I've attempted to post this for two days, but I keep having html errors. It's quite frustrating to hit "publish post" right before my 15 minutes is up, only to see that hateful yellow & red box come up. I can't tell you how many things I have wanted to google in the past few days- especially now that I have a sick baby and limited time on WebMd and Babycenter. I never noticed how many times people tell me "I'll send you a message on facebook" or "I'll just e-mail it" until those words began to make me cringe! On the other hand, I have accomplished quite a bit: I finished countless loads of laundry, vacuumed, cleaned the kitchen, sorted through old books to sell, started Sean's book The Letters, played with my girls, stuffed bags for Upward Awards Night, and finished The Letters. And I've also found more time to pray and be still. So far, it's a rough but rewarding process.
A few days ago I read an excerpt from Jacob the Baker by Noah benShea. He says he wrote this particular story to help himself & his father cope with a diagnosis of ALS (read about it here.) While not exactly the same symbolism as the ashes worn all over the world on Wednesday, I find this to be an equally beautiful picture of Lent and the life/death of Jesus. After all, what struggle can we face that he has not also experienced? What can threaten us that he has not conquered? Even if the struggle is, as in my case, a silly one against yourself, He has been there.
“Life is often heavy only because we attempt to carry it,” said Jacob.
“But I do find strength in the ashes.”
“In the ashes?” asked Mr. Gold.
“Yes,” said Jacob with a confirmation that seemed to have traveled a great distance.
“You see, Mr. Gold, each of us is alone. Each of us is in the great darkness of our ignorance.
And each of us is on a journey.
“In the process of our journey, we must bend to build a fire for light, and warmth, and food.
“But when our fingers tear at the ground, hoping to find the coals of another’s fire, what we often find are the ashes.
“And in these ashes, which will not give us light or warmth, there may be sadness, but there is also testimony.
“Because these ashes tell us that somebody else has been in the night, somebody else has bent to build a fire, and somebody else has carried on.
“And that can be enough sometimes, that can be enough.”
My time is almost up. To those of you taking on the same challenge, or another of your own, carry on.
I'm afraid the title of "Fat Tuesday" might be taken literally at our house this year. We've been doing well with our weight loss plan thus far, but today could offer a setback. John has decided to give up meat for lent. Since I don't feel like cooking separate meals for two people (three actually because Hannah rarely eats what we do) I am going to join him. Since it's not officially my Lenten sacrifice, I may still have an occasional turkey sandwich for lunch while John is at work. I don't want the lunch meat to go bad! But other than that, our house will be meat-free for the next 46 days. We actually don't even eat that much meat to begin with- we usually have more than one meatless dinner during the week, and even when I do use chicken or ground beef in recipes I often don't use full servings. But there is something about officially saying "No meat" that makes the mouth water for a big fat cheeseburger. And this brings me to my original concern- that my husband's Fat Tuesday indulgences will set us back a pound or two in our weight loss efforts. Not that I will be complaining when he walks in with the greasy bag filled with burgers from Five Guys. No, I will be too busy devouring my cheeseburger (how long has it been?!) and dunking my fries in the Five Guys special malt vinegar to complain. The complaining will wait until I step on the scale tomorrow morning. Or when the Wii fit plumps up my Mii a little more than I'd like. But I do want to support John in this big challenge, so I will also support him in his "last supper."
As a kid growing up in Cincinnati, I was immersed in the Catholic culture. All of my friends went to mass. They got gifts on St. Nicolas' feast day and Christmas. They went to a lot of festivals. The schools served meatless meals (or fish) on Friday during Lent and often year-round. (On a side-note, many cultures fast from meat during this time, so John is actually joining in something shared by the saints throughout the history of the church.) And they talked about what to give up for Lent. Some would give up something that meant very little to them, like bubblegum. But others sought to give up something they would really miss. The season of Lent is supposed to be a preparation for Holy Week. A time to reflect upon, and in some small way share in, the sufferings of Christ. It's not a time to hold back and pick something "safe." And it's not a time to just try and break bad habits (although if that's a side effect, I'm sure it would be fine!) It's about clearing a path for the coming King. Getting distractions out of the way and filling them with contemplation. Preparing the way of the Lord.
So, what am I giving up for Lent? I've pondered this one for a while. Since I'm still nursing, I've decided to stay away from giving up any particular food. Besides, I'm already dieting, so that would not necessarily be something new to turn my attention and cravings toward Christ. Instead I've decided to give up an activity that I often call my "default setting." When my mind & body are tired from mommy-dom, when I need to tell someone something silly (or awful or sweet or whatever) about my day, when I'm overthinking something and need to clear my head, when I need to research something to feel more in control of a situation... I come here. To my faithful desktop. When I need a break, I can't wait to flop into this chair and be whisked away to the world of blogs and facebook. If John beats me to it, I can literally feel my stress-level rise as I wait for my turn. I don't think blogging or e-mail or facebook are bad- in fact, they have all been a tremendous encouragement to me as a stay-at-home mom, and in some cases I would consider them to be blessings (and even ministries). But too much of a good thing is not a good thing. How can I find time to read 10 blogs before going to bed, yet I struggle to stay awake during bedtime prayer? Why is it that I rush to get my quiet time in before the girls get up, yet spend the quiet times during the rest of the day checking facebook? And worst of all, why is it that when something is truly bothering me, I prefer to take my mind off of it with a round of scramble, rather than meeting it head on, tackling it, and dragging it into my prayer closet?
I want a new default setting during this season of Lent. I want to turn to prayer, to reading scripture or an inspirational book, to giving time to my family or to others. I have to be realistic- I still need to be able to be in contact with the outside world, and I still think God has things to share through my bloginess. But instead of all day long, I will limit myself to 15 minutes once a day. That should be enough time to correspond and update, but not enough time to wander aimlessly through search engines. I'll hopefully still have time to blog, although it might be shorter (I know what some of you are thinking- be nice!) Will I feel like I'm missing out on things? Sure. Will I actually miss out on some? Maybe. But it will be worth it.
John wanted me to clarify about this whole "no-meat" thing. He wants people to know that it isn't just because he is overly-green (although he is) or because we've got big social consciences for the treatment of animals (we do). It's not because meat is expensive. It's because, to use his word, it is a craving. When he is out to eat with the guys, watching them gnaw on ribs while he eats his rabbit food, he will want meat SO bad. And it will remind him: that's how we're supposed to feel about God and His righteousness. Hopefully the same will be true for me. When I am desparate to hear a word of wisdom from someone, I won't seek my mommy friends on facebook or even the wisest of bloggers- I'll be reminded of the Source of all wisdom. When I am troubled and seeking a place to hide, I'll remember the Rock. When I inadvertently flop into my comfy black office chair, I'll be reminded of The Comforter. It's funny, we're supposed to be giving up things, but I'm excited about what we'll be gaining in their place.
On you I meditate, and as I think, my soul it faints for you. You are my drink, you are my feast You are my love, my soul's own King. -Charlie Hall
This morning, I followed a link from a friend's blog and found this one: Bring the Rain I have been devouring everything I can from this blog during the morning lull at our house (Lydia is napping & Hannah is quietly watching Sesame Street.) The woman who writes it, Angie Smith, is married to a singer in the Christian group Selah. She offers some wonderful insight into authentic Christian woman/motherhood, and she offers special wisdom & support for women who have lost children through miscarriages, stillbirth & SIDS. I can only imagine the heartache about which she speaks, but if you've experienced it too, I think you'll find a great encouragement in her blog & her followers.
Today I was impressed with an entry about praying for our children throughout their day. Here is a link:
A lot of the blogs I follow have regular themes for their posts- "Wordless Wednesday" or "Quotes to Ponder" and whatnot. I feel that my own little blog is missing out on this predictability, and if there is one thing in my life I could use more of at this point, it is predictability. (I almost typed "regularity" but realized that could be misconstrued as too much information. ha!) So, in an effort to be as cool as the other bloggers I see, I present to you "A song for Sunday."
Today we sang the third verse of God of Grace and God of Glory in church. Amazing how words penned in 1930 can still be a powerful prayer for the church today:
Cure Thy children’s warring madness, Bend our pride to Thy control. Shame our wanton selfish gladness, Rich in things and poor in soul. Grant us wisdom, grant us courage, Lest we miss Thy kingdom’s goal, Lest we miss Thy kingdom’s goal.
As I write this entry, I'm listening to Lydia's lullaby music through the baby monitor. Usually, it is a nice compilation of classical music, or xylophone versions of lullaby classics. Right now, it is "Yellow Submarine." On one of their last visits, my dad gave the girls a Rockabye Baby rendition of Beatles music. I'm so glad I finally remembered it at nap time! It's a lot of fun.
Of course, it is also bad, because it immediately made me go to the Rockabye Baby music store online and begin composing a wish list. Here is the list of future renditions I want (for the girls, of course!):
U2
The Cure
Nirvana
MORE Beatles
The Rolling Stones
Coldplay
The Eagles
Smashing Pumpkins
GreenDay
Beach Boys
Oh what the heck, I'll take them ALL! Except maybe for Tool. Oh, and although I like Metallica, I find a lullabye version of Enter Sandman to be a disturbing thought. I admit, I am a little intrigued by the Bjork album, though.
Check out the website from the above link, and see for yourself! They even have a little poll for who they should "Rockabye" next. Vote GNR, please, so I can share a cute little version of my all time favorite song with the Sweet Child(ren) of Mine. And for those of you out there who are not the least bit excited by my above list of artists, there is also a sister site of country artists: Hushabye Baby. It has Johnny Cash, Willie Nelson, Patsy Cline... OOOH! I'm going to need to make another list...
Initial disclaimer- this post has a lot of pictures & no real point. You've been warned.
So today I decided to break out the pack'n'play for Lydia. When Hannah was little, we only used it for sleeping- first as a bassinet, then for traveling. When Hannah was little, we didn't have Sophie. Poor Lydia has a limited amount of time to play on the floor, because I am afraid our goofy dog will step all over her. Sophie is not technically a puppy anymore, but her motor skills and...er... cognitive skills are still developing. Basically she is a giant goofball who wouldn't hurt anything intentionally but always manages to knock something (or someone) over. So the play yard could give Lydia a little more freedom than sitting in the swing or the high chair, but also keep her safe. Here she is in the play pen:
Hannah wasn't sure about the whole thing. At first she complained she couldn't play with her anymore & asked me just to put her back on the floor with a blanket. Then she tried to make up for it by putting toy after toy in with Lydia until the poor baby got so overwhelmed I had to remove a few. Then, I'm pretty sure she tried to plan an escape:
Finally she just gave up and decided if you can't beat 'em, join 'em:
It didn't take long for both girls to grow tired of their surroundings, so I proposed a new activity- bubbles! I blew some for Lydia to watch and try to touch with her cute & chubby little hands, and some for Hannah to run around like a madwoman trying to catch.
Eventually, though, I had to blow some for my other little girl, the afore-mentioned clumsy dog. I tried as hard as I could to get a photo of how into the bubbles she was, but it was rather difficult. I couldn't blow the bubbles & then snap the picture fast enough, especially when you throw in the fact that I was trying to keep Hannah out of the line of fire. This was the best I could do:
Fortunately for me, John came home for lunch and was able to video while I bubbled. Notice how clueless Sophie is that she is within inches of Hannah (and vice versa- not the only similarity between dogs & three-year-olds!):
I feel as if we've made big progress today. First of all, I can give Lydia a little more freedom, even if it is from the confines of what some of my friends call a "baby jail." I learned that Hannah really does enjoy playing with her sister. And finally, I figured out another way to get some energy out of our hyper dog. As I type this, she is napping in her crate, making crazy sounds as she dreams about chasing something- possibly bubbles.
A final disclaimer- You read it correctly. John came home for lunch to film this, so yes, my children are still in pajamas at lunchtime. Who has time to get dressed with all the pack & play setting up, bubble blowing, and tea party craziness at our house? Besides, if you pass judgement, you're probably just jealous. :)
Someone today mentioned that there was not a list of "followers" to join on my blog. I must confess, this is because I was worried that if I put a gadget on the side to show my blog's followers and no one actually followed me, I would feel like a huge dork. I am very sensitive in situations like this- which I like to call "after school special" moments. You know, like when you weren't invited to the cool table... or maybe you were. I was, sometimes. But apparently not ever enough to actually make me feel "cool." I never really knew if anyone would care to read my blog. But if you do, and you want to make me feel a little less insecure, I've added the follower gadget on the right under my blog list. Thanks Mr. Drew for making me take this step in overcoming my middle school fears :)
This morning has been a mix of emotions. I first woke up at 5:00 to hear Lydia fussing and babbling in her crib. I was dreading another early morning battle in which either she would end up 1) fussing herself to sleep in our bathroom (so she didn't wake her sister) or 2) nursing back to sleep and spending the rest of the morning sleeping between us. The other day I saw some of my mom friends on facebook commenting about sleeping soundly because they brought their babies into their beds. Not me! I sleep on the very edge, with one eye open, constantly rearranging the covers to be sure they don't cover her precious face. I still had the back & neck pain from the night before, and wasn't sure if option two was even a viable option this time. And option one, well, it involved getting out of bed and that seemed unlikey. Also, I feel as if we're just reinforcing the night waking by going in & getting her, even if it is just for relocation purposes. So, this morning I tried something different- I waited. I listened. I said a little prayer & crossed my fingers. Hannah didn't seem to be waking up, and Lydia eventually began "singing"- a good sign that sleep will soon follow. And it did!!! She stayed in her crib, in her room, and put herself back to sleep! Hooray!!!!
With Lydia settling back in, the girls slept soundly into the morning. I went in a little before 8 to wake Hannah for school and found Lydia laying their peacefully awake. I was rejuvenated. Hopeful. HAPPY! I opened the curtains and let the sunshine fill the nursery, and sang one of our morning songs (Beatles' Here Comes the Sun) while watching Al jump up on the bed & wake Hannah with dog kisses. It was a 50's sitcom morning! I imagined what a wonderful day we all had in store. And then our little episode of Leave it to Beaver quickly began to look more like the beginning of an episode of SuperNanny.
Hannah has been having a really hard time going to school lately. She has always been very bright for her age, so even when she was with kids her own age or a little older, she was more verbal. Now, most of the kids her age have moved up, and she is with even younger ones. Because of this, it is easy to get frustrated with "the babies" in her class, or to be bored beyond imagination. I try to remind her that she is next in line to move to the next class, but it is small consolation. On Thursdays we have a great motivator in Ms. Joanna, the woman who comes once a week to teach Spanish. Hannah LOVES Spanish. But today wasn't Thursday, and for some reason her Tuesday morning dance class wasn't sufficient motivation. She refused to do everything I asked her to do. She fussed and cried. She argued- with everything. After a half an hour, my sympathy started to wear thin, along with my patience. I had done everything I knew to do- made things into a game, tickled, reminded her of all kinds of fun things she could do at school. We even got back into bed to "start over." At breakfast, when she lost it because we were out of "sparkly pop tarts" I got out the sugar sprinkles and jazzed up a plain one. I didn't want to make the morning worse by battling with her, but eventually it came to that. Our morning- filled with so much potential- was deflating all around me.
Eventually, Hannah did get out the door. John said she was still a little clingy when he dropped her off, but she seemed to be a little better. I've been wondering about her all morning- is she playing with other kids? Is she crying? Is she refusing to follow directions and hitting another kid with her tap shoes? (You may laugh, but this has happened! Although, I just realized in all of our maddness I didn't even send her tap shoes, so I guess I can cross that one off of the worry list). I don't want her to be miserable or to make everyone around her miserable!
I want my daughter to enjoy school- to enjoy life. When she told me she wanted to stay here with me today, I told her that I would miss her too. That some days I didn't want to go to work or church or do my chores. I told her that sometimes we had to do things we didn't really feel like doing, but that we can try to look forward to them and enjoy them the best we can. But something about that didn't sit right with me. Isn't it too early to be teaching my three-year-old that sometimes life sucks and you have to go to school anyway? Who deemed this to be a universal truth? Why can't I teach my kid that sometimes things are tough, but that the really great things are worth the effort. And those that aren't, well... does she really have to join the rest of us that are overcommitted to things that we don't want to do and that suck the life right out of us? Isn't she a little young for that?
I guess that's the "ugly" of it all. I want to teach my kids to embrace life and do what they love- what they were created to do best. But somewhere along the way, I am expected to teach them how to conform, how to do enough to get by in the areas they don't love, how to push down their disappointment and longing for more and head to their 9 to 5. And while I may have started to teach a little of that lesson today, I think I am going to resign the position. The world will teach them enough hard lessons like this. I want to be the one to say "Who cares what the world says? Follow your heart!" Besides, didn't Jesus say he came to bring us life abundant? How many of us are so over-scheduled in the mundane that we haven't noticed abundant in quite a while?
See, that's what I love about kids. They see something they want to do, and they do it. They get tired of a toy, and they put it down (hopefully in the nearest toy box, right mommies?) They chase butterflies and drop everything to dance when a favorite song comes on (There is a song on Noggin that we've seen a bazillion times, but every time it comes on, Hannah calls out "Come on Mom! It's OUR song!" I'm posting it below). Kids eat what they like and tell you how they feel, and they can't wait to run outside to watch the garbage truck. When they have time to spend with someone they love, they do it. So, yeah. I've decided. I'm not going to try to explain to my three-year-old something that doesn't even make sense in my own head. Now, I'm going to get off of here & get my housework finished so I can hang out with my kiddo when she gets home. I wonder what other kinds of food I could put sprinkles on?
We're not film critics. In fact, John & I rarely see movies before they come on our Directv pay-per-view channels. But after watching Slumdog Millionaire yesterday, we find ourselves recommending it every chance we get. We are still thinking about it, discussing characters, trying to grasp what made it such a wonderful film, and comparing it to other great stories. John pointed out that it has amazing gospel parallels; it's a story of love, pain, sacrifice, perserverence and redemption. It is rated R, but to be honest I'm not exactly sure why. When I think of other movies that get PG-13 ratings, or even some of the shows on network TV in the evenings, I don't know that this movie was much worse. There was some bad language, and it was definitely dark at times. It contained violence and adult content, but both were more implied than explicit. It's definitely not for young viewers, but I think it is much better than most of what is playing in theaters today.
I first heard of the movie right after Christmas, and I read a lot about it. One interesting review I read was on pluggedinonline.com, a ministry of Focus on the Family. I have to be very honest- I am not a fan of this ministry or Dr. Dobson. Maybe someday I'll explain why in another blog. But I was actually very impressed with the treatment of this movie, especially given it's R rating. There are a lot of plot spoilers, but the article is worth reading if only for the concluding paragraphs. Here's a paragraph that offers insight into the theme of the movie:
Working as something of an optimistic counterpoint to F. Scott Fitzgerald's short story about living life backwards, "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" (or at least its cinematic reinterpretation), Slumdog Millionaire's Jamal spends his childhood as an adult, then finds himself at 18 with a lifetime of experiences behind him and a wide-open future ahead. Even our worst memories don't have to suffocate us, Danny Boyle says. Instead, they can—as they do for Jamal—set us free.
John & I just got back from seeing a movie. By ourselves. Thanks Mom & Dad! It was nice to have a real date on Valentine's Day. The first Valentine's Day John & I spent together, I made him a collection of hearts that were reasons why I loved him. If I could go through those today, I'd probably find that some of those reasons are irrelevant. But I'd guess most of them are the same- because I love my valentine even more 7 years later. Here is an updated short list:
Reasons I have the best Valentine- I could go on all day, here are the first 5 I can think of:
I have a husband who accepts (& excells at) the $10 Valentine's Day gift limit. That takes time & creativity, and it really speaks my love language. Thanks honey.
My daughters have a dad who gets really excited about Daddy/Daughter dates and treasures his moments with them. And who cries when he hears the SCC song "Cinderella." What a GREAT dad.
My husband worked on his off day so he could golf with my dad on Friday. It is wonderful for the two most important men in my life to enjoy spending time together.
My heart still fluttered when I read his Valentine's Day card.
While Valentine's Day was very nice, I can honestly say that it isn't much different from any other day of the year. I have a thoughtful, romantic, generous, creative, loving, wonderful husband. Any given day could feel like Valentine's Day.
And here is an unusual love song- in case you're tired of the mushy stuff on the radio... It might sound a little silly, but I think that it's perfect:
That's How Your Love Makes Me Feel Inside by Diamond Rio
I'm no poet and I know it I don't use five dollar words This might not sound like much compared to all the pretty things you've heard But here's how I'd explain it since you brought it up It won't sound like anybody else's version of love
It's like just before dark Jump in the car Buy an ice cream and see how far we can drive before it melts kinda feelin' That's how your love makes me feel inside There's a cow in the road and you swerve to the left Fate skips a beat and it scares you to death and you laugh until you cry That's how your love makes me feel inside
It might not be more suitable for greeting cards and such But it's a true and honest feeling and if you feel it half as much We could go through life together without a worry or a care Knowing deep down in our hearts that we've got something special here
I have always heard you can't put love into words
It's like just before dark Jump in the car Buy an ice cream and see how far we can drive before it melts kinda feelin' That's how your love makes me feel inside There's a cow in the road and you swerve to the left Fate skips a beat and it scares you to death and you laugh until you cry That's how your love makes me feel inside That's how your love makes me feel
I am a very sentimental person. I love looking through old photo albums and remembering. I can be instantly transported back to certain times in my life simply by putting on different scents. (I recently found an ancient bottle of Bath & Body Works Country Apple lotion and had some major high school flashbacks!) I'm addicted to Facebook because it helps me reconnect with special people, places & times in my past. And finally, I love thinking back over the musical soundtrack of my life. Earlier this week, I heard the following song on the radio. I hadn't heard it in years, but I still remembered every chord- even the sound of the guitar player's fingers on the frets. It was actually the first thing I learned to play on the guitar, although I've long since forgotten it. I hope you enjoy the video- if you can ignore the black fingernail polish and 90's hair-band hair.
Hearing this song made me think- what would I consider the best love songs of all time? I can't even begin to list them. I'd have a million different criteria- there'd be a list for creative lyrics (which would have to include "That's how your love makes me feel" by Diamond Rio.) I could list songs by the melody and musicality, by the mushiness factor, by all sorts of things. But at the end of the day, the best songs to me are the songs that make me remember. I think about dancing my first slow dance to "Everything I do (I do it for you)" by Bryan Adams. I remember smiling dreamily whenever I heard certain songs in high school- including our prom theme "Now & Forever" by Carole King. I think about the time my friends made me watch Pure Country in college and how I still love the song "I cross my heart" by George Strait. I remember my Uncle Tye, and his memorial service, and my deepened appreciation for Cole Porter and the Gershwins whenever I hear an old standard. I can immediately flashback to the summer I met & fell in love with John by hearing any number of songs- some of them aren't even love songs; they range from worship songs to Destiny's Child! Of course there are the wedding songs that remind me how I blessed I am to be married to him. I also remember the summer we fell in love with parenthood and one tiny little girl, all while listening to John Mayer's "Daughters." I could go on & on, but I won't try to bring more songs to mind just for the sake of blogging. I'll wait, and let the songs and memories find me. It's so much more fun that way!
"Memories, like fingerprints, are slowly raising..." ~Elderly Woman Behind The Counter In A Small Town by Pearl Jam
Last night John took Hannah on a Daddy-daughter date. They went to watch the Lady Mocs play basketball against the College of Charleston. Before they left, Hannah kept asking what the team was called. When she finally got it down, she said, "Oh good! I like Lady Moxes!" More than the basketball game itself, she liked the cheerleaders and the halftime show, the Gym-Masters from Southern Adventist University. She liked wearing face paint and silly pigtails. She also liked the soft pretzels, popcorn (until she ate so much her belly hurt) and ice cream. This morning, when she woke up, she liked seeing herself on the 11:00 news we saved on the Dvr. I can't figure out how to embed the video, but here is a link.
But most of all, I think she liked spending time with her dad. She is blessed to have a dad who loves her and wants to share special moments like this one with her. I am blessed to have him for a husband. Thanks, John, for loving our girls!
Well, I was a little disappointed when I went to weigh in. I have lost a pound since last week, but it wasn't enough to break the 10 lb. mark. That's the frustrating thing about nursing- my weight fluctuates so much depending on how long Lydia slept that night or how much she eats or any number of other random factors. But it's okay, I'm still losing weight; I feel healthier, and my clothes are starting to fit right again.
Well, unless the lovely weather today drives me to make a mad dash to Bruster's this evening (stranger things have been known to happen- and we have a gift card sitting right in front of me...) I expect to weigh in for our Biggest Loser competition tomorrow morning and break the 10 lb. mark. Hooray! John & I have been keeping track of Weight Watchers points as part of our new year's resolutions. Lydia is still nursing, so I've not been doing any heavy duty dieting, but I have been watching portion sizes and avoiding really bad foods (by the way, check out the worst foods in America, according to Men's Health, here. The number one will blow your mind.) We've cheated a little here & there because 1) We had to have brats for the superbowl. John's rule. 2) Well intentioned people keep leaving donuts in our Sunday School room- that is my BIGGEST weakness... And 3) We never pass up free food. That's my rule. If John orders pizza for a referee meeting, the rest is coming home. If they are throwing away food in the kitchen at church, I will be bringing home containers full. I hate to waste it, and I LOVE to save money on my grocery bill. I guess I'm cheap like that (isn't there a previous post about that?) Honestly, sometimes they throw so much away, I feel like we need to have a back-up plan to get the food to Community Kitchen. Anyone of you know how to go about doing that?
Anyway, back to the diet. We've cheated a little, but we've been pretty good. I'm probably going to blow it when my parents come into town this week, but that's ok. We've built up some pretty good habits, so that even when we blow it, we're not eatting as much (or as poorly) as we could be. If I blow it, I think I want to go to Five Guys. Or eat Mexican. Or a Chinese Buffet. Of course, there's always Bruster's...
Oh yeah- I found this hilarious blog about ridiculous cakes: Cake Wrecks. It is (mostly) helping me NOT want to eat cake. And conditioning my stomach muscles because it makes me giggle! If you check it out, you have to go back to see the entry from Christmas. It's one of my favorites.
A few months ago, I noticed that the NutriPals snack bars I always buy for Hannah were on close-out at the grocery store. Usually they were around $6 a box, so I only bought them when I found them on sale or had a coupon. When I came across the close-out sale, I stocked up! My girl is a super picky eater, and with these bars she at least gets some nutrition even if she is just snacking while she plays or watches Max & Ruby. Well, the stockpile of snack bars ran out a week or two ago. Yesterday at Publix, Hannah saw them while I was picking out jars of babyfood. I noticed the price- $3.99 for a box. Now, we love shopping at Publix, but the deals there aren't that great... I wondered why they closed out the old only to bring back new, cheaper ones. Aside from a few new cartoon characters on the box, I was stumped- until after dinner when Hannah wanted a bar for dessert. I opened the box and pulled out the highly anticipated "s'mores bar" and started laughing. It was TINY! Like half of the size of the old ones! In fact, I had an old one in the diaper bag for "blood-sugar emergencies" (aka temper tantrums) so I pulled it out to compare.
It's hard to tell because the older bar got a little squished in our diaper bag (I carry everything but the kitchen sink; it's a wonder it didn't disintigrate all together!) but the old one was 1.41 oz, compared to .78 oz for the new one. Seriously? I mean, I guess Hannah did have a hard time finishing the old ones, but now we're popping two at a sitting! AND that "nice" new price? When I used to get the old ones on sale, it was MUCH cheaper. Even if you factor in the full old price, I'm now getting 1/2 as much at 2/3 the price. I know the economy is bad, and everyone is taking a hit. But not only are people worrying about losing their jobs, they are worrying about skyrocketing prices. NutriPals snack bars aren't a necessity, but what about milk? Here in Chattanooga, it's not unusual for milk to be as high as $5 a gallon- and I'm not even talking about the organic, no growth-hormone stuff I try to buy for my girls. I clip coupons and shop sales, but I am fortunate that I do not have to worry about if I can provide nutritious food for my children. Millions of people, here in the US and all over the world, are not so lucky.
I recall hearing someone not long ago talk about how heart broken he or she was to see poverty and starvation. It can shake your faith to the core. But when this person cried out to God, to ask why God was allowing this to happen, why God was not feeding the orphaned, the widowed, the oppressed, a funny thing happened. God asked them the same question. WE are Christ's hands & feet, and His serving utensils too. If we are fortunate enough to be able to utter a frustrated laugh when we see the price of our favorite snacks increase, what are we doing with the blessings we have? Rob Bell shared a startling statistic in his video "Rich"- The money it would take to wipe out world poverty is about equal to the amount that Americans spend each year- on ice cream. Meanwhile, every five seconds, a child dies from hunger-related causes. Makes that scoop of Rocky Road taste a little bitter...
What can we do? There are all sorts of small things churches and individuals all over the country can do- 30 hour famines (which takes place this month), Rice Bowls, sponsorship through Compassion or World Vision, donations to Heifer International, buying fair trade products to ensure people a living wage, even just visiting a website. On a local level, you can participate in canned food drives- (your mail carrier will even pick it up for you in May!) and keep snacks or fast food gift cards with you to distribute to people you see on the street. While there are systemic things that need to happen to truly end world hunger, each of us is called to act- to be faithful in the small things. For more reading on hunger & poverty policy, check out this website: Food First. Also, there is an awesome blog kept by two Social Justice teachers who tried to live on $1 a day. It is very eye-opening. My intention is not to give you a guilt trip today, but my prayer is that we can be more determined to feed God's children. Jesus says whatever we do for the least of these, we do for Him.
"Then the King will say to those on his right, 'Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.'" (Matthew 25: 34-36)
I wanted to put a video on here today for a few reasons. For one, I am tired and don't have a lot of original words of my own. And I was thinking of posting something Superbowl related, like a favorite commercial, but Don Miller beat me to it. Check out his blog for today.
So, I started thinking of other videos I have thought of posting from time to time, and I decided on this one. Be warned, it is a little sappy. This song has been one of my favorite lullabies for a long time- I sang it to Hannah before she was born. I've been singing it to Lydia, too. Last night I was blessed to be nursing Lydia while Hannah settled into bed, and I got to sing it to both of my "babies." I remember it best from the movie Beaches, but it is originally from Dumbo. Hannah & I recently had a little pj party in Mommy's room & watched Dumbo together- it tore me up! Especially this scene- all you mommies, grab your kleenex.
