J is for Jelly

Sometimes I wonder if the child can "read my mind." If so it is not a fully realized skill, at least based on this week's Alphabe-Thursday post. I thought for sure she would pick Jelly Beans for her J word...especially since her first field trip by school bus this past year was to a local Jelly Bean factory.

After some false starts she settled on the word Jelly. (Close, but not quite, Mom.)

Jelly is another staple around here. This week we just have grape, and it's just the generic store brand, so not that exciting of a photo...I know. All kind of plain isn't it...but in my book there is little better than hot buttered toast with a bit of grape jelly. Yum!

It is a bit of a bone of contention, though, too. Sometime in the middle of the school year the child started asking for peanut butter and jelly sandwiches in her lunch. Not a problem. She generally gets on a streak where she wants the same thing for weeks on end. That's not a problem either, except that evidently she burned out on PB&J. Now it is Summer and we do a fair amount of packing lunches to take them on road trips, or to the park, or whatever. The easiest thing to pack is sandwiches and now she no longer wants peanut butter and Jelly. For a while she would eat meat and cheese, but no more. I personally like peanut butter and Jelly, but not together, so I've tried one half of each, but that was not satisfactory. To make matters worse, the boy has a mild peanut allergy, so I usually just give him Jelly and then...that's what she wants, but she needs the protein and he drinks milk (which she won't). It all sounds very minor until you know that when she isn't happy about something it displays with aggression, sometimes even hours later when I think the whole problem has blown over. When it's over something that I don't feel I can compromise on (like ingesting some protein) it's like being caught in a trap. Well today maybe I got a break. We had sandwiches for lunch and without batting an eye she requested peanut butter and Jelly again. You're sure? Yep.

So what was that all about? I'll never know...

Maybe Alphabe-Thursday just did me a huge favor!

Jump on over to all the other Jubilant Jiffies here.

I is for Ice Cream

We are home again - first day back - so this will be short and sweet (literally!)

It didn't take the child long to think of something that starts with I, and then ask to have it for dessert. Luckily we had some in the freezer.

Ice cream is kind of a staple around here. It is rare to find us with no Ice cream in the house. My husband is a dessert hound, and has passed this on to his children quite nicely. When she asks for Ice cream I really don't mind. She refuses to drink milk, so this is one way to get some calcium in her, and since she is so active she is skinny as a rail. Yes, she gets that from her daddy, too.

I scream

You scream

We all scream

for Ice Cream!

Go get some...you know you want it...

Then hurry back to Investigate other Imaginative Inventions here...

H is for Harness

Here we are at Grandma's House, and just squeaking in for the Alphabe-Thursday letter H through the eyes of the child.

In unfamiliar territory it took a while to think of a word that starts with H, but the one she arrived at is very fitting in a sweet and sad kind of way. It used to be, you see, that a big part of the thrill of going to Grandma's House was getting to see Grandma's dog. Grandma's rambunctious, rascally, over-excitable, but beautiful, brindled boxer. Our children viewed McKenzie as sort of a long-distance pet. We have no pets of our own, and the fun of walking, feeding, and playing with Grandma's dog never got old (we went Home before that ever happened.) Sadly, McKenzie died about six months ago, somewhat suddenly though not unexpectedly. It has been very sad for Grandma, who misses her constant companion, and a great loss for the children as well.

Grandma is not quite up to the task of taking on another pet (though she would if we didn't put our foot down) and so there is a great void now at Grandma's House.

Today when asked for a word starting with H, the child thought for a long time, and then said, "Harness - McKenzie's Harness that we used to walk her," then promptly went to the closet and found it in its usual handy hanging spot. Luckily, the child had also brought (400 miles, in the van) our large stuffed dog which was more than Happy to model the Harness. Then I realized that she probably brought this dog to try to fill the void. Even after I snapped this photo she "walked" the dog around the house, much to our amusement.

In loving memory of sweet McKenzie, and all pets everywhere who have brought us so much joy.

Head over to Ms. Jenny's Headquarters to read more Heavenly Headlines

G is for Green

We are now departing noun-land. So far everything the child has decided I should photograph was a noun: apron, blanket, cup, dresser, elephant, fireflies...GREEN. Maybe there just wasn't a noun in sight that started with G, or maybe she realized photography is visual and you can take a picture of a adjective, too. Maybe she remembered that Green is one of my favorite colors.

Can you take a picture of something Green, Mom?
Sure. What Green thing should I take a picture of?
The palm leaf.

Silly me at first I thought she meant one of Daddy's beautiful house plants. Nope.

No she wants me to reveal to the world (well some small portion of it anyway) that we still have Easter decorations up in plain sight at our house. Yep.

This is a palm leaf made in Sunday School by Little Brother on Palm Sunday (so technically Pre-Easter Decorations.)

He even embellished it a little with some green paint. So it is Green on Green...very Green. And yes, it is (past) the 4th of July, but we all know people who keep their Christmas trees up until Valentine's Day or so, so what's the big deal, right? Go ahead, enjoy a laugh at my expense.

Then Go Gander at other Great Goodies here.

F is for Fireflies

Time for Alphabe-Thursday Fun with the child. This week's letter is F, and when I asked the child to help me think of something that starts with F we Floundered a bit at First. Furniture? File? We have lots of both, but they are not very exciting to look at.

Then over breakfast we were discussing a recent craft from storytime at our local library and it hit us - Fireflies!

Fireflies - of course!

Each child got to make their own Firefly at the library. The parts were already cut out for them, and we just glued them together. This was one of the first craft times that the kids all worked relatively independently and I just watched them in action. It was a special camping-themed story time, so there were also coloring sheets, but only the child did one of those. Nice blue hair, no? And the bear, in case you're wondering, is a polar bear. But I digress...

We were discussing the fireflies and who made which, and which was "better." There was a model to follow, you see, but each kid "followed" it in their own way. Little boy made his firefly friendly - see it waving hello? Little girl made her firefly in flight. We decided the child's firefly was standing in profile - one wing behind and one in front. And so, I concluded, I like all of the Fireflies...very much.

To Find the other Fun Follies click here.

E is for Elephant Fun

When I asked the child for an E word this week she said, "Who is making us do this, Mom?" he he he...
"It's just for fun," I said. And then she proved me wrong. Last week I said I think she just looks around and says the first thing she sees that starts with that letter. Well for E she thought about it and said, "Elephant." Needless to say there weren't any elephants around. So I asked her which elephant she was thinking of. We actually have lots of elephants at our house, because I happen to love elephants. They are my favorite animal. A couple of years ago I was so happy to get to ride an elephant in a natural environment when we visited Bali. I have collected elephant pictures, books, figurines, and stuffed animals. So she caught me off guard, again - it is her specialty - when she said she wanted me to take a picture of the Elephant from Monkey Dunk.

In case you are not familiar, Monkey dunk is a Milton Bradley game from Hasbro. It is sort of a take off from tiddlywinks. Each player is given four plastic monkeys (yellow, red, green, or purple).

These monkeys jump when you push on their backside. It is a little tricky for small fingers, but with a little hand over hand and encouragement I got the four year old twins jumping monkeys in no time.

The object is to jump your monkeys into the swimming hole. The elephant guards one of the swimming holes, and also acts as a timer for the game. When you push the bottom of the elephant in it sets a spring that slowly unwinds and then...POPS! When the elephant pops some of the monkeys jump again. Each player counts how many of his monkeys end up in the swimming hole and takes a banana token for each swimming monkey.

The bonus of getting this game out to take photos of the Elephant is that the kids are all now happily playing monkey dunk while I write the post. It's a super fun win,win, win.

To see other Excellent Excerpts on E click here.

Disclaimer: in case the spontaneous nature of this post wasn't clear enough...no compensation (except laughter and fun times) was provided by Hasbro for this advertisement. Good deal for them, no? 

D is for Dresser

When I asked the child for a letter D object to photograph she immediately said, "Dresser!" I'm noticing that she basically looks around and says the first thing she sees that starts with the letter of the week. I may have to be more careful of her surroundings when I ask her for a word! Luckily her Dresser is not looking as bad as it sometimes does. I just cleared it off and "reorganized" it a little over a week ago.

To be fair, this is one of the few places the child can put things that she doesn't want her siblings to mess with. They can't quite reach up there yet, and it is certainly out of sight for them, so they usually ignore whatever is up there. These may be among her most prized possessions.

The jewelry box on the right is a music box with lots of little drawers to hide treasure in. You may also see her John Lennon glasses, her "fossil" and clay fairy that she made in 2nd grade, and her cherished "Squinkie" salon play set. Less important (to her) the clothes stowed inside. The purpose of the dresser in her mind is to protect her special things.

Where is your treasure?

"Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal." - Jesus

(Matthew 6:19-20, NIV)

I know you want to delve into more dutiful D delicacies, so click here.

C is for Cup and Cop

I'm continuing the alphabet series with the child's input on what I should photograph and write about as we work our way through the alphabet. This week is Crazy with the end of the school year upon us, so I'm a little late, but this is what she came up with.

When I asked her for a C word she was getting ready to go outside with Daddy. So maybe Daddy was just on her mind. His cup was sitting on the table nearby, and that settled it. "Cup," she said, "Daddy's Cup." and then she had second thoughts...

"I can think of another C word, Mom - Cop. But there aren't any cops here to take a picture of." (Thank Goodness.) After a few minutes of pondering she went to the box where our train set pieces are and found this police woman. "Here's a Cop, Mom."

I think it's fun that the character is a police woman. I want my girls to grow up knowing they can do any job they set their hearts and minds to. I also think it's fun that these are both that cobalt blue color that I love so much.

Daddy complains that this "cup" is more of a glass, but we'll just let that slide for now, 'mkay?

For a Complete Cast of C Compositions, visit this link!

B is for Blanket...and book

I almost forgot to ask the child to tell me something that starts with B that I could take a picture of. When I remembered, she was already snuggled up with Daddy for Bedtime Stories. When I asked she said, "Um..." and in the intervening pause I gave her a suggestion (Bad Mommy...) I'll include my suggestion below because I'm so dang proud of it, but first, I'll show you what she came up with on her own several minutes later. She finished her story with Daddy and came out to the kitchen to tell me she had thought of another idea for B, "Blanket! My Rainbow Blanket." Since the Blanket is a bedtime must I had to take a quick photo and pop her Back into Bed.

Her "Rainbow Blanket" is another gift from Grandma. Noticing a trend here? I think she got it when she was one. She is now eight and she still loves it and takes it everywhere except camping. She doesn't want it to get dirty so camping is not an approved activity. I love the Noah's ark imagery. She loves it because it is colorful.

What I had suggested to her is Book. She was very excited that she got to bring home her Poetry Book from second grade yesterday. She had been looking forward to this project since we toured the second grade classes on open house night about a year ago. Writing has been an increasing challenge for her, but her teacher says that poetry was very encouraging for her. Maybe because it is short. Maybe because poetry is unconventional anyway. Maybe she just likes the "free spirited-ness" of it. Her dedication at the beginning of the Book says it all "I dedicate my poetry book to my mom and dad for letting me do what I want." So here are some pictures of the front (left) and back (right) covers of her Book. They were asked to decorate the covers with fireworks and these were her original creations.




And one sample of her poetry... (a color poem)

Red is a smooth brick.
Orange is the cap on the glue.
Yellow is the bright sun.
Green is the field grass.
Blue is the cold ocean water.
Purple is a sweet plum.
Pink is the evening sunset
Gold is some autumn leaves
Peach is some skin.

Yes, this girl loves her colors!

 

To see the other B posts don't

forget to visit the Linky List here!

A is for Apron

I am trying something new for a while. A friend of mine suggested taking a blogging break. It seems my kids need me more right now and blogging is (sadly) the most dispensable of my activities. I think my official sabbatical will be June and July, but I'll be "winding down" a bit in May...moving away from the heavy hitting. I am going to TRY to keep up with alphabe-Thursdsay each week, but I'll be keeping it simple (what else) and hopefully giving you a little glimpse into the child's brain at the same time. Each week I will ask her to help me find an object in our house that starts with that week's letter. It has to be a physical object that I can photograph, and they will all be her ideas. Disclaimer - photographer I am not...

When I asked her to help me think of an A word, she said, "How about apron?"
"Which one?" I asked (we have several.)
"Mine. Yours are all boring!"

I see. So here is a hastily snapped photo of her apron, the one her dear Grandma sent. We use it for baking and also for art projects. I love that it is wipe-able. She evidently finds it non-boring.

To see the other A posts, click here.

Zapped

Today the letter of the week for

 

Is Z.

It's so fitting. the words that come to mind:

Zero - the amount of energy I have right now.

Zany - my life lately.

But mostly...Zapped. As in, that is how I feel.

I am not just physically tired (though I am that) I am emotionally exhausted. My brain hurts.

For now I'm going to chalk this up to the end of the school year - a season much like "the holidays" in which everyone tries to squeeze in one last...whatever...before school ends. It is the culmination of a lot of work from the teachers, and the kids, and the parents, and it is downright overwhelming. There's quite honestly too much to be done each day...

It is showing in the frayed edges of relationships around our home. I've lost my grip on my temper more than I wish. The child is struggling. We are struggling together.

So sorry to end the alphabet on a low note, but I know I'm not the only one.The cool thing is most endings are followed by new beginnings. Z is for zapped and A is for Anticipating.. So hang in there, to all of my fellow zappees.

To see more zany and Z posts, click here.

Work

A lot of people are looking for it. Evidently being a mom doesn't qualify (at least in some people's lexicon.) A few people are addicted to it, but a lot of people wish they didn't have to do it.

I have kind of an interesting perspective on work. I have tried to juggle work and being a mom in just about every combination known to woman. There are pros and cons to each situation, and I still haven't figured it out by any stretch.

I was a full-time mom when the child was a newborn until she was 8 months old. Then my maternity leave ended and I "went back to work." She was a pretty demanding baby, a function of what we now understand as her sensory disorganization and oral motor challenges. Honestly I was pretty overwhelmed with her care, and just starting to hit my stride when I resumed my teaching position. I'm very glad I had that time with her, but since I had expected to return to work I didn't really allow myself to settle into being a mom.

When I returned to my job my husband and I had a strategy to keep us both working and to keep the child out of daycare. It worked for a while, but we were stretched thin, and we knew it early on. It didn't make sense for me to keep working and essentially hand over my paycheck to someone else so they could be with our daughter. So I finished out the academic year and returned to full time momming.

It took a while for me to settle into my role as a stay at home mom. I wasn't bored (too busy for that...) but I did miss the sense of accomplishment that comes with completing a project or knowing that you've truly been helpful to someone. Somehow folding the laundry didn't quite cut it. I still enjoyed the new freedom, though, and explored some new hobbies. Just when I was starting to get in step again, the twins arrived on the scene, and the child's issues came front and center. Suddenly we were stretched again physically and emotionally. The economy shifted, and now here we are...

It became clear that I needed to start working again, this time from home and in partnership with my husband to boost our income a bit. I have to admit there is a piece of me that is loving the feeling of professionalism, and problem-solving, but it may be the worst of both worlds. I am distracted from my kids who still need a lot of supervision and training, I'm limited "at work" by what my kids need, and I'm still seen as an "at home mom" who has so much free time on her hands to...

The point is, work is important. It is important not only as a means of support for our families, but as a fulfillment of a basic human need. Adam and Eve worked in the Garden of Eden even before that whole apple incident. Their work was satisfying and fruitful without the drudgery that stifles us today. We were made to work. In whatever way you work - in or out of your home - it's important to understand that you're striving to do what you were made to do, but in a world that is waiting to be restored. It won't ever be quite perfect.

Waxing eloquent on the Wonderful letter W. Click here to see the other works of art...

Rest...

...I am finding it somewhat elusive again. I've written about this before - receiving lots of advice that I couldn't quite follow and plenty of empathy from fellow rest seekers. Things have gotten a lot better than they were when I hit bottom. The dishes are (mostly) done, and so is the laundry. I've started tackling my closets one at a time. I am finding a lot of satisfaction in making progress on those particular pits of chaos. The rest of the house doesn't quite show how hard I've been working, but oh well.

It hit me the other day, however, when I could barely force myself out of bed to get started on the day, that I need to start making MY rest a priority. What made it obvious was all of the energy my children had that particular morning. They were running circles around me; quite happy and "productive" in their own way. I realized that we have always made it a point to get them enough sleep. Almost nothing gets in the way of getting them to bed on time. When we have a late night we arrange it so they can sleep later the next day, and I still INSIST on "nap time" for the twins even though they don't actually sleep every time...every once in a while they do which I interpret to mean that they still need it.

Resting via RaGardner4 on flickr

Meanwhile my own sleep seems to take a back seat to just about everything else. Housework I'm happy to put off (really!) but work, writing, food prep, facebook, and e-mail have all been known to keep me burning the midnight oil.

So one of the suggestions that I failed to enact last time I ranted about rest was - define a quitting time. I'm going to try this out for a week and see what happens. I'll try to report back and let you all know how it goes. If it's not done by midnight it will just have to wait...

Since I'm already past my deadline for tonight, I guess I'll close. And go get some rest. Night night...

This post is participating in the Jenny Matlock AlphabeThursday blogfest. Click the icon below to see other offerings inspired by the letter R.

Overlooking the Obvous [Or Obvious...]

On Tuesdays and Thursdays my dear husband works long hours away from home, and I cart the children around from one activity to another. It is perhaps unwise that these are also the days that the twins don't usually get a nap. In any case by the end of these days I am tired, and more than ready to turn on a show for the children and sneak off to my computer.

The other night this was not a good idea.

The child finally told me what the twins were up to. They had used some ketchup from dinner to try a little fingerpainting on the coffee table. Ahem.

I scolded them, but was more angry at myself. I should have known better.

I cleaned it all up, or so I thought, and hustled them off to bed to prevent further catastrophes. This was on Tuesday. Now it is Thursday night, and I'm finding it frustrating, and maybe a little funny, that I keep finding ketchup. Nearby the coffee table we have a leather ottoman and couch. Beige leather. Red ketchup. How could I miss it, right? Somehow I'm sure I'll find another spot somewhere. I think in my haste to "clean up the mess and be done with it" I overlooked some of the mess, even though it was obvious.

I have a tendency to do this with more significant spiritual matters, too. Things that I know are not a good idea. Events when I really should know better. Messes that I want cleared away and "dealt with." How wonderful to know that I have a Father who knows where every spot is. He has a way of drawing my attention to each issue, in its time, and saying, "Here, let's work on this one now."

Celebrating the letter O with Jenny Matlock and the Alphabe-Thursday crowd. Click here to see Other Opulent Offerings on the letter O.

O was the first letter the child learned. It was natural progression from her obsession with balls, and all things circular and spherical. Funny to remember that...

Lemon Pie

I don't often share recipes here, although cooking and baking are among my favorite activities when I have time for them. I Love the predictability of it...Measure these things, Combine them in this way, Be careful of this, and in the end you will have this Lovely creation. I don't have much predictability around me these days, so it is a nice change of pace.

For some reason the letter L (our Alphabe-Thursday target of the week) made me think of Lemon Pie. Maybe its because our Lemon tree has a Large crop of itty-bitty Lemons just waiting for me to pick them and use them up. It stirs up Lots of fond memories.

I first discovered this recipe in the pages of a children's cookbook that my mom handed down to me. I don't think we ever made this recipe when my brother and I were growing up, but just handling the book brings back memories of the days when Mom decided to let us take turns cooking things each week. Pocket sandwiches, frosted meatloaf, and cornflake chicken I know we tried, among others. When I discovered the lemon pie recipe I was looking for something simple that I could prepare with the child. She was a little over five at the time, and we were smack in the middle of the most challenging time that we had ever experienced with her. Her language was at 2-3 year old level, as were her fine motor skills and attention span. The twins were a year old - less physically needy, but demanding their own share of attention. The child was still pretty angry at me for disappearing on her at the time of the twins' birth, and I was having a hard time reconnecting with her because of her aggressive behavior toward me and her siblings. It was a mess, and we were desperate for help. In answer to my prayers (yes, really) God brought us under the teaching of two extremely talented and service-hearted women who helped us learn so much about how to reconnect our fragmented family, and support the child's behavior better at home, and then in every other environment we took her to. One of the keys was finding ways to meaningfully engage her in activities, especially with me. So I was trying to find an easy recipe that we could do together from beginning to end.

We started by picking lemons from the tree. Then hand over hand she helped me zest and squeeze out the juice. Together we whisked the ingredients together and poured them into a prepared crust. Throughout the experience she let me touch her, help her, encourage her, and enjoy her. All of these had been difficult for many months on end. I was anxious the whole time, just waiting for her to get frustrated or bored and explode, but she stuck with it the whole time. Something so simple, but to me a precious touchstone anytime things start getting hard again. I now trust that we'll be able to work it out. Every time I make this recipe I remember that day almost three years ago, and I smile. Here's hoping it brings you some smiles, too:

Creamy Lemon Pie

Lemons
1 egg
14 oz. sweetened condensed milk
frozen whipped topping, thawed
9 inch graham cracker crust

1. Prepare 1 teaspoon lemon zest.
2. Prepare 1/2 cup of lemon juice.
3. Beat egg in a medium sized mixing bowl.
4. Add sweetened condensed milk to egg.
5. Add lemon zest and juice.
6. Stir until the mixture starts to thicken.
7. Fold in half of the frozen whipped topping.
8. Pour the filling into the graham cracker crust.
9. Cover filling with remaining whipped topping.
10. Freeze the pie until firm.
11. Garnish with extra zest or a slice of lemon.

Adapted from the Better Homes and Gardens "New Junior Cook Book" (1979) page 92. [This is probably the Old Junior Cook Book by now...]

Amazing that something so sour can make such a sweet memory. When life gives you lemons...

Sunday Digest 39 - Liebster Blog Award

[portions in italics added 1/16/12 after reading comments and following a few links...]

So one (actually two) of my few, but faithful, followers nominated me for the Liebster Blog Award. Thanks, Rose-Marie! and Autism & Oughtisms! This award honors all of us hard-working, consistent-posting, just outside the limelight bloggers. Specifically blogs with less than 200 followers. Part of the honor is passing it along to five other bloggers that haven't hit the big time - yet. So today's digest will be pointing you to a few bloggers that I follow who you should definitely check out...later on you'll be able to say, "I knew them when..."

How funny that I happen to be posting this on Golden Globe night... Envelope please...And the Liebster goes to:

1) A Wish Come Clear - OK I may be cheating. I don't know how many followers this blog has...it's actually surprising how many blogs *don't* say how many followers they have. Ah well. Caroline McGraw contacted me recently...she may do a guest post here soon if I can get my act together...and she has perspective that I need. Her brother has special needs and she now works in a community with adults with special needs. I'm just getting to know her, but I can already tell she has a lot to teach me.

2) Not for profit, but for JOY! - Everyone can use a little more joy in their life, right? Stacey and I seem to struggle with the same stuff - juggling everything that being a mom and wife means and finding time for ourselves somewhere in there too...multiplied by having a child with special needs.

3) eSpecially ben - VMI shares touching stories and artwork from her special son, Ben. I think I first found eSpecially ben through Magic Marker Monday at 5 Minutes for Special Needs. Very inspirational.

4) Delayed but not DENIED! - The name says it all, so does the verse on the blog banner, John 9:3. I think maybe I like Territory Mom's posts most because we live in total suburbia and she gives me a dose of farm life along with inspiration.

5) Janet Ann Collins/Onwords - I have met Jan IRL and she has a lot of experience that has been helpful to me. I also really enjoyed reviewing her book, Signs of Trouble. Much of her writing involves individuals with special needs, though she also touches on other subjects...all with a sense of humor and care for others.

So those are my Liebster awards...off to notify the winners. I should also note that many of these bloggers "follow me back" and I really appreciate the reciprocity. Stay strong, ladies! Here are the rules to pass along the award:

• Show you appreciate the blogger who nominated you with a thank you shout out!
• Nominate 5 other blogs, who have 200 followers or less, by leaving them a comment.
• Post the award on your blog
• Keep up with the blogs you've given the award to...

And I guess in some versions there are questions you're supposed to answer. Many people do this with great wit and wisdom, but since this is tacked on I'll be short and sweet, and maybe mildly amusing:
Favorite color - dark green and blue - someone has to balance out all the yellow my husband throws around
Favorite animal - elephants - they are so big, and so amazing
Favorite number - really? people have favorite numbers? Five I guess  - that's the date of my anniversary, my birthday, and the number of people in our family. There.
Favorite drink - since giving up sodas blueberry tea - yum - hot or iced love it.
Facebook or Twitter - both, but mostly Facebook
What is my Passion - well now that is a very interesting question that I've been thinking about a lot lately...Learning, Solving Problems, and Helping Others seems to be the theme of the day
Do I prefer giving or getting gifts - I find both ends of the gift thing to be stressful, but I guess I prefer giving because when I get I have to write thank you notes and since I don't usually get around to it that is guilt inducing.
Favorite Day - The first day of Spring. I love Spring.
Favorite Flower - to smell : Jasmine; to look at : orchids and passion flowers.

Jumpin' Jehosaphat - and other such nonsense...

Figures of speech are so fun. I use them all the time. It is probably one of the weaknesses of both my speech and my writing. I love a good cliche. I do try to use them in unique ways or to make a funny point about some little piece of wisdom I've gained, but you know what they say about cliches...

The really fun thing about figures of speech is watching my daughter try to process them. The not so fun thing about it is trying to explain when she asks what I mean.

We were all driving in the minivan the other day, or I guess more accurately we were all stopping in the minivan. In fact we had been sitting at an intersection for quite some time waiting for the light to change and there was no traffic coming from the other direction. Of course I was running late and thus a bit impatient to get going. I spoke to the traffic signal to spur it to action (I do also have a way of speaking to inanimate objects that is quite fun). "There's no one here but us chickens!" and immediately regretted my pronouncement. "What chickens, Mom? I don't see any chickens. Where are the chickens?" Yeah...try explaining that one.

The other day at the breakfast table I was being peppered by requests from the twins. More this, please...can I have some banana, please...I want some milk...and I wanted to remind them that Mommy only does one thing at a time, but instead I said, "Hold your horses!" I could see from the blank look on the child's face that she wasn't holding a horse, she didn't see any horses in the vicinity, and even if she did see a horse it wasn't hers and she didn't have any idea how to hold it. I asked her if she knew what I meant and she said, flatly...no. So I explained that was just a funny way of saying 'I need you to wait," and she grinned at me as if to say "Why didn't you say so?"

The best piece of this is when she picks up on some phrase and starts using it herself, in some truly creative ways. Usually it's just a word that she latches on to and carries around with her for a few days...sprinkling it into her conversation wherever she may go. One day, quite a while ago, she overheard me talking on the phone and I asked, "Well what are my options?" Oooh she loved that word "options." All day long and for quite a few days afterward she would ask about her options - even when there weren't any - just because she liked the sound of it I guess. Recently she likes the word "lucky"...as in "I was lucky that I got to use that pencil because I really needed to write." As if there is a vast shortage of pencils and she has stumbled upon one just in the nick of time. Not that I can ever find one when I need one mind you...

I'm wondering if I should introduce her to Jumpin' Jehosaphat...she might find him kind of fun. What do you think?

This post is brought to you by the letter J...as in Jenny Matlock's Alphabe-Thursday. Please visit the other posts Jammin' on the letter J this week!

By the way, sorry I took a week off there. I had a post in mind for Saturday, but haven't managed to research it and work it up. I guess every once in a while I need a week off, but I wish I could see it coming instead of just abandoning you to cyberspace...hopefully I'll get more into the swing of the Summer schedule soon.

Giving

G is for giving.  Giving gifts is one of the ways that people express love for one another. My husband loves to give gifts. My daughter also loves to give gifts. I'd like to think it is something I've taught her, but really I think I am learning from both of them. I think it is an innate part of their personality to be so generous and to want to express love in this fashion.


It's been more challenging lately to Give gifts the way we'd like to. Between the economy and the several challenges we've faced over the last few years, we're still finding ways, but the gifts have been more "from the heart" lately instead of from the pocketbook.

• Last night my daughter decided to draw portraits of all four first grade teachers at her school to thank them for being such good teachers. She drew them, colored them, and wrote her little message to each teacher. The effort that she put into this was heart-warming. It was fun watching her deliver them this morning.
• The other day I made "Cheesy Vegetable Pie" for our family. I enjoy this recipe but hadn't made it for a while because I wasn't sure if the kids would like it. They've been enjoying vegetables more, especially zucchini, and that's one of the main ingredients, so I decided to make two pies (I always like to cook enough for two meals). Wouldn't you know it the kids' tastebuds still aren't quite ready for this one. The child liked it, but the twins did not. So my husband Gave the other pie to some sweet friends who have been through thick and thin with us the last few years. They are vegetarian, so it was a perfect match.
• Our favorite children's librarian from our local library is retiring, and we wanted to let her know how much we would miss her. She, again, has been a real Gem for our family for so many years now. Storytime just won't be the same without her. At a recent craft day she showed us how to make ziplock bag books, so we made her a ziplock bag book as a parting Gift. We used some nice scrapbook paper to make the pages, and added photos of her and our family. I had each of the children make a picture for her. I delivered it today, and it was so fun to Give it to her.

These are just a few examples that haven't cost us anything, but hopefully have meant a lot to the recipients...Giving is so important. It blesses others and in return it blesses us with fun, creativity, and joy.

Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you. Luke 6:38 (NIV)

One last Gift for you...the recipe for Cheesy Vegetable Pie. Enjoy!

This was originally published in 1992 in the Wall Street Journal by Millicent Nathan

2.5 C thinly sliced zucchini and yellow squash
0.5 C thinly sliced mushrooms
1 C thinly sliced carrots
1 C chopped red onion (sweet)
2 T butter
2 T parsley flakes
1/2 t salt
1/2 t pepper
1/4 t garlic powder
1/4 t basil leaves
1/4 t oregano leaves
2 eggs, well beaten
8 oz shredded mozzarella cheese
8 oz can refrigerated crescent rolls or prepared pie crust
2 t prepared mustard

Preheat oven to 375. In large skillet, cook carrots, onion, zucchini, squash and mushrooms in butter until tender, 8 minutes. Meanwhile, beat eggs and mix with cheese in a large bowl. Separate the crescent roll triangles and press into an ungreased 10 inch pie dish, sealing seams and covering the bottom and sides of the dish (or use your prepared pie crust). Spread the crust with mustard. Add spices to the vegetable mixture and mix. Add vegetables to the egg and cheese. Pour egg and vegetable mixture into the crust. Bake 22 minutes. Rest 10 minutes before serving.

This post is participating in Jenny Matlock's Alphabe-Thursday.

To check out the other creative G posts, click here.

Distraction

I snapped this photo about a month ago. Looks innocent enough, but it was quite jarring to me when I saw it. I had just dropped my daughter off at school and was rushing home to get her siblings to take them to preschool. I was hoping against hope that Daddy would have them ready to walk out the door because I had a long list of things that needed to be accomplished that day. Then I spotted this formerly iced caffeinated beverage abandoned outside the community theater near my daughter’s school, and it gave me pause.

Someone had woken up that morning, or maybe the day before, craving their favorite iced coffee. You know the large half-caff, frap with extra cream, no sugar, and a dash of whatever. OK – I made that up. Can you tell I don’t drink these kinds of things? Anyway…they had a full day planned, but couldn’t live without their coffee fix, so they went out of their way to get to the coffee shop, stand in line and pay an outrageous amount of money (probably $5 – enough to pay for a gallon of gas anyway) for their coffee. Somehow they ended up at the theater. Maybe part of the day’s agenda was to see a show there. Maybe they walked their dog to the coffee shop to justify the trip. For whatever reason they stopped near this bench put down their drink and then something…whatever it was…distracted them and they moved on with their day completely forgetting the craving, the effort, the time, and the money they had spent to get that coffee. It was not, by the way, abandoned for just a few moments. It sat there for a few days before some kind soul finally disposed of it.

The abandoned coffee is an emblem of something I feel is perhaps horribly wrong in our culture right now – Distraction. There’s nothing wrong with craving and getting a special treat, but there’s something sad about losing that treat to an external force that prevents us from truly doing what we want to do.

I think what scares me about this, and I don’t think scares is too strong a word, is the effect that Distraction has on our ability to recognize and do what is most important. We are increasingly pulled in so many directions that it is easy to lose track of what is most vital. We make mistakes. We cut people off with thoughtless words. We get wrapped up in emotional debates. We forget. We lose. We walk away.

Two people I love currently struggle mightily to overcome Distraction. My daughter is striving to learn all she can, though affected by autism, and my dear mother-in-law, is working hard to remain independent though increasingly impacted by dementia. Both of them battle the Distraction demon from different ends of the age spectrum. Meanwhile I fill my life so full that I am just barely functional. I must begin to reclaim the margins of my time, thought, and energy if I am going to make it for the long haul. I am not sure how to go about this, but I don’t want my life to look like this picture. I want to truly enjoy every drop of what life has to offer. I don't want to walk away half finished.

I am linking this post with Jenny Matlock's Alphabe-Thursday. We are up to the letter D, if you didn't catch that. Click here to check out the other creative entries, and thanks as always to Jenny for hosting!

V is for Voice Modulation

I thought I would try out the Alphabe-Thursday blog hop this week. It is sponsored by Jenny Matlock over at off on my tangent. The idea is to write about something that starts with a given letter. The letter this week is V. I toyed with the idea of writing about "Very" which is one of my daughter's favorite words, but I couldn't remember all the funny ways she uses it. I'm so used to her odd ways of expressing herself that I almost have to write them down to remember them.

Voice modulation came pretty quickly to mind...it is a skill that none of my children have mastered yet, and so we live in a Very noisy household. I keep hoping that one of these days they will get it. We talk about using our inside voices all the time. I try modeling a nice calm tone, but often I have to raise my own volume simply to be heard above the din.

I was probably a bit of a loud child myself. My parents have audio recordings of me singing my little lungs out when I was about five. In the midst of a whole choir of children my voice rings out above the rest, and I doubt I was near any kind of microphone. I still have a good set of pipes. Back in my work days I could stand in the largest lecture hall at University of California, Berkeley - I think it seats 400 or so people - and without a microphone I could make myself heard in the back row. I only did this for brief announcements, but it was easier than switching the lapel mike back and forth with the professor I was working with. It shook a few people up. I do, however, know when I need to be quiet, and, in fact, prefer to be quiet. It is such a lovely sound, quiet is.

So my children have all inherited the good pipes, but haven't quite mastered the quiet part yet. We visit the town library and I cringe as we walk through the adult areas on our way to the children's section. I model whispering and the kids reply, "What, MOM? TALK LOUDER!"

I've been wondering lately if there's anything to do about all of this, or if I just need to keep reminding, modeling, cringing, and waiting.

The reminding gets old. How many ways can you ask a kid (positively) to lower their voice. Inside voice, honey. Let's use voice #2 right now (there's a whole scale running from zero (not talking) to #5 (yelling because the house is on fire)). Softer, please. That's too loud. Oh, you're hurting my ears. If you want to be loud, please go outside! QUIET!!! I've tried them all, repeatedly, daily, times three, and I'm Very tired of them all.

The modeling, as noted above, is sketchy. It's kind of an automatic response to raise your voice if you feel like you're not being heard, and with all three of my kids jabbering away at their maximum volume I often feel like I'm not being heard.

The cringing is nerve-wracking. With my twins I can usually count on people understanding that they are just preschoolers still learning all of the social cues of when to be quiet and when it's okay to be loud. With my oldest I understand that she is also, due to her developmental delays, still learning all of those same social cues, but to a total stranger she must appear plain old rude. Let them hear with grace, Lord.

I guess that leaves the waiting. I am...oh, I am!