7 Reasons Why I Blog

• to journal and express my thoughts & emotions
• to record a legacy for my children
• to make someone laugh
• to make someone think
• to be a witness of God's power and love in every day life
• to connect with others
• because I enjoy it

Why do you do it? Why do you blog?

The Evolution of an Addiction

I remember my days as a speech pathologist of home health and hospital work (before kids). I packed my lunch or ran through a McDonald's drive-thru between clients. Once in, as they say, a blue moon, I ran into a Bread Co., but those times were too infrequent even to remember this many years later.

Yet, at one time, there had to have been a first time.

Back then, my drink of choice was Coke. Even as a child, my mom encouraged me to 'drink only one' per day. I started that habit in high school --- Dr. Pepper started it all, actually. With a KitKat bar from the student store during 3rd period IB Spanish. Maestra ('Teacher') repeatedly admonished the teenage girls in her class that this was a bad habit to start and soon enough (you know, in our 30's or something) our metabolism would slow and these daily trips to binge at the snack shop would return to haunt our then-shapely figures.

Then in college I turned to CocaCola. And a bag of peanut butter M&Ms. Every day. I'd walk down the 3 flights of stairs to the vending machines - that had to account for something, Maestra!

And, post-grad school, on my drive into work in my sporty Chevy Cavalier, I twisted the lid off the new 20-ounce bottles of Coke. And since I only allowed myself one per day, I nursed it slowly through lunch (warm, unfizzy, by noon).

As we prepared to build our family, I gave up caffeine. I transitioned (kicking and screaming, except for the end result of ... babies!) to Root Beer. But once the twins came and sleep deprivation set in, the sweet taste of Coke returned to my morning routine. And I remember discovering General Foods International's iced coffee. As I watched my kids' therapists traipse in and out of the house each morning, I'd consume a homemade iced coffee. And as they came and went each afternoon, I'd nurse a soda again. (Mom always said 'one Coke' - she said nothing about coffee and CocaCola every day!)

And soon enough, the twins became mobile - at least enough for me to tote both of them into the Bread Co. in their carseats. We started going as a diversion. A chance to get out amongst 'the people' without exposing Pookie to too many germs that first year with our fears of RSV and surgeries and growth.

That's truly how it all started.
And now, 7 years later, my kids groan when I tell 'em we're headed to Bread Co. I can't even bribe them with 'snacks' from the list of carbohydrate choices any more! And. I'm addicted to Icee Mochas. In a bad way. (I gave up Coke while pregnant with Meiners - those sweet, syrupie puppies make me sick with their sugar content even to this day! ...odd, considering the sugar content of an Icee Mocha, I know)

Recently, a few of my best bloggy friends have admitted to blog addictions. I conceed that it can be addictive. But, my friend Melissa felt called by God this week to give up her addiction. And she has bid us farewell in her blog today. I have heard of this notion before. This concept of giving up an addiction. All summer, Pastor John taught us from Proverbs. And you don't think Proverbs speaks of turning from our bad choices and running towards purity? Yes. I do believe caffeine is an impurity. And, from a girl who has slowly transitioned to the realization that she has become a runner - in the true sense of the word, caffeine addiction is not a healthy life style. It is a drug. And, although I believe it to have been vital in delivering me to the kitchen many a morning after a sleepless night, I also believe there are only so many times you can turn from the voice of God, telling Him to go wake Someone Else up with His gentle nudging.

Now, before you all get in an uproar, I don't give one hootie whether you love coffee or slurp your Icee Cokes from the Tarjay foodcourt. God will speak to you about the things in your life that are your weakness. I guarantee that. This one's about me and the choices I make.

So, for today, I kneel at the feet of my God. What have You got in store for us, Lord? I'm sweating. Just so you know. I'm scared. But, I can see how You've been whispering. Prodding. And I'm game.

I don't look forward to the headaches. I don't anticipate with any sense of fun the prospect of 13.1 on Sunday early morning (probably in Hurricane Ike's rain!!!). But, Lord, I do look forward to Your Miracles. And I pray that You would be a light unto my path.

Good Night.
Pray for me.

Everything I Need to Know: Part 3

If you're just arriving, here's Part 2 and Part 1 of this little (House) series...

Laura befriended the town banker recently. Of course, she didn't know he was the stingy, cranky, codger of a town banker that she heard tale of through town gossip. She just knew the man by his fishing. And his friendship. Think there's probably a lesson there. But, being me, instead, I chose to focus that episode on how Laura quoted Tennison. Because Pa reads Tennison to her, of course. (At least, that's what she told Crotchity Ol' Banker Guy --- I don't remember his name!)

And that made me think: What could I be reading to my kids that would further their lives through wisdom and enlightenment?

The Little House on the Prairie series, of course!

So, we're reading one chapter per day. And once we finish Little House in the Big Woods, we'll be taking a break to listen to Daddy's choice of stories. And then I'll head back to the House on the Prairie. Or maybe I'll try out my vocal talents on Marley (John Grogan's bad dog).

My kids? My kids during these times when we gather 'round the hearth by the light of the (electric) lamp glowing amidst us? They're pretty much hitting each other, picking their fingernails, yawning. Seems like this is one of Mom's great hairbrained schemes. And yet, they humor me. Until I can't take the crying, fighting, and lack of interest any longer. Then I pack it up and go make dinner. But I'll keep trying. Cuz I'm mean like that. Trying to increase wisdom and enlightenment amongst my offspring.

I thought it would go over a little better. They sure laughed their tails off when Pookie read My Brother's from Outer Space outloud yesterday. *sigh* Kids these days.

Everything I Need to Know I Learned from Little House on the Prairie: Part 2

Let me first begin by directing you to yesterday's story, the original Little House post. It may remind you, also, of this post, where I uncovered the 'secret' to our financial discipline --- reading Dave Ramsey's The Total Money Makeover! Such sage advice - from the 19th century (Little House) to the 21st (Dave Ramsey).

Yesterday was the twins' 7th birthday! We celebrated with their friends with separate parties in the month of August --- the boys saw Clone Wars and the girls watched Cheetah Girls One World. On their birthday, then, we celebrated with our family here at home. Although our house remained (relatively) clean from our neighborhood party last weekend, I still faced a few, shall we say, "problem areas" yesterday in an effort to prep the house for visitors - even those who love and know us well enough to know what our home looks like on a regular basis! I still like to maintain the image of cleanliness and organization. Even when they really know my truly perpetual state of dirt and disorganization!

The twins were off to school and Baby S napped. But Meiners was home yesterday and awake. Wide awake. And wanting some attention. My first few reactions were to put him off. Send him on his way. And eventually grow a little snappy as I valiantly tried to pick up scattered toys and stacks of papers and everything else he innocently got into as I came before and went behind him picking and picking and picking up.

Then, I paused, stopping myself from a full-fledged Mommy verbal assault. I thought, 'what would they have done in the days of Little House?' And just as suddenly, an idea formed in my head. It began to resemble something like this:

Meiners learns the art of folding laundry

Meiners learns to make the sink FLY

Meiners gets real tools

(unlike his sister)

Laura and her sisters worked alongside their parents. They learned to manage a home and work the land at an early age. Shoot. I remember driving my dad's Chevy pick-up through ditches to the fields when I was the twins' age to deliver lunch from my grandmother to 'the guys.' Even Pioneer Woman's kids continue this same 'tradition' of driving feed trucks and hauling hay. So why not teach my 4 year-old that he has worth and is an integral part of his 'modern-age' (suburban, middle class) family? He had the time of his life! And maybe the laundry took a little bit longer than usual. But we accomplished it all! Which is more than I could have said had I melted down in stress and unreason and then bathed in my own guilt!

Yup. I still have a lot to learn. Good thing I'm watching those Little House reruns!

(Wow! The resemblance is uncanny...)

Everything I Need to Know I Learned from Little House on the Prairie

Since the twins are at school all day now, Meiners started preschool in the PMs, and Baby S is down to one looooooong nap, I've been busy. Cleaning closets. Planning laundry room makeovers (thanks for the color inspiration, Emily --- and yes, it is listed in the post!), and training for this upcoming marathon. While I run on the treadmill, I am blessed to watch reruns of Little House on the Prairie on TV.

Seriously. It's awesome!

I have witnessed numerous thought-provoking moments while watching episodes and working up a sweat downstairs. I recently hopped off the treadmill and wrote down a bunch of quotes and ideas --- because you never know when a blog post is going to be born! And on the treadmill watching Little House, it was.

One particular episode titled The Richest Man in Walnut Grove inspired this blog post. Briefly, Charles and Caroline were in debt to the Olsens for goods purchased on credit at the store. Mrs. Olsen was an old bitty to Caroline about the debt and the Ingalls family decided to pay off the debt in full and to no longer buy anything on credit. In their attempts to pay off the debt, the whole family worked together: Pa took odd jobs, Ma planted more potatoes to sell, Mary took on a sewing job, Laura picked up Mary's assignments and extra chores...at the end of the show, of course they paid their debt, and Mr. Olsen praised Charles' family, saying Charles was the richest man in Walnut Grove.

My husband and I have renewed vigor to live debt free. We are fortunate to be in a situation where we can go forward with our plan. We have begun to teach the children what it means to save for something they desire, versus whining to have Mommy buy it right now! They are tithing and saving and I hope one day it will be a blessing to them, to have been taught these skills. It's not something taught in our public schools. And it's not a lifestyle taught in many a public format in today's USA.

So, tonite, I encourage you to re-consider the tales of Laura Ingalls. A time when the PTA set a goal of earning $27.50 for books and necessary supplies --- and those ladies thought THAT was a large sum!

Pookie and I started reading this series together this week. And I started taping the episodes for her. Something a little weightier than Who Miley's Chasing This Week or What Teen Popstar Group Traveled Where This Time shows and movies she's been engrossed with lately. Where the messages are just a little too old for my now-7 year-old sass bucket.

Give it a shot. I have a follow-up post coming later this weekend.

Until then,

~Blessings!

It's Beginning to Look Not Like Summer

...everywhere I go!

Then:

Now:

~Happy Fall, Ya'll

Mother of the Year Makes Yummy Grub

Yeah. One of those days. One of those. My husband asked me in turn at the dinner table, after listening to each of the kids recount the events of their day, how my day had gone.

Oh Lord Have Mercy! I exclaimed. It was a day that I dare not even describe.

So, as is the case for all things Daddy, he made us all laugh by then asking Baby S how her day was. And in a high pitched baby-esque voice, he exclaimed on her behalf:

Oh, Lord Have Mercy!

That is, if the child could talk. Instead of screaming and hitting and throwing things and pulling hair and scratching and yanking things out of cabinets if she doesn't get the answer she seeks. Oh, understand, she does. Talk, she does not. Doctor (or Speech Pathologist, in my case), Heal thy own child. So, Meiners and I began a little therapy with Little Miss Princess this morning (although Meiners isn't aware of the fact that he's therapeuting his baby sister...)

*sigh*

Not sleeping through the night. Throwing tantrums the likes of which NONE of my children have ever dared. Yes, dared, I say.


But tonite, I evidently redeemed myself. I made these:


And even my pickiest eater ate the whole thing!!!
Want the recipe? Here it is:
(Taken from the St. Louis Days / St. Louis Nights Jr. League cookbook, 1998)

Savory Crescent Chicken Squares
1 3-ounce package cream cheese, softened
2 tablespoons butter, softened
2 cups cooked chicken breast, cubed
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
2 tablespoons milk
1 tablespoon parsely
1 tablespoon chopped onion
1 8-ounce package refrigerated crescent rolls
melted butter
bread crumbs (I used crackers...)

• blend cream cheese and butter
• add chicken, salt, pepper, milk, parsley, and onion
• spearate crescent rolls into 4 rectangles; seal perforations
• spoon chicken mixture into center of rectangle; pull up 4 corners
• brush on melted butter; place squares on baking sheet
• sprinkle with bread crumbs
• bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown

Love you all.

Off to read some advice from The Word on how to handle wayward children. And impatient moms.

'Night.