Chaos

I love chaos...I thrive on chaos...sometimes chaos makes me crazy. After all I am the mother of 4 children born in less than 5 years. My house has been even crazier for the last few weeks. I've started babysitting for one of Bear's classmates and her sister, who will be the Boy's classmate when preschool starts this fall. I love having all the kids in the house. It's great! I think the best apart is that my children are entertained by their friends being there with them, so I've been able to keep things more cleaned up around the house. My kids are also becoming more responsible because I'm remembering to make it a priority to have them pick up before Daddy gets home from summer school. The kids have been doing quite well at it. I do usually reward them with something...an icee, playing in the creek, or getting out the play-dough. Play-dough with 6 kids isn't easy. Especially when Bean is a play-dough eater.

In the chaos of everyday, the other day, I wanted to take some pics of the kids playing in the creek to share. Instead of taking my camera back into the house when I was done, I stuck it in the garage. Big mistake! DH had warned me the roof was leaking like a sieve. Of course I forgot my camera when it was time to bring in the kids and do baths. Fast forward to yesterday...Dh was cleaning out the garage and lo and behold found my camera...in 6 inches of water. Oops! So, I took out my batteries, SD card, and let it dry out. Figuring that my first check from babysitting was going to replace my camera. Last night, we put fresh batteries in and the camera worked. Not 10 minutes after I'd decided what camera i was going to use as my replacement. I'd planned on ordering it after the kids went to bed. Thank you Jesus, that it worked.

Added to all this, I'm in my 4th round of potty training. Bean has been very motivated but my motivation is lacking. She's my baby. I know it'll be great to have her out of pull ups and all but then I lose the last shreds of babyhood that she has. She talks like a big girl, feeds herself, wipes herself after using the potty, tries to brush her own teeth and does her best to dress herself. When she talks, she says the most grown up things. I can't believe how big my little girl is getting.

Here are the pics from their fun in the creek that almost cost the camera.

The Boy

Mr. Man

Bug, Bear and the Boy

Daddy and Bean

Strawberry Jam

I had the opportunity last Friday to go strawberry picking with my good friend Laura. We went to her hometown and were fortunate to slip in on the last day of the season. Between the two of us we picked 18 quarts of berries. My goal was to make enough to last me until strawberries come around next year. I ended up with 10 quarts of berries which became 24 pints of strawberry jam.

First, I put the kids to work smashing hulled quartered berries.

Then I did the rest of the work by myself. Mr. Man's comment was...Why do women always can on the hottest day of the summer?

Here's my recipe:

Make a Smilebox recipe

All in all the jam is delicious. I shared some with my mom's friend Sherry. Here's her review
"Oh, Susan. While I would love to say that I carefully rationed the strawberry jam and had just a teaspoonful a day to make it last...alas that would be an untruth!! The reality is that it was soooooo goooood, that - um, it was gone by Sunday and I didn't share one drop with Joe! I often buy strawberry jam at farmer's markets trying to find the "good stuff" but theirs' doesn't compare to yours', and believe me, I've tried lots of them! Thank you very, very much--- It was fantastic!! Good job!"

Now if only it will last till next June when I can make more...

Dried Beans

I stepped on a dried chick pea the other day. It was a remnant left over from playing school with the kids earlier. Since it had missed its chance to be put away and continue its usefulness I tossed it in the garbage.

Right now, I feel a lot like that bean. When it first came off the plant, it was fresh, soft and easily usable. As time went on, it dried out, hardened and shriveled up to the point where it needs a major overhaul from an outside source like an overnight soak and then a nice long boil in a pot over a fire before it becomes useful.

I wish I didn't feel like that hard dried up bean. Once upon a time, seven or eight years ago, I had a strong relationship with God. He was my number one priority. I knew I was in the center of His will and could hear His voice guiding me. As time has gone by, sin, busyness, and life have crept in and pushed into God's place. Mostly the busyness and life...I've rooted out and repented of the sin that comes to mind in my journey to the hard bean state. I have become overwhelmed by the busyness and responsibility of raising 4 children and keeping up with my housework. I haven't wanted my relationship with God to slip, but it still has. My attempts to keep God in the forefront have all been a struggle that seems to be unsuccessful. I sadly lack the daily habit of time with Him. I keep pressing in though, and picking up my time with Him when I realize that I have let it slip.

The last 24 months have been an exceptionally difficult time for me. I suffered 2 miscarriages in 6 months. Between both miscarriages, my husband suffered from many misdiagnosed stomach problems and I feared losing him too. Thankfully Rich's health problems are now resolved, and I have taken the time to properly grieve the loss of Mikey & Sophie as I've needed to begin the healing process. But I feel like it has drained the last bit softness out of me. Leaving me drained, weary, hard and unusable. I feel like there is nothing left to do but toss me out with the trash like I did with the bean. Thankfully, even though I feel useless, God still has plans to use me.

Our worship team has played Bring Me To Life by Bebo Norman. The past 2 weeks. The part of the song I feel applies most to me is:

"I want to lose myself in Your love

So let it rain down over me

As I fall down to my knees

Let the ocean rise to meet me

I need You to bring me to life"

I want God's love to wash over me and transform me from a hard bean to someone who has a usable heart again.

Overheard at Bed-Time

If you were a fly on the wall in Beans bedroom last night you would've heard the following conversation.

Mommy~ "Okay Beanie, time to sleep. Do you want Mommy to rock you or lay down by your self?"

Bean~ "In my bed."

Silence as Beanie snuggles for the perfect comfy spot.

Bean~ "Mommy, I need tell you sumpin."

"What is it Honey?"

Silence, then jabbering and a cheesey 2 year old grin

"I love you, Beanie. You're such a cheese-ball!"

"No, I not I Bean!"

The Thing That Did Go Right This Week

This week seemed to have lots of "Those Days". You know the ones I mean. The ones that make a mom wonder why she's even bothered getting out of bed at all. My friend Steph blogged about her battles with The Grump while her Hubby was in Mexico on a Missions trip. I read her post and could totally relate. My week wasn't all that bad, but Wednesday and Thursday I was doing hand to hand combat with The Grump. Mr. Man has been diligently working on the roof all week, plus the 2 days he took off that project to go to school for meetings. Bean is quite fond of asking "Where Daddy?" and by Thursday she was answering herself "On da roof!" However she was quite unhappy about the fact that Daddy was home, but unable to be with her.

Wednesday I answered the queries of "What's for dinner?" with pork chops, only to have the Boy go into a full fledged meltdown. He was super tired and he wanted Special Pasta for dinner. Since I was already at the grocery store to get pork chops, I grabbed a can of olives so that I could change my mind and make special pasta ;-). After considering how long it takes to get the grill up and running along with Daddy's need to be back on the roof working after a break to help me take the kids to the spray park, I decided Special Pasta was the way to go. After I got dinner all together I was met by the compliment from Mr. Man, that the pasta was the best he's ever eaten. He couldn't have made it better (it's his signature dish).

Special Pasta (Greek Pasta)

1 1/2 pound penne pasta (or similar shape)
1 large can of black olives sliced
4-7 Peppercinis (to taste. you control the heat here)
4 cloves of garlic minced
1/2 to 3/4 C olive oil (enough to coat the pan 1/4" thick)
4 oz crumbled feta cheese
1 roasted red pepper chopped (optional)

1. Bring a pot of water to boil. Cook pasta as directed on the package.
2. Chop peppercincs, garlic, and olives (and roasted pepper if using). Pour olive oil in a saute pan and add everything but Feta cheese. Saute while the pasta is cooking.
3. Drain pasta. Put it in the serving bowl, top with sauce and feta cheese. Toss to combine and enjoy.

We all love this recipe. The kids, especially the Boy, and even Bug who is a picky eater. It was inspired by Mr. Man's desire to re-create some of the dishes he ate on a trip to Italy & Greece.

Thursday, I did battle with The Grump again, but I was more successful and won. Bug on the other hand did not...win her battle with the grump. But she's only 5 and was extremely tired. Miraculously, I stayed calm and did not lose my patience as I often do when she is feeling grumpy. She had several ffull fledged meltdowns during the day and each time I was able to remain calm and not respond in like. By the time evening came, I earned an evening off after such a long week and it was greatly appreciated.

Recycling Ziploc type bags

It's Tuesday, which means it is "Kitchen Tip Tuesday" at Tammy's Recipes!

My kitchen tip for today is probably a familiar one for those of you who have been re-using Ziploc type bags. I was washing up a few bags the other day. I was trying to think of an easier way to get the insides dry as it usually takes a while. Then it hit me. If I turned them inside out they would dry quicker. So I did just that and then stuck the dryer inside over a spatula I already had in the dish drainer and it had plenty of air circulation to dry in the same time as my other dishes.

Of course, the funniest part about this post is: When I was a kid, I despised the fact that my mother was too "cheap" to just buy new bags. Don't you know, now I do the same thing. Of course I don't re-use bags that have had raw meat in them like she does, but anything else in a bag and I'll wash it and re-use.

A Trip to Grammie Cheryl's

It's been a long weekend for us. We left Thursday for a visit with my in-law's. They live 2 hours away. We started off our trip with a short stop at my mom's to pick up Bug and Bear who went for an overnight visit. They had lots of fun with Auntie Kristin & Auntie Kayla. They got to make cookies,

Bear rolling out the sugar cookie dough.

Bug rolling out her dough.

They played "Dress up" with all of Auntie Kristin's neat stuff.

They also planted beans in the garden. I wonder if this will mean they'll be more willing to try them in the fall since they had a part in planting them.

Bug

Bear

After we had picked up the girls and loaded them all into the car we were off on the remainder of our trip to the in-law's.

We had a wonderful visit with Grammie Cheryl, Pappy Dick, and cousin Nessa. We had planned lots of outside play and even a possible fishing trip on Pappy's boat. Unfortunately, the weather was not to cooperate and we had a rainy weekend. We did have lots of fun playing in the house, watching movies, and getting our hair cut~ Thank You Grammie!!