The Peril of Having a Cute Baby

"Oh, aren't YOU just the cutest thing in the world???"

"I just want to take that little one home with me!"

"Aw, just look at that adorable little girl!"

"She is the most precious thing..."

They hear it all the time. The one everyone's talking about? Yeah, she doesn't much notice, though she usually offers a sweet, big-eyed smile. Her siblings? They hear every word. And, so, yesterday, at CVS...

"Oh, I think you're the cutest little angel I've ever seen!" from a young lady working there.

Her significantly older co-worker amended, "Oh, I see cute times three right there!"

The first lady stammered, "Oh, well, of course, yes, all three are so cute!"

My oldest, my son, spoke up:

"G. is a cutie pie!"

Both salesladies assured him that they're all darling.

He continued, "But G's so cute! She's the cutest! Everyone says so." And with that, he walked off, innocent smile still in place.

Ouch.

That's what they hear. All. The. Time.

G. IS cute. She looked like the Gerber baby when she was younger and still has ridiculously long-lashed, giant blue eyes. She's a charismatic little flirt and charms men and women, young and old.

BUT...

My two older children aren't chopped liver. And, while I KNOW that babies and precocious toddlers can be appealing little magnets, we can't forget their older (and more aware, I might add) sibs.

I'm working hard to make sure they know how wonderful (and adorable and lovable and clever and...) they are. And I promise, should I ever meet you in real life, to never leave your older children out.

Lent '11: Letting Go of Judgment, Challenge 3

I continue to be excited to be taking on this challenge for Lent. I truly believe that, for me, there is so much more value in this journey than there would be in, say, giving up cheese (the thought of which, I admit, nearly sends me into convulsions of withdrawal...)

Did you participate last week? Even if you didn't, I'd love to have you participate along with me at any time. There are absolutely no rules or requirements for this Lenten journey.


Are you ready for our Week 3 Challenge?

On my original "I Vaccinate, Cuddle, and Drink Diet Coke... and So?" post, I received this fantastic comment from Amy:

My husband (and a dear friend) will quell 'near arguments' about such things by saying, "This isn't a matter of faith and/or morals".

It has been running through my mind ever since.


Here's our challenge this week...

When you feel that initial knee-jerk judgment pop up after hearing/seeing/reading something that goes against YOUR grain, ask yourself: "Is this a matter of faith or morals?" If it's not, try to allow it to roll off your back.


And then come back to see me next Wednesday so we can talk about it and get a new challenge, okay? (I'm going to try to note down at least a couple of examples of this in my life over the next week... feel free to share only one example or as many as you can come up with!)

Button design by the spectacular Sidnie

Lent '11: Letting Go of Judgment, Challenge 2 RESULTS

I was thrilled to read the results from Week 1 of those of you taking on this challenge for Lent. I am so inspired to hear the progress we are making, side-by-side, as we truly listen to our sisters in Christ and try to open our minds and hearts without judgment. (It can be hard, can it not?)

Week 2's challenge was this:

Challenge 2: Free-write for five minutes. Defend a different choice or view. (For example, I could write about being against vaccinations or circumcision.) Let yourself see the "other side" just for a few moments.

Here's my attempt:

Mealtimes aren't meant to be battlegrounds. It is more important to me that my children eat SOMETHING and that we have happy conversation than it is to insist they eat all the things I do. I mean, really, how much does it really matter if my 6yo eats cabbage or salmon? It's not worth sweating the small stuff. I think setting firm guidelines for eating can lead to bad relationships with food. I don't want it to be a power struggle, so I'd rather just make the Eggos and chicken nuggets I know he'll eat. Lots of kids are picky eaters and they turn out just fine. If the pediatrician is worried, we can always do a vitamin supplement. I'm not...

And that was five minutes. You know I'm honest since I stopped mid-sentence.

If you have read my blog for any length of time, you know I don't really think that way. In fact, I wrote a whole series on "Raising Good Eaters." I stepped on some toes, as you can see in the comments. That's okay, though.

Anyway, I did realize, as I wrote this out, that I didn't feel "stupid" making these arguments. I get it... I do. It's not how I'm going to do things- and I remain unconvinced that it's the healthiest way to go- but we all make choices. I let my kids eat Taco Bell last Saturday night (a promised reward after completing several weeks on a star chart) and I know I have readers who probably want to vomit just reading that. It's alright.

My apologies if you thought I was going to go the tough route and write a pro-choice piece this week. I just cannot do that. For me, it's an issue of faith and morality. More on that in a later week.

Enough about me!

Did you participate this week? I'd love to read what you wrote! Link up below or tell me about it in the comments:

Pain in the Neck

Please help me. That's what I look like right now.

I don't know WHAT I did while I was sleeping last night, but I woke up with a terrible pain in the right side of my neck. I'm known around here for having a pretty high pain tolerance, but this is really messing up my day!

It's a good thing my one year old is fiercely independent, because I can't carry her very well right now. I can't turn my head to the right, either... Seriously, I planned my route running errands this morning so I didn't have to rely on looking right. That's BAD! And not particularly safe, for that matter.

Advice???

Here's what I've tried:

Not looking right. Not raising my right arm more than necessary.

Other ideas? Ice? Heat? Medicines? Magic spells?

I'm so rarely injured (well, except for my klutzy bruises), I have no clue what to try.

I'm desperate for your help! Thanks!

Oatmeal Raisin Muffins

It is not often that Twitter fails me, but it happened on Sunday. No one had an Oatmeal Raisin muffin recipe for me. Boo hoo! No worries... just another opportunity to get to work creating. And create I did.

This muffin is not too sweet and not too "grainy". The yogurt helps do great things to the oats and the spices pair well with the raisins. Nothing too funky, flavor-wise, here, so this should be a crowd pleaser...



Oatmeal Raisin Muffins

1 cup rolled oats
1 cup plain yogurt
3/4 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
6 tablespoons coconut oil (or butter), melted
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup raisins

Combine oats and plain yogurt in a bowl and allow to sit for a half hour or so. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In large mixing bowl, combine flour, baking powder, salt, baking soda, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Stir in brown sugar, coconut oil (or butter), and eggs. Fold in yogurt/oat mixture. Fold in raisins. Batter should be quite thick, but if it's too difficult to work with, feel free to stir in up to two tablespoons of milk. Spoon into greased muffin tins. Bake for 20 minutes.

Yield: 12 standard muffins or 9 "big" muffins. (I like to fill my tins very full and let them rise high. But that might just be me. ;))

Linked to:
Tasty Tuesday
Tempt My Tummy Tuesday

Menu Plan: 3/20-The 1yo Ate All My Broccoli

I told you all I'd let you know what I was planning, fasting-wise, so here you go: I am fasting every Wednesday up until dinnertime. I AM allowing myself water, black coffee, and a vitamin. So far I've found it to be very powerful and prayerful. I have also found that, while Wednesdays aren't terribly tough for me, I wake up starving (and grateful for breakfast!) on Thursdays.

Yesterday's brunch made my whole house smell fantastic... a little bright spot during a somewhat challenging weekend. Here's what's hittin' our table:

Sunday:

B-Cereal, Yogurt, Juice

L-PW's Cinnamon Baked French Toast
D-Hot & Sour Peanut Noodles w/ Shrimp & Broccoli (Truth? The 1yo got almost all the broccoli... which was perfectly fine with the 5yo, but a bummer for me!)

Monday:

B-Strawberry Vanilla Oatmeal, Milk

L-P, B, & J, Cheese & Crackers, Juice

D-Creamy Marsala Noodles, Green Beans

Tuesday:

B-Oatmeal Raisin Muffins, Applesauce, Milk
L-Tomato Soup w/ Noodles, Grapes, Water
D-Spanish Rice w/ Corn & Chicken

Wednesday:

B-Oatmeal Raisin Muffins, Cheese, Juice

L-Egg Salad on Toast, Creamsicle Smoothie
D-Pizza Paninis, Broccoli

Thursday:

B-C/S Toast, Apples, Milk

L-Mac & Cheese w/ Broccoli, Juice

D-Hot Dog Chili, Corn Muffins

Friday:

B-Smoothies, Fruit

L-Cheesy Beans & Rice, Water

D-Salsa Cheddar Pizza*

Saturday:

B-Cinnamon Rolls, Hard Boiled Eggs

L-Grilled Cheese, Fruit
D-Spaghetti, Cheese Bread, Green Beans

*All pizzas on our menu plans from now until Easter will be MEATLESS in keeping with our Catholic tradition.

While I absolutely adore trying new, fancy things and exploring new flavors, I'm also loving our simple, basic Lenten plan for meals this year. I may make this an annual tradition...

How about you? What are you serving up this week?

This post is linked to Menu Plan Menu.

Ten Minutes

I had accomplished so very much that morning... baked fresh bread, brownies, and more. Sorted, boxed, and labeled six sizes worth of girls' clothes. Vacuumed. Two loads of laundry. Clipped and organized coupons. My, my, wasn't I an impressive one.

It had to be done, see. I knew I had errands to run that afternoon, after nap and school.

Hurry, hurry, rush, rush. Go play now, kids. Yes, I'll help with the princess dress. Yes, that is a corner piece for puzzle. Yes, I'll fix your headband. Now, run along now, Mommy's working.


I had half an hour before I had to pull lunch together. Half an hour where I could get all that laundry folded and put up. Half an hour where I could mop the kitchen floor that sorely needed it. Thirty minutes to pour one more cup of coffee and then scrub the pot.

I gave them each ten minutes.

Ten minutes of uninterrupted Mommy time. Ten minutes to do whatever each wanted with me. Their choices. My time.

And, oh, how much focus they put into their decisions. They pondered. They weighed and, finally, selected...

I read Elmo's 12 Days of Christmas... many, many times.

I helped bring a giant coloring page to life...

I sorted edge pieces so we could put the Transformers together.

The laundry, my dirty floor, and the stained coffee pot? They're all still there. They're not going anywhere. But there will come a day when my ten minutes might not be viewed as such a treasure...

Best half hour I could have spent.

Linked to Finer Things Friday.