Weekend Workout, 30 April 2012

Today was a recovery day from a full and emotional weekend.

Thursday:
Involved a packed day of preparing for the weekend, while blowing my nose regularly, telling myself I had allergies.

Friday morning:
Started at 6:15 a.m. with bacon and eggs for my sister Em who had been driving all night, immediately after which we drove for 2.5 hours to the home of my aunt and uncle, where I made more preparations for the evening's festivities.

Friday evening:
My sister Clare, her husband Bernie, and my favorite nephew arrived and we put on an evening bridal shower for Em, who's getting married this summer.  The shower was lovely!  I spent the night at my aunt's home.

Saturday morning:
Began with a delicious, leisurely breakfast she and my uncle prepared for me and Clare's little family (not at 6:15 a.m.).  Then I had the joy of watching lots and lots of precious smiles from my nephew (it killed me that I couldn't hold him due to potential germs), followed by a laughter-filled lunch at my dad's house with Jay, Clare et al, Em and fiance, my sister Essie (recently returned from a stay abroad) and my dad's bride-to-be.

Saturday evening:
The group of us migrated to yet another relative's beautiful home and celebrated the anniversary of my mom's sister having been on the mission field for 20 years.  A very meaningful time.

Then things finally started slowing down as Jay and I left the anniversary gathering. I took him just up the road to see my mom's grave site.  Walking up to the spot, it was interesting to observe that I expected to feel a sense of comfort, like, "This is somewhere I can be with Mom," but once at the site, it was just so clear that she wasn't there.  Of course, I'm glad that her soul isn't buried in a pile of dust underground, but it would have been nice to feel like I was standing with her, you know?  On the long drive home, I cried with the ache of missing Mom.  Going through so many family events without her hurt so much.

Having been away from the kids all weekend, Jay and I took them out to breakfast at McDonald's on Sunday morning.  A few elderly people at a nearby table enjoyed watching the antics of the kids as we refereed them during the meal.  (No, you can't climb up on the counter; this isn't a play place.  You asked for a sandwich--too late to change your mind.  Yes, this is your drink.  You're so cute!  Yes, you get the same amount as G.  Don't drop your straw!  I love you.)  Jay smiled and quipped to our amused audience, “Breakfast theater! They are the show!” as he waved a hand over the kids.

We went to church afterward, and I kept trying to figure out why I had so much hesitation in registering for an upcoming annual women's lunch.  After the service, it hit me like a ton of bricks that I just can't stand to go this year because the last two years in a row I sat next to Jay's mom.  Plus, it's being held the day before Mother's Day, which feels very lonely this year.  Tears leaked out from under my sunglasses while I stood in the arms of a friend.

Jay made lunch for us and I got a good nap--sooo needed!  After naptime the four of us headed out to my father-in-law's house for dinner and to meet one of his friends.  It's really fun watching my FIL cook.  :-)  But I really missed seeing my MIL in the kitchen.  Heavy sigh.

Then home to bed for the night, which brings us back to today and its helpful normalness.  Doing school with G wasn’t too bad (we even got to do a little science experiment).  Then off to the park!

A few buckets of sand and four grubby hands later, two little squealing boys got hosed off in the backyard when we got home.  After naps Daddy got home and took them to the pool while I took a walk with a friend and had a good sharing/praying and time with her.  Dinner tonight was centered around peas and green onions from our garden; we had our weekly family prayer time; pjs and stories for the kids; time with Jay; and time to myself.

The last few days certainly have been chock-full.  Writing this post has been tricky for me because I've struggled with which details to include--or more accurately, which not to include.  The reason I've written so much is simply because This is what happened.  This last weekend and today are equally parts of my life.  Tomorrow is part of my life too, and since I'm less than two hours away from it, this is a good place to end today's story.  Tomorrow will have its own!

Peas in a Pod

I grew these!  Yay!!

Hats, 21 April 2012

Today was a day of wearing many "hats."  Just for fun, I'm going to make a list.

Cherished Wife
The day started last night, with Jay taking the kids to spend the night and this morning at his dad's house.  I had hours of coveted alone time (I may have eaten two croissants on the couch in front of the TV, and one of them may have contained vanilla ice cream and hot fudge sauce), so I woke up late and stayed in bed even longer.

Wedding Coordinator
From the comfort of my bed (no children to get up for), I made phone calls and arrangements pertaining to my sister's upcoming wedding.

Sister
Sent birthday greetings to another sister!

Auntie
Listened to adorable noises from my little nephew over the phone...and cooed right back at him.

Farmer Girl
Once I got up, I donned outdoor gear and shoveled rabbit manure from their "run" enclosure to the compost pile.  Then I mowed both the back and front lawns and fed the rabbits.  (Doesn't do much good to scoop poop if you don't feed the critters.)  I also measured the largest pea pod growing on my vines.  It's at 2.5 inches, so tomorrow it may be at the required 3 inches, and we'll eat it!

Good Neighbor
After mowing my lawns, I wheeled the machine across the street and mowed my neighbor's lawn.  We have a good deal going; I mow his lawn, and in return he pays house calls and cuts our hair for us at a discounted price.  Pretty sweet!

Housekeeper
Emptied and loaded the dishwasher.  My kitchen smells better now.

Organizational Expert
Consulted with Jay about reorganizing the garage; he was the driving force, but I did contribute.

Mommy
Played games, read books, raced with, planted a corn seedling--yes, just one; a school project--and bathed two darling little boys.

Supportive Wife
Listened to Jay relate some health research discoveries he's made.

Party Planner
Compiled recipes and grocery lists for two parties I'm co-hosting next week.

Chef
Executed dinner for four tonight.  (Greek yogurt with fruit toppings--hey, that Greek stuff has tons of protein.)

Friend
Commented here and there on Facebook posts.

Creative Artist
Wrote in my blog!

Shameless Crime Show Fan
Watched an episode or-so of one of our favorite shows with Jay.

In conclusion, sometimes I feel a little like Bartholomew Cubbins of the charming Dr. Seuss story, but today was actually a peaceful, good-feeling day.  What can I say?  I look good in hats.  :-)

One More Sweet

One of my dear friends from college gave me more than a lifelong friendship--she gave me her pancake recipe.  This is not and will not be a food blog, but today I made her recipe again and am continually amazed at how superior these pancakes are to any others I've had.

It would be selfish not to share it with you.

Wheat Buttermilk Pancakes

Mix:
1 c. buttermilk [or make sour milk by pouring 1 T.  of white vinegar into a 1-cup measure and filling the rest of the way with milk]
2 T. vegetable oil
1 egg
1/2 T. [1 1/2 teas.] sugar

Add and mix until moistened:
1 c. wheat flour [actually, her recipe calls for 3/4 c. wheat and 1/4 c. white; it's good both ways]
1 teas. baking powder
1/2 teas. baking soda
1/2 teas. salt

Cook on medium-hot griddle or pan.  Serves two moderately hungry adults [or, as I've found, 1 moderately hungry adult and two hungry little boys].

Sprinkling fresh or frozen blueberries over the cakes after they're poured on the griddle is yum too.

While we're at it, I'll give you non-purists the cheap-cheat-maple-syrup recipe from my mom (beats the pants off of any fake syrups from the store).

Microwave Maple Syrup

In a microwave-safe bowl, combine 1 c. packed brown sugar, 1 c. white sugar, 1 c. water, 1/2 teas. maple flavoring, and 1/4 teas. vanilla flavoring.  Microwave at 100% power until boiling, stirring occasionally, and then cook at 50% power until moderately thickened.  Store leftovers in a jar in the fridge.

Mmm.  Only 10 more hours until breakfast...

Sweet and Sour, 18 April 2012

Today I'll start with the sour.

I lost one of my mom's rings.  That may not sound terribly significant, but it is to me.  The little gold band that I saw her wear all my life had been a gift from my dad before I was born.  He bought it for her on a bridge over the Arno River in Florence, Italy, when they were newlyweds.  Although it was not monetarily valuable, it was my favorite piece of her jewelry, and my first pick when my sisters and I were going through her jewelry box two years ago.

Yes, I've looked everywhere it could be.  Best guess is that it ended up in my trashcan a few weeks ago, scooped in with a pile of dried-out tissues.  I've had many tears and feelings of guilt today.  The ring is just a thing, yes, but it was a piece of my mom for me, and now I've lost it.

:-(

Now, a rapid change of gears to the sweet.

I have a pea!!!  Here it is:

I did not use professional photography equipment.

This is my very first garden, and this is my very first pea pod!  It's a sugar snap pea variety, so no shelling involved.  Can't wait to crunch into the cute little thing.  Dear me, that sounded a little psycho.

The last "sweet" thing I'll mention from today has to do with G's reading.  Due to my cantankerous canker sore, I had to break the bad news to the kids that I wouldn't be able to read to them before bed tonight.  Jay had already left for a rehearsal, so that left just one reader in the house.  After initially balking at the idea, G gave in and Z ran to find a couple books. (I directed him to some easy readers.)  We all cuddled up on the floor as usual and G read our stories.  After the second book he said, "I want to read another one!"  After the third book he said, "I want to read another one!"  I did cut it off at three books, but this all makes me very happy.  I like books.  I think I get it from my mom, who had shelves and shelves--built by my dad--of books.

That's one thing from her I know I won't lose.  :-)

Boo-boos, Babies, and Big Boys, 17 April 2012

Today was a day of small-scale redemptions given by a large-scale Caretaker.

A "redemption," as I'm using the word, means a saving from something bad or a turning something bad into something good.

Today's redemptions started with a canker sore.  My canker sore.  I'll try not to be graphic, but imagine a canker sore.  Now imagine your tongue.  Now imagine your back molars.  Now imagine doing ANYTHING with your mouth.  And there you have it.

I woke up feeling pretty upset that I needed to go through my day basically without talking.  But having to be as taciturn as possible led to some wonderfully-unexpected things.

The first was the discovery that 5-year old G can successfully read silently!  I felt so much freedom in being able to write little notes for him and having him relay them to his brother.  At first, he would read them aloud, but then I noticed that he looked at the page, and then looked at me and nodded.  I wrote out another question for him to "check for understanding" (Jay's educator lingo has rubbed off on me), and sure enough, he had comprehended it all without sounding it out!

There's one little redemptive moment.

Another canker sore redemption came in the form of being able to spend two hours planning two parties with my sister.  How, you ask?  Google chat.  And how was I able to spend that time sitting at the computer without constantly refereeing my kids?  Well, since they knew I had a big owie, they pretty much entertained themselves and left me alone.  If I had been healthy and talking on the phone, rather than on chat, they would have been vying for my attention.

Redemption numero dos!

Leaving the canker sore aside for the moment, let's move on to Bermuda grass.  Many people may think of sand when they hear Bermuda, but I think of grass.  And want to scream.

For anyone who doesn't know, Bermuda grass is virtually indestructible, and as it turns out, it doesn't compost.  Its little broken-up stems stay dry and brown for 6 months, get put into your brand new garden, and then come back to life.  And spread.  Oh yes.

My big goal for today--after party planning--was to get the last of my seeds and my little baby plants into the garden.  But when I got outside, I realized I was going to have to pull weeds first.  As the sun beat on my neck, my hands grew muddied, and my knees creaked, I had the urge to curse the curse of weeds.

And then followed the first Bermuda redemption.  G observed me struggling on my hands and knees and asked, "Mommy, if God made weeds because the first people did bad things, how come we have to have weeds too?"  In as few words as possible, I explained that every single person who came after has done bad things too, except One.  Weeding leading to spiritual conversations?  I'd call that redemptive.

But turning the weed time drain into something good didn't end there.  Now, I had planned to come outside, dig a few holes to transplant my seedlings, pop a few seeds in the ground, and call it good--all before lunchtime, of course.  But after an hour of the Battle of Bermuda, the boys wanted lunch.  And I wanted to keep working.  And then came the discovery that my Baby G is now Big Boy G.  For the first time ever, he fixed lunch himself!  Following my instructions, he served cold hot dogs with ketchup and whole apples.  Not the most glam meal ever, but both boys ate without me stepping foot in the house.  Yes!

Canker sores and Bermuda grass can both be physically and emotionally sapping, but in the grand scheme of things, they're pretty minor.  There is a much less minor "owie" in my heart, and tonight I spent time wrapped in Jay's arms, crying and missing my mom-in-law.  It's hard to imagine anything good for us coming of her death.  But if my Redeemer cares about the little things enough to transform them, I believe He can transform these big hurts too.  I don't know how, but I know He can.  And today, that's enough for me.

Happy-List, 15 April 2012

Today is a good day to make a list of happy things.  In no particular order:

1. I <3 NCIS (and don't you dare spoil anything about the plot, because Jay and I just finished season 5).

2. Jay is a wonderful husband!  He spent today's weekend time doing dishes, replacing light bulbs, installing new printer cartridges, emptying trashes, giving me hugs, teaching a group of preschoolers and kindergartners in Sunday School, supervising our kids while I took a nap...

Ooo, good transition here.  I love:

3. Sunday afternoon naps.  Love the soft, warm sheets; the sound of some poor soul's lawnmower (bet they wish they were napping); the tweety-tweet of birds; the unscheduled space of the evening.

4. My kids' friendly spirits in inviting the 3-yr old neighbor boy to play with them and stay for dinner.

5. Being a loving presence to our neighbors.

6. Feeding ducks two blocks away with my kids.

7. My sisters and my brother and while we're at it my dad and his future wife and my father-in-law and Jay's siblings and my siblings' spouses (or "spice" as I prefer) and my nephew.

Other happy things today:

8. Our two rabbits are so cute.

9. A mallard couple likes to nap and hunt snails in our front yard.

10. I have friends who give me hugs, both real and virtual (the hugs, that is; all my friends are real!  That I know of).

11. The sugar snap pea vines in my first-ever garden are blooming.

12. I turned pre-packaged broccoli slaw into stir-fry and my family inhaled it.

There's a pretty happy list.  I may just come back and read it again tomorrow.  Good night!