Keep the Little Girls Little

I took my three oldest children to a local Vacation Bible School this morning. It turned out to be a very large and crazy-chaotic event (wall-to-wall kids and adults! loud! and they lost my registration too!) As I was getting my older two settled in their seating section of 5th and 6th graders, I looked around to find the adult or teen in charge of their group.

Two girls in VBS T-shirts were standing at the end of one of the rows...I gently interrupted their conversation and asked, "Are you two in charge of this 5th and 6th grade group?" They looked at me rather confused, and with a giggle, one said, "No, WE ARE in this group!" I said, "Oh wow! I thought you all were 16!"

And I wasn't kidding!

These girls were as tall as I am and had hair, make-up and mannerisms of teenagers! I looked over at my little daughter Katie and marveled that she looked so young. And I felt very relieved.

This is one of the reasons that we decided to bring Katie back home this past school year. We loved the teachers at her school. We loved the adminstration. Katie was learning a lot and excelling. The biggest problem that I had was that I didn't like that the little 8 year old girls acted like they were 11-13 years old! The disrespect towards adults...the talking about boys...the obsession with clothing and brands...

What happened to things like tea parties?? Those type of events now seem to be viewed as "babyish" and for the 4 year old crowd. Dolls are for kindergarteners, make-believe is silly, and playing dress-up is foolish. This kind of thinking just breaks my heart. I felt strongly that I wanted to bring Katie home simply to enjoy being a "little girl" again. Really "getting her back" though hasn't happened overnight. It's taken a long time for her to relax again and be comfortable really playing.

Seeing her enjoy American Girl dolls, playing restaurant/grocery store, and reading wholesome stories warms my heart. It is refreshing to see her live a life that is age-appropriate and not a striving to be something that her body, soul and spirit are not ready for...a false sense of maturity.

Let's keep the little girls little. May we have the wisdom and grace to guard these precious years...they are special and fleeting and the teen years will be upon us before we know it and then it will be time to deal with such things. But not now....now is the time for tea!

Seasons of Domesticity

I think when we begin to really invest our lives in the domestic arts, we realize that the creative outlets offered by "home" are limitless. It gets very exciting...and inspirational...and at times, overwhelming. Oh the choices!

Cleaning
Decluttering/Organization
Bookkeeping
Decorating
Painting (walls, furniture, porches, decor, etc)
Sewing (pillows, quilts, curtains, toys, clothes, totes etc)
Knitting
Embroidery
Cooking
Baking
Gardening/Canning
Homesteading
Making your own...cleaners, soaps, candles, body care

This list of possibilities could go on and on!

The home is an amazing place to be and to do.

I get passionate about the domestic life...creating beauty in the everyday is thrilling and gives us a practical platform for worship of the Lord and service to others. I have found that I must take care in realizing that I cannot do all these things at once.

There are seasons in our domesticity just as the seasons of the year:

My Spring is focused on deep cleaning, re-ordering, decorating, painting and gardening. The windows and doors are opened to warm breezes...the broom and dust-cloths are my daily companions. Stealing time away at thrift stores is a weekly treat. Seeds are planted, weeds are pulled, and I feel alive with all the energy the happy sun brings.

My Summer is a continuation of that, albeit slower, along with lots of cooking and time in the kitchen. All the fresh produce begs to be savored and rejoiced over! And the beautiful berries and cherries! To waste away summer in a hammock with bowls of sweet fruit surrounding me...heaven! This is time we vacation, celebrate birthdays, and camp. My favorite season of all.

My Fall is spent focused on creating daily learning and creative rhythms with my children, sewing, baking, and preparing/decorating for the holidays. Everything orange and gold and brown appeals to me...and pumpkin recipes reign on my menus. I always feel a bit melancholy because I am sad to see my sunny days get shorter and shorter.

My Winter is spent knitting, dreaming, reading, journaling, watching movies, putting meals in the Slow Cooker...a quiet hibernation. I used to despise winter, but now I have found it to be an agreeable friend. A season to turn inward, to contemplate, to meditate after a full year of domestic-busy and doing.

Sometimes I get trapped in thinking I need to be pursuing all of my interests all of the time. There simply is NOT enough hours in a day for this. I am not one to micro-manage every hour of my day to "fit everything in". I like to savor my days slowly and allow them to unfold gently. I keep a morning rhythm but allow the rest of my day to be influenced by the season...which for now means chopping and freezing peppers, munching on berries with my kids, preparing delicious marinades for grilling, making baby food, and sprucing up the master bedroom. My yarns are put away, the sewing machine is quiet, and the house is light with minimal decoration.

Here's to savoring the seasons in our homes...and not over-burdening our domestic-selves with unrealistic expectations. Enjoy the quarterly changes and rest knowing that where we are now is not where we will always be.

Mama Truth

My sweet sparkly John (7) and I were on my bed yesterday reading the story Miss Rumphius. He was wondering why she never got married...and we talked about some of the possible reasons. Then he said, "Well, I am DEFINITELY getting married, and I hope she is just like you!"

This little statement filled my mama-heart to overflowing.

I think that the enemy of our mothering whispers lies over and again..."your children can't stand you", "you are a terrible mother", "they will grow up one day to resent you and all that you are", "you will never be what they need", "you are a total failure".

And to those subtle thoughts, we must tell the Truth.

I am doing my best.

Jesus loves and accepts me.

God chose me to be the mother for these little ones.

He believes in me because He is in me.

Where I come up short as a mother, He will fill in as their Father.

All is grace.

Simple Baby Food

There are a million websites giving Baby Food 101 instruction along with many great books so I won't spend time here giving a how-to session. But I wanted to say that I have found that taking the time to make-my-own baby food is a wonderful way to give Luke fresh, high-quality fruits and vegetables at just a fraction of the cost of commercially-made jarred food. The above photo is my little "cheat sheet" I typed up to remind me how long to steam vegetables...I slid it into a page protector and keep it out to refer to easily.

If you don't feel like you have the time or inclination to steam, cool, and puree your own, then this little "trick" is for you. The easiest baby food "recipe" is to simply mash a banana and an avocado together in a bowl, freeze in ice cube trays and toss a frozen cube into a self-feeder. This is quick, nutritious, and frees up mama to cook dinner for everyone else! You can get good deals on avocados at Aldi and even better at Sam's Club (75 cents each).

I also found this recipe for "Baby's Beans" but haven't tried it yet. Very simple and very healthy for older babies:

1 (16 oz.) can or 1 1/2 cups cooked organic beans (black, kidney, cannelini)
2 Tbsp. plain organic whole-milk yogurt

Rinse beans. Put beans and yogurt in processor and pulse. For smoother consistency, process long and add more yogurt.

Finally, here is the easiest way that I have found to feed Luke a healthy variety of good foods along with the fact that it has streamlined my food preparation and reduced feeding choices (which gives this tired mama some mental simplicity!) I stumbled upon making "Baby Mush" which has changed everything for me...and Lukey Pook LOVES it!

The Baby Mush Premise: He gets the same meals every day...a protein, a fruit, a veggie, and a grain all mixed together with unsweetened applesauce.

Here's how I make Baby Mush in bulk:

I stir together a "base" :

3/4 cup cooked/pureed black-eyed peas (protein)
3/4 cup mashed bananas
1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce

Freeze in ice-cube trays. Store in freezer Ziploc bags.

When it's time to feed Luke, I heat up about 3-5 cubes of this base along with 1-2 cubes of a frozen pureed vegetable (usually organic carrots, peas, spinach, broccoli, or sweet potato). I usually add a little water too. Sometimes I'll add a tablespoon of brown rice cereal or oatmeal. The mush is NOT attractive to look at, but it's full of good stuff and I know he is getting a well-rounded meal.

I hope I have given you a little something new in regards to baby-food making...simple menus with good ingredients is what I am all about!

Why I Don't Like Couponing

Couponing seems to be the "next new thing" that moms are getting into. I see advertisements regularly for couponing seminars and it seems to always find its way as one of the topics of conversation when moms get together. I often hear "we are saving 50-75% off of our grocery budget...isn't that amazing?!"

Now to all you mamas who looooove your couponing, just know that I am not condemning you or sayin' that you shouldn't or whatever. I am just sharing my own experience and observations here. And yes, I do enjoy a good deal and yes, we do have 7 people in our family, and yes, we do live on one-income! So I know the pressure to provide well for my family and to use my money wisely...but I just don't think couponing fits that bill for us.

I have always been a fan of my grocery store Publix. It is very family-friendly, clean, offers high-quality foods, and is environmentally conscious. Years ago I committed to shopping there and never looked back.

But it's changed.

Shelves are regularly cleared out when items are "buy one get one free". My grocery list usually ends up having about 5 items that I am unable to purchase because they have been completely cleared out by those who want the deal along with stacking their coupons on it. Shoppers who never entered Publix doors because of their higher prices now flock there to use their coupons. The store used to have an atmosphere like their slogan: "where shopping is a pleasure". Now the environment feels like one of competition and greed. The other day I watched five women race down aisles with their grocery store list print-out with stacks of coupons paper-clipped to them. It was exhausting to watch. A feeding frenzy, I tell you.

And I wonder if the preparation that it takes to get all of these deals at different grocery stores and pharmacies depletes gas and time and emotional energy? Does it feel addictive and as if you could never go back to simply buying the product at regular price because that would somehow be wrong? Or irresponsible? Or heaven forbid, a poor steward? Yikes.

Does it take time away from the mental energy we need for creative pursuits? Painting, gardening, sewing, writing, photography, scrap-booking, cooking? Does it tempt us to focus our lives on money or on "winning" or "beating the system"? These are just questions I am asking and pondering.

Another problem that I see with it is that the consumer is allowing the grocery stores/companies that produce the coupons to dictate and control what you are buying. Most coupons are for processed foods that are very unhealthy and addictive. I know that some moms only use the couponing method for items that they would normally buy, but you can't tell me that the temptation is not there to scoop up "the deal" when you are looking at a pack of cookies for mere cents. These companies are pushing you towards their products by offering you coupons and making it hard-to-resist. I want to make my own choices as to what we eat and not be financially manipulated towards sub-par products.

Most foods that are truly healthy don't have all those gimmicks attached...fresh fruits and veggies, clean meats, whole grains, organic dairy products...sometimes, but rarely. It costs money to support local and organic. Good things typically don't come cheaply. There IS a price-tag to ethical and conscious consumption, but isn't it worth it?

I had a talk with the Assistant Manager at Publix about it all. He said that in his 25 years of being in the grocery business this is the biggest challenge he has ever faced. He says in that many ways it is as if they are now a wholesale purchasing club and the couponing/swap-meet phenomenon is only beginning to really pick up steam. Oh how I miss the simplicity of Muzak, slow shopping, and well-stocked shelves!

May we all enjoy a good deal...but not with a price-tag that may appear low, but in the end is actually very high because it robs us of our health, our time, and our mental/emotional energy.

And now I am off to make my farmers' market plan...