAT. To make it worse a couple from our church were baptising their 6 mo baby and 3.5 yo son. We had A LOT of visitors. Sundays like that make me want to quit the worship team all together. It's a good thing our main purpose is to glorify God and not to put on a great performance. Otherwise we would all be fired :)
------
I screwed up big time yesterday. I didn't realize it was Father's day until I saw Father's day cake at church. I didn't get a card (no car). I didn't even wish M a happy Father's day (no excuse for that one). Don't worry, I went to Safeway on the way back from the gym and got him a card, a balloon and a lemon pie. Still, I feel bad.
Friday, June 18, 2010
Family Fun: Take Two
So, last time we went out to the hills our pickup broke. What's worse, M called the guy who had fixed it back it February only to find out he was leaving for vacation for 2 weeks (read: I am stuck here at home with three kids for two weeks. Isn't it lovely) No wonder I was less than exited this Wednesday when M said 'We are going to the lake' It turned to be a very pleasant trip. Here are some pictures:
What you are looking at here is a spill for one of the lakes. The water level in all of our lakes was a couple of years ago. In fact, that spill was dry for quite a few years. But we have enjoyed Florida weather here (just without the Florida warmth). Hence the waterfall.
This picture is important because M and Jadin don't have such a great relationship. I am excited to see them getting along.
Cute pic. of M
I know it was balmy 71F but I am amazed that the kids were not cold. I went in up to my ankles and that was good enough.
Boys have these shirts that say 'Dirt is good for the body' Isn't this the perfect illustration?
Fun was had by all but you are looking at one HAPPY dog!
What you are looking at here is a spill for one of the lakes. The water level in all of our lakes was a couple of years ago. In fact, that spill was dry for quite a few years. But we have enjoyed Florida weather here (just without the Florida warmth). Hence the waterfall.
This picture is important because M and Jadin don't have such a great relationship. I am excited to see them getting along.
Cute pic. of M
I know it was balmy 71F but I am amazed that the kids were not cold. I went in up to my ankles and that was good enough.
Boys have these shirts that say 'Dirt is good for the body' Isn't this the perfect illustration?
Fun was had by all but you are looking at one HAPPY dog!
Tuesday, June 15, 2010
Blogging world
It has been a huge inspiration. A few weeks ago I stumbled upon blogs of Catholic women sharing their ups and downs on the path of conceiving a baby. First of all, I had no idea having a baby can be that hard. You see, people don't talk about that kind of stuff in Ukraine. I got married at 26 and my knowledge on the subject was so limited I think I could learn from your regular teenager here. I thought it usually takes about a year to conceive. Well, I tell ya, a month after being re-untied with my husband I found out that it really doesn't take that long. Ooops.
So, I really don't know how to address the subject with tact. I know at least one lady who wasn't able to have children and I found out by accident (after making a really insensitive remark about her not having babies at home (due to her age) Also, my wonderful neighbor doesn't have any children though as she told me once they are not trying to not have any. She doesn't seem to be upset about it but as I have been learning, people don't always admit. I try to not parade my kids in front of her just in case (which is virtually impossible since we share a driveway and my kids love her to pieces and always do things like pick flowers for her or run to say hi and share the latest boo-boos with her) Anyway, it's helpful to learn from people who are willing to be open and honest about the subject. Because I really want to be able to minister to women both with and without children.
Also, it's amazing to see these women's faith shine through the pain. I may disagree (strongly!) with their theology, but I respect and am encouraged by their clinging to God in it and willingness to submit to His will. One of my missionary friends once told me what his view on evangelism was. He said, he shares the gospel with those willing to listen and prays for a crises in their lives to help them seek after God. Because, let's face it, people rarely need God as much when everything is going well in their lives as they do when faced with difficulties and pain. Wouldn't you agree?
Which brings me to my own greatest spiritual struggle. It's one thing to know in your head that God is not just good to any believer, but that He is good to me personally. It's a different thing to believe it. And have no fear of God taking away what I love the most (my family) to make me want Him more. After all, why would God, fair and awesome, perfect in every aspect Creator and Judge would look at a wretched sinner like me with mercy? Yes, I know the answer, but I still fear. I feared through all three of my pregnancies, through kids' baby and toddler years and I fear now, though they seem to be healthy and thriving. Let me tell you, it's not easy to live in fear. And I am learning to trust in God's mercy. So these blogs offer a wonderful support and encouragement. If any of you ladies ever see this post, thank you for your honesty. It helps more than you know.
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Changing the subject completely, my 17 m.o. is a competitive pee-er. I know, it sounds strange. But every time the boys need to go, Rachael appears to be dying to use the facilities. Even if she had just done it five seconds ago. And to prove it, she will try as hard as she can to squeeze a little out and wet her panties. That is beyond irritating! Also, she decided she is done with her sippy cup. And since we were so slow to get it she decided to stop drinking yesterday. Completely. By the time we finally figured out what was going on she was just dying of thirst and wouldn't stop crying. Well, today I finally got it and started giving her milk in a regular glass. I have me a changed child! So, what's next?
So, I really don't know how to address the subject with tact. I know at least one lady who wasn't able to have children and I found out by accident (after making a really insensitive remark about her not having babies at home (due to her age) Also, my wonderful neighbor doesn't have any children though as she told me once they are not trying to not have any. She doesn't seem to be upset about it but as I have been learning, people don't always admit. I try to not parade my kids in front of her just in case (which is virtually impossible since we share a driveway and my kids love her to pieces and always do things like pick flowers for her or run to say hi and share the latest boo-boos with her) Anyway, it's helpful to learn from people who are willing to be open and honest about the subject. Because I really want to be able to minister to women both with and without children.
Also, it's amazing to see these women's faith shine through the pain. I may disagree (strongly!) with their theology, but I respect and am encouraged by their clinging to God in it and willingness to submit to His will. One of my missionary friends once told me what his view on evangelism was. He said, he shares the gospel with those willing to listen and prays for a crises in their lives to help them seek after God. Because, let's face it, people rarely need God as much when everything is going well in their lives as they do when faced with difficulties and pain. Wouldn't you agree?
Which brings me to my own greatest spiritual struggle. It's one thing to know in your head that God is not just good to any believer, but that He is good to me personally. It's a different thing to believe it. And have no fear of God taking away what I love the most (my family) to make me want Him more. After all, why would God, fair and awesome, perfect in every aspect Creator and Judge would look at a wretched sinner like me with mercy? Yes, I know the answer, but I still fear. I feared through all three of my pregnancies, through kids' baby and toddler years and I fear now, though they seem to be healthy and thriving. Let me tell you, it's not easy to live in fear. And I am learning to trust in God's mercy. So these blogs offer a wonderful support and encouragement. If any of you ladies ever see this post, thank you for your honesty. It helps more than you know.
--------
Changing the subject completely, my 17 m.o. is a competitive pee-er. I know, it sounds strange. But every time the boys need to go, Rachael appears to be dying to use the facilities. Even if she had just done it five seconds ago. And to prove it, she will try as hard as she can to squeeze a little out and wet her panties. That is beyond irritating! Also, she decided she is done with her sippy cup. And since we were so slow to get it she decided to stop drinking yesterday. Completely. By the time we finally figured out what was going on she was just dying of thirst and wouldn't stop crying. Well, today I finally got it and started giving her milk in a regular glass. I have me a changed child! So, what's next?
Monday, June 14, 2010
Rainy Days
Lots of them, too. I think it rained every day for the past month. It's so humid that our blankets are damp and I can't leave crackers sitting on the table without them turning into mush. It wouldn't be soo bad, but in addition to being wet it is also cold. Our high for yesterday was 51F. AND we learned that the guy who had fixed M's pickup back in February just left for 2 week vacation on Saturday. Which means I will be without a car for the next two weeks, stuck in our tiny house with three kids. Nice :( Though the forecast did promise 86F on Wednesday. I am skeptical.
We did have a great weekend despite the weather. I got a haircut on Friday, something I wanted for the last three years. We walked to the nearest hair salon. The kids were complaining a lot since they also had to walk to safeway earlier because we ran out of milk. I did get them an ice cream bar each and then another to split and I got them chocolate milk hoping they will mind walking less (at least out loud) if their mouths are filled with chocolate. When we finally got to the salon they were so tired they just sat quietly for 45 minutes coloring. Hair dressers declared them to be the best behaved little boys they have ever seen. Rachael fell asleep on the way but promptly woke up when it came time for the actual hair cut. I had to hold her the whole time, but at least she didn't throw one of her screaming fits. I really liked the haircut and since M had told me to go ahead and have a perm, too, if I wanted it (that was before he found out how much a perm costs these day) I scheduled one for Saturday morning.
M was done really early on Friday so we went to Target for the lack of better entertainment. There we found this dress:
I wasn't looking for a dress, but we somehow got to talking about things that look good on me and I ended up trying it on to prove my point. They even had one a size 6 which I expected to be a little too small but good enough just to show what I meant. It turned out to be HUGE. In fact, I ended up in a size 2! that one was a little too tight, but the fact that I was able to zip up a size two still makes me smile. M liked it so much that he called his mom the next morning (while I was having my perm) to ask her if she was going to town and if she could please find that dress in the right size and mail it to us and that we will pay her back when we come to visit in July. He ended up ordering it on-line. Wow! He is always the one to insist I buy new clothes for myself (somehow I usually end up buying something for the kids if I go shopping by myself) but he never went to such lengths before just for a dress. I guess, it really does look cute :)
And that he just pampered me all day. We went to the mall and he ordered me a burger and curly fries from two different junck food places (I LOVE curly fries but the kids usually get to eat them) while I took Rachael to the bathroom, and a cup of Sturbucks and after that we split a big DQ blizzard. What can I say? The perfect day :)
We did have a great weekend despite the weather. I got a haircut on Friday, something I wanted for the last three years. We walked to the nearest hair salon. The kids were complaining a lot since they also had to walk to safeway earlier because we ran out of milk. I did get them an ice cream bar each and then another to split and I got them chocolate milk hoping they will mind walking less (at least out loud) if their mouths are filled with chocolate. When we finally got to the salon they were so tired they just sat quietly for 45 minutes coloring. Hair dressers declared them to be the best behaved little boys they have ever seen. Rachael fell asleep on the way but promptly woke up when it came time for the actual hair cut. I had to hold her the whole time, but at least she didn't throw one of her screaming fits. I really liked the haircut and since M had told me to go ahead and have a perm, too, if I wanted it (that was before he found out how much a perm costs these day) I scheduled one for Saturday morning.
M was done really early on Friday so we went to Target for the lack of better entertainment. There we found this dress:
I wasn't looking for a dress, but we somehow got to talking about things that look good on me and I ended up trying it on to prove my point. They even had one a size 6 which I expected to be a little too small but good enough just to show what I meant. It turned out to be HUGE. In fact, I ended up in a size 2! that one was a little too tight, but the fact that I was able to zip up a size two still makes me smile. M liked it so much that he called his mom the next morning (while I was having my perm) to ask her if she was going to town and if she could please find that dress in the right size and mail it to us and that we will pay her back when we come to visit in July. He ended up ordering it on-line. Wow! He is always the one to insist I buy new clothes for myself (somehow I usually end up buying something for the kids if I go shopping by myself) but he never went to such lengths before just for a dress. I guess, it really does look cute :)
And that he just pampered me all day. We went to the mall and he ordered me a burger and curly fries from two different junck food places (I LOVE curly fries but the kids usually get to eat them) while I took Rachael to the bathroom, and a cup of Sturbucks and after that we split a big DQ blizzard. What can I say? The perfect day :)
Thursday, June 10, 2010
No car
What happens to the family when the wife and three kids are stuck at home without a car? My children were up before 6am (the girly was, anyway, the boys slept till 6:30) It's 9:46 now, this is my 4th blog post toady, Rachael is destroying Daniel's towers and climbing all over Jadin (which neither of them appreciates. add loud screaming every 20 seconds here) And Jadin and I had the following conversation:
J 'Mommy, are old M'n'Ms poison?'
Me 'No'
J 'What do old M'n'Ms taste like? I tried one, it was yucky'
Me 'They taste like chocolate. Where did you find an old one of those? (we haven't had M'n'Ms at our house for months)'
J 'Daniel found one in the bathroom'
And than it dawned on me. Rachael was playing with a pack of M's Sudafed yesterday while sitting on the potty (my own personal potty training technique. keep the entertained while they are on the potty while they are learning to go, so that they don't mind being there so long.) Usually she just takes it out of the box and puts it back times 10. Well, yesterday she popped a tablet out by accident. It's tiny so I couldn't see it right away and forgot all about it later. And today Daniel found it and gave it to Jadin. Jadin ate it. So, no he is sitting quietly on the couch thinking that he's going to die. Hopefully it will scare him enough to never try anything like that again. Plus, it's much quieter around here, too. Oh, the joys of motherhood.
J 'Mommy, are old M'n'Ms poison?'
Me 'No'
J 'What do old M'n'Ms taste like? I tried one, it was yucky'
Me 'They taste like chocolate. Where did you find an old one of those? (we haven't had M'n'Ms at our house for months)'
J 'Daniel found one in the bathroom'
And than it dawned on me. Rachael was playing with a pack of M's Sudafed yesterday while sitting on the potty (my own personal potty training technique. keep the entertained while they are on the potty while they are learning to go, so that they don't mind being there so long.) Usually she just takes it out of the box and puts it back times 10. Well, yesterday she popped a tablet out by accident. It's tiny so I couldn't see it right away and forgot all about it later. And today Daniel found it and gave it to Jadin. Jadin ate it. So, no he is sitting quietly on the couch thinking that he's going to die. Hopefully it will scare him enough to never try anything like that again. Plus, it's much quieter around here, too. Oh, the joys of motherhood.
We now are the proud owners of this guy:
Why do you ask would we buy a chest freezer? Well, we received an unexpected call from M's parents (their calls always take me by surprise since it's M who usually calls) They said that they were going to butcher a cow. They are farmers, you see, semi-retired, that is. They used to keep milk cows for the most part and only a few meat ones just for their own use, but they sold the house and all the infrastructure needed for that and only have like 3 or 4 cows (M's dad was bored) M grew up helping with everything from milking them to delivering calves. In fact, when I was delivering Rachael and the doctor noticed how knowledgeable M was in these things, M said that it's no different than delivering calves back at the farm...while I was in transition. With no pain drugs. And after being induced. It's like introduction to hell! And though he apologized for saying that, sad that he really didn't mean anything by it and wasn't comparing...let's just say, NOT the smartest move.
So, anyway, back to the call. They said the were butchering a cow and could only use a quarter. Do we want some meat? Otherwise they were going to donate it to the Mission. Do we WANT MEAT? Do they KNOW us? We haven't been able to afford to buy stakes or roasts ever since the birth of our first child! OF COURSE we want it! Ok, they said, come an get it. Soooo, since the freezer costs less than what we pay for hamburger alone, be bought it. And they will have it in on my birthday! What a great birthday present! :)
Why do you ask would we buy a chest freezer? Well, we received an unexpected call from M's parents (their calls always take me by surprise since it's M who usually calls) They said that they were going to butcher a cow. They are farmers, you see, semi-retired, that is. They used to keep milk cows for the most part and only a few meat ones just for their own use, but they sold the house and all the infrastructure needed for that and only have like 3 or 4 cows (M's dad was bored) M grew up helping with everything from milking them to delivering calves. In fact, when I was delivering Rachael and the doctor noticed how knowledgeable M was in these things, M said that it's no different than delivering calves back at the farm...while I was in transition. With no pain drugs. And after being induced. It's like introduction to hell! And though he apologized for saying that, sad that he really didn't mean anything by it and wasn't comparing...let's just say, NOT the smartest move.
So, anyway, back to the call. They said the were butchering a cow and could only use a quarter. Do we want some meat? Otherwise they were going to donate it to the Mission. Do we WANT MEAT? Do they KNOW us? We haven't been able to afford to buy stakes or roasts ever since the birth of our first child! OF COURSE we want it! Ok, they said, come an get it. Soooo, since the freezer costs less than what we pay for hamburger alone, be bought it. And they will have it in on my birthday! What a great birthday present! :)
Good times
Since I was too lazy to go get the camera out of the car I will post pictures from our Thursday play date today:
Mommies with the babies
And what's a play date without some chocolate?
Mommies with the babies
And what's a play date without some chocolate?
Hiking
I was really excited yesterday when M said we were going hiking! Living in SD does have it's pluses. M desided to take the pickup (it has 4 wheel drive) so it took us a bit longer to get ready (I keep extra clothes for Rachael and sweaters for boys in my van at all times). At that point I should have asked WHY we needed 4 wheel drive? After all most places are terorrist...I mean, tourist accessible. The other red flag came up when M wouldn't tell me where we were going. And this is why:
What mother in her right mind would want to scramble over boulders carrying a baby and trying to make sure the boys don't go down? I refused to get out of the car and ten minutes later M agreed to go somewhere else. As we took off the pickup started making these horrible noises. Yep, we broke down. In the middle of nowhere. I am pretty sure the road to that hill isn't really a road, but some sort of maintanance path. The horrible metal breaking noise continued every time M hit the brakes. You don't want to know how we got home. It was pretty much praying the whole way back. And today I am without a car because M needed to get to work. Some days you really shouldn't even bother getting out of bed.
What mother in her right mind would want to scramble over boulders carrying a baby and trying to make sure the boys don't go down? I refused to get out of the car and ten minutes later M agreed to go somewhere else. As we took off the pickup started making these horrible noises. Yep, we broke down. In the middle of nowhere. I am pretty sure the road to that hill isn't really a road, but some sort of maintanance path. The horrible metal breaking noise continued every time M hit the brakes. You don't want to know how we got home. It was pretty much praying the whole way back. And today I am without a car because M needed to get to work. Some days you really shouldn't even bother getting out of bed.
Tuesday, June 8, 2010
It's 7 pm...
...and the house is quiet. A very unusual thing for this house, too. The reason for that, of course, is children being in their beds sleeping. We had a very quiet morning and a very busy afternoon that included going to the YMCA for a workout for me and some play time for the children and a play date with a 3.5 yo boy and a 5mo girl from church. Their mom, G, called as I was leaving the house for the Y and invited us over. Her son, M is just as hyper as Jadin, so the three of them are a... uh...fun group. Daniel got sat on at least once and that brought him to tears (mostly because he was so tired) and I noticed a huge bruise on his head ('I fell off M's bed' he explained when I asked him about it. "But I am OK, it doesn't hurt' Well, that's good. No permanent damage)
G is a great entertainer, she thinks about every little detail. Food was great. She made a cheese pizza and chicken nuggets for the kids and sloppy Joe's for adults (we were joined by another new mom, her son is not yet 3mo). I love talking to G, we really connect. Maybe it's because we are both foreigners (she is from Brazil) so we share our joys and frustrations. It really helps to know that I am not dumb, just new to the country. M had a little problem sharing his toys last time but this time he did great. I am so grateful to have a friend, you have no idea! I have been very lonely up until now without even realizing it. Don't take me wrong, I have many friends in this town and other states, but the ones that really understand, live far away, and there was no one here I truly was close with. Thank God for friends!
Jadin cried when I told him we had to leave. He NEVER does that. He was tired (the three of them got so hyped up I really didn't know what to do, I have never seen them like that) Plus, G made smores. I am not big on sugar, so I don't make desserts/cookies/bars/cakes on a regular basis. AND I am not big on TV. Or jumping on beds. So G's house is a paradise for two little boys. I did take pictures of kids' chocolate covered faces but left the camera in the car and the car's in the garage. So, maybe tomorrow :)
Yes, and M is still at work so I can't leave the house to go vote. :(
G is a great entertainer, she thinks about every little detail. Food was great. She made a cheese pizza and chicken nuggets for the kids and sloppy Joe's for adults (we were joined by another new mom, her son is not yet 3mo). I love talking to G, we really connect. Maybe it's because we are both foreigners (she is from Brazil) so we share our joys and frustrations. It really helps to know that I am not dumb, just new to the country. M had a little problem sharing his toys last time but this time he did great. I am so grateful to have a friend, you have no idea! I have been very lonely up until now without even realizing it. Don't take me wrong, I have many friends in this town and other states, but the ones that really understand, live far away, and there was no one here I truly was close with. Thank God for friends!
Jadin cried when I told him we had to leave. He NEVER does that. He was tired (the three of them got so hyped up I really didn't know what to do, I have never seen them like that) Plus, G made smores. I am not big on sugar, so I don't make desserts/cookies/bars/cakes on a regular basis. AND I am not big on TV. Or jumping on beds. So G's house is a paradise for two little boys. I did take pictures of kids' chocolate covered faces but left the camera in the car and the car's in the garage. So, maybe tomorrow :)
Yes, and M is still at work so I can't leave the house to go vote. :(
Service Not Available
I am new to blogging. There are a lot of things I don't know and I have to admit that some things I did took me half an hour of poking around. So, I was really surprised when I tried to update yesterday and saw 'Service not available' on my screen. For some reason I thought that it's not something that can happen, that one can update their blog 24/7. Ah, the things we take for granted.
Speaking of those, our YMCA is holding an essay contest. Participants are to explain what it means to them to be an American. It's open to all ages, so I went for it. I doubt it's going to win anything, but it was fun to express my feelings on the matter. Writing it made me think of all the things we here take for granted. Like, being able to critisize the government out loud without being afraid of going to jail, or not being discriminated on based on age. It's the simple things in life you treasure :)
And, since it's related to the previous thought, I have to mention that today will be my first time ever to vote in this country. I remember when I first came I really wanted to vote, to influence my kids' future even if in a small way. Well, today I get my chance...M already voted yesterday because he will not be home from work in time to do it today. And I feel lost. I have no idea where to go or what to do with the kids while I am doing it (waiting to do it), or even which guy I like the best. All the republican guys seem all right, so which one do I pick? I am not sure. There's this tea party republican I was meaning to vote for but then M mentioned that he owes a lot of money in taxes. I don't want a guy who is avoiding paying taxes. I guess, I'll see when I get there...if I even find the place.
Oh, and I forgot to tell you all about the Volksmarch on Saturday. It's the only time of the year when you are allowed to hike up Crazy Horse mountain. It used to be an ordinary mountain until they desided to carve it into this Indian guy sitting on his horse. We did it once when Jadin was still a very small baby and this time he got to hike..the whole 10k! He did great, didn't complain much. Rachael got a nice ride in a stroller and I got the funnest part, carrying Daniel all the way up and down. The original idea was for him to walk. Did I ever tell you that he is the one an only couch potato in this family? Not that he gets to do it much, we simply don't stay at home enough for anyone to enjoy the couch, but it was not realistic to expect him to walk 10k. So, I carried him, since M said it was his problem and he had to keep up. Good workout, though I was a little tired at the end.
Here's a pic. of us:
Speaking of those, our YMCA is holding an essay contest. Participants are to explain what it means to them to be an American. It's open to all ages, so I went for it. I doubt it's going to win anything, but it was fun to express my feelings on the matter. Writing it made me think of all the things we here take for granted. Like, being able to critisize the government out loud without being afraid of going to jail, or not being discriminated on based on age. It's the simple things in life you treasure :)
And, since it's related to the previous thought, I have to mention that today will be my first time ever to vote in this country. I remember when I first came I really wanted to vote, to influence my kids' future even if in a small way. Well, today I get my chance...M already voted yesterday because he will not be home from work in time to do it today. And I feel lost. I have no idea where to go or what to do with the kids while I am doing it (waiting to do it), or even which guy I like the best. All the republican guys seem all right, so which one do I pick? I am not sure. There's this tea party republican I was meaning to vote for but then M mentioned that he owes a lot of money in taxes. I don't want a guy who is avoiding paying taxes. I guess, I'll see when I get there...if I even find the place.
Oh, and I forgot to tell you all about the Volksmarch on Saturday. It's the only time of the year when you are allowed to hike up Crazy Horse mountain. It used to be an ordinary mountain until they desided to carve it into this Indian guy sitting on his horse. We did it once when Jadin was still a very small baby and this time he got to hike..the whole 10k! He did great, didn't complain much. Rachael got a nice ride in a stroller and I got the funnest part, carrying Daniel all the way up and down. The original idea was for him to walk. Did I ever tell you that he is the one an only couch potato in this family? Not that he gets to do it much, we simply don't stay at home enough for anyone to enjoy the couch, but it was not realistic to expect him to walk 10k. So, I carried him, since M said it was his problem and he had to keep up. Good workout, though I was a little tired at the end.
Here's a pic. of us:
Friday, June 4, 2010
People!
You know how you can't stop talking about someone or something you love? Well, I am that way. I just can't stop talking about them. Just thinking about them brings a smile to my face and warms my heart. I spend my every waking moment with them yet I can't stop thinking about them when we are apart. 'Them' being the kids. Well, I learned a lesson yesterday. Not everybody sees it that way.
I volunteer with a few people, most of them young moms with little kids. We talk about kids a lot. After all, what else is there to talk about to a person you only see 3 hours a week who is really not interested in you or your life, and just trying to be polite. We discussed pre-school and how they think it's not important (I disagree, politely, of course) Than we talk about Rachael being potty trained (not a topic that can really be avoided when your 17mo just used the potty right there)...And about half an hour later she wets her pants. Not her fault, by the way. She kept saying 'pah! pah!' I just couldn't hear her over 20 some screaming kids. And this lady (her daughter is a few months older than Rachael)says 'Isn't it funny how the minute you start bragging about your kids they screw up big time?' What do you say to that? That some people just love their kids and talk about them often? I wish people weren't jealous of other people's successes. After all, she can do it, too, it only takes a little bit of effort!
I volunteer with a few people, most of them young moms with little kids. We talk about kids a lot. After all, what else is there to talk about to a person you only see 3 hours a week who is really not interested in you or your life, and just trying to be polite. We discussed pre-school and how they think it's not important (I disagree, politely, of course) Than we talk about Rachael being potty trained (not a topic that can really be avoided when your 17mo just used the potty right there)...And about half an hour later she wets her pants. Not her fault, by the way. She kept saying 'pah! pah!' I just couldn't hear her over 20 some screaming kids. And this lady (her daughter is a few months older than Rachael)says 'Isn't it funny how the minute you start bragging about your kids they screw up big time?' What do you say to that? That some people just love their kids and talk about them often? I wish people weren't jealous of other people's successes. After all, she can do it, too, it only takes a little bit of effort!
Thursday, June 3, 2010
Our day in pictures
I can't believe it's Thursday already! I need more hours in a day. Yesterday was supposed to be an easier day for me, since M was home. Yeah, right! He worked on my van all morning (changed the brake pads, the oil and rotaded the tires) I am truly blessed having my own personal mechanic right here. And then I had to do an extra long workout to since the YMCA was closed on Monday. By the time I came back it was 7pm (which is really late for my family, M had to get up at 1am to go to work) Imagine my surprise when he gets in the car and says 'Let's go swimming! I promised the kids' WHAT???? It's 7pm! Of course, we went, though I was not a happy camper (did I mention that I just got done with a 1000+ calorie workout?) It was fun though. And today we went to Storybook Island. So, here are the pics:
We all had an icecream cone and now off we go to the Nursery. Wish me luck :)
We all had an icecream cone and now off we go to the Nursery. Wish me luck :)
Tuesday, June 1, 2010
I found the right salad
My kids are picky eaters. Especially Jadin. He WOULD NOT try anything new if I didn't make him. And he doesn't like home cooking, he wants junk food. Not in my house, buddy. Don't take me wrong, I love junk food, but 1. It's expensive, and 2. I don't want to raise kids who only eat chicken nuggets and fries. 3. Have you tried my baked chicken? It's divine! Ok, ok, #3 is overstating it a little, though my husband who never ate chicken after leaving his mom's house, absolutely loves it. So, back to salads. Recently I decided that the reason my kids don't eat much is because my cooking is based on M's tastes: hamburger, hamburger, hamburger. Seriously, who can eat THAT in 90F weather? If I can't I am pretty sure they can't either. So I started looking for lighter lunch foods (M's not home for lunch anyway so no one can accuse me of being kid oriented instead of husband oriented (heard that one on the radio the other day. Apparently it's bad for both kids and adults. That explaines the way kids are treated here. But I will save that for another post) First thing that came to mind was pasta salads. Kids love pasta and fresh veggies, and so do I, so why not give it a try. The first one had cheese ravioli, fresh tomatoes and broccoli. I made a mistake of making it on Saturday and M gave me an ear full of how he hates broccoli (along with any other veggie. What am I supposed to cook, then?) Unfortunately, the kids didn't like that one, either, though M made a point of telling them how delicious it was when we sat down to eat. Well, we ate it. Today I tried seafood salad. It was a complete screaming success! I have NEVER seen Jadin eat three bowls of anything before. Daniel had two! Even little Rachael got in on the fun, though I think she liked the fork the most :) This one is definitely a keeper! YAY for summer and lighter foods!
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