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.

Dealing with Anxiety (Yours)

I have struggled off and on with anxiety for most of my adult life. I worried a lot as a kid, too, but my supportive and loving Christian parents helped keep it in check. When I left home to attend college the things and people I had relied on to stay strong were removed and I felt quite alone in facing my fears. There were days that I would come home from class and lay on my bed completely paralyzed by fear. I couldn't even put my finger on what exactly I was afraid of most of the time. It was hard, but I learned a lot about myself and my faith in the process. I still probably worry more than I should. When my kids get sick I tend to think it might be the worst scenario (like vicarious hypochondria?) but over the years I've learned a lot of tools that help me keep an even keel.

Keep good company - When my anxiety first flared it was so overwhelming that I didn't want to be around people, but I soon learned that being around good friends helped me feel stronger. It was really important to be around the right people, though. Some people caused more anxiety than they cured. Others meant well, but their words sometimes left me feeling guilty for feeling the way I did, or even that things might get worse rather than better. There were a few good souls who might say very little, but just by being with me would help me calm down.

Fill your mind with scripture - There are a lot of great verses that help us turn our worries over to the Lord. Meditate on these. Memorize them. When your chest gets tight repeat them until you feel God's peace wash over you. I've listed a few verses below, but a good Study Bible (or a judicious Google search) will turn up many more that you may find helpful.

• Philippians 4:6-7 (NIV) Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
• Matthew 6:25-34 (NIV)
• Psalm 37:3-6 (NIV) Trust in the LORD and do good; dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture. Delight yourself in the LORD and he will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the LORD; trust in him and he will do this: He will make your righteousness shine like the dawn, the justice of your cause like the noonday sun.
• Proverbs 18:10 (NIV) The name of the LORD is a strong tower; the righteous run to it and are safe.

Pour out your heart in prayer - I always found journaling and writing out my prayers to be the most useful way to get my thoughts, fears, and worries in order. Simply naming the monster was really helpful. My kids reminded me of this the other day when they asked me before bedtime what color monsters are. I asked them what color they thought they were, and they said brown, and were promptly ready for bed. There's no way to be sure, but I think if I had not answered their question, or if I had dismissed their worry, or even planted my own monster's color in their head the conversation could have led to a protracted discussion, and maybe even nightmares. By letting them name the color I gave them control over the monster. When you can name your monsters at the throne of God, He will give you the strength you need to face them head on.

Find a healthy outlet - In college I started making digital art on one of my friend's computers. Pre-twins I was exercising three times a week. Now, I write. Find something that helps you feel productive, energized, and hopeful. It is hard for worry and hope to exist in the same mind. Do some art, take a walk, bake, find a service project, knit. Whatever you do, make sure it helps you feel better.

Get help - There are times when anxiety goes from being an emotional problem to being a medical problem. Right after my husband and I were married my anxiety was so deep that I couldn't function well. Doing the laundry was overwhelming, and I felt like I was coming apart at the seams. I knew I couldn't go on like this, so first I made an appointment with my doctor. He ordered a bunch of tests to rule out physical causes, and eventually prescribed anti-anxiety medication. I took them to give myself the mental space I needed to figure out what was triggering the anxiety so that I could overcome it. My next step was to find a Biblical counselor - she helped me get to the spiritual roots of what was causing my anxiety (in my case there were lots of people that I was harboring resentment toward, 20 years worth of bitterness, ouch). The habits I learned in my counseling helped me improve my thought life and gradually I was able to wean myself off of the medication. I know for other people anxiety is an on-going medical challenge and medication is necessary for them to function every day. I believe God gave us medicine, and that we should use it wisely to help us do what we need to do. Don't put off getting professional help if you're in over your head. The sooner you start the sooner you can begin to truly enjoy life again.

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.

Sunday Digest 42

I've been exploring the new social media space of Pinterest. I've been enjoying "pinning" things that I find all over the internet that might be useful at some time in the future - recipes to try, books to read, pillows to sew (someday). Sunday Digests are like my own more public Pinterest board. I find other blog articles, news pieces, stories and information that I think is interesting, helpful or inspirational and share it here with you. I hope you will enjoy these links as much as I have...

1) Lisa Leonard - jewelry designer, photographer, blogger, and special needs mom shares the story of her son's birth, and the amazing lesson from Psalm 139 that he teaches her. We are all fearfully and wonderfully made. Make sure to read the comments, too.

2) There have been several "What it's Like" posts lately from parents of children with special needs. Maybe there's something in the air. The first one I read was from a mom. She cited her inspiration which was an article written by a dad. I threw in my own three cents on 5 Minutes for Special Needs, and Tammy posted her thoughts at Praying for Parker. Truth is each parent child situation is unique...

3) And for an even more inside view, check out what the first day of school (college) is like for Lisa over at Reports from a Resident Alien. I love reading her posts because I feel like I'm peaking into the child's future (maybe)...

4) Lisa at Hopeful Parents shared about the challenge of filling a prescription for Ritalin for her son who has severe ADHD. Makes me wonder if government run health care is really such a good idea?? It reminded me of a play that was showing at our local theater. Distracted is the story of a mom struggling to help her son with ADHD. I did not get to see the play, but attended a free talk given by a local pediatrician after one of the shows. This program guide is filled with lots of interesting information about the play and ADHD.

I think that's it for this round of "pinning". Enjoy. When you visit these links please make sure to tell them you heard about them through The Simple Life.

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...

Hosting a Sleepover...

The child informed me some time ago that she wanted to have a sleepover party for her eighth birthday. She starts planning her next birthday approximately 24 hours after the previous party, so I've been hearing about this for a while. When I realized this would be my first sleepover as "The Mom" I got nervous. It was also a bit challenging as our budget is still...well...not feeling the economic recovery we've been hearing so much about, if you get my drift. In the end my newly minted eight year old declared this, "The Best Birthday Ever" so I figure we did a thing or two right. I thought I'd share my strategy with you and would love to hear your ideas, too. Feel free to leave a comment below.

• Set the boundaries and expectations - I agreed to a sleepover party with a couple of conditions. First, only two friends could come. We usually have a one kid per year rule, but to save my sanity we cut that way back. The child selected two friends that we know from her Kindergarten days. I also made it clear that this really would be a SLEEPover, or it would be the last of its kind. My sleep pattern is messed up enough without the shenanigans of three giggly girls thrown in there.
• Keep it Simple (what else) - We did a craft project, ate dinner together, watched a movie, ate cake, opened presents, and tucked everyone into sleeping bags. The craft project became part of their goody bag. The dinner and cake were all homemade. The movie was very rated G and straight out of our video collection.All of this simplicity helped save mommy's mind and money. We had just enough structure to keep everyone regulated, with enough freedom to keep it fun.
•  Check in with the guest's parents - I was glad that the parents of one of the girls warned me ahead of time that sleepovers had been challenging for her. I didn't make a big deal out of it with her, but I knew that I might need to make a phone call if she got too worried. We were all thrilled when she made it through the night with us. It really made the event extra special.
• Bribery - yes, really - At bedtime I told the girls they could talk and laugh for 15 minutes, and then it would be time for lights out and quiet. That worked great. I don't know when they went to sleep, but they were quiet. What didn't work great was waking up at 6:30 the next morning to shrieks of laughter. In my half awake predawn state at first I thought our nervous guest was freaking out. I hurried to the child's room to find them all giggling and bouncing around on her bed. Um...no, not what I had in mind. "Do you girls like pancakes?" I asked. "YES!" they clamored. "Great! If you want some for breakfast it better be quiet in this room for another...hour (I said while looking at the clock.)" They did get quieter, though they did not actually go back to sleep. It gave my nerves time to settle, though.
• Look around for FREE family friendly events - My  husband gets to take credit for this one. He noticed a free event happening at a state park near us on the day after the sleepover. We invited both guests to go with us to this event, too. Only one was able to come, but it made the celebration last a little longer without more cost. If time is an issue find something on the evening of the sleepover instead.

Including food and favors we spent about $35 total on this party...that's food and entertainment for seven people  for close to 24 hours. That might sound like a lot to some people, but around here people spend hundreds on their kids' parties, and I bet they don't have more fun that we had. To hear the child tell it, it was the coolest thing ever, and awesome on top of that.

What's your favorite birthday bash secret?

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...

It's Raining...finally

Here it is January, and the dreaded rain has finally come, only now that it's so late to show up it's more to be desired than otherwise. The only thing I like less than a Rainy Winter is a Droughty (is that a word?) Summer. I don't know if the rain is here to stay or not. I know the forecast for the next few days is wet. More than a few days "trapped" Indoors and my kids start to get out of whack - and so do I - "Cabin Fever" at its worst. So I thought I would brainstorm for myself, if not others, what we can do on these lovely wet days in front of us...besides watch TV, I mean. Meanwhile we're celebrating the letter "I" because it is time for another round of:

Imbibe games. We got some really lovely preschooler friendly (no reading, no complicated rules) games for Christmas and Birthdays this year. We already had Candy Land, Shoots and Ladders, and Cootie. Now we have Hi-Ho Cherry-O, Monkey Dunk, and Don't Break the Ice added to our collection. We also have a couple of "concentration" games. These are all easier for the child to master, too, and she loves to be In charge of the game. The kids love to play these and usually once I get them started I can even sneak out for a round or two.

Invest in puzzles. Jigsaw puzzles are great, too, for problem-solving, visual-motor coordination, fine motor skills, and ample opportunity to layer on the praise and self-confidence. They require a little more supervision around our house since my kids love to mix the pieces together and use them as mini-frisbees and such. Keep an eye on all of this.

Images in paint. My new favorite art activity for the kids is watercolor. With a heavy, broad-bottomed cup of water an inexpensive brush, and some paper - scratch or otherwise - some pretty impressive art can occur with minimal input from Mom. Clean up is pretty easy, too. Rinse the brushes and throw the cups into the dishwasher. Put the masterpieces somewhere to dry and voila, we're ready for the next activity.

Investigate outdoors. At the first signs of rain my kids are usually eager to get out in it, believe it or not. The sensation of fresh water bouncing off their skin is Irresistible, it seems. Last I checked children don't melt. We have nice raincoats and boots that were just made to get wet, and even if their regular clothes get a little wet, what's another load of laundry compared to some fresh air and exercise?

If it sounds like I'm giving myself a pep talk, I am. I've mentioned before that the long rainy days of Winter can get the best of me. This too shall pass, but until it does, I want to remember these gray days as opportunities to make fond memories, not as days endured with clenched teeth.

Got any more Ideas for me? Please pass them along by clicking on "comments" below. Thanks! Don't forget to check out the other creative "I" riffs here.

Fallen Stars

I scrunched along the sidewalk with my littles this morning, trying to enjoy the forced march from our light rail system to our home after dropping the minivan off for repairs. The kids were thrilled to see autumn leaves littering the sidewalk. I don't mind autumn too much, but I dread what comes after. Winter for us means rain, and lots of it...cabin fever with three children is not high on my list of enjoyable activities...so every pile of autumn leaves carries with it a sense of impending doom.

photo by Anja Jonsson via Flickr

As we shuffled along crunching leaves underfoot one leaf grabbed my attention. A bright red maple leaf somewhat separated from its mates lay in stark contrast with the dark gray cement of the sidewalk. It looked for all the world like a bright star fallen to earth. I started to look around me more carefully, the wonder of a child renewed in my heart. No wonder my dear hearts like to scoop these up by the handful and carry them home where they sit in one place or another, first beautiful then slowly decaying into brown bits of dust that I scoop up and toss in the mulch bucket. Reds, yellows, and oranges each carrying a bit of heaven to our feet. We can carry the stars in our hand, just like a child, if we will open our eyes.

I am linking up with Jenny Matlock's Alphabe-Thursday fest, except it's Autumn break, so no letter this time around, just the prompt: Autumn Colors. What's Autumn like in your neck of the woods? Head over to Jenny's to see the vast palette of colors He has given us to enjoy this season.

Ugh! and Understanding...

I don't Usually vent here, but Jenny Matlock's Aplabe-Thursday meme is Up to the letter U, and frankly "Ugh!" is the only thing that comes to mind. I am in the last gasps of preschool Summer break. Just. a. few.days. left. Sadly I needed a long break from my twins about three weeks ago. They are at a very trying stage. They just want to be silly all the time. They don't want to listen, even when good things might be coming their way if they can listen. My patience has long since run out...and I really thought I had built Up a good reserve, too. That would be enough, but...

• The child has resisted homework two out of three nights this week. Given that it's the first week of homework that doesn't bode well for the weeks ahead. I'll need to get a handle on this soon.
• Little boy has been learning toilet skills, but isn't 100% yet, which is expected, but still no fun.
• My dear mother-in-law tried to cook something in her microwave and smoked Up her house, bringing the fire department, again.
• My foot started hurting quite suddenly and Unexpectedly this morning...of course it is one of the days when my husband is gone all day and I had lots of walking to do. I am on my feet a good bit of the day, so it's hard to rest it.
• There are several issues at school district and city level that I need to voice my concerns on soon. Pretty big issues that I've been following and involved in for several months now.

...And that's just today's load of Ugh!

Still even as I type this I'm hearing on the radio of entire communities without power. Large land masses that are on fire. There are children going to bed hungry somewhere, and a mother trying to figure out how to meet their needs better tomorrow. So for all of my Ugh at the moment, there is also a good dose of Um...gratitude that my little challenges are just that - little. All this stuff I'm venting about will be forgotten (mostly) a year from now. What will not be forgotten is the attitude that I face it all with. I must remember that my children, most of all, want a mom who is calm, loving, and firm, but Understanding.

The well known serenity prayer comes to mind...do you know the whole thing? I'm thinkin' I need to memorize it!

God grant me the serenity

to accept the things I cannot change;

courage to change the things I can;

and wisdom to know the difference.

Living one day at a time;

Enjoying one moment at a time;

Accepting hardships as the pathway to peace;

Taking, as He did, this sinful world

as it is, not as I would have it;

Trusting that He will make all things right

if I surrender to His Will;

That I may be reasonably happy in this life

and supremely happy with Him

Forever in the next.

Amen.

Magic

Children see magic so easily, and we forget so easily.

The child made a magic wand one day - out of a plastic tube that used to be the center of a fax paper roll. She colored three different "buttons" on it with sharpie markers - red, blue, and green. Then she taped a small strip of paper to the other end like a lonely streamer on a handlebar. She said if she pushed the red button it would make red magic, etc, a concept she copied from an episode of "The Little Einsteins" where a group of fairies make the northern lights appear with their magical music. She wandered around all afternoon making her various colors of magic, I'm sure actually seeing them spray forth from the streamer and color her world.

So many things are magical to children - butterflies, hummingbirds, rainbows, thunder, crickets, stars, and the list goes on. As adults we think we are better off because we can understand things more, but somehow I think the children are ahead of us on this one. What good is it to know a butterfly is just a caterpillar post-metamorphosis and that it spreads pollen as it moves from one flower to another if you lose the sense of wonder at watching it fly at all?

Children sometimes are magical in their own way as well. They can turn my frowns into smiles with a well-timed giggle, hug, or fun idea. I need to let them push their happy button and wave the wand my direction a little more often it seems.

I want to remember the magic of childhood. I want to re-enter the spirit of belief, trust, and wonder. I want to make magic with them, and help them hold on to it as long as they can.

This post is inspired by the Marvelous Aphabe-Thursday Meme sponsored by Jenny Matlock. Click over to read the other Magnificent M posts here.