rules up stars
1. No food alode (allowed) atershool
2. No stiling toys wihtout asking
3. No going in Sadie room without asking.
4. No fiting a lode.
5. No going in Ethan room without asking.
6. No going in Lily room without asking.
7. Listen to mom.
8. Listen to dad.
Wednesday, March 16, 2011
March 16, 2011
Two months have slipped through my fingers and what have I accomplished? A whole lot of nothing, really. The usual running around, the random curve ball shaking up the daily grind, and the feeling like I am just marking the days off the calendar. Despite all of this, when I look closely at the details of the past couple of months, there are some noteworthy developments and here are the details.
Ethan competed in the school science fair in February. He was only a handful of 5th graders to volunteer for this project. He competed against the entire 6th grade and won. He went on to the district competition and again came home with a blue ribbon. It was a great amount of work, much more than what I remember doing as a 5th grader, but maybe that is because my mother was also an integral part of the process. The project was on how temperature affects magnets. It was a fun and very interesting project in that the results proved something opposite of scientific research. However, it helped Ethan understand that scientific research is full of variables that must be controlled. I think that is what impressed the judges the most in the interview - the understanding of the scientific process.
Ethan continues to mature at a rate much faster than I would like. He is a delight to spend time with and I find that our discussions are often very deep and meaningful. His humor is fantastically witty and he can send me into stitches for several days. He works hard at school and in swimming; the end results however, are not always how he would like them to be. It has been tough to realize that sometimes you don't always get what you want no matter how hard you try. His perseverance is growing and I see that life lessons and personal values are being developed. It warms my heart when he still requests time to talk with me on my bed. These days are numbered, so I never turn them down.
The social circumstances in which he found himself this school year has been a struggle. He had to muddle through the different boys in his class, discovering for himself just who he was and who were real and true friends. He has found a comfortable spot with all the boys in his class, able to move with ease throughout the various groups. He has also learned a lot about what it means to be true to yourself and comfortable in your own skin. This is a great platform to build upon as we head into the tumultuous middle school years.
Sadie is Sadie. Life is never bland or mundane in her world. We plod through homeschool every day - some with success and some that could stand to be a bit better. Some days I could throw the books out the door and her along with them. Thankfully, my feelings are fickle and an hour later, I feel satisfied with our progress. I have not had the frustration of her not "getting" the material, it has been more the frustration of her attitude. I guess I can not expect her to throw herself into her work with excitement and vigor, because some days as an adult I do not want to accomplish what I must. However, a little more consistency would be a blessing.
There are moments in this year that my heart swells with love for this little crazy being. She is a task master when she wants to be, serving others with such joy and love. On the weekends, it is not unusual for her to make my coffee and breakfast (eggs and toast). She carefully arranges it on a bamboo tray, complete with napkins, silverware and appropriate condiments and delivers it with a love note and smile to my bedside. Some days she would rather clean and organize my car inside and out, than sit for two hours doing schoolwork. She has a developing spirit of mothering and keeps reminding me that in three years she can become an official babysitter. I have no doubt that she will be a wonderful housekeeper as she grows older. For the time being, she maintains piles of trinkets, mementos and paper giblets in her room.
One major change for Sadie has been her commitment to swimming. After a fairly disappointing season and a very emotionally volatile swim meet in March, we decided to let Sadie have a break from swimming. She has been all over the place regarding her enjoyment of the sport, sometimes living only for it and sometimes pitching a fit about it. At her last meet she swam the 50 free in 50 seconds (10 seconds slower than her personal best) and then the next day swam it in 36 seconds (a personal best by 4 seconds). There is absolutely no logic in her inconsistency. We could only guess that she is over thinking and vacillating between drive and defeat. Unfortunately, the connection with her coach this year has not been what she needed and therefore she was not given the encouragement she needed. The final nail on the coffin was her verbalization of feeling like she was not a very good swimmer and felt as if she were one of the worst in her division. Once we pulled her, she was quite emotional - crying about wanting to continue. However, we are forcing her to take at least a month or two off in order to decide if she really wants to go back. My guess is that she will want to go back, but we will limit it to only one or two days and swim only seasonally, meaning no meets. She definitely wants to swim on our summer league team. My hope is that she will discover the fun of the sport again and move past the competition of it all.
I write about this next item very, very carefully and with much trepidation. Sadie announced to me in the car one day a couple of weeks ago that she has a dream. "Mom, I have this dream and I know it is going to happen. I am going to be a superstar." I turned it into a talk about working for hard for big dreams which she did not fully appreciate. Anyway, in order to say that I have at least made one attempt to help her with this "dream," I sent a few pictures in to a very reputable modeling agency. One attempt and then I can say I "supported" her vision. Well, we got a call yesterday. They want to see Sadie. Sigh. Not sure how I really feel about all of this, but we haven't committed to anything at this point and there is no job that has been booked. Taking it one step at a time, knowing they and I can pull the brakes at any moment. Enough about that.
Lily is her usual happy-go-lucky little self. She is oblivious of any of her shortcomings which I completely LOVE. She wants to try everything and thinks she is good enough to continue with everything. She is not the athlete, but that doesn't stop her from playing soccer again. This week, one of the coaches took some time out to work with her one-on-one on her kicking skills which are a bit sub-par compared to the other children. Add that to my to-do list in the coming weeks.
She walks through life excited about everything. It is such a blessing to have a child who skips through life and is not prone to crying and fits. Sure, she complains and whines at times, but we are working towards ending that habit, using time out on the stairs and practice using her words with a normal tone. She is also everyone's friend. She makes them easily and seems to enjoy just about every other child her age.
Her two front teeth are STILL missing after 9 months! I can see the very tips of the new teeth, but they have yet to break the gum. In the meantime, she has lost another tooth on the bottom. She spends her time swimming two days a week, playing soccer and taking piano lessons. She is also an avid reader. At night I often have to take her books away from her because she will read until way past her bedtime. She still shares a unique relationship with Ethan. He is her protector and consequently his friends are often her biggest fans.
I write this on the heels of a two week visit from Oma. I feel like the kids have had very little time with her this go around which makes me sad. School, activities, etc. along with their independence makes it difficult. It is nice to hear Oma speak of the changes she notices between her visits. I felt some surprise when she said it is much calmer with the children around. She said she notices it the most with Sadie. That was very pleasing to hear. She commented that the children are all much more independent, requiring a lot less of my energy, which has been replaced by my taxi services. And, on a funny note, she noticed that the music selections have been changed in the car from children's music to pop music. That actually made me sad and I scrounged around the car for some Veggie Tales, much to the protests of Sadie and Ethan.
After one more school quarter, I will have a middle schooler. I just can not believe it. It is time for us to make next year's school decisions. FOr sure, Ethan will return to HPCA for middle school. For sure, Sadie will remain at home for 4th grade, although it was a very, very tough decision because the possible teachers are phenomenal. What is up in the air is Lily. She has asked to be homeschooled for 2nd and 3rd grade. I can see it being a great fit for Sadie to have her home. I don't think I have any doubt that she will be focused and eager. But, can I handle two at the same time? Will Sadie's temporal rotten attitude for getting her work done be a diversion? Would it cause me to mentally go over the edge? Things to ponder and pray over. Decisions need to be made fairly soon.
I hope this long entry means that I will be back to writing. I was very encouraged by my mother-in-law who picked up my blog books while she was here. She kept commenting on her reading enjoyment. I must carve out the time to write. This entry was not easy and I know it is because I am a little rusty. The words do not flow and I omit the emotions of the events in our lives when it comes to these summary-type entries.
Ethan competed in the school science fair in February. He was only a handful of 5th graders to volunteer for this project. He competed against the entire 6th grade and won. He went on to the district competition and again came home with a blue ribbon. It was a great amount of work, much more than what I remember doing as a 5th grader, but maybe that is because my mother was also an integral part of the process. The project was on how temperature affects magnets. It was a fun and very interesting project in that the results proved something opposite of scientific research. However, it helped Ethan understand that scientific research is full of variables that must be controlled. I think that is what impressed the judges the most in the interview - the understanding of the scientific process.
Ethan continues to mature at a rate much faster than I would like. He is a delight to spend time with and I find that our discussions are often very deep and meaningful. His humor is fantastically witty and he can send me into stitches for several days. He works hard at school and in swimming; the end results however, are not always how he would like them to be. It has been tough to realize that sometimes you don't always get what you want no matter how hard you try. His perseverance is growing and I see that life lessons and personal values are being developed. It warms my heart when he still requests time to talk with me on my bed. These days are numbered, so I never turn them down.
The social circumstances in which he found himself this school year has been a struggle. He had to muddle through the different boys in his class, discovering for himself just who he was and who were real and true friends. He has found a comfortable spot with all the boys in his class, able to move with ease throughout the various groups. He has also learned a lot about what it means to be true to yourself and comfortable in your own skin. This is a great platform to build upon as we head into the tumultuous middle school years.
Sadie is Sadie. Life is never bland or mundane in her world. We plod through homeschool every day - some with success and some that could stand to be a bit better. Some days I could throw the books out the door and her along with them. Thankfully, my feelings are fickle and an hour later, I feel satisfied with our progress. I have not had the frustration of her not "getting" the material, it has been more the frustration of her attitude. I guess I can not expect her to throw herself into her work with excitement and vigor, because some days as an adult I do not want to accomplish what I must. However, a little more consistency would be a blessing.
There are moments in this year that my heart swells with love for this little crazy being. She is a task master when she wants to be, serving others with such joy and love. On the weekends, it is not unusual for her to make my coffee and breakfast (eggs and toast). She carefully arranges it on a bamboo tray, complete with napkins, silverware and appropriate condiments and delivers it with a love note and smile to my bedside. Some days she would rather clean and organize my car inside and out, than sit for two hours doing schoolwork. She has a developing spirit of mothering and keeps reminding me that in three years she can become an official babysitter. I have no doubt that she will be a wonderful housekeeper as she grows older. For the time being, she maintains piles of trinkets, mementos and paper giblets in her room.
One major change for Sadie has been her commitment to swimming. After a fairly disappointing season and a very emotionally volatile swim meet in March, we decided to let Sadie have a break from swimming. She has been all over the place regarding her enjoyment of the sport, sometimes living only for it and sometimes pitching a fit about it. At her last meet she swam the 50 free in 50 seconds (10 seconds slower than her personal best) and then the next day swam it in 36 seconds (a personal best by 4 seconds). There is absolutely no logic in her inconsistency. We could only guess that she is over thinking and vacillating between drive and defeat. Unfortunately, the connection with her coach this year has not been what she needed and therefore she was not given the encouragement she needed. The final nail on the coffin was her verbalization of feeling like she was not a very good swimmer and felt as if she were one of the worst in her division. Once we pulled her, she was quite emotional - crying about wanting to continue. However, we are forcing her to take at least a month or two off in order to decide if she really wants to go back. My guess is that she will want to go back, but we will limit it to only one or two days and swim only seasonally, meaning no meets. She definitely wants to swim on our summer league team. My hope is that she will discover the fun of the sport again and move past the competition of it all.
I write about this next item very, very carefully and with much trepidation. Sadie announced to me in the car one day a couple of weeks ago that she has a dream. "Mom, I have this dream and I know it is going to happen. I am going to be a superstar." I turned it into a talk about working for hard for big dreams which she did not fully appreciate. Anyway, in order to say that I have at least made one attempt to help her with this "dream," I sent a few pictures in to a very reputable modeling agency. One attempt and then I can say I "supported" her vision. Well, we got a call yesterday. They want to see Sadie. Sigh. Not sure how I really feel about all of this, but we haven't committed to anything at this point and there is no job that has been booked. Taking it one step at a time, knowing they and I can pull the brakes at any moment. Enough about that.
Lily is her usual happy-go-lucky little self. She is oblivious of any of her shortcomings which I completely LOVE. She wants to try everything and thinks she is good enough to continue with everything. She is not the athlete, but that doesn't stop her from playing soccer again. This week, one of the coaches took some time out to work with her one-on-one on her kicking skills which are a bit sub-par compared to the other children. Add that to my to-do list in the coming weeks.
She walks through life excited about everything. It is such a blessing to have a child who skips through life and is not prone to crying and fits. Sure, she complains and whines at times, but we are working towards ending that habit, using time out on the stairs and practice using her words with a normal tone. She is also everyone's friend. She makes them easily and seems to enjoy just about every other child her age.
Her two front teeth are STILL missing after 9 months! I can see the very tips of the new teeth, but they have yet to break the gum. In the meantime, she has lost another tooth on the bottom. She spends her time swimming two days a week, playing soccer and taking piano lessons. She is also an avid reader. At night I often have to take her books away from her because she will read until way past her bedtime. She still shares a unique relationship with Ethan. He is her protector and consequently his friends are often her biggest fans.
I write this on the heels of a two week visit from Oma. I feel like the kids have had very little time with her this go around which makes me sad. School, activities, etc. along with their independence makes it difficult. It is nice to hear Oma speak of the changes she notices between her visits. I felt some surprise when she said it is much calmer with the children around. She said she notices it the most with Sadie. That was very pleasing to hear. She commented that the children are all much more independent, requiring a lot less of my energy, which has been replaced by my taxi services. And, on a funny note, she noticed that the music selections have been changed in the car from children's music to pop music. That actually made me sad and I scrounged around the car for some Veggie Tales, much to the protests of Sadie and Ethan.
After one more school quarter, I will have a middle schooler. I just can not believe it. It is time for us to make next year's school decisions. FOr sure, Ethan will return to HPCA for middle school. For sure, Sadie will remain at home for 4th grade, although it was a very, very tough decision because the possible teachers are phenomenal. What is up in the air is Lily. She has asked to be homeschooled for 2nd and 3rd grade. I can see it being a great fit for Sadie to have her home. I don't think I have any doubt that she will be focused and eager. But, can I handle two at the same time? Will Sadie's temporal rotten attitude for getting her work done be a diversion? Would it cause me to mentally go over the edge? Things to ponder and pray over. Decisions need to be made fairly soon.
I hope this long entry means that I will be back to writing. I was very encouraged by my mother-in-law who picked up my blog books while she was here. She kept commenting on her reading enjoyment. I must carve out the time to write. This entry was not easy and I know it is because I am a little rusty. The words do not flow and I omit the emotions of the events in our lives when it comes to these summary-type entries.
Tuesday, January 25, 2011
Lily
Gone are your two front teeth.
Gone are your 5 rolls of chubby love.
Gone are your long flowing curls.
Gone are your morning tears of separation.
Here is working independently on homework.
Here is a long and lean body.
Here is an awareness of schedules and time.
Here is flitting into the school building without a look back.
Always will be your need to snuggle every chance you get.
Always will be a story at night and books on the bed.
Always will be a bowl of fruit as a snack.
Always will be unlimited giggles, giggles, giggles.
Gone are your 5 rolls of chubby love.
Gone are your long flowing curls.
Gone are your morning tears of separation.
Here is working independently on homework.
Here is a long and lean body.
Here is an awareness of schedules and time.
Here is flitting into the school building without a look back.
Always will be your need to snuggle every chance you get.
Always will be a story at night and books on the bed.
Always will be a bowl of fruit as a snack.
Always will be unlimited giggles, giggles, giggles.
Battle Hymn of the Christan Mother
There has been an uproar over this article that appeared in the Wall Street Journal. Amy Chua, a Yale law professor and mother, declared that Chinese parenting produces more successful and thus happy children. I have read the article and watched several interviews of Mrs. Chua. Frankly, much of her methods are deplorable and abusive to me. The article was simply a pat on the back for what Mrs. Chua has created.
I don't fault Chua for her methods, for she is simply reenacting the same life in which she was reared. Right or wrong, unless you have been exposed to other methods, other theories of parenting, you will repeat history. I know there are tactics I use that were used on me - the good, the bad and the ugly. Her parenting is steeped deeply in the Chinese culture which believes success equals money which equals happiness.
I agree with Chua on a one point, however. Rewarding mediocrity. American society coughs up awards for every event in our children's lives. There are awards for being potty-trained (really, this should go to the parents), being nice, having the cleanest desk, always being on time, being neat, sharing, etc. These traits that every child should have, right? More importantly, are these attributes that are awarded when they are adults? No. They are expected.
On the soccer field, there are kids who play every game with skill and agility, while others languish around picking flowers and stare off in space. Yet, they are awarded the same medal at the end of the season. What does this teach a child? Did the medal propel the child who has no interest in soccer to become better the next season? No, because the award is the same whether he put in a lot of effort or not.
Ethan has been begging to have texting on his ipod. Jay and I feel this is a privilege that he needs to earn. We told him that he could get it if he made all As on his report card. Unfortunately, his first report card came home with one B that was one point away from an A. I had several parents tell me I should give it to him anyway because he was so close and tried his best. We did not cave. A deal was a deal and he did not hold up his end of the bargain. He did well, no doubt, but he could have studied a bit more, and been a little more careful on his work.
This weekend at a swim meet, Sadie was very inconsistent in the pool. She was not rewarded with new time achievements and appeared to be disappointed with her results. She said, "I tried my hardest," but I did not allow her to get away with this well-worn phrase. She didn't do her best. She was not focused and she did not swim the techniques she has been taught all year. She simply dove in the pool and tried to swim fast using whatever means necessary. I did not award her with comfort and accolades for swimming slower than she did at the previous meet. Unlike Chua, however, I did not punish my child for the results either. She has to live with her disappointment and channel that into bettering herself at the next meet.
This only scratches the surfaces regarding our culture's view on parenting. It is largely defined by well-meaning psychologists and helicopter-style parenting by those that continue insert themselves into their children's lives in order for them to never meet failure face to face. Not exactly preparing them for adulthood, now is it?
However, the purpose of this blog entry was to point to what really made my heart sink when reading this article and listening to subsequent interviews: the complete oblivion to God and his incredible doling out of grace.
The only way I have not had a complete collapse as a mother is knowing that God's grace is sufficient to cover my mistakes. It is also sufficient to cover my kids' mistakes as well. I have never held back the reality of my sin and failures to my kids. I apologize and ask their forgiveness when I have lashed out in anger or exhibited pride.
It has been a blessing to show my kids that life is full of struggles and suffering. God does not expect them to face these challenges alone. It is through these struggles that we learn and deepen our dependence on God. For example, I often tell Sadie that she cannot control her impulsivity all on her own. God sent the Holy Spirit to help her, to provide that strength. Seeing your kids confidence soar when they know that the God of the universe, who knows each star and each grain of sand and each hair on their head, is helping them achieve and be all He wants them to be, is unmatched.
I think I can sum up my Christian Mom's view as this: I want my kids to be the best God created them to be, always giving Him their best because of what gifts He has given them, and calling on Him in times of weakness and struggle.
I don't fault Chua for her methods, for she is simply reenacting the same life in which she was reared. Right or wrong, unless you have been exposed to other methods, other theories of parenting, you will repeat history. I know there are tactics I use that were used on me - the good, the bad and the ugly. Her parenting is steeped deeply in the Chinese culture which believes success equals money which equals happiness.
I agree with Chua on a one point, however. Rewarding mediocrity. American society coughs up awards for every event in our children's lives. There are awards for being potty-trained (really, this should go to the parents), being nice, having the cleanest desk, always being on time, being neat, sharing, etc. These traits that every child should have, right? More importantly, are these attributes that are awarded when they are adults? No. They are expected.
On the soccer field, there are kids who play every game with skill and agility, while others languish around picking flowers and stare off in space. Yet, they are awarded the same medal at the end of the season. What does this teach a child? Did the medal propel the child who has no interest in soccer to become better the next season? No, because the award is the same whether he put in a lot of effort or not.
Ethan has been begging to have texting on his ipod. Jay and I feel this is a privilege that he needs to earn. We told him that he could get it if he made all As on his report card. Unfortunately, his first report card came home with one B that was one point away from an A. I had several parents tell me I should give it to him anyway because he was so close and tried his best. We did not cave. A deal was a deal and he did not hold up his end of the bargain. He did well, no doubt, but he could have studied a bit more, and been a little more careful on his work.
This weekend at a swim meet, Sadie was very inconsistent in the pool. She was not rewarded with new time achievements and appeared to be disappointed with her results. She said, "I tried my hardest," but I did not allow her to get away with this well-worn phrase. She didn't do her best. She was not focused and she did not swim the techniques she has been taught all year. She simply dove in the pool and tried to swim fast using whatever means necessary. I did not award her with comfort and accolades for swimming slower than she did at the previous meet. Unlike Chua, however, I did not punish my child for the results either. She has to live with her disappointment and channel that into bettering herself at the next meet.
This only scratches the surfaces regarding our culture's view on parenting. It is largely defined by well-meaning psychologists and helicopter-style parenting by those that continue insert themselves into their children's lives in order for them to never meet failure face to face. Not exactly preparing them for adulthood, now is it?
However, the purpose of this blog entry was to point to what really made my heart sink when reading this article and listening to subsequent interviews: the complete oblivion to God and his incredible doling out of grace.
The only way I have not had a complete collapse as a mother is knowing that God's grace is sufficient to cover my mistakes. It is also sufficient to cover my kids' mistakes as well. I have never held back the reality of my sin and failures to my kids. I apologize and ask their forgiveness when I have lashed out in anger or exhibited pride.
It has been a blessing to show my kids that life is full of struggles and suffering. God does not expect them to face these challenges alone. It is through these struggles that we learn and deepen our dependence on God. For example, I often tell Sadie that she cannot control her impulsivity all on her own. God sent the Holy Spirit to help her, to provide that strength. Seeing your kids confidence soar when they know that the God of the universe, who knows each star and each grain of sand and each hair on their head, is helping them achieve and be all He wants them to be, is unmatched.
I think I can sum up my Christian Mom's view as this: I want my kids to be the best God created them to be, always giving Him their best because of what gifts He has given them, and calling on Him in times of weakness and struggle.
Friday, January 21, 2011
Social Sadie
The most difficult part of homeschooling Sadie has been her social transition. She is a very social creature. She is in her element when she is leading other, including others, meeting new people. Rarely does she not make friends immediately with other kids. At the same time, her propensity for jealousy often leads to behavior that can be an aversion.
Homeschool has taken a bit of that away from her. She sees her friends from last year at school and knows she has not been included in playdates or parties. Changes at her swim site also left a little void in her heart. She has been lonely and lost, often feeling friend-less.
My attempts at helping the situation haven't been met with much success. Her enrollment at Faith Academy on Tuesdays has allowed her to be around other kids, but many of them are older and almost all live in Greensboro making social interaction outside of the Academy quite difficult. Swimming has also had its issues when she was excluded from a clique that was briefly formed with some of the older girls.
At the same time, all of this has provided invaluable teaching opportunities. What defines a good friend? Is there anything as a "perfect friend." How is your behavior attracting or repelling friends? On a circumstantial level, I have enrolled her in another homeschool group, in addition to Faith Academy, that is in our town to allow more social opportunities. I noticed that she seemed to have a better time, socially, at our latest swim meet.
However, nothing quite ever prepares you or numbs you to your child being hurt. Those feelings of rejection are tough to console and no matter what I do on the circumstantial level, the pain is there. Life lessons that never seem to have an end.
Homeschool has taken a bit of that away from her. She sees her friends from last year at school and knows she has not been included in playdates or parties. Changes at her swim site also left a little void in her heart. She has been lonely and lost, often feeling friend-less.
My attempts at helping the situation haven't been met with much success. Her enrollment at Faith Academy on Tuesdays has allowed her to be around other kids, but many of them are older and almost all live in Greensboro making social interaction outside of the Academy quite difficult. Swimming has also had its issues when she was excluded from a clique that was briefly formed with some of the older girls.
At the same time, all of this has provided invaluable teaching opportunities. What defines a good friend? Is there anything as a "perfect friend." How is your behavior attracting or repelling friends? On a circumstantial level, I have enrolled her in another homeschool group, in addition to Faith Academy, that is in our town to allow more social opportunities. I noticed that she seemed to have a better time, socially, at our latest swim meet.
However, nothing quite ever prepares you or numbs you to your child being hurt. Those feelings of rejection are tough to console and no matter what I do on the circumstantial level, the pain is there. Life lessons that never seem to have an end.
Tuesday, January 11, 2011
Cooking it up in '11
There is something about January that awakens a desire to whip up some new goodies in my kitchen. As if the Christmas season weren't enough to fill my cooking cup. It usually begins with the addition of a new cookbook to my collection. I pour through looking for new dishes to try. One year, I broke in a new Asian cookbook. The next, a quick weeknight cookbook. Usually it includes a Cooking Light book as well. However, this year, I didn't receive my usual. I bought a cookbook prior to Christmas to support the Junior League of High Point as well as a huge collection of recipes from The Best of Southern Living. With the busy-ness of the holidays I am just now having a chance to peruse them.
New dishes this year have included:
Thai Stir Fry
Butter Chicken (Indian dish)
Tikki Marsala Chicken
Cowboy Pot Roast
Arroz con Pollo
Past favorites have included:
Mustard Maple Pork
Vegetable Night - including homemade mac and cheese
Burritos and Tacos with beef and chicken fajitas
Asian Chicken Burgers (which are divine by the way)
The kids have been pretty receptive to the new stuff. Not that they have a choice in our house. However, I think the most compliments and excitement I have received have been regarding canned, condensed chicken and rice soup served today. Sad. To their defense, I don't know that they have ever had it, canned, condensed because I usually make soup from scratch. Nothing like an extra dose of sodium. Oh well. At least Jay and I enjoy the new dishes! Hope I can continue the momentum!
New dishes this year have included:
Thai Stir Fry
Butter Chicken (Indian dish)
Tikki Marsala Chicken
Cowboy Pot Roast
Arroz con Pollo
Past favorites have included:
Mustard Maple Pork
Vegetable Night - including homemade mac and cheese
Burritos and Tacos with beef and chicken fajitas
Asian Chicken Burgers (which are divine by the way)
The kids have been pretty receptive to the new stuff. Not that they have a choice in our house. However, I think the most compliments and excitement I have received have been regarding canned, condensed chicken and rice soup served today. Sad. To their defense, I don't know that they have ever had it, canned, condensed because I usually make soup from scratch. Nothing like an extra dose of sodium. Oh well. At least Jay and I enjoy the new dishes! Hope I can continue the momentum!
Family Theme 2011
This year, my family theme is: Trusting who God says He is.
By theme, I mean, what emphasis I am going to make in teaching the kids. I came about the focus through trying to have my kids identify what they were feeling when they were arguing with/tattling on their siblings and also when they were complaining and whining about some circumstance. The idea was then bolstered by a recent talk given at our church.
Deep down, when we really look at the core of ourselves we find that we react negatively when we are not trusting the nature of who God says He is. Instead of trying to seek revenge or prove we are right, we should wait on the Lord. Instead of whining and complaining we should trust we have been given exactly what we need by God. When we don't feel good about ourselves, we must remember why God created us. When we define ourselves by the world which often leads to attempts at pleasing others, we should remember that God's love is more than sufficient.
Nearly every argument or situation that has developed with my kids lately has gone back to that one overriding principal that God is more than enough.
It will be interesting to see this fleshed out this year. I plan on working through, "God, What's Your Name" by Kay Arthur with the kids to build their knowledge of just how God says He is in the bible. As the past attests, when you delve into a particular subject like this, I expect many teachable moments to come pouring forth. Bracing myself with prayer.
By theme, I mean, what emphasis I am going to make in teaching the kids. I came about the focus through trying to have my kids identify what they were feeling when they were arguing with/tattling on their siblings and also when they were complaining and whining about some circumstance. The idea was then bolstered by a recent talk given at our church.
Deep down, when we really look at the core of ourselves we find that we react negatively when we are not trusting the nature of who God says He is. Instead of trying to seek revenge or prove we are right, we should wait on the Lord. Instead of whining and complaining we should trust we have been given exactly what we need by God. When we don't feel good about ourselves, we must remember why God created us. When we define ourselves by the world which often leads to attempts at pleasing others, we should remember that God's love is more than sufficient.
Nearly every argument or situation that has developed with my kids lately has gone back to that one overriding principal that God is more than enough.
It will be interesting to see this fleshed out this year. I plan on working through, "God, What's Your Name" by Kay Arthur with the kids to build their knowledge of just how God says He is in the bible. As the past attests, when you delve into a particular subject like this, I expect many teachable moments to come pouring forth. Bracing myself with prayer.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
