Every morning I get to do this with my little blessing:

Autumn:  You know what, Mama?

Me:  What?

A:  I love you!

M:  I love you too!

A:  I love you infinity and beyond!

M:  Aww… you got me…

A:  I got YOU and YOU got ME!

M:  We got each other!

 

Warm and fuzzy.

back into my life.

I was doing some thinking last night, as I lay in bed nursing Ayla and listening to the sounds of my wonderful family.  I was thanking God for all that He has blessed me with, but I realized I must do more.  I am a Christian, I was saved many many years ago, but I fear I’ve let God get a little away from me. 

Which is sad, because He’s never forgotten me, nor has He ever left my side.  I just think I haven’t been giving Him the attention He deserves.

I don’t like organized religion at all, some personal experiences when I was younger have made that venue impossible.  I just won’t get up early on a Sunday morning, dress in fancy clothing only worn then, and attend a meeting with others, some of whom are just as tired and just as unwilling to be there as I am.  Yeah, I know the majority are willing participants, and that’s fine.  It’s just not for me.  I don’t believe for one millisecond that I have to show up in a building once (or more) a week to prove how much He means to me, to prove my dedication to Him.  My husband was raised Catholic, but he too doesn’t care for organized religion, probably not to the extent that I do, but I’m a good excuse for him to sleep in on Sundays. So that’s a non-issue. 

But I do find myself thanking Him more and more and more each and every week, and I think that’s a clear sign that I’ve been missing something in my life.  For the past couple of years, I’ve noticed that I’ve let some irritation and anger or even hatred and bigotry seep into my heart at rare times, and I think that’s a warning that He’s not filling the spaces that He should be.  I’ve never been one to direct hate at anyone.  I’ve never felt the ugly emotion of jealousy or bigotry. I rarely even get stressed.  But I find I can’t drive down the street without feeling anger at a fellow driver.  Or I can’t shop in a store without getting irritated at another person.   These are a few examples, there are many more.

I never get angry at my own children, however.  I mean, angry beyond a “normal parenting” angry.  That would be crossing a line, and I would have asked for professional help long before now if that was the case.  My children are my life, and I know that is a huge gift from God.

I know now that I really need to take that negative energy and turn it around.  I need to pray more often.  I need to revisit the Bible.  I need to let Him tell me what He needs me to do for Him.  I need to forgive those who have black hearts, they just don’t know better.  I need not pity others for their choices, their actions, I need to help them see the way.   I need to invite God into our home, to the children.  The boys are familiar with the concepts, but not the details.  Brett and I were talking the other day about the Rapture, and he didn’t know what “saved” meant.  I need to sit with Brett and help him invite God into his heart too.  I need to speak with Justus to see if he’s mature enough to understand.  I need to teach the girls to pray.  I need to get God back.

I know I am so blessed.  I do not take it for granted, not for a minute.  I know God was watching me when he gave me four perfect, healthy children.  When he gave me a loving, devoted husband.  When he gave us all the means to serve Him.  I need to recapture the peace, the love, the hope, the serenity of having God lead the way for our entire family, and I’m getting excited at the prospect.

Last night, I caught a moment of the Oscars, when the producer or director (I’m so sorry, I don’t know who) of Slumdog Millionaire was accepting an award.  He said some words that stuck with me - “When you get up in the morning, you can choose to hate or to love.  I choose to love”.  These are my new words to live by.

Here’s what you’ll need:

Shredded potatos (I make mine the night before in the food processor, then soak overnight in cold salt water in the refrigerator, but you can make them that morning too!), eggs, bacon or other meat of your choice, any vegetables and spices you like, and grated cheese.  The beauty of “Garbage” is that you can clean out the leftovers and put it all in! 

How much will you need?  Depends.  For my family of six (including a teenage boy!), I use about 5 medium potatos, 6-8 eggs, a small onion, two cloves of garlic, a pound of bacon, and two or three cups of cheese.  Depends on how much “garbage” is put in – I know by filling my large griddle, I have six hearty meals.  My favorite spices for this meal are seasoned salt, basil, oregano, S&P, onion powder, and garlic powder.  Depends on my mood.

I prefer to cut or slice up the bacon before I fry it (and then drain it on papertowels):

Brown the potatos in a little bit of the leftover bacon grease.  I also put grated onions and garlic in front to roast a bit, before mixing them into the finished potatos:

Now the fun begins.  Toss on the garbage!  I add bacon or sausage, sometimes if I have leftover meatloaf or steak or chicken it goes in either in place of the bacon or with it.  Diced tomatos, onions, peppers, mushrooms, whatever your heart desires.  Toss it all on top and stir a bit:

Now pour the slightly beaten eggs over the top:

Stir a bit to ensure the eggs are cooked, then sprinkle the cheese of your choice over the top (we prefer Cheddar):

I had completely forgotten that I sent this picture into People Magazine – and never realized they put it up… too funny!

http://www.people.com/people/package/gallery/0,,20242009_20242003_11,00.html

I love this pic!

Yup.  Peanut butter pasta.  That’s what my kids call it.  So easy, and fairly not-too-bad-for-you.  *grin*

So boil some pasta, any kind will do.  While that’s cooking, pick out a meat – chicken, pork, sausage, steak, doesn’t matter here either.  I dice it small, cook it up.  Then I add some carrots, peas, onions, whatever I have on hand that sounds good.  Usually the carrots and peas are the best, in my opinion.  Cook ‘em til they’re tender.  Dump the drained pasta in, and now comes the good part.

I soften about 1/4 to 1/2 cup of peanut butter in the microwave (depending on how much pasta/meat/veggie mix I made), add about 1/4 cup soy sauce, about 2 tablespoons of brown sugar, and if you have them on hand, about a tablespoon or so of sesame seeds.  Mix that together well, then stir the mix into the pasta meat mixture.  This actually makes sort of a “thai” peanut sauce that’s quite good.

This is one of my kids’ favorite meals – and it really is very fast, very inexpensive, and very very tasty!!!  Just thought I’d share!

MOMMY MYTHBUSTER: http://mommymythbuster.wordpress.com/

I love reading about moms (like me!) that defy the Mainstream Birth Board An “Expert” Wrote A Book And Said This So It Must Be Right And You’re Not Because You’re Different or We Just Don’t Like What You Have To Say Bandwagon Mentality and actually use valid data and common sense to raise their children (we don’t defy current legitimate recommendations/studies or less mainstream birth boards, however – they all know what they’re talking about!).  What a wonderful blog she has!!!  Great information for the new AND “old” mama!

Some of my favorite blurbs from her blog:

Carseats are safer than seatbelts for those 2+ years old

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administratin (NHTSA) manual says that carseats are only “54 percent effective in reducing deaths for children ages 1 to 4 in passenger cars.” Well, that sounds like an impressive number! So children who ride in carseats are 54% safer if than if they used seatbelts? No. That’s 54% safer than riding completely unrestrained. According to the NHTSA, children who ride restrained in lap and shoulder strap seatbelts are equally protected from fatal injury as those restrained in a carseat.

 

Bottles with BPA are dangerous

Following the ban Health Canada issued advice to parents who continue to use plastic baby bottles. They advised, “If you continue to use polycarbonate baby bottles, it is recommended that parents and caregivers do not put boiling water in them.” Why would you put boiling water into your baby bottle? Oh, I know. To wash or sterilize them, right? Surely the extreme heat from the dishwasher could cause BPA to be released. Nope.

Health Canada goes on to advise, “These bottles can be sterilized according to instructions on infant formula labels and can be cleaned in the dishwasher. They should be left to cool to room temperature before adding the infant formula.”

 

Kidnappers are usually strangers

The facts just don’t support the fear and hype we have all come to believe.

 

Kudos to Mommy Mythbusters – I hope your blog lives long and prospers!

I got such great responses from my “Did you know” (Pregnancy & Childbirth)” that I figured I’d do a quick one on newborns too!  Just some money- or time-saving tips from a mom that’s been there… four times.

Did you know:

• That you don’t have to sterilize bottles, nipples, and pacifiers?  Warm soapy water or your dishwasher are just fine.  Save all that time you’d waste (and the money on those commercial sterilizers!) and snuggle your baby, while the dishwasher safely cleans your things.
• That you don’t have to separate baby’s clothes and/or wash them in a different detergent?  Unless your healthy baby has a VERY RARE sensitivity to your regular detergent, don’t waste your money on “special” (read:  money-making) brands marketed towards your baby’s clothes. 
• That fabric softener is just fine.  I’m sure you’ve heard/read/been told that baby’s clothes have a flame retardancy in them that fabric softener will destroy.  Well, the flame retardancy is a NASTY chemical that I personally don’t want near my baby’s skin anyways; over time it will wash out; and I would rather have soft, good smelling clothes on my baby than ones that a cigarette can be put out on!   The supposed flame retardancy won’t save your baby’s life in the event of a fire, in my opinion.  I use liberal fabric softener so my baby’s clothes are soft next to their delicate skin.
• That your municipal tap water may actually be safer than bottled water and/or “nursery water”?  your city water system is monitored very closely, and unless a warning has been posted, it is absolutely safe and fine to use for your baby’s bottles if you use formula.  Bottled water and nursery water are not as stringently regulated, are most likely from municipal sources anyways, are are frankly a waste of money.  Use your tap.
• That your bottles don’t need to be heated up?  If your baby likes it, give her room temperature or even cool formula.  Makes life much easier when you’re out and about, and don’t need to try to figure out how to warm a bottle.  This also makes middle of the night feedings easier.  Have a bottle of room temperature water on the nightstand, with a container of formula right there.  Mix it in a second and feed baby – no heating, no fuss.
• You can bite their little fingernails to trim them when they are sleeping in your arms, if you’re afraid to use clippers or just can’t seem to get them short enough with them.
• That a sink bath is just fine.  I never had a separate plastic bath that I had to fill/bathe/wash/store for such a short amount of time.  Wash baby in the kitchen sink so you’re not bending over, then in about 6 months or so, or when baby outgrows the sink and can sit up, move to the “big” bathtub.  Easy, and free.
• Generic formula is just fine?  If you have to formula feed, save a LOT of money and buy generic.  All generic formulas must meet the same strict safety, nutrition, and manufacturing guidelines as the priciest products on the market.  The reason they’re less expensive is that the manufacturers of generic formula don’t spend millions of dollars on research or on marketing, and they don’t give away free samples the way some other formula companies do. They simply sell a product that meets the standards set by the United States Food and Drug Administration.  It does also boil down to baby’s taste – baby may prefer one over another, but most will be just fine with the taste of the store brand.  Buy generic diapers too, and save a lot!
• Cold air is not your enemy.  Just because it’s winter, don’t stay huddled inside.  Take baby for a walk in a sling or a carriage – it’s really quite good for them.  And no, cold air – in and of itself – does NOT make one sick, regardless of what grandma told you!
• Skip the highchair, and get a booster seat instead.  Most companies have boosters that grow with your baby.  High chairs take up a LOT of room, are harder to clean, aren’t portable, and baby isn’t truly at the table with the rest of the family.  Boosters are very easy to clean, baby sits right at the table, you can take it with you, and she can use it well into her toddler years, unlike a bulky highchair.
• If baby’s diaper just seems to always leak at night, and a larger size doesn’t work, don’t waste your money on the expensive double padded nighttime diapers.  Just slip a cheap generic feminine pad in night diaper.  It works.  Really.  For a fraction of the cost.
• If your baby sleeps in a crib instead of your bed, try layering sheets (mattress pad, absorbant pad, sheet, absorbant pad, sheet, absorbant pad, sheet) so middle of the night leaks or spit ups are easily cleaned – just rip the top two layers off and everyone goes back to bed fast!

I’m sure there’s more rattling about in my mind, but for now I will leave you with these!  If any experienced mom has hints of her own, feel free to comment and we’ll have a nice compilation for a new mom or two!

Or ever.

“Please take the spoon out from between your toes and finish your cereal.  Thank you.”

Okay, so insomnia forces me to scroll through television channels in the middle of the night, looking for something that will entertain me but yet maybe soothe me to sleep.  Not an easy task, but eh.  So last night I’m browsing the channels, and accidentally (trust me, it was QUITE accidental) stopped on Rosie’s Family Cruise, or whatever it’s called… that special by Rosie O’Donnell, whom is on my most-disliked person in the world list next to Tom Cruise, Satan, and The One… but I digress.

So in the millisecond I paused on this channel, I hear her talking about her 9 year old son, and how he’s constantly asking to do things by himself, and she is just so frustrated with this, like he wants to go to the public bathroom by himself, and why don’t more places have mom/child bathrooms….

.

.

.

.

.

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Wait… are you like me and had to re-read that?

Yes.  9 years old.  And wants to go to the restroom by himself.

How DARE he!!!  I am shocked and stunned!!  The restroom?  ALONE?  At the young young age of NINE????

Please, someone tell me I mis-heard her at midnight.  Someone please tell me that this woman, this “mother”, really doesn’t take her 9 year old into women’s restrooms because he’s not old enough to do it by himself.  I will delete this thread if someone tells me she was talking about her 3 year old, or her 9 year old dog, or something other than her son…

Now, I apologize in advance if her little bundle of joy has a physical disability or a mental impairment that requires Mom’s help – but if it’s the same little boy they flashed on during the brief brief moment I had the show on, he looked perfectly capable to me.

Dear Lord, this borders on creepy, if not obscene.

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