Trampel Tales

Baby Fat

2013-06-14T12:51:00.002-07:00

Warm days = diapered babies

Look at all of those wonderful chubby places!

Houses

2013-06-02T19:47:00.002-07:00

We made our great house hunting trip and after looking at a few and having some others snatched up before we could get to them, our search came down to three quite distinct houses. (Just like in House Hunters)

#1 was on the other side of the mountain in the country side. (The only one we found out there) It was a thirty minute gorgeous drive away from work. There was a huge fenced yard, a very large woodworking shed, and gorgeous views. The house was a little run down and smaller than we wanted. The only place for a table was on carpet. The drive to work would be down a steep grade, and during Winter that would be dangerous.

#2 was a house in a very nice neighborhood only a few minutes from work. It was close to all kinds of shopping, on the corner of a cul de sac, and had lots of rooms. There was an open kitchen. The neighbors were kind of close and right behind it. The yard was not very deep. This was the problem with many of the houses we saw as the houses seemed to climb over the fences into each others' yards.

#3 was a four bedroom house on a cul de sac farther away from the city center. It was a 20 minute drive from work, had an open kitchen, not quite the best lay out as it did not have a natural place for a school room or office. But it did have a large, fully fenced yard that backed up to a large field, so no back neighbors.

Which one did we choose? #3

This was really the reason that we settled on this house. A decent yard is so hard to come by in this city and we want the kids to be able to run and play and be active.

As an added bonus it had a kitchen that was large enough for the kids to help me in. Our current kitchen I literally elbow people in the head.

This kitchen makes me sigh a breath of relief. Many houses that got snatched up before we could get to them had a decent sized yard but hardly any kitchen. I have been wanting a kitchen that the kids can help put clean dishes away and they can sit on the counter and help me mix things without pushing my recipes off because there wasn't much counter space.
The school room with have to go in the small living room right inside the front door and most of our books will have to stay boxed up.

Now, we just have to wait to see if we were the first to get our application in. We are kind of used to our life having these kinds of unknowns in them, and just as secure in knowing that God works out the details in His time. He enjoys keeping us in a place of faith.

Peanut Butter

2013-06-02T19:24:00.001-07:00

We ate peanut butter for our eleventh anniversary. Peanut butter and honey sandwiches, trail mix, bananas, and little bottles of water. But, that isn't the whole story. We hiked up the mountain trail, marching through flowering rocks, overhanging trees, and forest. Higher and higher and higher. We walked along the edge and looked out over the valley and distant city then around the corner we saw the reservoir. It is there that we sat down to eat our picnic. The birds sang our dinner music. A helicopter flew under us. Somehow peanut butter tastes far better when you are miles above the city.
So, I ate peanut butter for my eleventh anniversary.

I hope I get to do that again.

Wowzers

2013-05-27T20:04:00.000-07:00

We have been looking at places to rent online and it has been pretty fun. I recently ran into this amazing place! It is like a manor house!

Are you kidding me right now?!!! Can you even imagine? The crazy thing is if you look at the satellite view, there is another house attached to the back that is similar in size!

Who needs a yard when you could just have a mile long house?

This is what greets you inside. Is that a little knight by the base of the stairs? Its like a castle! Can you even imagine living here? Pretty sure my kids WOULD NOT come out of their rooms at night ;0)

The stair case is amazing.

It needs some updating for sure, but I am thinking this room would be great for acting out Cinderella, or Little Women, or something.

The kitchen is downright creepy!

Is that a little pully elevator in the hallway there? I think every house should have one of these!

What exactly is this room? It looks like something from camp.

This room is perfect for weathering the winter.

Can you believe this place? What a fun place for a kid to explore or pretend to be in a Nancy Drew novel.

Never fear. We are not renting this (just clarifying for those who don't know my sense of humor)

But, I have to admit, it sure would be fun for a summer adventure!

Achievement

2013-05-26T21:46:00.002-07:00

One week from today we will have been married 11 years. That is pretty hard to believe. We still haven't reached the "been together longer than we weren't" stage, but we have done a lot of living in those 11 years. We had some years that were hard.
This past year has been full of achievements for Big Daddy and many, many happy times. So many things have gone right that I find myself holding my breath wondering what is going to go wrong?
The biggest achievement was the PhD graduation in December. At the time, I have to admit, we wondered if he would get to use the degree, but it was a great day and an awesome accomplishment! And we were so thankful for all of the many details God helped work out to bring us to that point.
The next big accomplishment was Big Daddy's music CD that he put out with the band from our college group. They started working on it a year ago. Big Daddy wrote most of the songs.

He has actually talked about writing his own CD since we were first married. I never really thought that he would do it. But the music is actually quite good and he is deeply satisfied. This culminated in a concert at a local venue and it was awesome if I do say so myself!

There was so much energy and pure joy exuding from the lead singer (aka Big Daddy) and they played so cleanly that it was complete and utter fun.

I also thoroughly enjoyed the love song he sang to me in the crowd ;0)

Big Daddy has put a lot of love and elbow grease into this music and I am thrilled for him that he gets to enjoy the fruit of his labor. Not only did he get to have his concert, but some of his songs were played on the local radio station and he is going to be interviewed with the band on radio as well. He has also had someone agree to do a review of the CD and has several more concerts set up before we move. He is quite industrious in the way he has been able to pull all of this together.

This year of marriage Big Daddy has also been blessed with a new job that he will get to use his hard won degree in. We are so very thankful for God's provision of this job. The job requires a move which means selling our house. The house I Grew up in.

God also brought us along a buyer for the house before we even put the For Sale sign up! Then, within 24 hours of putting our for sale by owner sign up, the couple were back and were not about to leave our living room until they had an offer in that we liked. "We don't want to not get the house" they told us. Wow!

I know that God is going to continue to work out the details for our good and His glory. He will bring us to the right neighborhood and house and church and home school situation. And maybe, just maybe there will be friends for us, too.

Growing Souls

2013-05-24T04:47:00.001-07:00

Books seem to grow in our house. They grow and have babies and leave a trail behind them. Even though most of our books are currently packed and waiting for their big moving day, we still have books on the dresser, books under the front table, books on the fire place, and books on a desk downstairs.
We like books.
I recently went to a seminar put on by our homeschool group on teaching children to read. It was very inspiring mostly because we got to learn from the wisdom of a few slightly older moms who have taught more children than me. One of the books that they highly recommended was Honey For a Child's Heart. The first part of the book talks about the why's of reading and is a great read. However, the second half of the book is the real gold mine. It gives a list of books by age that are "honey for a child's heart." Honey being something that inspires, grows, and bring character to a child. I appreciate this list because I have not read every book in the world yet.

(What??!!! I had better get a move on!)

This list is helpful so I can put a book on hold at my library and know that it will be well worth our time.

Currently we are reading The Railway Children. I have appreciated this classic for two major reasons:

1. It mentors character. I choose the word mentor because kids get to learn from others' mistakes. In A Thomas Jefferson Education it talks about books being mentors to us. This is one of the reasons that I chose to home school. Great books that have characters who feel shame for doing wrong, call their sin by name, and pay the consequences are books worth reading. They grow the soul. In The Railway Children one of the children steals coal. At first he says the he is "mining" but after he is caught he eventually feels shame and acknowledges that he was indeed stealing. I appreciate the fact that this is the normal way we justify ourselves, calling sin by a different name, but then there was sorrow over the wrong and an apology that came by the boy's own volition.

2. Great vocabulary is used. Vocabulary is often cited as a way to boost intelligence. A child that comes to kindergarten with a larger vocabulary starts ahead and stays ahead of his or her peers. Of course, vocabulary alone does not grow wisdom. Vocabulary with "honey" is well worth the read.

Another great read that was recommended as a book that changes you was A Gathering of Days. We have not ready it yet, however it came so highly recommended that I will pass the recommendation on. In fact, I came home from the meeting and promptly ordered it from amazon so we could have it on our own shelves for multiple readings. Why? The mom who mentioned the book is a beautiful hearted women with four girls who are beautiful hearted. Secondly, the book is a diary of a girl in early America who writes about her aspirations and endeavors to grow her virtues. She is not writing about her crushes or her dresses or her shallow fights. I am looking forward to reading it with my kids when they are a slightly older. I am sure that we will do our own journaling as we read.

The News You Have All Been Waiting For

2013-04-21T17:54:00.000-07:00

We had 3 days to decide. It seemed very sudden and completely jolted us. However, when Big Daddy didn't get a job at the university in town last spring, I felt pretty sure that God was going to bring us elsewhere. That job had told him that he was second in line.

It was a blow that was hard to accept.

This job is 15 driving hours away in the middle of beautiful mountains.

These next couple pictures are taken the last day we had to make the decision. You can't even imagine the flip flopping that went on. Here we are waiting for a phone call that was going to help us finalize our decision.

Finally, after YEARS of praying and waiting and hoping. Finally. We get to dream again. We get to plan our future (at least a little bit). We get to pretend like we know that path that God has laid out for us.

(Many are the plans in the mind of man, but it is the purpose of the Lord that will stand. Prov. 19:21)

Hasn't that been so true for us?

Now we are at peace and excited about where God is taking us.

That's right, friends, Big Daddy has accepted a position as visiting professor at a teaching college out West. We are preparing our house to put on the market and will move the last week of June.

The next couple of months will be very busy.

Busy

2013-04-21T17:32:00.000-07:00

Twinkle Toes is playing her first season of soccer right now. This is her first game (she is the one in the back with black pants and the pink hat)

Her coach is the handsome guy in the all black coat . Yep. It is Big Daddy. With him teaching two nights a week plus coaching, it has made for some crazy busy weeks. But, it will be a good memory.

Last Wednesday Gobey was at BSF with his grandmother. Twinkles and I were doing school when Rocky climbed into this basket I decided it was a great chance to take some pictures.

Down stairs a lot was going on at the same time. When Gobey got home, Twinkle Toes discovered this. . .

and this . . .

If you look closely at the edges, you may be able to tell that it looks wet. If you walked on it the f.loor would squish. We had 1.5 inches over our whole basement. Every. single. inch. was wet. The sump pump alarm never went off. The sump pump jammed and threw the breaker and water poured out of the hole. Once I discovered it, I started bailing, but the water was coming in faster than I could go. The damage was already done anyway. All of our parents and a handyman named Bob all came to help.

All week our carpet has been like a big, bouncy play house. Steamway set up huge blowers to blow under the carpet. The kids thought it was great fun until it got too stinky for them to breathe.

God was in control of all of this. We are content in knowing that for whatever reason, He wanted this to happen. He has already provided for our need. That's how awesome He is.

Shadow

2013-04-08T21:24:00.002-07:00

I went on an errand, just me and my boys. The oldest jumped out of the van carrying his sister's doll. "You have your baby." I said.
"Yes," he replied as he stepped smartly next to me. I snuggled the baby against my shoulder. "Just like you have yours." He smiled and looked lovingly at his "baby". Then he glanced at my hands and adjusted his. He looked again, noticing the placement and angle of my hold on his brother. He looked back at his own hands and mimicked mine. Then he grinned up at me and bounce, bounce, bounced my way. "We have our babies." He said. I reached for his little, big boy hand. There is still baby fat on his fingers. We walked together that way hand in hand. Each of us holding a baby. But my heart was disturbed within me.

O Lord, let his imitation of me lead him to You.

Sights

2013-04-08T20:51:00.001-07:00

Baby fingers and ABC books.

Horse Rides.

Closet Hobby.

Time Sink.

Teaching babies.

Brotherly shenanigans.

Think! Think!

It still fits.

Tradition

2013-04-08T20:43:00.002-07:00

She is more concerned with beauty now. With the shape of her nose or the swish of her skirt. She wants freckles across the bridge of her nose.
We talk of true beauty, the kind that comes from springs inside of her soul.

A woman who fears the Lord, she shall be praised.

She is still a childish jumble of mismatched clothes and sparkly skirts. The princess phase is ebbing away.
My little girl.
We spoke tonight of the Fruit of the Spirit. "Where is the fruit in my life?" she asked.
I am amazed sometimes at the questions she asks.
I am humbled to speak the words of God to her.

Chubby Cheeks

2013-04-03T19:30:00.001-07:00

Mr. Sweet Cheeks

He kept blinking and grinning when I was trying to take his picture after his bath.

I love this face!

I love all of his chubby, dimpled parts.

Rearrangement

2013-04-03T18:47:00.001-07:00

I rearranged today. My room has been driving me crazy. Here I have already moved a black round table fro the right side of the bed.

The room has been too chaotic. Our room has always been a bit of a catch all, and I am so ready for that to change!

I moved my dresser to Daddy's side of the room. I hastily made the bed, so ignore it.

I cleaned up the blue dresser that I had on the porch and moved it in. The room feels much more grounded and less cluttered. I am not totally done yet, but I don't feel crazy when I am in the room any more.

7

2013-03-28T13:39:00.001-07:00

Twinkle Toes turned 7.

I am pretty sure that there is very little more exciting than having a friend come for a special occasion.

We had an American Girl party complete with a tea party for the dolls. (We borrowed Grandma Christine's doll table and chairs)

(I still vividly remember the first time I saw these precious eyes blinking at me on my belly just moments after she was born. Time has FLOWN!)

We are going to have a big friend party every other year. So this was the year to have just 1 friend. We had a pinata cake. It was white with white frosting and large clear sprinkles on top that glistened. Inside I dug out a hole and filled it with candy.

Twinkles blew out all of the candles with one try.

Everyone loved the cake.

Gobey was so sweet in his excitement for his sister (although he did want to know when HIS birthday was coming) At breakfast they each got a net to catch "critters" this summer. I should have gotten Rocky one, too, because he sure liked them.

Twinkles got "Licorice" the cat which she was thrilled about.

Rocky LOVED the cat, too, and insisted on holding it.

There were plenty of gifts, such as a kite and scrap books with stickers.

The kids made fleece blankets for their dolls (or bears for Gobey).

While others found other means of entertainment.

In their goody bucket everyone got crayons and beads, so the girls made anklets as well. (All of the crayons had sparkles in them but Gobey's were called "secret agent" crayons, so he didn't mind the sparkles ;0)

The party lasted 2.5 hours. All in all I would say it was a great success.

Stomachs are a Tricky Thing

2013-03-28T12:58:00.000-07:00

(Doing science and exploring the world)

We have started our adventure into diagnosing Gobey's stomach issues. And all I can say today is that "I'm HUNGRY!"

This kind of diagnosis is hard because it could be more than one issue and there are a number of different foods that might trigger a problem.

Since our experiment began we have been mostly symptom free. He did complain a little after eating ham which makes me wonder if there was a wheat filler in it or possibly the oil I cooked it in was bothering him. He also complained after eating the almond flour, milk free chocolate chip cookies. Chocolate can trigger acid reflux, so is it that? So hard to say! However, we have NOT had any instances of spitting and grabbing throat during the experiment. We have had just the minor stomach complaints mentioned above.

Browsing the internet has brought to the front a few ideas of what the issue could be. If it is simply acid reflux then chocolate, tomato sauce,onion, and OJ will bother him. So will " French fries, chicken nuggets, pizza or a chocolate bar, or after drinking soda pop with caffeine in it, such as cola." On the other hand yogurt, dried figs, and pineapple will help.

It could be lactose intolerance which is cured by avoiding cows milk.

If it is irritable bowel then exercise, liquids, and no dairy will help.

Celiac disease is on my radar, but I am hopeful that is not it.

We are quite sure that Gobey has a lactose intolerance. We are hoping the experiment will help us determine if there is a wheat, grain, or gluten issue as well. We also want to see if the acid re-flux he has been having is caused by lactose or grain or if it is from tomato sauce or chocolate.

Paleo

2013-03-24T13:27:00.001-07:00

For the love of Gobey, we are going grain free and milk free for the next two weeks. Grain free does not equal gluten free. It means no oatmeal. No cereal. No crackers. No sandwiches. It also means looking at can labels for hidden wheat fillers. This kind of eating is sometimes called Paleo. But, mostly, I think of it as "what in tarnation can I feed this child?"
Milk free means NO BUTTER, no cheese, no cottage cheese. Nothing whatsoever that comes from a cow.
We are going to start this on Tuesday since Twinkles is bringing cupcakes to her home school group for her birthday and I want to use a mix that I already have instead of buying a new one.

So, what are we going to eat? Good question!
Snacks: raisins, nuts, milk free chocolate chips, chocolate avocado "pudding" (see below), grain free chocolate chip cookies, goat or coconut milk yogurt, apple slices, orange, carrot or veggie, Elena's Fig Newtons, boiled egg

Pudding Recipe
(adapted from The Sneaky Chef"s Breakfast Ice Cream)

3 frozen bananas
1/2to 3/4 avocado
4 TB non-cowmilk yogurt (any flavor) or about 4 overflowing TB of vanilla almond milk
1 TB plus cocoa powder

Blend bananas in food processor until "change over" and look like ice cream. Add avocado until creamy (often there are still small chunks left), next blend in yogurt and cocoa powder. You may need more cocoa. Add to taste.
Top with sprinkles.

The following days will have foods listed in order of meal. I do not write which meal in front of them.

Tuesday:
Pumpkin Pie Muffins, orange slices
Bean soup
Cinnamon Coconut pancakes and ham
(Funny story: we always eat breakfast foods as supper. So, after spending the night at grandparents once, my son laughingly told me that they had pancakes FOR BREAKFAST! I thought it was funny, too, because my kids didn't know they were supposed to be for breakfast!)

Wednesday:
eggs, fruit, paleo breakfast bars
baked beans, fruit,veggie, maybe almond flour scones
taco salad

Thursday:
smoothie
tomato soup or left over soup, canned peach, frozen veggie
Pork chop, baked potato,veggie

Friday:
Scones
Yogurt, fruit, nuts
Southwest Chicken Soup - using

Saturday:
eggs
Possibly at grandparents (prep Gobey for what he CAN eat)
??

Sunday:
scones, muffins (made with almond flour), or eggs
At Grandma's - ham and potatos
Sweet Pot. Chili

Then, prep for the next week.

oy vey

2013-03-19T19:59:00.004-07:00

Today we had a handyman who fixed a drippy faucet, a broken toilet seat, and an exploding, flooding tub faucet. We had two nail polish puddles amazingly saved by Daddy. A milk spill all over a child. Mommy worked. A sad baby saying he wanted to go with mommy.
We had the kids' first 3D movie in the theater, silly black glasses, and cousin time.
We had sweet cheeked babies who wanted their dog and their bear and their blanket and to be hugged and rocked by mommy.
We had reading.
We had laughter.
We had head aches from nail polish fumes.
We had acid reflux.

There was a kitchen science kit for volcanoes and rockets. A boy's Wow! Excavating for crystals. Happy, powder-covered black glasses girl.

There were four hair cuts. Little boys who turn into little men.

chasing, hiding, decorating for Easter. Easter egg hunts for siblings. Charmed little brothers sitting on large chairs talking to their puppy. A girl with wavy hair, a boy making jokes.

That is what life was made of. Today.

Kids' Beds

2013-03-16T19:29:00.001-07:00

I love the idea of loft beds because you can fit so much underneath. When the boys are combined, Twinkles has said she still wants a bunk bed. I think a loft would be better so she can have a built in dresser and desk while still keeping floor space. I love the white because it is so much brighter. Wood color is a bit depressing to me.

There is a plan at Ana White to build a loft bed yourself.

The best loft bed I saw once had book shelves around the edges. The bed wasn't as high as a bunk bed. However, there was just one door space open and underneath was the perfect "den" for kids to play. How fun! That would be great in the boys' room.

Of course, there is always the tree house bed. How fun would this be?

So many possibilities. So little time!

Picky Part 3 - 5 Helps for Parents

2013-03-12T20:56:00.000-07:00

I worked for a short time in a preschool when we were first married and there was a little girl that came who made an impression on me. All of the kids brought their own lunches. Hers always had cooked vegetables and a variety of other healthy food, never just a sandwich thrown together. Everything was neatly packed in a compartmentalized container. She sat politely, placed her napkin on her lap (I kid you not), and chewed with her mouth closed. Her hair was in place. Her face was clean.

I thought that my children would be just like her.

They would certainly never complain about what they were served. They would be mannerly. They would be well-brought-up, because, let's face it, I was raising them. I truly thought that picky eaters were created, not born.

Then I had kids.

Doesn't it always work that way? We dream of something and then when it actually happens, it is very unlike what we imagined it would be. Not to get me wrong, that doesn't mean it is bad. It just means that life isn't perfect.

Kids are messy.

Some kids are picky. Perhaps even stubborn. Others think that they should be able to rule the world. That doesn't mean that we don't sometimes add to the problem, but I am now convinced that some kids just have a very hard time. Maybe textures bother them. I think my guy has a hyper sensitive nose and a "fine" pallet. He LOVES to help me bake. He even loves to taste the flour.

But, what is a mother to do when a child is hijacking her life? I have written some in other places, but I will share five helps here.

1. Tired or Young?
We recently tried some new tactics with our picky eater in order to have them sleep through the night instead of coming into our bedroom in the middle of the night. A happy side affect of having him more rested is that he can tolerate life better. Before at supper time the poor child was completely unprepared to try anything he "didn't want to" and things could easily disintegrate into a messy fit. There were quite a few nights where the child was put in bed at dinner time for their behavior and ended up falling asleep for the night. Even though his "up" time at night was brief, we have seen a considerable improvement in his reasonableness and willingness to obey.
Now that he is 4.5 he is also starting to CARE more about the consequences he receives. I think he understood before that there would be consequences and they were not intended to be pleasant, but he wanted his way MORE than he cared about the consequences. Age has tempered that some. I would still have given a wide variety of food and been firm, but I would have tried some of the below tactics if I had known about them.

2. Give it a Kiss
Yes, you read that right. I got this idea from another mom in blogosphere, but sometimes a child simply is NOT going to put that food in their mouth. For whatever reason they are horrified by it. So, if it can't make it INTO the mouth, a very real victory is bringing the food in contact with the mouth. A kiss is the very lowest rung on the expectation ladder, one step up is giving it a lick. A few times our reluctant eater has licked something and decided that it was OK and did take a bite after all. After the contact with the mouth I say, "That wasn't so bad, was it?" Then we move on to eating other things.

The nice thing about a kiss is that the child often laughs at the idea and it helps to break the tension. If a kiss or lick is given, then I DO allow the child to eat something else. It may simply be that I allow them to eat the other items on the table or I name something healthy that they are allowed to eat.

3. Add to what they Eat
Does your child like sandwiches but leave the crust? Start requiring a certain numbers of bites of the crust in order to get to eat their grapes. Will they eat cheese quesadillas? Try adding a little mashed, light colored beans or perhaps some meat they tolerate or have them dip it in salsa. Perhaps they like cheese and crackers, will they now take grilled cheese? Perhaps they will take yogurt on a favorite fruit. Or, will they dip it in something? Ketchup can be a life saver. I say things like, "Here is some ketchup. That would taste great with ketchup." Or, (happy grin) "It's not a big deal, you like sandwiches. Just take a few bites of the crust so I can give you your ________________." Then I go on happily talking to someone else at the table. I try to ignore the quietish mutterings and huffing directed at me. Since they ARE hungry I have found that my reluctant eater will eventually "add" to what he already eats. If all else fails, make a healthful smoothy. My kids have never turned one down and I can put spinach, chia seed, and avocado in it.

4. Choose which Battle you need to win.
Bad attitude? Disrespect? Refusal to eat? Being unloving to Mommy? Unfortunately you probably are not going to win ALL of the issues at ONE TIME. We found that we had to discipline for the attitude stuff, but win on the touch to the mouth. The attitude, in our case, started to improve as the child started to eat more and didn't think we were trying to kill him by starvation.

5. Slow and Steady Wins the Race
So, you have chosen your battle, but make it as pleasant as possible. Smile, but don't give in. "Yes, you must kiss each item on your plate. Then you may have your applesauce or piece of cheese or roll" (warm, buttery rolls work wonders and fill a tummy, too) For a time I allowed two graham crackers at bedtime because the child was so hungry and would wake at night. Now, with baby steps, we have moved on. Slowly we have reached the point that if you haven not eaten most of what is on your plate, you do not get anything else to eat.
Remember, it takes 10 times for a person to get used to something. So, sometimes the battle may begin with keeping it on their plate (our picky eater didn't want anything "yucky" (i.e. unknown) even ON their plate). But having to look at it and kiss it helps them get used to it. Currently I am getting my children used to eating rice. So, at first they just had to have it on their plate, then we moved to kissing and a lick, then a bite. Recently my guy OFFERED to take five bites! I almost fell off my chair! Stick with one routine for a while. 10-14 days is a good guideline.During that time try to give the undesired food several times. Don't snivel, beg, whine, and fret. Be happy, firm, and confident. We parents get so excited to have a good eater that we sometimes push too fast. However, there will come a time when you have to say, "No. You are going to eat ______ bites." It helps a lot if you have taken your picky eater on baby steps to get there!
Consequences may be not getting to only have water until the next meal (sometimes I allow fruit or veggies if I think that is best), going to their room for a time, having to sit on the couch quietly for a certain period. Whatever you can enforce.
Sometimes I insist they have a bite of everything because I know that everything is within toleration range and other times I have one item "sitting" to become familiar and have another item that needs at least a kiss.

Other helpful thoughts:
If a sibling loves it, the child is often willing to try.
Sitting on dad's lap MAY help.
Feeding it to them on a fork MAY help.
Can they stab it with a chopstick? We got our guy to eat pork chops that way!

General Guidelines:
We are not members of the empty plate club. We think it teaches wrong habits. However, I do put small portions on and our goal is to have the kids eventually eat MOST of what they are served, taking a number of bites of each item.

What DOES NOT work for us:
Changing the rules mid stream - If we say you have to take only one bite and then change afterward, it does not go over well. Even though we really, really want them to take more bites, it is best to stick to one thing for a while (two weeks at least). Sometimes the child decides they like it and will eat anyway, but the nice thing is it is THEIR choice, which is what we wanted all along.

Worrying about what other parents/people think. So what if their child sits perfectly, folds their napkin, and eats everything on their plate with their mouth closed. Your child now eats 5 different foods without acting like they are dying! So, go get um Mama! It may be a little while before your child is sitting their eating politely and perfectly, but you'll make it. And then you can wink at the next frazzled mama who comes along and say, "It's gonna be OK. You're gonna make it. But until then, have a pair of earplugs."

Which Way to Go

2013-03-12T18:46:00.000-07:00

This poem was shared by Sandi's husband today. I want my kids to memorize it when they are older.

'Tis the Set of the Sail
by
Ella Wheeler Wilcox

But to every mind there openeth,
A way, and way, and away,
A high soul climbs the highway,
And the low soul gropes the low,
And in between on the misty flats,
The rest drift to and fro.

But to every man there openeth,
A high way and a low,
And every mind decideth,
The way his soul shall go.

One ship sails East,
And another West,
By the self-same winds that blow,
'Tis the set of the sails
And not the gales,
That tells the way we go.

Like the winds of the sea
Are the waves of time,
As we journey along through life,
'Tis the set of the soul,
That determines the goal,
And not the calm or the strife.

A Few Things

2013-03-12T18:45:00.001-07:00

I haven't made a random list of things for quite a while, so it is about time for one.

A friend shared this blog post on Facebook today. I can relate. I have seriously been thinking about buying ear plugs for dinner time. Only, I keep forgetting. To Parents.

These high protein cinnamon rolls look yummy! I wish someone would make them so I don't have to ;0)

A Kohl's recently opened in my town. (A dream come true!) Today I had a 30% coupon, a $10 gift card that Kohl's sent me, and Kohl's cash that someone gave me! Let me tell you, I made some incredible deals! (Not to mention the fact that Big Daddy had 2 hours free that he could watch the cute ones for me!)

I got to make a snowman with my kids today, complete with an ice cycle pop cycle. The snow was perfect.

Man Card

2013-03-12T04:43:00.000-07:00

To all the little boys who want to grow up to be big, strong men; to all the y chromosome individuals who think they are men but want to be sure; to all the women who are wondering if they are mature adults, this post is for you.

I want to tell you about a woman named Sandi. Sandi is a person who creates beauty. She can decorate a room and a yard and create a place that people are drawn to be. But, she also creates beauty in the way she treats people, with her smile and with her words and her acts of service. Sandi is truly beautiful.

Sandi was recently diagnosed with stage four cancer in her lungs. Working over time taking care of her parents she came down with pnemonia, and that is how the Dr's discovered it.

So, what did her husband do?
Steadfastly he seeks God's face. He rests in Who God is.
In a post from their CaringBridge site he shared this verse:

Psalm 62:5-8
5 For God alone, O my soul, wait in silence, for my hope is from him.
6 He only is my rock and my salvation, my fortress; I shall not be shaken.
7 On God rests my salvation and my glory; my mighty rock, my refuge is God.
8 Trust in him at all times, O people; pour out your heart before him; God is a refuge for us. Selah

As they waited on results from chemo he wrote:

Today is a nice break from the past several weeks! Sandi returns to the clinic for blood testing...that's it! This is also where it gets rougher because it will start to seem like nothing is going on. Fact is, there is a bunch going on that escapes our vision: the battle of the drugs verses the cancer cells. While absolutely NOT the same, it is an object lesson to help us understand what we all face daily:

Eph 6:10-12
Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.

As we must submit to the Lord and do those things He has commanded
us, for there are things we are incapable of doing, we must submit to time as we wait for results from Sandi's treatment. Not a bad thing to do! Who transcends time? Whose atoms make up our bodies and the chemo? Who has gifted the physicians who are treating Sandi? Who brings out their host and names them one by one?

Later, he writes:
Last night's journal entry was supplanted by the Sandi and Dave Saturday routine: gin rummy and chirping at the dining table. What's chirping? It's a Stodgellism for, "Talking about stuff." "What's a Stodgellism?" It's a word or phrase uniquely applied to a noun or verb and originates from my Mom's side of the family, the Stodgells. It was a wonderful end to a wonderful Saturday.

I am also delighted to let you know that she slept all night, and is still at it!

These are the things of life which cause me to thank God because they are restful. Even better, we have found rest for our souls in Him. This rest then enables us to wait and be still before Him. We trust that you have known this rest, which ONLY comes for Him.

Prayer requests for this week will be:
1. Blood tests again tomorrow to monitor blood thinners.
2. Office visit with oncologist on Tuesday, hopefully another dose of chemo, if blood tests are favorable.
3. Office visit with surgeon on Thursday, to assess fluid levels in her lungs.
4. Continued rest
5. Continued treadmill.

Psalm 46:10-11
"Be still, and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!"
The LORD of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress. Selah

As always, thank you for your prayers, kind words, and thoughts. You are ministering to Sandi in a big and mighty way.

On days before big chemo treatments he helped her to "put on the full armor of God" and through it all He has praised God.

One of the things we have learned and then had it reinforced while under the minister in Utah is the importance of praising God even when life seems to just flat out suck.

There are two Psalms (42, 43) which are best understood when read together; they also contain a common stanza:

Psalm 42:5, 11; 43:5
Why are you cast down, O my soul, and why are you in turmoil within me? Hope in God; for I shall again praise him, my salvation and my God

Then, The Holy Spirit asks me, "When was the last time you sweat as drops of blood, David?"

Now, go back and read these Psalms back to God in praise and see if you can join us: Therefore, we will yet praise Him, our salvation and our God!

So, I wonder. Have you lost your man card yet? I know I did almost right away. So, as you are preparing for your day and stand in front of the mirror, I hope that you will have something higher to aim for, an example to follow.

I know that do.

I will leave you with Sandi's husbands thoughts:

This was a delight-filled day. Sandi got much-needed rest, ordered her cranial prosthesis (aka wig), got her walk and naps in, and continues to have a healthy appetite. These are answers to prayer, yes, even the cranial prosthesis! Sandi has said that the loss of her hair is the least of her worries; it'll grow back. Ever the optimist, Sandi.

From where is her strength drawn? The God of Heaven and Earth by The Spirit, through The Son. The God of all creation cares even for Sandi's lungs, breasts and hair. How does she know? Consider this text, but beware, it's a hard one.

Matt 10:26-33
26 "So have no fear of them, for nothing is covered that will not be revealed, or hidden that will not be known.
27 What I tell you in the dark, say in the light, and what you hear whispered, proclaim on the housetops.
28 And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell.
29 Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? And not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father.
30 But even the hairs of your head are all numbered.
31 Fear not, therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows.
32 So everyone who acknowledges me before men, I also will acknowledge before my Father who is in heaven,
33 but whoever denies me before men, I also will deny before my Father who is in heaven.

Do you see? Two sparrows for a penny and they are worthy of God's attention. The hairs of your head? Sandi's losing hers and it is a concern of God. He is her source of strength and you and I are privileged to be witnesses. She fears (a word study in itself) the One who can destroy both body and soul in hell. It is interesting how she displays her fear: she kneels before Him...I've seen it.

So, prayer warriors, here is the drill:
1. Re-read Eph 6:11-20; how do we receive our marching orders once we have donned our armor?
2. Favorable report from her surgeon tomorrow. This is the chap who put in her chest tube and also is monitoring her chest fluid levels.
3. Continued rest
4. Good biosecurity at home to reduce the risks of Sandi's exposure to disease agents. Yes, I just might put a bucket, boot brush, and chlorhexidine disinfectant at the front door.
5. Continued appetite
6. Her hair dresser who will do to Sandi's cranial prosthesis what she would have done had Sandi visited her salon in Des Moines (tomorrow will focus on a woman's hair)

Thank you so much for your prayers, kind words and thoughts.

Love in Christ,

Dave, for Sandi.

Deep Thoughts

2013-03-10T07:10:00.003-07:00

Overheard:
Two children playing the the next room. Gobey says, "That's my bear. I forgot, that's God's bear. He owns everything in the whole entire world."
Twinkle Toes "And He's sharing with us, isn't that wonderful?"

Laughing Walls

2013-03-09T19:01:00.001-08:00

I saw this poem recently and liked it.

LAUGHTER IN THE WALLS
by Bob Benson

I pass a lot of houses
on my way home.
Some pretty,
some expensive,
some inviting.

But my heart always skips a beat
when I turn down the road
and see my house
nestled against the hill.

I guess I'm especially proud
of the house
and the way it looks
because I drew the plans myself.
It started out large enough for us--
I even had a study;
two teenage boys
now reside in there.
And it had a guest room;
my girl and nine dolls
are permanent guests.
It had a small room
Peg had hoped
would be her sewing room,
the two boys swinging
on the Dutch door
have claimed this room as their own.
So it really doesn't look right now
as if I'm much of an architect.
But it will get larger again.

One by one they will go away--
to work, to college,
to service,
to their own houses.
And then there will be room--
a guest room, a study,
and a sewing room--
just for the two of us.

But it won't be empty.
Every corner, every room,
every nick in the coffee table
will be crowded
with memories.
Memories of picnics,
parties, Christmases,
bedside vigils, summers,
fires, winters, going barefoot,
leaving for vacation, cats,
conversations, black eyes,
graduations, first dates,
ball games, arguments,
washing dishes, bicycles,
dogs, boat rides,
getting home from vacation,
meals, rabbits,
and a thousand other things
that fill the lives
of those who would raise five.

And Peg and I
will sit quietly by the fire
and listen to the
laughter in the walls.

Chompers

2013-03-07T04:57:00.002-08:00

Twinkle Toes went to the dentist this week. The boys came along for the fun. We were greeted by a crocodile with teeth who demonstrated the correct way to brush. The staff was amazing: they knew how to handle kids and leave them smiling. Gobey loved the play room, specifically because he got to watch Lightning McQueen.
Twinkles sat so politely and listened to the hygienist explain good oral hygiene. She was fascinated by the demonstration of "Mr Slurpee" who sucked up water from a cup as well as the explanation of "tooth blankets and tooth pillows". She loved wearing the sunglasses. She loved picking the strawberry flavor of toothpaste. She loved watching cartoons while she got her teeth cleaned. She was quite delighted by the pocket purse of goodies she got to bring home at the end.

The hygienist was quite impressed with Lenora's "grown up" politeness and way of talking. (which was nice to hear)

The result of the exam, however, did answer my question as to whether I should get Twinkles the cute bedroom set I saw on craigslist and move the boys together. I guess we will be going back in a few weeks and I will be buying some dental work instead.

Gobey is up next.

Cue Jaws music.