Muffins with Mommy

There were so many muffins with mommy pictures on my Facebook newsfeed this morning. It brings back such sweet, sweet memories.
Mother's Day 2010. We had known Tyrell for a matter of weeks. He had my whole heart from the beginning. His teacher emailed me the week before Mother's Day and said something along the lines of, "I know it's late notice, but there's this muffins for mommy breakfast on Friday if you want to come…" She could have told me it was the next day and I would have been there.
I remember we drove down to Tampa on Thursday afternoon and took Tyrell to dinner. And then on Friday morning I got up super early and had to be at Ty's school at some ungodly hour like 7 AM. I met him at his daycare, which was across the street from the school, and then we walked together to school. He pointed out his friends to me and told me about them. We got to the media center where the muffins for mommy event was, and Ty was so proud to have someone to bring with him. I was delighted to be his person.
We ate muffins from Mimi's café. We read some books. Ty was pretty indecisive about what we were going to read. Someone took a picture of us. I never got a copy. But I have this sweet, sweet memory.
After muffins for mommy, Tyrell's teacher said I could come with him to class and stay as long as I wanted. I didn't want to be too much of a distraction for him, so I stayed about 45 minutes. But when I left I gave him a hug and a kiss and said goodbye and asked him where he wanted to go to dinner that night. I'm sure he said CiCi's or McDonald's. That's pretty much always been his answer. But then when I went to leave he ran after me and asked me, "Where do you want to go to dinner?"
He's always been such a sweetie.

Parenting

Yesterday Ty was 35 minutes late coming home from fishing in a neighborhood pond. I was annoyed, but I tried to be calm instead of angry. So I said, "What do you think your consequence should be?" and he said, "No fishing for the rest of the week." and I said, "No fishing for the rest of the week." 

No voices were raised, no temper tantrums were had, no negativity. Just a choice and a meaningful consequence (because I had to stop him from going fishing by way of a neighbor's backyard at 8am the other morning...crazy about the fish, that one is).

I'm not known for being calm or making good decisions in the heat of the moment, necessarily. I try not to yell at my kids, but usually that just means I'm bottling up the yelling instead of making an altogether different and more productive choice. But this fishing consequence? My single shining moment this year. I'm not proud of it, I'm learning from it. A ton. 

Our kids are so much smarter than we give them credit for. 

Happy Earth Day!

It's Earth Day. I realized this as I was driving Ty to school this morning. And my first thought was, "I wonder which Disney nature film we can watch ondemand tonight after Eli goes to bed?" Also, it's like a cold tropical storm out today. It's called a Nor'easter or something. Whatever. Palm trees are blowing and it's too cold for flipflops. So it's Earth Day and I feel like I SHOULD do something good for the Earth, but we can't do anything outside (um, that's where nature is) and also, I am allergic to hugging trees. I'm not actually allergic to trees, but planting them and watering them and all that is not exactly in my wheelhouse. But I decided I am not going to completely cop out and I'm going to do something.....
Enter Pinterest. When you search for "easy earth day activities for kids" you get a lot of messy, outside things. Not so helpful. But I did remember pinning instructions for making ice cream in ziploc bags a while back. Inside activity....check. Easy...check. Good for the environment....check. I mean, I'm not driving to the store to buy ice cream that was made in a factory spewing out gases or something. We're using our own energy to make the ice cream. So yay! I predict it will be a hit....
Here are the ice cream in a baggie instruction!

So the other thing I might do is start composting.....seriously. I've been researching for the last couple of weeks. It seems easy enough and it would cut way down on our garbage, which is great for the Earth. But I'm afraid! I don't want to spend a lot of money on a compost bin, but I don't own a pitchfork and I don't plan on owning a pitchfork (for turning the compost), and I know I'm going to be totally lazy about it. Plus, what am I going to do with compost? Don't tell me to garden, I'm not there yet.
This is the kitchen scrap collection bin I'm looking at: It got great reviews as far as durability, small footprint, no/few crevices for yuck to build up.

I'm thinking of using a rubbermaid bin and drilling holes in it for the compost bin. But I'm not sure where to put it in the yard (I'm supposed to think about things like shade and rain....what?). I'm also not so sure about watering it every now and again. That sounds like work. And also gross.
Anyone have composting tips to help me take the plunge?
Happy Earth Day! Go hug a tree, even if you're allergic!

Coming back atcha

I'm totally wimping out on this one by breezing over family updates and giving you the quickest and yummiest  soup recipe ever. Prepare to be impressed and to impress those you cook for.
But first, fam updates:
All in all, things are good. Ty is being a middle school boy. And if you think that's great, you obviously don't know any middle school boys. ;) I've gotten to know his teachers a bit better recently, but you know, kids....sigh. He's a good kid and he's so fun. I really enjoy getting to just chat with him and hearing how he views things and what is going on in his head. Ty has recently started piano lessons (thanks to a great recommendation from my incredible friend Meghan for a fabulous teacher who COMES TO MY HOUSE(!!) for lessons. Actually, she goes to my parent's house across the street where the piano is and I send Ty across the street. I try to be present, but Eli thinks he should be the one taking lessons, so I usually end up with a screaming toddler in grandma's room or backyard. It's okay, nothing's perfect.). Ty loves piano lessons so far (and he's picking it up fast!). I know this will wane, but honestly? I just wanted to expose him to music. He doesn't have to do it forever. I had wanted music lessons for him from the start, but it hadn't worked out so far and I was trying not to feel too much mommy guilt from COMPLETELY FAILING IN THIS AREA. But thanks to Meghan, Ty has piano lessons, and I feel like a winner! :)
Eli is Eli. He turned 2 a few weeks ago and we had a Little Einsteins party where Eli ATE CAKE. It's true. He's incredibly finicky. I told Ty today, "Well, they don't call it the delightful twos." haha. He's been sick and I'm getting a little sick of it. The constant holding, the constant whining, the sleeping (or not sleeping) in my bed. I know he doesn't feel good, but a human being can only take so much. This time around I've dealt with my own emotions and frustrations better than I ever have, but can I just vacuum or do the dishes? It's all piling up. Even in his crabbiness, Eli is a joy and is absolutely hilarious. He has been exploding with new words. And a southern accent. Which is funny, because none of us have real southern accents. When Eli says "Tyrell" it sounds more like "Tai-rail". Yesterday he told me "I so firsty" (thirsty). We have a toddler basketball hoop in the family room that both boys love playing with. Ty always calls out the name of an NBA player before he shoots, so now Eli does too. He yells "Bron James" (LeBron James) or "Koby" (Kobe Bryant) as he's throwing the ball and it's the cutest thing in the history of ever.

Well now that you sat through all that, here is the super fast and delicious soup recipe!

1/2 lb italian sausage, casings removed
32 oz chicken broth, additional water, if needed
1/3 cup sliced mushrooms
1/2 package of frozen tortellini
6-9oz of spinach leaves
salt/pepper or my favorite, nature's seasons (it's a spice blend that I pretty much use for everything)

brown the sausage. pour the broth in a large pot. add the browned sausage. add the frozen tortellini, bring to a boil. add the mushrooms. add some seasoning. boil for about 3-5 minutes. add the spinach leaves. As soon as they wilt, grab a ladle and some bowls and serve up some grub.

Reset

I love you, Lord

and I lift my voice

to worship you.

Oh , my soul, rejoice!

Take joy, my King,

in what you hear.

May it be a sweet, sweet sound

in your ear.

I've known that song as long as I can remember. It's always been centering for me. Sort of resets me. Like fresh air. 

I've been singing it to Eli pretty much from the beginning. Well, I've been humming it to him. A few months ago I decided maybe I should sing the words, because at some point he'd learn it after hearing it every night before falling asleep. So I started singing. Sometimes he sings along now, in his sleepy, sing-songy voice. My heart gets extra squeezy on those nights.

We're in a good sleep phase at this very moment in time. I acknowledge that it could change at any moment. 

But there was a very. long. time. that I was so desperate for sleep I would cry at least every other time E woke up in the night. So I would hum this song to him, hoping it would help him relax and feel comforted enough to drift off. I don't know if it ever did that, but it helped me relax and feel comforted. It reminded me who I belong to and the importance of the work I do.

Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men.
Colossians 3:23

It doesn't matter what kind of a day it's been. It doesn't matter how many hours I've slept (nor not slept). It's best not to keep track of that. It doesn't matter how many tantrums I've endured, what I've cleaned out of where (best not to keep track of that, either), whether or not I've bathed myself or any children, or any other myriad ways I can fail or feel discouraged. 

The work I do matters because I do it for the Lord. I am in the spot where He has placed me. 

The diapers, the driving to and from school, the coaxing into the carseat, the reading the same book 15 times in a row, the "watch me make a basket", the listening, the not snapping (or trying really really hard and still snapping anyway), it all matters, even when it feels insignificant in the moment. 

And if at the end of the day I get a single minute with a calmed toddler snuggling into my neck, and I remember that my whole life is an act of worship, and that this moment, the snuggling and the singing, is an act of worship, then time stops just briefly. I am brought back to center. I am reset. 

And I am ready for more.

Students sponsored for school

Matthew 22:36-40

36 "Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?"

37Jesus replied: “ ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’38This is the first and greatest commandment.39And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’40All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.” 

A few months ago I helped a friend who is a missionary in Guatemala organize an education sponsorship project. I was just the person on the ground in the states keeping things (semi) organized. Really, we're just 2 moms that don't like to see kids out of school. Especially for reasons such as the family not having money for uniforms (required for public school in Guatemala), or the family needing the child to work to help put food on the table (that is just a crapfest every way you look at it). Don't get me started about how kids need to learn to read because READING IS EVERYTHING, because I will not come back from that tangent. :)
Anyway, there was an overwhelming response from people to love these kids and provide educational opportunities. So all of them were sponsored! Some were even sponsored for private schools (which are way less expensive than here in the states, and also at times necessary because public schools in Guat do not have any kind of programs for kids with special needs. And surprise....there are kids with special needs all over the world.).
Because I'm awesome at technology, here is the link to Holly's blog where she posted the wrap up video with the good news that a bunch of kids are going to school! It's a really great 2 minute video where you get to see some of the kids and a bit of their stories. God is so awesome!

Click here for the education project video!

Mom Guilt

For the past 3 weeks I've been in poker dealer school. It's 4 hours a day for 6 weeks, so not super intensive, except for the parts of my brain that do things like math. I'm actually really enjoying it. Except for the part where I'm away from my kids for 6 hours a day. 

Namely, this kid:

The big one I still get to drop off and pick up from school everyday, so I just miss him like I always do when he goes to school. But I'm not used to being away from my littlest little. It's not ALL bad, but it's not great.

Basically, all the time that I had to do things with him is gone. Now as soon as I get home, I throw little man in the carseat, we go pick up big brother, go home and have dinner, and then brother has some sort of evening event- basketball game, practice, or church stuff, always lasting well after E's bedtime. Sometimes I can get a grandparent or babysitter to put E to bed and sit at the house until I get home, but sometimes little man is just up until 9. When I have someone else put E to bed I feel even more guilty about not being there. Even with my "1 sport rule" I still feel like we're constantly on the move. (1 sport rule is just that- my kid will participate in exactly one sport at a time. He's got church stuff and from time to time we have family therapy, so I'm not carting him to extra practices and games every night of the week. I LOVE team sports for him, he loves team sports, I just don't believe in overprogramming my 12 year old.)

I AM NOT COMPLAINING. I know I have it so good. It's just been so different these past few weeks, that the Mommy Guilt has been relentless. 

Ty and I usually get some time together at least a few days a week after E goes to bed. But E? He gets almost no time right now. He's not happy about it and neither am I. (He's so unhappy that he's been up frequently every night and the solution is mommy's bed. But that's a different post entirely....)

So after telling the Mommy Guilt to take a hike, I carved out some time to just hang out with my kids and let them do their thing. These days, their thing is playing outside. E runs around with a flat basketball and occasionally throws it at me. We watch the airplanes that take off and land from the small airport nearby. Ty plays with the neighbor kids in the circle. I sit on the curb, breathe fresh air, and take it all in- instead of standing in my kitchen cooking dinner. It's really rather glorious. 

I have been feeding my kids dinner, I've just been simplifying it. They're totally willing to eat things like sandwiches for dinner if it means they get to play outside for an hour. 

Didn't quite make it!