Silver Lining

"Life is what you make of it.

Always has been.

Always will be."

~ Grandma Moses, age 101

Ryan worked 84 hours last week.  No joke.

Eva's attitude is....well let's just say you can't call it an Attitude of Gratitude.

Sage is sick.  She has a fever and isn't sleeping.  Last night she was up from 1:30 to 4 am.  She wasn't crying, just wasn't happy and most definitely wasn't sleeping.  I'm about ready to perform reverse CPR because those blue bulb nose suckers aren't worth a thing.  I don't know if the eucalyptus oil-infused baths I'm giving her make her feel better or not, but they sure do lift my mood.

River is sick.  He had a vaccine on Friday morning and has been running a fever since Saturday morning.  I want to blame the vaccine, but it was just Hep B.  This Halloween will be remembered as the one he had the extremely cool cowboy costume (think REAL boots, hat, leather vest, belt buckle, wranglers) and did not dress up.

But people don't get on blogs to hear moaning.  And come to think of it, I don't blog to moan either.

And life really is what we make of it, right?

So here's the silver linings of our current existence:

Sage likely got sick from one too many tumbles on the rug and shared puffs with  little Jude.
She says it was worth it!

On Friday before his doctor appointment...showing off his new tricks...
He is in the 99% for height and 96% for weight.  And he's extremely healthy!

Ryan and I have an awesome partnership in this whole parenting/earning income/keeping life spinning thing.
The kids know they are so very lucky. 

This is what Sage looks like when she's sick.  Really.
She does scream and cry too - but still.  At least there's some of this!

Sick boy.
But there's nothing his favorite orange shirt, my blanket,
and a little Curious George movie can't make at least a little better.

Sewing with Mami!  I supply the needle, thread, and cloth.
Then my part is very much done and super-mami does the rest!




Go make the most of life.  Today.

Reason #4

Just had to share pictures of the last fruits before the frost.  

Zombies or no zombies, they make me so happy...

The heater is on.  

Favorite smells of all time:

coffee

my kids' skin

musty books

the heater turned on after months of rest

Yes, the heater smell is reason #4 I love Fall!

Sagie

She really is amazing. 
It just must be said.

With Fall arriving and Winter coming, 
I'm thinking back to where I was in life when it was last these seasons.


Anticipating bedrest.  
Monitoring amniotic fluid levels.  
Imagining her tiny body and still forming parts.
Already begging God to let her cook to 35 weeks.

Then we went all the way to 39.
I don't believe that God grants some miracles and denies others.
But I do know that Sagie is a miracle.
And for that I am crazy grateful.

WIC

It stands for Women Infants and Children.  Its a program administered by the Kansas Health Department to provide nutritious food to children under age 5 and nursing mothers.  Eligibility is based on family income and number of people in the household.  Click here to see requirements.

Each month, you are issued 3 "checks" per person.  They spell out exactly what you can get for free at the grocery store.  You may have noticed the little labels under some foods on the shelves that say "WIC approved."  Here is what the "checks" look like:

2 stories to share:

* This week, Ryan has left for work at 6 am, as usual, and has taught 6th grade English to kids in Wichita until 5 pm each day.  Two days this week, he has returned home at 8:30 pm because he had parent/teacher conferences after school.  One day, he returned home at 6 pm because he had a training after school for the tutoring he will soon begin doing 2 days a week for kids at the school.  Tonight he will go straight from school to Prairie View, where he will work until midnight as a mental health worker in the residential unit for teens.  Although it seems minor in comparison, I'm working 15 hours at our church this week too.

* Today Eva doesn't have school.  Sage usually naps mid-morning.  We spent our morning at the Health Department in Newton.  For an hour, the four of us were in a teeny tiny room (think smaller than a doctor's office room) with a nurse who talked with us in great detail about Sage and River's health - weight, length, hemoglobin level, immunizations, exactly how many ounces of formula Sage eats, where River sits when he eats, how many servings of protein he gets each day, how much tv he watches, etc.  This is an awesome program - they educate parents about every way possible to make their child's eating healthier.  Since I'm on child #3, I can honestly say that they rarely give me new info, but I wish I could've met with them back when I was on #1.

At the end of the hour, they issued my checks and I hauled us all to Dillons.  I usually use all 6 checks at once because it is cumbersome to get exactly what is on the checks, and it takes the checkers about 4 times longer per check to ring things up.  (My kids were awesome.  I found a new trick....They love kiwi...Let them both pick one and carry it the whole time we're in the store...they kept their mitts off of everything and moved very calmly so as not to bruise their kiwi!)

I had 32 containers of babyfood, 7 formula cans, 3 gallons of milk, whole wheat tortillas, bananas, cheese, juice, etc. etc. etc. etc. etc.

It wouldn't ring through.
The checks were dated for October 22.
Today is October 21.
No Can Do.

So I will need to haul us all back there sometime after 10/21/2011 ends and before 11/22/2011 begins to try again.

I am so very very grateful for the WIC program.  I love giving my kids healthy foods.  I love taking groceries to my car once a month and knowing that I spent about $30 instead of $130 for what I have.  I'm not mad - today was my mistake.

But I have several requests for you...

1.  Please do not assume that people who are on WIC don't help themselves.  Ryan and I bust our a-double-s to keep our family healthy and to make enough money to meet our daily needs.

2.  Please don't assume that people who are on WIC have it easy.  If you believe that we do, I invite you to accompany me to the WIC office and then the grocery store with my 3 cherubs absolutely any day.

3.  Support it with your votes for local, state, and national government offices.

4.  If you're on WIC, celebrate it.  Tell your friends.  It is not shameful to accept healthy food for free for you and your children.  Don't be embarrassed.  Instead be grateful.

My fellow rockstars and I say thank you!

Mint Simple Syrup

It is supposed to frost tonight so I cut all the mint and made mint simple syrup today.

Here's how:

Combine 8 c. of sugar and 8 c. of water in a large kettle.
Heat it to boiling, stirring the whole time.
Let it boil for 5 minutes.
Leave it on the stove, but turn off the burner and let the boiling stop.
Stir in a colander-full of mint leaves (about 4 handfuls) - stems and all.
Let it steep for awhile - 30 minutes or whatever you have time for.

Remove the mint leaves and toss them into the compost.
(Can you imagine how drunk on sugar those bugs and worms will get?!)
If you're fanatical about your syrup looking pure, you may want to strain it to get out the teeny pieces of leaves.  I think they add charm.

Pour it into canning jars.  (7 pint jars needed)
Let it cool.
Add a fresh mint sprig and screw on the lid.
Store in the fridge for months.

Here's how I use it:
       * stir into iced tea
       * add a couple of tablespoons to any combo of fruit
       * freeze watermelon, then crush it up, then pour syrup over it.
               serve it in goblets and add a mint sprig.
       * pour a little over a bowl of snow
       * shake 1 Tbsp. syrup with 1/4 c. club soda, a squeezed lime,
              and a shot or two of rum for mojitos in the winter

****SPOILER ALERT****
I'm giving these as gifts for Christmas to family and teachers.  I'll post pics of the finished product later.

Although I'm sad that the frost is coming and my precious mint will be going dormant, this syrup is decidedly Reason #3 that I LOVE FALL!

Little Red Babes

I was feeling very
Woa-is-me-ish,
Monday-gloomy,
Life-is-so-terribly-taxing,
Not-in-the-mood-ish
today.

I went outside to throw some clothes on the line
and caught a glimpse of red in the garden.

How can my pity party go on when I get to
eat fresh tomatoes from the garden in mid-October?!

I picked and ate at least 30 little red babies while I stood there.
The rest I will concoct something with for supper
just to remind me that life is so terribly not gloomy.

"We plow the fields and scatter the good seed on the ground.
But it is fed and watered by God's almighty hand.
He sends the snow in winter; the warmth to swell the grain;
The seed time and the harvest and soft refreshing rain.

All good gifts around us are sent from heaven above.
We thank you Lord, we thank you Lord,
For all your love."

Bandit Hallow

"Spend the afternoon.  You can't take it with you."

~ Annie Dillard

We camped for a few days with the Tyner and Koontz families.

Best camping experience to date.  Best ever.  And that's no easy mark to hit.

After much deliberation, we affectionately named our campsite Bandit Hallow.

We tossed around many names with "wood" in the title, mostly because we are less than mature adults and the word found its way into 90% of the conversation all weekend.

But Bandit Hallow sure does fit.

Nate and Esther, you're welcome.  

I told you that you would thank me for pulling the B out of my pocket and 

insisting on this exact site.

hot cocoa face

Kirsten, you really are "naturally sweet"!

Lennon told some of the best stories around the campfire.
Perhaps because he is such a ponderer of all things?

Old Maid on the hill.

Two Oh SoYoung Maids on the hill.

                         

Sing along time with Uncle Toby.
Unfortunately it ended abruptly when one of the kids requested a Lady Gaga song.
He just couldn't find it within himself to go on.

Mags and Sage are bonded now.

Dish duty!

More than one way to warm a bottle.  Also invented a new very handy trick...During the night when you don't want to go out to the fire, sleep with it shoved in your armpit.,,the perfect temp for a 2 am feeding!

It just doesn't get much better than good friends, a hot smoky fire, crisp air, kids playing in the dirt, hobo dinners, camp coffee, guitar tunes, and wearing the same clothes for 3 days.

Thank you, Bandit Hallow!

We love our Jo-Jo

 

I work two mornings a week as our worship coordinator at church, 

so Super Nanny comes to our house to hang with River and Sage.

Jodi is amaaaaaaaazing.  

She is Oliver's full-time nanny, and he comes along.  

She manages to keep all 3 kiddos happy, fed, rested, and even having fun all morning.

You know she's ridiculously good when you come home to a tent in the living room!

Sage only has eyes for her as soon as she gets here at 8 am.  

Perhaps its because of Jodi's awesomeness.  

Perhaps its because Sage is desperate to flee from my coffee breath.  Regardless, its great.

We love our Jo-Jo!!!

 And these are just because...

There really is no explanation.  

It just got hot again last week, there was a tiny pool and some water handy, 

and one thing led to another.

Veggie Fajitas

This one's for you, my vegetarian friends.  (I think I only have 2, but one can always wish, right?)

We really like fajitas.  We don't so much like meat.  

Veggie fajita recipes are harder to come by than you might think.  But we have SO arrived.  

I've made this often this summer b/c of all the peppers, onions, and garlic from our garden.  

I promise, this is the best.

1 or 2 of each - onion, green pepper, red pepper, sliced
4 cloves garlic, broken with the side of your knife
     marinade in a plastic baggie for at least 30 minutes in a marinade of:
1/4 c. olive oil
1/3 c. lime juice
1 tsp. soy sauce
1 tsp. chili powder
1 tsp. dried cilantro
1/2 tsp. cumin
dash of crushed red pepper
dash of salt
dash of cayenne pepper

Throw it all in a hot skillet and saute for 10ish minutes.

Friends recently introduced us to liquid smoke, which is now a total must-have with these.  Throw in a few squirts of that in the last few minutes for added flavor.

To take it to the next level, add: (sometimes we do this and sometimes we don't)
     1 c. beans (black or pinto)
     1 c. rotel tomatoes
     1/2 c. corn
Saute 5 minutes longer.

Serve with tortillas, cheese, salsa, sour cream, guacamole, pico, cilantro, you name it.  And margaritas.

Go Slowly

I saw this really awesome wall-hanging at the Barn Sale last weekend.  

It was for counting down the "days til".  

I was saved from buying it by the fact that it was done on a chalkboard.  

My teeth recede up to my eyeballs when I have to touch chalk or look at a chalkboard.  (Maybe the reason I never did so well in middle school math class?  Yes, that's it.  That explains that.)

Becky taught me how to make a fun markerboard out of an old photo frame and some cloth.  So the two combined ideas brought me to this:

So fun.

We really are going camping in only 7 days.  

For 3 nights.  Cannot wait.  Really really really cannot wait!

I also made a blank one for posting quotes:

But let's talk about that...

"Go slowly...there is precious little time."

Ryan has but one speed, and let's just say its not fast.  

When we park the car at the store, I am usually to the doors of the store before his car door finally shuts. I am not exaggerating.

The other day when River spilled his milk, I cupped my hands under the table to catch the milk that was pouring through the crack.  I asked him to grab something to clean it up with.  He finished his sandwich, went to the pantry, retrieved a new roll of paper towels, unwrapped them, threw away the wrapping,  and then brought me ONE.  

I swear it.  

But most of the time, I'm grateful to him for slowing me down.  I am made of many things, but not patience.  I enjoy accomplishing things, but not processing any thing.  I would rather repeat a task because it wasn't done well the first time than take my time doing it.  

It is important though, isn't it?  To slow down and breathe in our everyday living.  To live the moments.  There truly is so precious little time.  

Thank you God for Ryan - who slows me down.  Thank you for this life and my reasons named Eva, River, and Sage to go slowly.

Favorite Things #2

Oprah would say we should do this every month...

Here's Favorite Things #2...

That white with red rim antique enamelware.  

This little pitcher is currently at home on Sage McCage's highchair.  

She plays with the lids in it while we work in the kitchen.

Bare Minerals make-up.  

Life changing.  

These little pots cost way too much.  

But they're way too worth it to pass up.

Composition Books.  

If you buy them at the start of the school year, they only cost 99 cents.

I create a new one every 6 months or so, and keep it with me like a third arm.

It contains lists, quotes, inspirations, journal entries, more lists, things I rip out of magazines, cards, doodles, stuff the kids draw, more lists, recipes, notes, and more lists. 

Sage volunteered to demonstrate two of my favorite things....

The bumbo.  

If you have a baby, get one of these.  You're welcome.

Basil.  

Sometimes I think we should've named her Basil.  Seriously, I do.

I love that herb so much.

Sage may or may not have thrown up after this picture was taken.  Maybe 6 month olds aren't supposed to eat basil?

Thank you, Gretchen.  

I love the flavor and the label and the name.

I meant to take a picture of a full bottle, but just couldn't seem to find one.

Vests.

Some people have panties for every day of the week.  Or socks.  I have vests.

They are a permanent part of my wardrobe.

You know the people you see walking around in polyester and you think,

 "Oh dear.  Someone needs to tell them that those clothes are so 30 years ago." 

That will be me with vests.

They make a person just the right amount of warm, 

give just enough wiggle room, 

and mask any extra inches.

Every day I get to use this colander is a happy one.

So there you have it!

Leave a comment with your suggestions for Favorite Things #3!