I've Been Thinking

I know, it's dangerous, but I've been thinking A LOT about parents, kids and their relationships here lately.

The feelings evoked from these trains of thought are varied, you know, to go with my multiple personalities :)

• humor ~ Kids really are a hoot, and so much of it closely mirrors their parents
• fear ~ when I see how selfish we can be as parents
• honor ~ I see more clearly now what it takes to parent, you pretty much lay down your life
• frustration ~ why do people act like their kids can/ should raise themselves
• appreciation ~ for our many blessings, but also for all our parents have, and continue to, invest in our lives

I LOVE my kids! Just typing it brings tears to my eyes. Those 5 little, no I guess not little, miniature people God entrusted to us.

Right now they are learning cooperation as they (5) play the Wii (4 controllers). It is GOOD to have them home! I miss them when they are gone! There has been a lot of redirection here lately.

• Learning not to interrupt.
• Learning to co operate and get chores done so we can play.
• Learning to mow
• and do dishes... by hand
• to pitch in on a church demolition project
• to tend babies
• to cook
• and that a whole bottle of peppermint flavor is NOT a good addition to a batch of pancakes. 1 tsp. maybe, but not the whole bottle
• to decorate cakes

.... to decorate cakes... that one is the cause for most of my pondering today.

Today, Jon turns 10! When asked what he wanted for his birthday dessert, his first response was "mud dessert". Cool, easy! On second hand he wanted a tractor cake. Okay..... Call the library, yes they do have a tractor pan. Bust a move to pick it up before close. Take 4 kids shopping for a long list of groceries and cake supplies. AND today, on the hottest day in history, bake a cake.

I have to tell you, I learned to decorate cakes before I had a license. It was fun back then. The opportunity for creativity was limitless and the compliments stroked my need for affirmation.

These days I feel most creative when I figure out how to accomplish all my day demands. And those demands are many. From 5:30 AM until 10pm I am constantly aware of 100 things needing to be done. Yes, I am quite adept at ignoring these things, but it is usually due to a more pressing need, sometimes sleep or a break, presenting it self.

I am constantly doing, but I am learning, doing, is how I communicate my love to those around me.

Today brought that sharply into focus for me:

• digging out the cake decorating supplies... "I love you Jon"
• overseeing his cake making process W/O taking over "I love you Jon"
• baking a swirl cake (read: 2x the mess) " I love you Jon"
• not throwing the cake/ cake pan out the window when it is stuck in the pan and coming out in chunks
• letting him make the frosting
• using decorator bags, tips, and what not

"I love you!"

And I wonder, will he ever know how much I love him? I know most often I am not speaking his love language. But this time of my heart telling my mind, "It will be cleaned later, let him create. It's not just about getting a tractor cake made, it's about the process." is me trying to say "I love you" in a different way, his way.

I am thankful for summer! So often the school year flies by with these dear ones swirling around me. There is so much to be done! But now there is time to process. Now we get to cover in love and bear each other's burdens.

I am quite sure even summer is not long enough to mine the treasures wrapped up in each of my children, but I pray one day, possibly 20 years from now, they look back and realize.... she was saying "I love you". Because today as I thought about my own mother I realized, there were far more "I love you"s spoken than the ones that crossed her lips.

Here We Go Again

• 5 back packs
• 10 pair of shoes
• 5 boxes of Kleenex
• 3 large 2 small bottles of hand sanitizer
  
• 8 containers of Lysol wipes (because some were supposed to bring large containers, but the normal size was cheaper per wipe, so we just doubled up for some classes)
• 106 Crayons
• 30 markers
• 24 Colored pencils
• 50-60 pencils
• 40 pencil top erasers
• 4 large erasers
• 5 pencil boxes
• 1 pencil bag
• 1 3 ring binder
• 28 folders, some needing to be specific colors, which seems to be the norm at most schools because they were VERY hard to find!
• 3 bottles of Elmer's school glue
• 4 glue sticks (the large ones that equal 4 small glue sticks
• 10 red pens
• 4 other pens
• 4 highlighters
• 4 dry erase markers
• 3 rulers
  
• 8 rolls of scotch tape
• 5 packs of wide lined loose leaf paper
• 14 wide lined note books (again, specific colors 4 some)
• 2 nutritious snacks
• 5 pair Fiskars scissors
• 1 ream copy paper
• 1 water bottle
• 5 lunch bags
• 5 insulated drink containers, because I FINALLY broke down and bought them knowing I will quickly save $ not buying juice boxes.
• 32 pair of socks, all looking VERY different in hopes of making mating socks less of a chore!

All supplies labeled with children's names

I should have taken a picture of all the supplies piled up all over the living room floor but the backpacks were packed and in the 'burb, so you'll have to settle for this:


We are ready for school to start tomorrow.... Kinda.

Have You Ever...

been SO excited about something it makes you feel like you are going to explode?

been glad your hubby is your bestest friend EVER, and that he's not prone to talk much, because you can tell him any and everything and have NO worries he will "blab" it to someone?

been frustrated with the same hubby/ bestest friend ever because part of the reason he never blabs stuff is because he often forgets.

found yourself becoming your mother and been very thankful?

had a full week to celebrate your birthday?

fell in love with a white board?

made a chore chart, menu, and shopping list only to discover you had NO money to shop with?

by passed purchasing much needed skin and hair care products with your birthday money to purchase the pair of running/ walking shoes your feet need?
(these shoes better clear up my skin and give me rockin hair!!!!)

had a man so supportive he lets you spend HIS birthday $ on said shoes?

logged 25 miles a week and discovered there is a sort of "relationship" built with shoes that join you all those miles?

been so very thankful for friends who will join you traversing these miles because after all, misery loves company!

found you have MUCH more energy and stamina when completely miffed with hubby/ BFF, but somehow burning off said energy makes the problem seem much less of an issue

had to chuckle at the old guy who stops you and tells you not to work so hard or "your husband won't have anything to hold on to", which makes you laugh because you...

logged between 10-25 miles for 6 weeks and the scale is parked in the same 2# range it was before you started?

been so interested in helping everyone else you completely ignore your own projects and then they just drag out FOREVER?!!

followed God one direction, then another and known both were God's will and plan no matter how different they may seem?

started doing devos on the computer because it took you 4 years to get over feeling like you HAD to HOLD the Bible for it to be official?

found you really enjoy using the computer because as soon as you place the courser over a word the definition from Strong's concordance pops up, and there really are very different meanings to words we just assume mean what first pops into our heads.

wanted to scratch someones eyes out because they make statements about EVERYTHING, even when they know NOTHING about it!

had God drop Colossians 3:12-16 on you as you cry out to Him to change your heart because you are so tied in knots because people like the one above and others you feel you just can't make happy no matter how hard you try?

12Therefore, as God’s chosen ones, holy and loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience. 13Put up with one another and forgive each other if anyone has a complaint against another. Just as the Lord has forgiven you, you also should forgive.,  14Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which ties everything together in unity. 15Let the peace of Christ also rule in your hearts, to which you were called in one body, and be thankful. 16Let the word of Christ dwell in you with all richness and wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another with psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, and singing to God with thankfulness in your hearts. 17And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.
International standard version New Testament

felt invisible?

felt unloved?

had to get a new drivers license photo with an ugly zit... on your second chin?

lost touch with "virtual friends" because "friends (and family) with skin" needed you more?

been frustrated to realize how few people call just to chat?

lost a friend because of a boy, but later "found" the friend, and because you are both SO much more mature, (ha ha ha) find a much sweeter friendship?

not blogged for months due to being overly swamped with life and inhibited by the fact you can't really say anything about your life because you are fostering a child who has become your life, and you can't mention anything about him online?

had the freedom to blog, but not the "unt to"?

sped into town for a date with your man because you are late... due to blogging?

Have you ever? No, me neither....

April 15th

The Tax Poem

Tax his land, tax his wage,
Tax his bed in which he lays.
Tax his tractor, tax his mule,
Teach him taxes is the rule.

Tax his cow, tax his goat,
Tax his pants, tax his coat.
Tax his ties, tax his shirts,
Tax his work, tax his dirt.

Tax his chew, tax his smoke,
Teach him taxes are no joke.
Tax his car, tax his grass,
Tax the roads he must pass.

Tax his food, tax his drink,
Tax him if he tries to think.
Tax his sodas, tax his beers,
If he cries, tax his tears.

Tax his bills, tax his gas,
Tax his notes, tax his cash.
Tax him good and let him know
That after taxes, he has no dough.

If he hollers, tax him more,
Tax him until he's good and sore.
Tax his coffin, tax his grave,
Tax the sod in which he lays.

Put these words upon his tomb,
"Taxes drove me to my doom!"
And when he's gone, we won't relax,
We'll still be after the inheritance tax.

Frankly I am not thrilled with either political party right now, and I try to refrain from across the board generalizations, but this quote caught my eye today and I had to chuckle.

"Republicans believe every day is the Fourth of July, but the Democrats believe every day is April 15." President Ronald Reagan

I'm BAAACK!

Hello All!

No excuses or catch up at this time.

Just what God has been doing in my heart the last week (s).

Grace....

Isaiah 58

6. Is not this the fast that I have chosen? to loose the bands of wickedness, to undo the heavy burdens, and to let the oppressed go free, and that ye break every yoke?

9. Then shalt thou call, and the LORD shall answer; thou shalt cry, and he shall say, Here I am. If thou take away from the midst of thee the yoke, the putting forth of the finger, and speaking vanity;

The Holy Bible : King James Version. 1995 (electronic ed. of the 1769 edition of the 1611 Authorized Version.) (Is 58:9-10). Bellingham WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc.

⁶ “Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen:

to loose the chains of injustice

and untie the cords of the yoke,

to set the oppressed free

and break every yoke?

⁷ Is it not to share your food with the hungry

and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter—

when you see the naked, to clothe him,

and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood?

⁸ Then your light will break forth like the dawn,

and your healing will quickly appear;

then your righteousness will go before you,

and the glory of the Lord will be your rear guard.

⁹ Then you will call, and the Lord will answer;

you will cry for help, and he will say: Here am I.

“If you do away with the yoke of oppression,

with the pointing finger and malicious talk,

¹⁰ and if you spend yourselves in behalf of the hungry

and satisfy the needs of the oppressed,

then your light will rise in the darkness,

and your night will become like the noonday.

¹¹ The Lord will guide you always;

he will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land

and will strengthen your frame.

You will be like a well-watered garden,

like a spring whose waters never fail.

¹² Your people will rebuild the ancient ruins

and will raise up the age-old foundations;

you will be called Repairer of Broken Walls,

Restorer of Streets with Dwellings.

The Holy Bible : New International Version. 1996, c1984 (electronic ed.) (Is 58:6-12). Grand Rapids: Zondervan.

⁹ “If you get rid of unfair practices,

quit blaming victims,

quit gossiping about other people’s sins,

Peterson, E. H. (2002). The Message : The Bible in contemporary language (Is 58:9). Colorado Springs, Colo.: NavPress.

....let's all receive it and pass it along!

Merry McCallum Christmas!

(Please excuse the red eye)

Mexican Fiesta!

Salsa Rice bake

• 1# hamburger browned
• 1 cup salsa
• 1 package taco seasoning
• 2 cups cooked rice
• 1 can chili beans

Combine and simmer. Top with grated cheddar cheese. Serve with salsa and sour cream. ( this recipe works GREAT in the crock pot!) I double the recipe.

Chicken tacos
(this is how much I make for us +2)

• 2 full (4 individual) boneless skinless chicken breasts
• 1 package taco seasoning
• 1 green pepper
  
• 1 onion
• 8 oz cheddar cheese

1. Cook whole breasts alone until they are done enough to shred, or chop. (the Pampered Chef meat chopper works great for this)
2. Add chopped onions and pepper. Cook to desired tenderness
3. Drain liquid and add 1 cup water
4. Add taco seasoning. (Our gang doesn't like stuff very spicy, so I only use one package, you may desire 2 packages of seasoning)
5. Simmer
6. Add cheese

Serve with black beans, tortillas, sour cream, salsa, tomatoes and lettuce.

Corn Cake

Blend:

• 1 stick softened butter
• 1/3 cup masa (corn flour)
• 1/4 cup water

Add:

• 1 1/2 cup chopped frozen corn

Add

• 1/4 cup corn meal

In separate bowl combine:

• 1/3 cup sugar
• 2T heavy cream (or milk)
• 1/4 t. salt
• 1/2 t. baking powder

Bake in a 8"x8" pan @ 375 for 50-60 minutes
(technically you are supposed to set the smaller pan inside a 9x13 pan with water in it, but I just use my stone, or a glass pan and it turns out well) I double or triple this recipe