The Boy is napping. Actually napping.
Milly has finished her nap and is chatting to herself. I have her lunch ready.
Sophie is watching an episode of Mickey Mouse Clubhouse.
I am...um..."indisposed" and feel comfortable enough that Sophie won't set something on fire that I actually close the door.
All of the sudden, the door FLIES open and Sophie is standing there with her big Daisy doll and little Daisy doll clutched to her.
"DA POCO TAKER!", she says in a hushed tone. Then she leaves. (That's "The coconut taker!" in Sophie-speak and a quote from the episode.)
Then I laugh until I cry.
Friday, March 30, 2012
Wednesday, March 28, 2012
Tuesday, March 27, 2012
Freezer Meals: Review
Today marks the end of the first week of the Freezer Meal experiment. I think this is working out nicely!
Here's what the first week looked like after a few switches:
Not too shabby!
My freezer is also pretty darn full.
I looked at the food budget and it has gone WAY down. We haven't been going to the store every other day to get this and that. I might send my husband to the store after work to get a few things but he's much better about sticking to a strict list.
Plus, if I had to listen to my daughter ask for grapes one more time then my brain was going to flee screaming into the night.
Notes to self: Buy grapes on sale and freeze them. Cut down the stroganoff recipe. Congratulate husband for eating spinach.
Here's what the first week looked like after a few switches:
Not too shabby!
My freezer is also pretty darn full.
- chicken parm casserole bag
- 2 roast chicken bags
- 4 chicken fajita bags
- 4 marinated steak bags
- beef stroganoff bag
I looked at the food budget and it has gone WAY down. We haven't been going to the store every other day to get this and that. I might send my husband to the store after work to get a few things but he's much better about sticking to a strict list.
Plus, if I had to listen to my daughter ask for grapes one more time then my brain was going to flee screaming into the night.
Notes to self: Buy grapes on sale and freeze them. Cut down the stroganoff recipe. Congratulate husband for eating spinach.
Friday, March 23, 2012
Fruit Fanatics
Clerks look at me funny when I come through their line with 30 pounds of bananas, 20 pounds of apples, 15 pounds of clementines and 14 bags of grapes.
They have no idea that this is just a weekend snack to my children.
Sophie is just now starting to request little bits of chocolate. It's few and far between. She would much rather have a bowl of fresh strawberries with a cup of apple juice on the side. Gideon would eat 5 oranges in one sitting if I let him. I don't because I know that he would turn himself inside out. Even Milly, my little chocolate milk addict, sets aside cupcakes with disdain because there is fresh pineapple available.
I love my little fruit freaks.
They have no idea that this is just a weekend snack to my children.
Sophie is just now starting to request little bits of chocolate. It's few and far between. She would much rather have a bowl of fresh strawberries with a cup of apple juice on the side. Gideon would eat 5 oranges in one sitting if I let him. I don't because I know that he would turn himself inside out. Even Milly, my little chocolate milk addict, sets aside cupcakes with disdain because there is fresh pineapple available.
I love my little fruit freaks.
Wednesday, March 21, 2012
Weakness
I failed to learn my verse for February. It seems appropriate that my March verse is 2 Corinthians 12:9.
Paul is writing a letter to the church in Corinth. In this chapter, he's talking about seeing other men do great things for the Lord. These men he will boast about he will never boast about himself. He speaks of a "thorn" in his life that he has thrice asked God to remove from his life. We never find about what Paul is suffering. Here is God's answer to Paul's pleas for release:
But he replied, “My gift of undeserved grace is all you need. My power is strongest when you are weak.” So if Christ keeps giving me his power, I will gladly brag about how weak I am. (CEV)
But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. (ESV)
God tells Paul to stop asking for the thorn to be taken from him. He tells Paul that what he sees as a weakness is going to be used by God to show that the power comes from God alone and not from Paul. Paul accepts this and decides to let people know that he is weak, human and flawed so that they can see that every good and powerful thing happens all from God.
I feel so flawed lately. More so than ever. Maybe it feels highlighted because I'm struggling with my thorn. Parenting three children, especially one with special needs and one who is showing signs of the same special needs, with an anxiety disorder makes me want to run screaming for my safe place. It makes me want to shut down and go back to my old and destructive habits.
I then remind myself that God gave these children to me and to Ben. He had a reason for giving these three specific children with their specific needs to us.
I am too weak to care for my children. I am too scared to know what to do when meltdowns happen. I'm get so anxious that I feel myself separate from my body and the world swells around me.
Whatever good things you see in my life, whatever milestones you see my children reach, whatever smiles and laughs come out of my mouth are all from God. His power is made perfect and very evident in my weakness.
Paul is writing a letter to the church in Corinth. In this chapter, he's talking about seeing other men do great things for the Lord. These men he will boast about he will never boast about himself. He speaks of a "thorn" in his life that he has thrice asked God to remove from his life. We never find about what Paul is suffering. Here is God's answer to Paul's pleas for release:
But he replied, “My gift of undeserved grace is all you need. My power is strongest when you are weak.” So if Christ keeps giving me his power, I will gladly brag about how weak I am. (CEV)
But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. (ESV)
God tells Paul to stop asking for the thorn to be taken from him. He tells Paul that what he sees as a weakness is going to be used by God to show that the power comes from God alone and not from Paul. Paul accepts this and decides to let people know that he is weak, human and flawed so that they can see that every good and powerful thing happens all from God.
I feel so flawed lately. More so than ever. Maybe it feels highlighted because I'm struggling with my thorn. Parenting three children, especially one with special needs and one who is showing signs of the same special needs, with an anxiety disorder makes me want to run screaming for my safe place. It makes me want to shut down and go back to my old and destructive habits.
I then remind myself that God gave these children to me and to Ben. He had a reason for giving these three specific children with their specific needs to us.
I am too weak to care for my children. I am too scared to know what to do when meltdowns happen. I'm get so anxious that I feel myself separate from my body and the world swells around me.
Whatever good things you see in my life, whatever milestones you see my children reach, whatever smiles and laughs come out of my mouth are all from God. His power is made perfect and very evident in my weakness.
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