Rocks In My Dryer

Grrr...

I am not an economist, a politician or a fuel industry CEO.  I have no idea who is and isn't telling the truth about why gas prices are so high.  I don't know what the most workable solution is as to how to bring them down.  But I DO know if I hear one more talking head on TV tell me that I should switch to driving a paper-clip sized hybrid, I'm going to reach through the TV and...and...and do something really bad to them.  Where, oh where, do these people think I'm supposed to put my four children?  On the luggage rack?  Maybe they should curl up in the pea-sized trunk?   

And, while we're at it, do NOT tell me just to "drive less".  I am making a concerted effort to decrease my time spent in the car these days, but there's only so much I can do.  I live in a mid-sized US city where public transportation is not a feasible option.  No buses, no trains.  And the children have to get to the pediatrician, and school, and church, and our already-limited number of extra-curricular activities, whether my gas budget has been exceeded or not.  So there.

Sorry, just needed to get that off my chest.  Now, would someone please just FIX THIS?

Weekend Hodge-Podge

I have several unrelated things I've wanted to tell you about, so here goes...

First, a big thanks to Julie at Everyday Mommy for awarding me her Golden Croc Award (see my sidebar, left, for her cute graphic).  Be sure you go check out her cute blog and nominate a Mommy Blogger you love.  In Julie's words,

This award will be presented weekly to the Mommy Blog which typifies the spirit of mommies and which brings laughter, tears, encouragement and comfort to Mommy Blog Readers everywhere.

Secondly, I wrote some posts earlier this month about my experience with miscarriage.  Afterwards, I received a lovely note from author Hannah Stone, author of Forever Our Angels.  Though I haven't had a chance to read her book yet, based on its reviews it sounds like an excellent resource for parents suffering from pregnancy loss.  I'd recommend that you take a look.

Still moving along...

C.S. Lewis said that "the rule of the universe is that others can do for us what we cannot do for ourselves, and one can paddle every canoe except one's own."   Blest With Sons is coordinating a wonderful effort to bring encouragement to bloggers in need.  I won't try to explain the plan here; she does it much better than I could.  Please go check out this post, and consider joining with this group of women!

Last thing for today, I promise.  I stumbled onto MomOfBoys.org, a fantastic resource "especially for those moms who are outnumbered by males in their own home."  As I happily fit into that category, I've enjoyed browsing their numerous helpful tips. 

And that, my friends, is it for me.  My dear sister-in-law will be in town this weekend, and I have lots of girl talk to catch up on.  Have a good weekend!

On Coolness

Hubs and I are not cool.  I listen to Barry Manilow with regularity, and Hubs (I'm not kidding) once watched a two-hour PBS documentary on Shitake mushrooms.  I mean, we're fun to be around, we're blessed with lots of friends, but do not have that quintessential whatever-it-is that makes a person supremely cool (which, I might add, is perfectly fine with us). 

It would stand to reason that two un-cool parents would produce equally un-cool offspring, wouldn't it?  If this were biological fact, then someone switched our second son at the hospital.

Stephen, age 7, is naturally cool.  He can smoothly navigate any social situation, and he effortlessly finds himself at the center of the crowd wherever he goes.  He's a born leader, regularly forming (and heading) "clubs" of boys on the playground.  He certainly didn't learn this skill from us, so somewhere in this little boy's genetic code there must be a DNA molecule wearing an iPod.   

Case in point:  Stephen has a growing awareness of what music is popular right now--an awareness that was getting out of hand.  He was coming home from school singing Gwen Stefani (whose music I actually like, but not all her lyrics belong in the mouth of a 1st grader).  So one evening Stephen and I sat down at the computer together to create him a CD of "cool" music with a positive message.  We browsed through the Newsboys and Worship Jamz, but Stephen insisted on hearing a preview of any song we downloaded.  Because, in his words, "I want to make sure it sounds like hip-hop, not funk.  I don't like funk."  Hip-hop?  Funk?  Where is he getting this stuff--on the playground?  Doesn't anyone play Red Rover these days?

When we stumbled upon the Newsboys song WooHoo, my blond-haired, snaggle-toothed boy exclaimed (in his best gangsta voice), "Aww, yeah, Mom, that's TIGHT!"  "Tight?" I asked him.  He just grinned.  "Yeah, you know, tight.  Good.  Cool." 

(And may I pause to point out that I correctly used the term "gansta" in the previous paragraph, so perhaps there is hope for me still).

While Stephen's coolness is entertaining, we're not so naive to miss this red flags in this.  He may be a little too sophisticated for his own good, and I sometimes feel my hands tightening around the reins, gearing up for what may be a bumpy ride through adolescence.  Very often I ask God to hold that hip little heart in His hands, and use Stephen's social giftedness to draw others to Him.  Mercifully, even in Stephen's coolness, he is blessed with a soft heart and a natural compassion.  He told me last week that his current playground "club" meets under the slide at recess to "pray and talk about being nice to girls." If you ask me, I'd say that's pretty tight.

By Design

Do you like my new header?  My blogging friend Susie designed it for me!.  She has launched a new blog design business called A Little Luxury.  Her specialty is working with people who use Blogger, though she can also help out Typepad folks like me with headers.   And folks, her prices are AMAZINGLY low.  I mean, really, really, crazy, what-is-she-thinking low.  So before she figures out how talented she really is and raises her prices, you should run over there RIGHT NOW and sign up to have her freshen up your blog.  Be sure you see her gallery of designs!

Speaking of blog design, I'd be interested to hear some good discussion on the topic--so please, weigh in!  How important is blog design to you, as a reader?  Do you find yourself drawn to a particular "look" of blog?  Does it bug you when a blogger changes his or her design very often?  Do you think dark or light backgrounds are easier on the eyes?  Are there any design features you really like to see?  Any you don't?

As for me, my ever-aging eyes seem to prefer a white or very light background--much easier to read, especially late at night (when I do most of my blogging).  And one important feature I always like to see is a way to e-mail the writer.  And obviously design changes don't bother me, seeing as how I change mine all the time (you should see how often I rearrange things in my house!).

So, you great bunch of commenters, let's talk blog design.  What do you have to say?  If you think of it, come back to see what others are saying--we can all learn something!

Works For Me: Grocery List

Thank you for your sweet comments yesterday about my son Joseph.  As I was sharing my post (and your birthday wishes) with him, he was disappointed to learn that I did NOT tell you that he knows how to suck the insides out of a grape without tearing the skin.  I told him I would remedy that grievous oversight right away.  So...Joseph is kind, smart, funny and loyal, but first and foremost, that boy is extremely talented with a grape.  I am beyond proud.

Next...

Thanks so much to those of you who participated in last week's first edition of Works-For-Me Wednesday!  I already have so many ideas from visiting your sites.   If you'd like to participate again today, remember to let me know and I'll link to you at the end of those post.

On to today's idea...

Because I do not enjoy grocery shopping, I will do anything to make it easier and faster.  A couple of years ago I went to my grocery store with a pen and paper and walked the "route" I always take whenever I'm there.  I wrote which aisles I come to, in order (that part is important).  Then I transferred my written list to a Word document, with blank lines below each aisle.   You can click here to see the finished product:

Download grocery.pdf 

Each week I keep one of these lists on my fridge.  As I run out of something, I write it down directly on the list.  That way when I'm ready to go to the store, I have a complete list already in order, and I can sail through the store at lightning speed--no more back-tracking!  (While you are welcome to use my list, chances are that your grocery store won't be in the same order as mine.  The real key to this shortcut is having your items written down in the order you come to them.  It will take you only 5-10 minutes to walk through your own grocery store and make one of these lists.)

I can't tell you how much time this has saved me--and money, too, because being more organized at the outset of my trip causes me to make fewer impulse purchases.

So, any ideas you'd like to share at your blog?  I'm all ears...

OTHER WORKS-FOR-ME WEDNESDAY PARTICIPANTS:

• Traci
• Julie
• Rabbit
• Faith
• MomRN2
• Michele
• Nettie
• Michelle
• Monica
• Jane
• Chaotic Mom
• Kim
• Peach
• Tina
• Mary
• Lynn
• Sheryl
• Megan
• Diane
• Stephanie
• Chilihead
• Shalee
• Lolly
• Sandra
• Amber (Soggy Cheerios)
• ABC Momma
• Lammyann
• LDSchicks
• Amber (No Reimer Reason)
• Janice

Happy Birthday, Joseph!

My youngest boy is turning five tomorrow.  My baby boy.  This is the boy who has carved lightning bolts into my mini-van, poured honey on my carpet, spread Hershey's syrup on my dog--and utterly, completely nestled himself into the deepest part of my heart.  His tendency toward mischief is overshadowed entirely by his tender heart for the people around him.  He loves his family with complete abandon, and his teacher brags on how kind he is to his fellow students, especially those that need extra encouragement.  He cannot walk past his little sister without kissing her on the forehead, and our dog, confident in receiving Joseph's generous affection, follows him around all day long.

Each of my children has brought something unique to this family, filling a spot that no one else could fill.  Joseph is the child who has, in five short years, taught me so much about the nature of love--its unselfishness and its simplicity.  So happy birthday, sweet boy...we all love a little better all because of you.

On an entirely different note, remember that tomorrow is the second edition of Works-For-Me Wednesday.  Be preparing your handy ideas to share with us all!  I'll link to anyone who participates, if you'll let me know.

The DaVinci Code

Unless you've been living under a rock, you've probably heard that the movie The DaVinci Code is being released in theaters very soon.  The book (which I read--and enjoyed--a couple of years ago), and now the movie, have created a hot-bed of controversy about who Jesus (and thus the Church) was and is.  As a result, it seems that nearly everything that could be said about this book has already been said, by people much smarter than I am. 

So why am I blogging about it today?  Mainly, to point you to this site--a reasoned and well-researched response to many of the issues the book raises.  I urge you to look through it as time allows.  Carol, at She Lives, also writes an excellent post on the subject.

I am neither a theologian nor an art historian.  I'm a regular old Bible-believing, book-loving, movie-watching Joe Schmoe.  But I have enough good sense not to obtain legal advice from a John Grisham novel or couple's therapy from Danielle Steele's latest bestseller.  And I know that Dan Brown is an author, not a theologian, and he is not my resource for knowledge about the Church, or the Bible, or Jesus. 

If you're reading this, and you aren't sure about who Jesus is or is not, please let me urge you to go the source.  Recognize a good fictional book as just that:  fiction.  Talk to someone who really, truly knows Him before you decide you can't.  Has the Church handled everything in history with perfect grace?  No.  But I know that you can draw a straight line with a crooked stick, and that the Church isn't perfect, but God is.

If you do know and love Christ, remember that we don't have to get hot under the collar when others misunderstand us.  In fact, we're told to expect it.  All we can do is speak the truth, in love.

I'd be interested to hear others' thoughts on the matter, though please, let's keep it civil.

To Schedule or NOT To Schedule?

Julie from Everyday Mommy is brave enough to take on the subject of "Putting Baby on a Schedule", and she's asking some other blog moms to weigh in.  Since I'm so honored that she asked me specifically, I'll venture into these choppy waters myself.

I am, by nature, a scheduler.  When my first baby was born almost nine years ago, I totally bought into one parenting "program" in particular that advocated rather rigid structures for babies.  I spent the first three months of my son's life in tears, utterly frustrated that he just wouldn't nurse exactly the way I wanted him to, when I wanted him to, etc.  To be perfectly frank, I missed out on some sweet times because I felt so "guilted" into making sure his little day ran like a clock. 

By the second baby, I was considerably more laid back about things, but I still held The Perfect Schedule as some sort of ideal that we might reach if we moved toward it gradually.  Meal times and naptimes were at precisely the same time each day, and this was do-able--with two little ones at home, we could be the master of our own timetables.

But later, as baby number three, and even moreso baby number four joined our family ranks, schedules flew quickly out the window.  We ARE at the mercy of others now--we have school plays and Cub Scouts and swim lessons and soccer practice and a generally busy life on the go.  Sometimes, naptime happens in the car.  Sometimes meal time is an hour late and in the McDonald's parking lot.  And guess what?  No one has died from it.  In fact, I find that my youngest two kids are a little more adaptable than the older two, and I can't help but wonder if this is a function of our more free-wheeling way of doing things. 

Of course, it is always nice to have a general idea of what's coming next.  When possible, we stick to a skeleton of a schedule for the littler ones around here.  Waking up and bedtime are at generally the same time each day, and I try to make sure that 4-5 days a week naptime is quiet and at home.  (For all things sleep-related, our family has sworn by the book Solve Your Child's Sleep Problems by Dr. Richard Ferber).  But if the regular naps can't quite happen, I've learned that the world will, in fact, continue spinning.  And if the affected child is a little extra grumpy for a day or two...well, it will pass, and we'll all learn patience in the meantime.

*IF YOU ONLY READ ONE PORTION OF THIS POST, MAKE IT THIS NEXT PART*

You may see a variety of things on my blog, but you will never hear me say that ONE parenting method is the ONLY way.  (And honestly, I'd be extremely leery of anyone who claimed otherwise).  Always, always, consideration must be given to the individual personalities of both baby and parent.  For some families, tight schedules seem to be an important part of maintaining family peace.  For others, the complete absence of structure is their natural rhythm.  For most families, like mine, somewhere in the middle of the spectrum is perfectly adequate.   As long as needs are being met, children are being loved and taught, and marriages are being respected, I salute any family that is doing its best. 

"Leave Him To Me"

Elisabeth Elliott is one of my favorite authors.  The following excerpt is from A Lamp For My Feet.  Are you in the middle of a conflict with someone you love?  Read this, and be encouraged...

When there is deep misunderstanding which has led to the erection of barriers between two who once were close, every day brings the strengthening of those barriers if they are not, by God's grace, breached. One prays and finds no way at all to break through. Love seems to "backfire" every time. Explanations become impossible. New accusations arise, it seems, from nowhere (though it is well to recall who is named the Accuser of the brethren). The situation becomes ever more complex and insoluble, and the mind goes round and round, seeking the place where things went wrong, brooding over the words which were like daggers, regretting the failures and mistakes, wondering (most painfully) how it could have been different. Much spiritual and emotional energy is drained in this way--but the Lord wants to teach us to commit, trust, and rest.

"Leave him to me this afternoon," is what His word is. "There is nothing else that I am asking of you this afternoon but that: leave him to Me. You cannot fathom all that is taking place. You don't need to. I am at work--in you, in him. Leave him to Me. Some day it will come clear--trust Me."

"Humble yourselves under God's mighty hand, and he will lift you up in due time. Cast all your cares on Him, for you [and the other] are his charge" (l Pt 5:7).

Surfin' USA

No, you're not imagining things--there's a new look up at my blog today.  It's part of my feeble effort at teaching myself PhotoShop.  A good blogging friend of mine is designing a fancy-shmancy new header for me; in the meantime, I thought I'd play around with my own limited skills.

Anyhoo....

Today I'm putting together a birthday party for 15 five-year-old little boys--don't YOU wish you could come?  So since all my mental energy is being spent stuffing soccer gift bags, I'll forward you on to some funny web sites I've found recently:

Have you ever heard of the book Lamentations of the Father, by Ian Frazier?  You can read the piece in its hilarious entirety here.  It's long, but trust me, you will want to stay with it.

Oh, and I have to show you this site.  There are not words to describe how happy I am to see all these great quotes in one place.

Lastly, here's a fun site to play around on with your kids.  It's also a fun site to play around on after the kids go to bed and you can pretend you're a lounge singer singing Barbara Streisand songs.  Not that I've done that, of course.

Have a good weekend, friends!