The Invisible Woman

This touched my heart today. I have days where I sometimes will say, " Why am I doing this? Why do I put in so much effort into what I am doing with my life and family? No one cares. No one sees. " Some days I wonder why I think that I am making any difference in the world. Couldn't I be out doing something more important? Something more rewarding? Just BE out? This is why we moms do all we do. You are important. And you are doing a job that is noticed. Just not by those around us. We are doing the job that God asked us to do. So treat yourself to an extra glass of sweet tea today and know that HE Sees you.

Christmas Cards

            Yes, it is early still but, I always get my cards at (my favorite store) Target.  Well, Target gets their cards in right after Halloween. That is really early. All of the good cards are gone by Thanksgiving. And since I need an absurd amount, 70 or so, if I wait they don't have enough of the ones I want. So, every year after Halloween, I pick up my ridiculous amount of Christmas cards for a great price.
             That is the easy part. Usually, I try to put a picture on the card of the kids. (I mean who really needs to see me and my husband and talk about the weight we have gained, lost, gained, lost,...) That means I have to get down to the mall (I don't like the mall anymore now that I have 4 kids) Around Thanksgiving to get the Santa picture. It all seems so timely. And a huge bother. I do love the picture of the kids but, I get tired of having to always beat the crowds.
             This year I am really excited. Our church offered free Christmas pictures at the new campus that we are opening on Christmas Eve. Well, they are of the whole family. (Yes, everyone will get to see where I am in my lost, gained, lost, gained, cycle). They turned out fantastic. What is better is that we had a family picture when we moved into our last house 10 years ago. That is also 2 kids ago. We really wanted a new family picture for over the fireplace. I am thrilled to say, this picture will work and we can order the prints online so I don't have to stand in line with all of the kids.
             All I have to do now is get all of the addresses in the computer again so I can print up address labels. And stuff them, and write in them, and...
             Have you done your cards yet? How do you do yours?
            

This is my cute little troop.

             I will be posting some new baby tips in the next post in honor of my cute niece that is due Thanksgiving with her first baby.

World Domination

        
             A friend wrote on Facebook that her baby was up at 5:45 this morning. The morning she really had planned to sleep in. Now the baby was asleep an hour later and she is awake.
              My reply is simple. They know our schedules and deepest desire for sleep and the plan of all children the world round, is to defeat all mom's extra sleep. They believe that a tired mama is easier to manipulate to get their way. They may have something there. Maybe the plan is much bigger, world domination.... Hahahaha.. Evil laugh. 
Yea, lack of sleep here too. Obviously. The slap happiness is a dead ringer.

             Even funnier is that I was talking to another friend this morning and was telling her how I have taken the highchairs out of the kitchen. There wasn't enough space. I replaced them with a plastic picnic bench. Yea, like that is a relaxing meal waiting to happen. My husband says after the littles have been up 15 times, "Where are the highchairs?"

            "Gone. There wasn't enough room." I think he would have rather stepped around them then watch me get up so many times during dinner. I would have never let my first 2 get away with that. They sat in a highchair until they were... I don't know 4. It was clean and easy. Little girl is 2. I don't know what I was thinking. 

            I am waiting for the landlord to call and ask why is the water bill so high. How do you explain it is because my little ones take at least 2 baths a day because it is the best place to put them so they will sit still and are happy so I can get something done. (I don't leave them alone. I will work in the bathroom or sit the 13 year old in the room with a book. Then everyone is happy). They are the cleanest kids in town. 

            My favorite time of day is the end of the day when we are all bathed (hm a trend?) and in jammies. Everyone is in bed. I can plop on the couch and watch something. Anything. I'm tired it doesn't really matter what it is. 

           I love my kids dearly. They are fun and precious. I wonder why we don't have kids when we are younger and have more energy? Oh yea, because then we are kids ourselves.

My Giving Jar Project

You are probably wondering why I have a calendar on my blog. Two in fact. well, I decided to make a giving jar. It is a way for my kids and the ones in our bible study class, to learn about blessings and giving. Really about serving others. Since we are called to serve others. To love others. This is another way to do that.
                    If you look at each day there is a task to do. All of the tasks involve giving a small amount of coins. Each one will give you the opportunity to talk about others that might night have all that we do. Our children aren't so much spoiled as they are unknowing. How can they be truly spoiled when they know nothing else? No other way than how we live. The other day another child on our street saw that we had a T.V. in our car. He was blown away. It struck me as so odd because all of the people we know have T.V.s in their car. In fact I know children that have never been in a car without one. Yet this child had never seen one. My kids were shocked at his reaction. How shocked would they be to meet a child that doesn't own shoes? This isn't a lesson in guilt but, in gratitude and serving. Is loving and caring for others.
                    We will go through each day and fill up the jar according to each task. Then at the end of the project on December 14th ( that is the last day of our bible study class until our break), we will donate our gift to the churches food pantry. Since it will be the Christmas season, there will be an even greater need there. Now these small children, 10 year olds will be able to say that they were able to help feed someone with just a few coins. I hope you enjoy my calendar and decide to use it with your kids. Enjoy.

Cream of Broccoli Soup

          

            We had a cool spell last week. It actually rained. Back to hot weather again this week. Well, I took advantage of the cool weather last week and made soup a couple of times. One of them is my oldest sons favorite and he asks all the time for it. I don't know why I don't make it more often for him (except it is very rich) but, here it is:




Cream of Broccoli Soup

6 cups of milk ( I used whole)
1/2 cup of heavy cream
One big bunch of Broccoli
Salt and pepper to taste
3 TBL butter
3 TBL flour

• First steam the broccoli.
• Take out the broccoli and pull out a few nice looking pieces. The rest of the broccoli, cut up into small pieces. Then mash them with a potato masher. Pulverize it pretty good. 
• After it is steamed I lifted out the steamer and put the flour and butter in the bottom of the pan and made a roue. (Just stir until thick but, don't let it burn).
• Then poured the milk in and the cream. I turned down the heat to medium, and cooked until it started to thicken. 
• Now add both the pulverized and the nice pieces of broccoli to the milk. 
• Continue stirring until it becomes thick. Do not let it boil.
• Add salt and pepper to taste.

That is it. Not too hard and quite fattening. It really is good. Everyone at it here. Even the little ones.
Hope you like it too.