My vision is blurry.

~ My son thinks I can see behind me, and underneath the table. Somehow I always know what he's doing, or how many fingers he's holding up. I'm not a super hero to him, I just eat lots of carrots so I can see through tables, and grow eyes in the back of my head, he says. I think it may be some motherly instinct, or maybe just chalk it down to the fact that I know my son, I am around him, and know what he's up to by certain sounds he's making, and as far as guessing how many fingers he's holding up, thats just luck, and he still thinks I'm great even when I do make a mistake.

~I am begining to wonder if that is similar to God's presence in my life. That the closer I am to him, the more I notice his presence around me, even when I can't clearly see him, or know what He's doing. I know He's there, and up to something, and the closer I am to him, the more likely I know what it is He's doing.

So often, I get caught up in the "where are you God," that I am failing to see that He's not gone anywhere, my vision and focus on him has just gotten blurry, and I haven't been around Him to know Him well enough to recognize that He's near, or up to something. I once heard a speaker say, "He never lets go." and I got this mental picture of God holding my wrist, not my hand. I envisioned it that way, because it hit me, that it was my choice to hold him back, and at times I let my hand drop, or don't have the strength to hold on, but He's got me, by the wrist, and He's not letting go, even when I can't see Him clearly, or hear Him clearly, or know what He is doing. He is always there, and always holding on.

Worldwide day of Play!

Today is worldwide day of play, promoting active healthy life styles for your kids. We are glad it's a nice day out today, because my kids want to play outside, go to the park, play board games.... who knows what else the day will bring us!

~What will you do for the day of play?

(HT: apartment therapy)

The Family Car

~If you don't have kids, and would like to see what one part of your life would look like if you did, just lift up the seats of your car, take a bag of pretzels and throw them all over the place, followed by some cheerios and those "yogo" fruit snacks, (if you don't use those, make sure to get ones that melt when they get hot) and sprinkle with a little apple juice, (for that musty smell) and a little milk, (for that, "there's gotta be a poopy diaper in here," smell) Next, make sure you walk across the mess, and really grind it into the carpet, and leave for a month or so to get the full effect!

~Every car we get, we say "we aren't going to eat in this one, and we'll pick up every time we get out of it..." Inevitably life speeds up, and priorities shift away from the car, and we eat in it, and forget to pick up, and forget to vacuum, and it gets really nasty. As long as it's running good, and keeping us safe, who really cares? You can get really strong air fresheners to cover that smell, and if not, you get used to it after awhile.

Zucchini Patties

INGREDIENTS
2 cups grated zucchini
2 eggs, beaten
1/4 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
salt to taste
2 tablespoons vegetable oil

DIRECTIONS
In a medium bowl, combine the zucchini, eggs, onion, flour, Parmesan cheese, mozzarella cheese, and salt. Stir well enough to distribute ingredients evenly.
Heat a small amount of oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Drop zucchini mixture by heaping tablespoonfuls, and cook for a few minutes on each side until golden.

~Serve with marinara for dipping.

(All Recipes)

Anthony Robbins

"The only limit to your impact is your imagination and commitment."
~Anthony Robbins

Tiny Talk Tuesday

~This week, my 5 year old has been the inventor and costume wearer, and back to his obsession with Tennessee Vols athletic uniforms. (which are a very offensive orange color) He invented a drink that when you drink it, you don't have to brush your teeth ever again, OR if you break your leg, it will heal it. It is called, "Waffle-ade-ee." (I think I pronounced that right)

~My 5 year old had a short stomach virus this weekend, and my two year old said enthusiastically, while hearing him in the bathroom, "Bluey puked up!"


I also overheard him arguing with a friend outside, and when I approached closer this is what I heard.
~ the friend-"The world is mine."
~Blue saying passionately, "Na Uhh- the world is yours, mine and Gods."
(and they continued to go back and forth, I decided to let them work that one out)

~ A neighbor girl was outside, and said to me, "Miss Kristin, watch what I can do," and she broke a crayon in half. I said, "wow..." and she replied "I don't even take Karate."

... I love how confident kids are of themselves, their inventions, and abilities.

(this one is into everything!!!)


...For more Tiny Talk Tuesday, visit Mary@not before7...

Changing things up...

~ I did this schedule on my blog, to record (and share) the things that I had set out to learn more about. Some of you shared what you wanted to learn more about along with me, and going green was one of them. There is plenty more to learn about besides what I have posted on, but I am going to stop posting on this as regularly, primarily because Mondays are very busy days for me!

~So if you are still wanting to learn more, there is plenty of information out there, and I'll post new ideas I have found from time to time, and you can also keep an eye on my sidebar "Green Guide" and click on an article that interests you.


(Check out the article on Bagged Lettuce Recall).... in other news... I made a salad for my neighbors, out of organic bagged lettuce, and they found a worm on the leaf! Brody said, "Well at least you knew for sure that it was organic." I am just glad it was a worm, and not the ecoli virus!

From Psalm 112

"Praise the LORD.
Blessed is the man who fears the LORD,
who finds great delight in his commands.
His children will be mighty in the land;
the generation of the upright will be blessed."

~Psalm 112:1-2

My movie review.

~ I went out to a movie the other night with a friend I had not seen in awhile. So after we caught up over some coke's at a nearby restaurant, we headed to see The Brave One. She's got three teenage daughters, so she sees her share of the girly movies, and I have three little one's so I don't get out much, and love to go see any movies. When I asked her what she wanted to see, she said, "Let's go see Jodi Foster kick some butt." That she does in this movie. The story and the movie are very well done. Jodi Foster and Terrence Howard, do really good jobs acting. It keeps you on the edge of your seat, and makes you want to yell out a lot of the time, "what are you doing?" It is sad, and a tad bit scary. (I didn't want to go to the bathroom by myself during the movie, because I was jumpy, and we were glad to have each other to walk with to the car) Because of the scary parts, it made me want to tell Seth and Amber to not go out at night, or walk through park tunnels, or chase after their dog. (if they have one)

So if you like action/ drama, and not particularly happy endings, then you'd like this movie. The actors do a really good job.

~Have you seen this, or any good movies lately?

Greek Chicken

~Ingredients:
Serves 4
1 pint cherry or grape tomatoes, halved
1/3 cup pitted Kalamata olives
4 ounces feta cheese, coarsely crumbled (1 cup)
1/2 cup fresh mint leaves
2 to 3 tablespoons olive oil
Coarse salt and ground pepper
1 1/2 pounds thin chicken cutlets (about 8)

~Directions:
In a medium bowl, combine tomatoes, olives, feta, mint, and 1 tablespoon oil. Season with salt and pepper; set aside.
Heat a grill pan over high; brush lightly with oil. Season cutlets with salt and pepper. Cook, working in batches as necessary, until chicken is cooked through, 1 to 2 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate, and cover with aluminum foil to keep warm. Top chicken with tomato mixture, and serve.

(from FOOD magazine)

Words and Actions

"The Christian commitment is not an abstraction. It is a concrete, visible, courageous, and formidable way of being in the world, forged by daily choices consistent with the truth......... the one who talks, especially if he talks to God, can affect a great deal, but the one who acts really means business and has more claims on our attention."
~ Brennan Manning.

Tiny Talk Tuesday

~ The day where I'll tell you about the cute and funny things my kids are saying!

~Today my 4 year old was poking his head out of our sun roof of our car, while we were sitting in the parking lot, yelling at anyone who walked by, " You wanna come in our car?"
~While picking the tomatoes from our deck, he tells me, "I don't like grape potatoes."

~My 2 year old, has been saying, " you got for, something." (meaning you forgot, something) and " cheese-la-weezy" (for jeeze la weeze)

~My baby has not begun to talk yet, except for the indiscriminate "mamma mamma" he says. But he does like to yell, "baa baa, yaaa, yaaa," every time we sit down to eat.

*For more Tiny talk tuesday, check out these

Fun ways to recycle your...

... stained, or worn out baby blankets....Transform them into cute dusting rags! ( With the fleece ones, there's no need to sew, just cut up into smaller squares and snip the edges to make fringe.)




....old jeans, and t shirts....Can become a cute bag!



.... turn old pillow case and plastic shopping bags....
.....into a dog bed or cushions for the kids! (just fill a pillow case with the plastic bags, and sew shut.)

...audio cassete tapes....
into a wearable dress, that you can actually play!
(totally weird, but you have to read about this or watch a video on how to make one!)

~There's some fun things you can make from your old crap, if you use a little creativity!

Excerpt..

"LIfe can sometimes make us feel like we're in over our heads, but the reality is that, without God, we're always in over our heads. For example, a little three year old girl felt secure in her father's arms as Dad stood in the middle of a swimming pool. But Dad, for fun, began walking slowly toward the deep end, as the water rose higher and higher on the child. The girl's face registered increasing degrees of panic, as she held all the more tightly to her father, who, of course easily touched the bottom. Had the little girl been able to analyze her situation, she'd have realized there was no reason for her increasing fear. The water's depth in ANY part of the pool was over her head. For her, safety anywhere in that pool depended on Dad.
At various points in our lives, all of us feel we're getting 'out of our depth,' or 'in over our heads.' There are problems all around....and our temptation is to panic, because we feel we've lost control. But think about it- just like the child in the pool, the truth is we've never been in control when it comes to life's most crucial elements." ~Joyce Meyer

~ The part of this that hit me, was the realization that the girl would've been in over her head at any part of the pool, that she needed her Dad to be holding her up even in the shallower waters. At times when life seems more peaceful, it seems easy to forget that God is there still holding my head above the waters, they just aren't as dark and tumultuous, so I don't notice my needs as greatly, or cling as tightly. The irony is that my need is just as great, and it is never myself that I can be depending on.

Still not in yet!

... My poor baby boy is still cutting his bottom tooth and two top teeth. It's been about two weeks that he's been working on them, and they still aren't in even though you can see them right below his skin. It seems like every other day is hard for him. He's got about every teething symptom that there is, probably because he's getting all three at once. For my other boys, teething didn't last this long, or seem this hard on them, so it's new for me. We have been chilling his pacifiers, bottles, and teething rings in the fridge, letting him chew on frozen fruit and ice, and giving him tylenol. I don't know what more to do, except pray that they come in quicker!

Revelations at the Hair dresser.

~I go to a hair dresser, who I love to go see. Not because she's amazing at doing hair, in fact she's the very one who Screwed up my husband's hair. I like to go see her, because going to see her, is like going to see an old friend, and frankly I don't care too much about having my hair just right. I walk into the basement of her southern home, and this Puerto Rican woman, with big hair and an equally big personality, greets me with a hug, and a genuine, "How are you?" She wants to know, because she's going to pray as she's washing my hair.

Today we talked about how grown ups need to act more like kids every once in awhile, slow things down to their pace, noticing the ants on the sidewalk, and laughing at the spilt water. To not plan too far ahead, because "today has enough troubles of it's own," and to enjoy little things, like the way our babies hands look now, because they'll not look that way again.

She finished up my hair, and after a long hug, I walked out with hair a little shorter than I wanted, and poofed to the sky, but with a smile on my face, and inspiration to enjoy and live within the moments of the day.

Fruit Salsa with Cinnamon Tortilla chips

INGREDIENTS
1 apple - peeled, cored and diced
1 cup sliced fresh strawberries
2 kiwis, peeled and sliced
2 bananas, peeled and sliced
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
2 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 cup oil for frying
6 (10 inch) flour tortillas
3 tablespoons white sugar
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon

DIRECTIONS
In a medium bowl, mix together Fuji apple, strawberries, kiwis, bananas, lime juice, white sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg. Cover and chill in the refrigerator approximately 20 minutes.
Heat oil in a medium heavy saucepan to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
Slice flour tortillas into triangles. Carefully place tortilla triangles into the hot oil and fry until golden brown, 2 to 4 minutes. Drain on paper towels.
Place white sugar and cinnamon in a large ziplock plastic bag. Drop fried tortilla triangles into the bag and shake to coat.
Serve the cinnamon chips warm with the chilled fruit salsa.

~Recipe from All Recipes

Damien Rice

"Music washes away from the soul, the dust of everyday life."

— Berthold Auerbach


~ Brody and I don't go out much, we wait and save for something that we really want to do. When we saw that Damien Rice was coming to town, we decided we had to go. So, we get to go on a date, get out of the house for awhile, and listen to some music that we love.

101 ways to go green

101 Ways To Live More Ecologically,may be you find something that applies to you

(I don't do all of these, but thought this was a good list!)


1. Avoid disposable in favor of reusable
items.
2. Avoid drying rags in a clothes dryer.
3. Avoid power appliances when hand power works.
4. Avoid highly processed foods.
5. Avoid using styro foam—it can't be recycled.
6. Avoid watering driveways and sidewalks.
7. Be responsible and creative with leftover foods.
8. Buy in bulk goods to reduce wasted packaging.
9. Buy energy efficient electric appliances.
10. Buy foods without additives.
11. Buy foods without preservatives.
12. Buy food and goods from sources you trust
13. Buy large quantities to reduce shopping trips.
14. Buy living Christmas trees.
15. Buy locally grown food and produce.
16. Buy organic, pesticide-free foods.
17. Compost your food scraps.
18. Discover and protect watersheds in your area,
19. Don't burn trash or other smoky materials.
20. Drain cooking grease onto paper bags, not paper towels.
21. Drive a fuel-efficient car.
22. Drive less: walk, bicycle, carpool and use public transportation.
23. Eat foods low on the food chain; avoid meat.
24. Eat more natural, nutritious foods.
25. Educate elected representatives on ecology.
26. Exercise regularly.
27. Explore and learn about your bioregion.
28. Grow your own food, even a small amount.
29. Hang dry some or all of your clothes.
30. Heat your home less and wear warmer clothes.
31. Heat your home more with renewable energies.
32. Hold a potluck dinner to discuss local ecology.
33. If you use a dishwasher, turn off the drying cycle.
34. Install a water-conserving device in your toilets.
35. Install a water-conserving shower head.
36. Insulate your home to maximum efficiency.
37. Invest for social responsibility as well as profit.
38. Invest in solar power, where practical.
39. Invest in well-made, long-lived clothing.
40. Keep hazardous chemicals in safe containers.
41. Keep appliance motors well adjusted for efficiency.
42. Mend and repair rather than discard and replace.
43. Oppose meddling in ecological balance.
44. Oppose private development of special areas.
45. Oppose roadside use of defoliants.
46. Organize or join a neighborhood toy exchange.
47. Pick up litter along streets and highways.
48. Plant native trees and shrubs around your home.
49. Plant trees throughout your community.
50. Plant your living Christmas tree.
51. Practice preventive health care.
52. Practice responsible family planning.
53. Prepare only as much food as will be eaten.
54. Protect your favorite distinctive natural areas.
55. Purchase goods in reusable/recyclable containers.
56. Put a catalytic converter on your wood stove.
57. Put toxic substances out of reach of children.
58. Recycle aluminum.
59. Recycle glass.
60. Recycle newspaper.
61. Recycle old clothes.
62. Recycle plastic.
63. Recycle used motor oil.
64. Recycle your unneeded items.
65. Re-use paper bags.
66. Re-use plastic bags for storage and waste.
67. Save up for full loads in clothes washers.
68. Save up for full loads in dishwasher.
69. Shop by phone, then go pick up your purchases.
70. Speak out about your values in community groups.
71. Support efficient energy sources in your bioregion.
72. Support elected representatives on ecological issues.
73. Support energy conservation in your bio region.

74. Support global ecological improvement efforts.
75. Support local credit unions.
76. Support local merchants before large chains.
77. Support neighborhood food cooperatives.
78. Support proper waste water and sewage treatment.
79. Support the cultural diversity in your bioregion.
80. Support the plants and animals in your community.
81. Take shorter showers.
82. Teach your children ecological wisdom.
83. Turn down the thermostat on your water heater.
84. Turn off the lights when not needed.
85. Turn off the water while you brush your teeth.
86. Use biodegradable soaps and detergents.
87. Use cloth diapers.
88. Use cloth table napkins.
89. Use less tapwater whenever possible.
90. Use non-toxic pest control.
91. Use only medications you trust/understand.
92. Use rags or towels instead of paper.
93. Use rechargeable batteries.
94. Use the second side of paper for scratch paper.
95. Use water from cooking vegetables to make soup.
96. Volunteer for work in a community garden.
97. Volunteer to maintain local parks and wilderness.
98. Wash clothes in cold water.
99. Wash dishes in still, not running water.
100. Weather-seal your home.
101. Work to unlearn poor ecological habits

Tapped out...

~ I am having one of those weeks where I am not having many deep thoughts, and don't feel as though I am learning much spiritually, or maybe not listening well. I have, however been continuing my commitment with the 21 days to change, and getting up early to pray, and read. So if any of you have any specific prayer requests, I am praying every day, and will add you to my list! (and it would help my motivation!)

Stinker

~This guy, is my sunshine. I am not a morning person, but when I pick this one out of his crib, and he starts dancing to my good morning song, I can't help but be instantly in a good mood.

He's had one tooth for about a month, just a cute little one on the bottom, but now three more are trying to poke their way through all at once, and he's not so happy in the middle of the night.

... The other night, when we were all sick, this little one spent nearly two hours straight, crying inconsolably. Finally, I woke up my husband to tell him that I couldn't get the baby to stop crying, and when Brody sat up and said "hi" to him, my baby stopped mid scream, looked over and smiled, and then started waving.

... "Stinker!".... was all i could say, handed him over and got back into bed.

Allowance

~I started thinking about the possibility of giving my son some sort of allowance now that he's 5. I couldn't figure out how to do it, because I didn't want to tie it to his chores because I feel he needs to just grow up knowing he needs to do those things as apart of the household.

So we talked about saving, giving and spending, and what an allowance is. At the end of the conversation, that took a few "rabbit trails," he informed me that he was going to save his money until he was twenty so he could buy a plane, and then asked if he could have 500 dollars.

I am not sure that my "lesson" went as well as I'd hoped.

~Do you give your kids allowance?

Chicken Satay Noodle Salad

INGREDIENTS:

Salt
1 pound whole wheat spaghetti
1/3 cup peanut butter, softened
2 tablespoons honey
1/4 cup tamari (dark soy sauce)
Juice of 2 limes
1 teaspoon hot pepper sauce (eyeball it)
1 clove garlic, grated
3 tablespoons vegetable oil (eyeball it)
2 cups skinned and sliced rotisserie chicken
1 cup packed fresh spinach, thinly sliced
1/3 cup shredded carrots (a generous handful)
4 scallions, thinly sliced on an angle
1/4 cup chopped peanuts
2 tablespoons chopped cilantro or parsley



DIRECTIONS:

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil, salt it, add the pasta and cook until al dente. Drain; rinse under cold water and set aside.
2. While the pasta is working, in a large bowl, whisk together the peanut butter, honey and 1/4 cup warm water. Whisk in the tamari, lime juice, hot pepper sauce and garlic. Pour in the oil in a steady stream, whisking to combine. Add the reserved noodles and toss to coat.
3. Place the noodles in 4 shallow bowls and top with the chicken, spinach, carrots, scallions, peanuts and cilantro.

Recipe by Rachael Ray

Raising children

"I looked on child rearing not only as a work of love and duty but as a profession that was fully as interesting and challenging as any honorable profession in the world and one that demanded the best that I could bring to it."

~Rose Kennedy

Saving and Going Green

~To decide to start greening the things you do in your life, seems to be more costly. In some ways you have to weigh your options in purchasing something, but at times you can save money buy going green, that weigh out for the more costly things.
Some ideas that actually cost less,

~Turning off unnecessary lights, (I have a hard time doing this, because we sleep with a few on...) and turning down your thermostat, can save money on your electricity bill.
~Buy cereal in bulk. You can save around $110 dollars a year! Haven't done this yet, but am planning on doing it when I can. I like the look of cereals and grains in jars too!
~Make your own cleaning solutions, you can save around $36 dollars a year. (I also like the Seventh Generation products, they are less expensive than some, and work and smell good too!)

.... there are definitely ways to save, so it's not always a more expensive route.

For more tips on saving, and even downloading your own excel sheet to figure out your personal savings go to The Green Guide

21 days to form a habit

Over at Kat's blog she's decided to create a 21 day challenge, where you are committed to do something, (or not do something) every day in hopes that it will become a habit.

She says: "They say it takes 21 days to form a habit, so the idea is that I want to try to develop a new habit each month and I’d love for you all to join me.
How: Each day for the first 21 days of September, I’ll write a brief post about my progress regarding the habit I’m attempting to develop. You pick your own habit that you want to develop and track your progress in the comments of that post."

The habits of those participating range from spiritual to relational, to excersising goals. She is going to pray for her kids for 20 minutes every day.

My "21 day challenge," is to have a specific time to pray and place to pray, so that it becomes a habit, and more than a casual prayer when I think of it. I recently heard a pastor compare how people (mostly) shower or bathe every day, and in the same bathroom, and how it feels strange not to be in your own bathroom. He talked about how your prayer time should become a habit, and something you do every day in a certain place, so that it becomes so much of a habit, that you long for it if it is missed, set up with your bible, some journals, or whatever you need, just as your own shower is set up with just what you need.

My kids have their own habit that I am trying to form. I am trying to encourage them to wake up more slowly by leaving books at the end of their bed in the middle of the night. (I am also guarding my prayer time this way!)

If there's a habit you want to form or break,
Feel free to join in!

My kids love ryhmes.

~It's amazing how a little rhyme can change the mood and attitude and make my boys more compliant.

Some we like to use are...

"you get what you get, and you don't throw a fit."

"brush your teeth/ brush your hair/ put on some clean under ware."

~When I start to sing "patty cake," all my kids immediately pay attention. I started to wonder kids loved rhyming, and found this,

"Now researchers have found that song-like rhythmic patterns that make rhyming fun are the very thing that draws attention to the rhythm of language. And when you tap or clap along to the beat of the story, you're really helping your child develop an awareness of the syllables and sounds that make up words....Nursery rhymes also set the stage for early reading by making children more aware of their own language and how sounds are combined to make words that sound alike - like "clock" and "dock".

Reciting nursery rhymes teaches the rhythm of speech and intonation as well as the grammatical structure of language. You can change your intonation to emphasize certain words or phrases, such as "climbed up the water spout " and …"washed the spider out". This emphasis is present in our everyday language. We raise our voices at the end of a question, and pause between sentences or phrases to emphasize a new thought." Read all here

....It's funny to me the things parents naturally do sometimes are actually very beneficial to your kids!

~Have any good rhymes?