My Own Sneaky "Chef" {& our weekly menu}

So I'm having {what I think is} an unusual problem: My 2-year-old is sneaking food. I used to keep my apples, bananas, et cetera on the counter. He started pulling up a chair to get some. So I moved my produce to the cabinet above the sink. He started climbing up on top of the counter to access them. Then he graduated from fresh fruit to raisins, and, when available, Hubby's chocolate-covered raisins. This weekend I caught him sneaking some chocolate chips from the top shelf in my refrigerator! I have to say, though, I was surprised by his choice this morning: coconut oil and blueberry jam (made without refined sugar, of course). This kid cracks me up. And exasperates me. To no end. But I had to reward his efforts this morning--with a small spoonful of coconut oil. At least he chose something healthy today!

We had a fairly relaxed weekend. And we were a bit flexible with our food choices. Yesterday was the baby shower for my cousin's sweet baby, and I gave the kids a little freedom. Extended family gatherings are definitely the hardest place to eat primally. They did have a veggie tray, which hubby visited frequently. I indulged in my favorite Chiniese chicken salad (from a kit purchased at Costco), and a little cake. I allowed the kids some chocolate cake (sugar overload!), but was {thankfully} able to keep them from the jelly beans. We enjoyed the time with family, and I didn't see negative side effects in the kids apart from their sugar-highs right before bed.

Once again, we had one meal pushed into the next week. I'll be making my meatloaf tonight, and will post the recipe this week. (I'm still looking for a good pork sausage recipe--any suggestions??) I also was unable to make my flank steak recipe last week, as my butcher was out of that cut. I ended up with a few NY strip steaks instead, and made this recipe from Alton Brown. It was quite tasty, and even my steak-averse hubby enjoyed it. Yesterday I made this recipe from Nom Nom Paleo for roast chicken and gravy in the crockpot (minus the tomato paste--I was out). Delicious! I was actually planning on making the chicken tonight, but it fit our schedule better for yesterday. I'm going to use the carcass to make my first batch of bone broth this afternoon. I'm excited to get on with that aspect of the gut-healing process, but I'm a little anxious about it at the same time.

Other items on our menu this week include:

• Carnitas
• Roasted Stuffed Poblanos (based on this recipe, but with the leftovers from our carnitas)
• something with the leftover chicken from yesterday :-)
• Flank Steak from last week
• Curried Chicken (again--I'm craving curry lately!)

I'm also going to make these fudgsicles for the kids. What do you have planned for the week??

Today I'm linking to Menu Plan Monday at OrgJunkie.com!

Casting a Vision for My Children

"Stop being naughty!" I said it to my nearly-two-year-old as we left the grocery store. He hadn't wanted to stay in the cart, tried climbing out, throwing a fit when I held him down. Common toddler occurrence, though definitely not acceptable. We had two more errands to run, and my baby was up early and grouchy already. As we drove 2 miles down the street to the next stop, I heard, "Naughty, naughty, naughty!" from the backseat. Almost immediately I saw the error of my ways. "No, Bud, don't be naughty. Be good for mommy. Good, good, good!" Unfortunately things didn't get much better before he fell asleep on the way home. Interestingly, I found this post on my Facebook feed a few hours later. I highly encourage you to check it out. Suffice it to say that I will be focusing on speaking life and vision into my children this week.

Getting Creative {with twins!}

So late Monday evening we welcomed two new little girls into our home: Twin T and Twin E. Sissy was especially excited because the girls are only a few weeks older than she is (they will turn 6 at the end of this month). Yesterday was a bit of a blur as I shopped for school uniforms and supplies, bought groceries, picked up our ground beef (from my chicken people!), and made 3 trips to the school to enroll the girls--all with 5 children 5 & under in tow! We made it through the day with surprisingly little drama, save Sissy's meltdown because the girls didn't play with her enough throughout the day. These girls have been through quite a bit, and though we've been warned to watch for anger issues, they seem very sweet. Still, I was looking forward to the calm this morning, to spending time with my 3 youngest, schooling Sissy and Bubba, and getting some much-needed housework done. But then nothing around here tends to go as planned, so I really was not surprised when I arrived at the school to find the girls were not in fact enrolled yet.

Now, when new kids come into care, usually very little is known about them. We receive a form stating they are in our care, which also serves as proof of insurance. Theoretically, we are supposed to receive insurance cards after awhile. But we have never received a birth certificate or social security card. Twice (out of 11!) have we been given shot records. This has never been an issue before, especially since our previous three older girls were transferred from other schools who had the required documentation already. Unfortunately our school was unable to get the shot records from the twins' previous school. The shot records on file with the state showed they were not up-to-date with their vaccinations. So this morning I was told the girls could not attend school until the shot records were received, and I should go home and wait for them to call me when that happened. I should have dealt with everything right then, but I had five antsy kids on my hands and I didn't have all of my wits about me. Instead, I came home, called (& emailed!) the caseworker and then called the girls' aunt, who had previous custody. She wasn't sure if she ever had shot records, but insisted that everything that she had was given to the caseworker. She did give me the phone number (from the phone book!) of the pediatrician who she thought she'd taken them to. Unsatisfied, I called my pediatrician to see if I could get in and get them shots. No well-child appointments available for six weeks.

Then it hit me: kids don't NEED to be vaccinated before they can attend school. I know from my own research that they cannot force me to vaccinate my children. Now, I understand that CPS is actually the guardian in this case, and that foster children are supposed to be vaccinated, and I fully intend to have these girls vaccinated in a reasonable manner. However, they also need to be in school.

So I called the school back and asked if they could locate the vaccination waiver form, informing them that I would be bringing the girls back shortly. I may have stretched the definition of "personal belief" a bit this morning, but I believe that it is in the best interests of the twins to be in school while we sort out all of this mess. I had to get a little creative this morning. Do you think they'll question it at all? How have you needed to use your creativity lately?


73. Twins!
74. comforting Twin T after she hurt her knee last night
75. Bubba's budding sense of humor
76. Budders' singing
77. seeing our first foster son at the Christmas party on Saturday
78. hearing encouraging stories from fostering friends
79. my supportive friends and family
80. that I have a Rock that cannot be shaken

{Happy Homemaker Monday} November 21, 2011

{Happy Homemaker Monday}

The weather in my neck of the woods: Beautiful! Seems like "fall" weather is finally here!


Things that make me happy: my morning tea & blog time, kids playing nicely together, a sneak-peek of our family pics taken Saturday {thanks, Jenn!!}


Book I'm reading: God Is the Gospel by John Piper

On the menu for dinner: bean & cheese burritos


On my to do list: school with Sissy, doctor appointment for Flower Girl, cleaning out the sisters' room, and a thorough house cleaning

New recipe I tried or want to try soon: Baked Potato Soup - had this Wednesday night at life group--yum!


In the craft basket: A dress I bought on clearance that needs to be shortened & my nephew's birthday shirt {still!}--see a pattern here?!

No words needed (favorite photo or picture, yours or others you want to share):

Lesson learned the past few days: We adjust fairly quickly to the challenges handed to us. At first, 6 kids seemed really hard, but it became normal. Just having 4 in the house seems so easy & quiet!


On my mind: my brother {Happy birthday, Paul!} and his sick wife, and looking forward to this weekend!


Devotionals, Scripture Reading, Key Verses:

 Mark 5:24-34 

 A large crowd followed and pressed around him.  And a woman was there who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years. She had suffered a great deal under the care of many doctors and had spent all she had, yet instead of getting better she grew worse. When she heard about Jesus, she came up behind him in the crowd and touched his cloak, because she thought, “If I just touch his clothes, I will be healed.” Immediately her bleeding stopped and she felt in her body that she was freed from her suffering. At once Jesus realized that power had gone out from him. He turned around in the crowd and asked, “Who touched my clothes?” “You see the people crowding against you,” his disciples answered, “and yet you can ask, ‘Who touched me?’ ”
 But Jesus kept looking around to see who had done it. Then the woman, knowing what had happened to her, came and fell at his feet and, trembling with fear, told him the whole truth. He said to her, “Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace and be freed from your suffering.”

Join in at Happy Homemaker Monday

50. a phone call from the sisters!

51. a quiet evening as a family of 6

52. seeing friends & family at my brother's birthday party

53. a sweet old friend coming to take our family pictures {for free!}

54. a relaxing Sunday afternoon 

55. pizza for Sunday dinner, courtesy of my parents {no cooking!}

56. family seeing Budders like he usually acts during the week, but on a Sunday

57. silly, innocent questions about anatomy from my 3 year old

58. my messy 12-passenger van (because it runs! & I can transport my whole family & then some!)

Goodbyes

We are preparing again to {possibly} say goodbye, this time to the two sisters. This has been a challenging placement, and at times their upcoming departure is a bit of a relief. I look forward to a break in the quarreling and lying, a break from needing to constantly be aware of the location of certain members of the family. Budders especially has taken quite a beating (unintentionally!) from {well-meaning} older sisters lugging him around.

Yet at the same time, my heart aches for these girls. I hurt knowing the abuses they've suffered. I've rejoiced at little victories: prayers at family worship time, a sibling play date, growing relationships, hurt hearts confiding in us. I know a little about where they will be going, and while I would not willingly send my biological children there, I rest in the knowledge that God is in control. He is good, and He cares for them more than I ever could.

"Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? And not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father. But even the hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not, therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows." Matthew 10:29-31

42. good conversations with friends
43. watching my sweet hubby attempt to sew Barbie clothes!
44. siblings reuniting after weeks apart
45. lunch with Hubby mid-week
46. {free} bikes!
47. reading that I'm the "most important person" in Flower Girl's life
48. {hopefully} getting answers from the doctor for Sissy
49. friends & coworkers giving us clothes for the girls

Sanctification

On Wednesday we welcomed two sisters, ages 7 and 9, into our home, officially doubling the number of children in our house in less than a week. Sissy went from being the oldest to having 3 big sisters. Budders now has 3 girls he really doesn't know trying to lug him around (and running him to me every time he cries! Yikes!). And Bubba and Sissy are both having to adjust to older kids with different senses of humor and pet peeves. They are altogether adjusting very well, and I am proud of the love that they are showing their new sisters.

The big girls are adjusting to life in a new house, new authority figures and rules, new younger siblings who {sometimes} annoy them. They are learning new routines, attending new schools, making new friends, and missing friends and family.

I won't try to pretend that this is easy. Foster care is definitely one of the hardest things I have ever done. I am adjusting to a {much} high noise and chaos level. I am learning trying to figure out which fights to pick. I am struggling a bit watching Sissy and Bubba get exposed to things I have tried so hard to shelter them from. I hate watching them feel left out or picked on or talked down to. I am having to draw the line regarding what words, music, et cetera we will allow in this house, resulting in disappointed girls (and losing some of my fun-mom-ness). I have had moments when I miss "just us." I have thought What are we doing? But I have also watched these girls come a long way in this short time that we have had them. And I am {learning} to love like Christ. Sanctification. It's what this is all about anyway.




16. FG's first prayer!
17. family worship on a full bed
18. a hug from my 9 yr. old {this is a BIG deal!}
19. 7 yr. old's {first} prayers
20. FG asking to be baptized!
21. my awesome mother-in-law-- HAPPY BIRTHDAY, KAREN!!
22. hours of giggles
23. not having to worry about dinner after school this week--thanks to my awesome MOPS friends!

One Thousand Gifts & Mommy Guilt

One Thousand Gifts
Have you had the pleasure of "meeting" Ann Voscamp? I was introduced to her blog last year, and was excited to get my hands on her book earlier this year. Ann has a beautiful, poetic writing style (which may or may not appeal to you for the duration of her 227-page book). She introduces us to the idea of giving thanks in all things, keeping a gratitude journal. In her experience, thanking God-for the small things and the hard things-will dramatically change how one lives. I started my own journal of the 1000 (plus!) gifts He gives me, but found I would only last a few days, and then it would get pushed aside for a week. Or a month. So I've decided to post my 1000 gifts on here for some accountability.

Mommy Guilt
I've felt my share of mommy guilt over the past 5+ years I've been a parent. From less significant things like sunburns and babies rolling off the couch to more substantial things like making my babies cry themselves to sleep and Bubba's circumcision. I wish I'd breastfed my older two. I wish I'd given birth naturally the first two times. I'm sure I could come up with an extensive list.

The most recent onset of mommy guilt came at the expense of Budders' teeth. I took him to the dentist this week, concerned about some chipping and a spot on one of his top four teeth. The mommy guilt had set in even before I booked his appointment. Does my baby have tooth decay? Did I not brush his teeth enough? The dentist confirmed my fears: Budders has two cavities and all four of his top teeth have soft enamel. Apparently this is fairly common, and is most likely a result of a fever or some other disruption while I was pregnant with him. No matter what, I carry at least some responsibility.

Mommy guilt does not feel good. Sometimes guilt is destructive. It can put us in a bad mood, and can damage relationships. It can keep us immobilized in depression or self-pity. It can even make us physically ill. This guilt is not beneficial.

"There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus." Romans 8:1

But some guilt is good. Guilt can be a catalyst for change. Researching before Budders' birth, I felt so guilty regarding Bubba's circumcision. Although I can't go back and change my uninformed decisions, I could make a better decision for my future son(s). Likewise, it was during my last pregnancy that I discovered The Baby Sleep Book and The Baby Book, both by Dr. Sears. With my new knowledge came the guilt from letting my babies cry themselves to sleep, but now I know better.


And so I begin my blog's 1000 gifts...

1. mommy guilt
2. grace upon grace
3. the innocent forgiveness of a child
4. piles of clean laundry (we are well-dressed!)
5. a wealth of information at my fingertips
6. the sweet "Flower Girl" who entered our home and our lives yesterday

On Christians and Birth Control Pt. 2

My last post on birth control brought up several questions on Facebook, so I thought it best to address them on here. Some questions/objections have been slightly re-worded for simplicity in my answers.

Q: I understand the argument behind certain birth control pills, but I'm curious as to why you would consider other forms of birth control (ie sterilization or other natural methods) wrong or sinful in some way?

A: I wouldn't necessarily consider "natural" birth control methods sinful for everyone. I believe it comes down to motivation. We found that our reason for using birth control reflected a lack of trust in Christ to provide for us and our desire to be "in control" of our lives instead of trusting Him with complete control.

Q: While I want to trust in God knowing that He will provide for us, I also recognize basic biology and being the fertile mertile that I am, I would have a baby every single year! I am not equipped emotionally or financially to handle the number of kids we would have by now.

A: Those were my initial thoughts as well. I conceived so quickly before, that I fully expected to be pregnant with my 4th by Budders' first birthday. I have found that breastfeeding, along with co-sleeping, has {apparently} kept my fertility from returning. He is fifteen months old now, and I am surprised every month when my test comes out negative!

I have also read, and found it true in my life, that God gives us grace for the situation He places us in. When I had only one, I received the grace to parent one, and with each child my maturity, patience, competence, et cetera has grown. It's a rare instance when we're blessed with ten at a time!

Q: I wonder about the actual amount of good quality time one can spend with each child.

A: I don't want to pretend to have all the answers here. At this point I don't really struggle to spend quality time with each of my children, though I think it needs to be consciously addressed no matter how many children you have. That said, I know large families who take individual children on dates and errands regularly, which I plan on implementing. Also, we spend time with each child one-on-one when we tuck them into bed in the evening. We give snuggles and talk a bit about the highs and lows of our day. I see this time expanding a bit as our children grow older. I am also working on a new daily schedule to implement once our foster girls arrive. I plan on incorporating a time where an older child spends time playing with the baby while I snuggle, read, and talk to the other.

Q: I feel like the older ones take on the parenting role when it's not their responsibility to do so.

A: Yes, it is true that children in large families tend to have more responsibility than their small-family counterparts. And while I want my children to enjoy their childhood and to have plenty of {necessary} play time, I don't think that this responsibility is harmful to the child; quite the contrary, in fact. My responsibility as a mother includes teaching my children how to thrive as productive adults. I want them to learn how to change a diaper, redirect young children, sooth a baby, keep house, and to multitask. While I do not find it acceptable for a MOM (Mom of Many) to lounge around and let her older children care for their siblings, I think it is profitable for all involved when children (of all ages) work together in the family team to help each other and to keep their house straight. The skills learned will help them to thrive, both in their future families and in the workforce.

A Lil' Controversy

Christians and Birth Control

Disclaimer: All opinions here are my own, and while they are my convictions, please do not assume that I judge those who have different convictions. I have come to this place over time, and have made many contrary choices in my life. 

Before we were married I got on the pill. I wanted to have an established habit before it was actually needed. I had two months worth of birth control in my possession when we married and I moved across the country to join the ranks of the military spouse. But the doctor I saw on base was a civilian and not very familiar with the military pharmacy procedures. At the time, neither was I. Due to several disagreements and mis-communications between  the doctor and myself, I ran out of pills. For 3 weeks. And in those weeks we were blessed with our daughter.

After she was born, I went on the pill again. A year and a half later I went off the pill and we received another blessing, who stretched our faith more than we could have imagined.

I went on the pill again after his birth. When he was a year old, we researched more permanent options. More than researched, actually, as Hubby had an appointment. Turns out he was too young, so they turned him down. This is about the the time the Lord started changing our hearts regarding many lifestyle choices. We began researching birth control.


 Ultimately, we have chosen to open our house to as many blessings as God sees fit to give us. Our only method of birth control is one God created: extended breastfeeding.

 Of course, most of you will not choose the same path as us regarding your family planning, and that's okay with me. Still, I would encourage you to do some research and soul-searching regarding your method of "control." I recently stumbled on this post, and Cindy approached the subject with much grace and eloquence. I ask you to prayerfully read her post and explore this controversial subject. After you've read, tell me what you think: Is it a sin to take the birth control pill?

http://comefillyourcup.wordpress.com/2011/09/19/questions-and-answers-what-about-the-use-of-birth-control-pills/