tapioca is not fish eggs

When I picked out our "unselfish" challenge for this week, I thought it would be fairly easy to accomplish. I asked the kids to lend their hands to anyone around them needing help. They are both good helpers, but I've found that being alert to know when to help is harder than it sounds, even for me! Eric is my hero in this area, as he seems to have a special ability to sense when help is needed and is always ready to give it. I'm hoping he'll have some pointers for us as we extend this challenge for another week.

One reason I picked this particular challenge for this week was because it easily lent itself to the help we wanted to give my parents after my mom's recent surgery. We are taking a meal over tonight, and the kids are going to pitch in with a few light chores. A casserole and jello salad are on the menu. A friend brought us this salad after my surgery last month, and it was a hit with everyone until I casually mentioned it was made with tapioca.

"Oh," said Eric, as he set down his spoon.

"What?" I asked, innocently bewildered by his enthusiasm turned to disgust.

"I wish you wouldn't have told me it had tapioca in it. Isn't that fish eggs?"

I don't think Eric was serious, but we have made a good joke about it, and after looking it up I have found that no, tapioca is NOT fish eggs. Here's the recipe if you're brave enough to give it a try. (A big thanks to my friend Amy B. for sharing this recipe with me. Everyone else in the family loves it!)

Orange Jello Salad
1- 3 oz. box orange jello
2- 3 oz. box jello tapioca pudding
3 c. water
1/2 to 1 container Cool Whip

Empty 3 boxes of jello and then add 3 c. of water to pan on stove. Stir and heat. Keep temperature around medium, stirring frequently. Let it come to a rolling boil for 1 min. Remove from stove and cool (not in refrigerator). Once mixture is cool, fold in Cool Whip. Refrigerate for at least 3 hours before serving.

a week in review

The first week of school has been full of excitement for everyone!

Micah decided to play trumpet in band. Here he is, getting his first glimpse of a gently used trumpet we found for 1/5 the price of a new one. A trumpet player from our church checked it out before we bought it and said it would be a great horn for Micah.

Micah was bummed to miss 2 days of school already this week. An upset stomach kept him home, but he did get in on the first days of preschool with Josiah. Here they are sorting buttons from my mom's button box. Some of these buttons are quite old, and I heard a lot of "Mom, look at this!" coming from both boys.

Eric and I cooked, cut, bagged, and froze over 14 dozen ears of corn to eat this winter. Josiah especially loves to shuck corn.

Rachel was bummed she was not sick and had to miss Josiah's first few days of preschool. She made up for it by taking him aside tonight for a few lessons of her own. I can't help but wonder if we have a budding teacher in our midst? Here they are sharing a favorite story.

Rachel did come home with her first math papers last week and gushed, "Mom, math is so much easier now." The math fact practice of summer is paying off!!! Next up: multiplication facts.

Josiah and I have been reading the book Corduroy (he pronounces it Cordoroyal) for preschool this week and doing some fun activities to go with it. Today we "found" his bear with a flashlight, just like in the book. I think he has a new friend! Yesterday he mastered the color green after a lot of practice finding green items around the house. Preschool has been a precious gift for both of us. Josiah gets the "mommy time" he craves, and I get to spend some special one-on-one time with this little boy who is growing up way too fast.

God is my circumstance*

With school back in full swing, I have taken time to ponder how different fall feels this year. Life has finally settled down to a nice hum of activity without quite so many variables hitting us at every turn. Josiah is almost three and actually acts like it at times-- following directions, soaking up information like a sponge, and even giving hints that potty training may actually happen some day! I'm not pregnant, exhausted, and sick (3 years ago), fixing bottles and wondering when my baby will outgrow reflux (2 years ago), or wondering if there will be surgery in his near future (last year, and yes, he did have surgery to remove his adenoids and get a second set of tubes). There is a lot going on in the lives of my older children, but middle elementary is a bit of a calm before the storms of adolescence. I have, at times, actually had the thought, "Life is good."

It is at those moments I want to sit myself down for a stern talk. What is this "glorying" in my present circumstances all about? I guess on a human level, it is quite understandable. There is a physical and emotional rest taking place that is good for both mind and body. Yet, as always, it is my soul I ought to be most worried about. Will I glory in my circumstances or glory in God as my circumstance? Good times and bad times both will come and go with the ebb and flow of life, but God alone is unchanging, unvariable, dependable, and the source of true joy.

I do give thanks for an apparently peaceful entrance to fall of 2009. 1 Thessalonians 5:18 says "give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you." I am grateful for the gift of the three years that are behind me, for this time has tenderized my heart toward those who are suffering... amid many other as yet unseen and unrecognized benefits to my soul and character. I have learned to lean hard upon the Lord when He is all there is to lean on, to know His strength when I have none of my own. I look forward to learning to trust Him more at every turn. And for now...I'm enjoying Him in this time of calm, for that is His good gift to me, too.

*A big thank you to my friend Kristi, who first taught me this phrase and more importantly has lived it out before me week after week after week. From her life I have seen glimpses of how faithful is our God.

another great Elisabeth Elliot devotion

Nobody Knows the Trouble I've Seen

Author: Elisabeth Elliot

When we begin to imagine that our own problems are so deep, so insoluble, or so unusual that no one really understands us, we delude ourselves. It is one of the many delusions of pride, for Scripture tells us not only that our High Priest, Christ, has been tempted in every way as we are, but that no temptation has ever come our way that is not common to man. There are no more new temptations than there are new sins. Our story, whatever it is, is an old one, and He who has walked the human road has entered fully into our experiences of sorrow and pain and has overcome them. He has comforted others in our situation, gone with them into the same furnaces and lions' dens, has brought them out without smell of fire or mark of tooth.

It is a bad thing to take refuge in difficulties, thus excusing ourselves from responsibility to others because we think our situation is unique. If we are willing to receive help, our Helper is standing by--sometimes in the form of another human being sent by Him, qualified by Him to help us. It may be a case of our not receiving help because we were too proud to receive the kind God sent. Sometimes we really prefer to wallow.

"Ours is not a high priest unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who, because of his likeness to us, has been tested every way, only without sin. Let us therefore boldly approach the throne of our gracious God, where we may receive mercy and in his grace find timely help" (Heb 4:15, 16 NEB).

first day, part 2

Today it was Rachel's turn for the first day of school. She started third grade and has the same teacher Micah did. Miss Smith is wonderful! Here Rachel is holding the sign for car line. There was enough time to drop both kids off at two different schools (whew!), and I have wonderful neighbors picking each child up from school so Josiah can finish his nap without interruption.

A new name this year: Calvary Christian Academy. Rachel is frustrated that the signs outside have not yet been changed, but this one inside was right.

Does she look excited? Here's her locker. The theme of her room is "Under Construction." Her first homework assignment: practicing the zero multiplication tables. It went pretty well! :)

first day

Today's recipe:

Start with equal parts of excitement and anticipation. Add a dash of apprehension and nervousness. Mix well and you will have the first day of school.

The walk to Prairieland takes about 20 minutes, and I can't help but wish we could do it every day. Since that won't be possible with Rachel still at Calvary Christian Academy, we were thankful for the sunny skies that allowed a walk to school on the first day.

Josiah loved pulling the wagon, overflowing with school supplies.

There seems to be a very short 5th grader waiting in this line.

We are doing our best as parents to let God guide the schooling decisions we're making for our kids. We saw some sign posts of confirmation on the road we are taking this past week, with Micah being placed in Mrs. Foster's classroom. Deb Foster and her husband sang at our wedding and go to our church. Her mom (lovingly refered to as Grandma Jean) taught Micah's Sunday School class when he was a preschooler. We had absolutely no expectations that he would be in Mrs. Foster's class, but were surprised by God when we checked the class lists! On top of knowing her, we've heard Mrs. Foster is a fantastic teacher. Micah has several classmates that he already knows, and one parent told me it was a very mild-mannered group of boys. We're expecting a great school year. Some things to come: a mission at the Challenger Learning Center, owl pellets, early explorers, the Civil War, starting band...we can't wait!

challenge #2

Ever since both my kids were in school, there has been a constant battle in the mornings when I drop them off. Who can race to the door and get in first? At home, they push each other aside, trying to be first. On walks, they constantly battle to be the leader. We've been working on this for 3 years now. You'd think there would be some improvement.

This week's challenge is to open the door and hold it for others, letting them go in first. Tally marks go up on the refrigerator but it is not a contest except with yourself. Even Josiah is getting involved. People we don't even know have the door held open for them.

Whenever I get frustrated with my kids' "me first" behavior, I am reminded that Jesus had to talk to His disciples about it. Often. And again. Seems they were constantly arguing about who should be first and greatest in God's kingdom. If it took them awhile to understand, it should come as no surprise I have to remind my children and even have them practice once in awhile.

See you at the door. After you!

unselfish challenge #1

Every so often, our church has a food drive for a local food pantry and ministry. This is a great excuse to get kids involved! Last time I gave each child $10 and let them shop for the food we would donate. They quickly learned how to take value, nutrition, and taste into consideration while helping others.

open those blinds and look out the window!

It can be so easy when you are raising a family to get caught up in your own lives, forgetting to look out for the needs of others. This can be especially the case when young children demand most of your time, love, energy, and attention. But as I look at our children who are approaching late elementary age, I long to find ways to divert their attention from themselves to the needs of the world around them.

Last March we received a letter from Campus Crusade for Christ, asking for help for orphans in Zimbabwe. We have plenty of requests like this come our way through various organizations, and try to donate when we can. This particular letter left me feeling burdened, as it was only last fall our pastor shared his trip to Zimbabwe with us at a prayer meeting. The spiraling inflation in that country makes the economic troubles of the US look pretty tame. Families are starving, work is scarce, farms have failed, and cholera is ravaging many.

In April I shared this burden with our kids, and we began to set aside items for a garage sale. It took all summer to find time to have the sale, but this weekend we finally did it! So far we have raised over $50 to send to Campus Crusade.

Having a sale to raise money for someone besides myself has been quite freeing. I find myself looking more closely at the people who come, wondering about their lives and their story. A smiling baby, mother-daughter duos, and lone men scour the sale in hope of a treasure. I'm more than happy to bargain, adding whatever dollars I can to our total for children I will never meet this side of heaven. My kids helped set things out and will help sort them when we are done, to be consigned or donated. And I plan to have them there when I donate online.

For more ideas on teaching kids compassion, I found a great book! It is called Raising Unselfish Children in a Self-Absorbed World by Jill Rigby. I'm halfway through the book, and it's turning my parenting ideas upside down, and knocking my own self-centeredness off course. Look for my weekly challenges to help my children learn to serve and care for others.

fair results

I am finally getting around to downloading Micah's fair pictures. He did well for his first fair with 5 blue ribbons and 1 red. We are really looking forward to next year, when Rachel joins him in 4-H!

An originally designed lego project, a Star Wars ship...

Read-A-Book, where the clubber reads 6 books and then designs a bookmark based on a scene or character in one of the books. Micah's was well-done (yes, this is mom talking). He chose a scene from The Lord of the Rings. Ask him sometime to show it to you.

Outdoor Adventures was a fun project to put together. He chose pictures from our 1 hour hike and put them together in a poster, identifying animal tracks, dragonflies, and other interesting items. The judge was particularly impressed with his picture of Josiah's feet right next to one of his identified objects. "Your little brother was awfully brave to get that close to the snake eggs!" (Black poster just above his head.)

Micah's scrapbook was the only red ribbon. There seems to be some kind of scrapbooking craze that has been passed down from moms to their 8 to 12-year-olds (mostly girls!)
A ceramics project completed at a birthday party...embellished with a picture of a dragon, of course.

Both kids are dreaming of next year's projects, and this one seems to have made both of their lists. Rocketry...

lavish love

"Rock, Mommy?" Josiah must know I cannot pass up this request from him, ever. He did not and would not rock when he was a baby, so I relish this time now. Thinking these days may soon be over, I have launched into my usual "playlist" of lullabies. When Micah and Rachel were babies, I went on autopilot when singing the same list of lullabies, I was up with them so often in the night, rocking.

Josiah snuggles down into my arms, with his blankie draped over one of my shoulders where he can rest his head against it. "Love you so much?" he asks.

I sing, "I love you so much, I love you so much, I can't even tell you how much I love you. You're special to me...I'm happy to have you as part of my life." Then the song repeats over and over "I love you, I love you, I love you."

None of my children have battled with me the way Josiah does, and yet I wonder if any have melted into my arms quite like this when I have sang to them this little song of love. It is a precious moment, my two-year-old in my arms, drinking in the love of his mother. "It doesn't matter so much what I have done today, so long as my mommy loves me." He is growing in his desire to please me, and I think it has everything to do with knowing he is secure in my love for him.

I think to the way my relationship with the Lord has felt recently...often dry, distant, like He is unknowable. It has not always been like this. Earlier in my mothering days, the to-do list was shorter and my Mary heart was more willing to sit at the feet of my Lord, drinking in His presence and words. Now, when I sit, my mind never seems to stop for the list of things I know must be accomplished with each day and my desperate inability to do it the way I would like. I feel like I am a hamster on a wheel, constantly striving to please God yet never feeling like I have arrived. But like the hamster, I don't know how to get off and stay off so I keep on spinning, spinning, spinning.

But these past few less hectic days, God has made me sit down. Put my feet up. Stop doing. I have hated it and felt useless at times. But I have heard whispers of His love. It was tucked into a letter from my BSF teaching leader, as she exulted in God's never-ending, unconditional love as we study prepare to study the book of John this year. In the book I read last week, Stepping Heavenward, Katherine finally finds peace in her quest to please God as she realizes, "He loves me! To think all of this time I have been searching and striving and failing, He has been loving me!" In 1 John 3:1 I read in my quiet time, "How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are!" With two explanation points in a row!

Perhaps I need to come rock a bit, and lay my head on the shoulder of my heavenly Father. His arms are open, and though I feel wayward, I need only to rest in the security of His love song for me. Zephaniah 3:17 "He will take great delight in you, he will quiet you with His love, He will rejoice over you with singing." Who is my God, that He should love His children like this?

try it?

I have been using The Grocery Game, which pairs store sales with coupons, since about February. I do believe it has saved us money on groceries. If you're interested, they now offer a free 4 week trial at http://www.thegrocerygame.com/. I don't have time or interest in tracking down the best sales on my own, so this is a great help for someone like me who shops only 1 or 2 stores for groceries each week. There are lists for Kroger, Meijer, Wal-Mart, Jewel...and more!

world's best oatmeal

This is one of the most requested recipes I have made lately. Very tasty, and good for you, too.

Baked Blueberry and Peach Oatmeal
3 c. old-fashioned oats
1/2 c. brown sugar
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
2 egg whites
1 egg
1 1/4 c. fat-free milk
1/4 c. canola oil
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 can (15 oz.) sliced peaches in juice, drained and chopped
1 c. fresh or frozen blueberries
1/3 c. chopped walnuts
Additional fat-free milk, optional

1. In a large bowl, combine the oats, brown sugar, baking powder and salt. Whisk the egg whites, egg, milk, oil and vanilla; add to dry ingredients and stir until blended. Let stand for 5 minutes. Sitr in peaches and blueberries.

2. Transfer to an 11 in. x 7 in. baking dish coated with cooking spray. Sprinkle with walnuts. Bake, uncovered, at 350 degrees for 35-40 minutes or until top is lightly browned and a thermometer reads 160 degrees. Serve with additional milk if desired.