Too Much "To Do"

I think I am beginning to experience the effects of having too much "To Do" on too little sleep.

I like to think that I have always been a fairly responsible and dependable person. But, lately, my behavior is calling that into question: I can't seem to remember anything! Okay, maybe anything is too all-inclusive of a word; but, nevertheless, my brain just doesn't seem to be functioning at optimum levels.

• Ever since the twins have been born I have had a terrible time remembering to pay bills. The "grace period" has many times been my saving grace.
• Last month I incurred a healthy overdue fine on the kids' library books because I simply got a wrong due date stuck in my head.
• This past Sunday I was planning to pay a lady at church for a Bible study book I "bought" last month but had forgotten to pay for. This very lady sat beside me during the service... we visited a little after the service... and yet it wasn't until I was driving home from the service that I realized I had forgotten to give her my money. In fact, paying her had never even once crossed my mind.
• Last night after putting the babies to bed I went to the store to buy diapers (which I had forgotten were running low until I used the last one) and to return a movie. Halfway to the store, I realized that I had forgotten to grab the movie.

*Sigh*

In light of these few examples of my less than optimum brain function, you can understand why the running joke between my husband and me has been, "Maybe you should get a planner...."

All joking aside, though, it kind of distresses me that I have become so... so... irresponsible. My husband shouldn't have to remind me to pay the bills. The library shouldn't have to send me an overdue notice. The budget shouldn't have to allow for late fees. The more forgetful I become, the more I become less like the Proverbs 31 woman in whom the heart of her husband trusts (vs. 11). This isn't who I am. This isn't who I want to be.

I'm not necessarily claiming to be "overwhelmed"; and I'm neither desiring an "escape" from my responsibilities nor pleading for help with them. I guess I'm just simply expressing my realization that a change is in order.

Perhaps this forgetfulness is somewhat the cumulative effect of nine months of inadequate sleep. Or perhaps it's just the natural course of one person learning to effectively manage a growing "To Do" list.

Maybe someday I'll start getting more sleep. In the meantime, if I can remember to, I think I'll go buy that planner. :-)

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Books, Bears, Trash and Treasures

When I look around my house, I realize that if someone were to walk in not knowing anything about us, they would quickly come to know this:  we love books!  My husband has one of the world's largest Bible collections (Ha!), the number of our reference/study books is continually growing, and the kids' books are beginning to overtake the bookshelf.

One thing I am glad Travis and I are passing on to our kids is our love of books.  As much as we--and they--love books, though, I must admit that we have made very few trips to the library.  (Maybe that has something to do with the fact that I'm in a stage of motherhood where sometimes it's easier to just stay home. :-))  So last week after realizing that Abel and Amariah are beginning to outgrow many of the children's books we own--and that we all have grown a little bored with reading the same ones time and again--we put the kids to bed, and I made a trip to the library all by myself!

With the help of a very nice librarian, I perused the many shelves of children's books and selected a good-sized stack that I was sure we would all enjoy.  When I got to the circulation desk to check out my books, I nerdishly said to the librarian, "I'm so excited!" and she laughed with me (With, not at.... Librarians are book nerds, too, right?...).

One of the books I checked out was a Berenstain Bears book called The Berenstain Bears Clean House.  After Mama Bear determines, "We will clean our house from the top to the bottom, from the bottom to the top," the Bear family goes through their house saying, "There are too many things," and then they select some items to put in a yard sale.  (I thought this was an appropriate story since Abel and I have been in the mood to get rid of some things!)

Anyway, just like Mama Bear, I have been busy cleaning my house from the top to the bottom, from the bottom to the top!  No "hidden" place has gone untouched as I've made my way through the house, purging it of things we don't need.

A lot of our "too many things" I am packing up to put in a garage sale this spring, and other things just simply need to be finally thrown away--like the five or so mostly empty bottles of lotion that didn't have quite enough left in them for the pump to work, or the several mostly new cleaners that I've never used and probably never will.  (I've been hanging onto some of this stuff for most of our marriage.  I told you I'm frugal!)

Minimizing "stuff" is definitely a good feeling... most of the time.  A few of the things I've come across have drudged up some emotion or memory that makes me want to stuff it right back where I found it:  like the very first maternity outfit my husband ever bought me; or the baby name book that we thumbed through countless times as we searched for the right name for Abel... Amariah... Ande... Isabel... Elliana; or the positive pregnancy test that informed us God had given us another blessing--a double blessing.

But, I can't keep this stuff forever, right?  When the Bear family looked at everything they had put in their yard sale, they said, "This is hard," and they hauled it all back inside to store in their attic.  I have to admit, I did think about throwing that pregnancy test right back in the drawer, and I did wince a little when I threw it in the trash instead.... :-)  Just like Mama Bear, I was tempted in that moment to treasure my stuff.  But then I remembered what Jesus said:  "Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal; but store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in or steal; for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also" (Matthew 6:19-21).

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I'm Okay With This

This morning I was standing in my bedroom folding my mountain of laundry, and as I looked out the window at the snow falling to the ground, I thought to myself, I'm okay with this.

The theme of my life for the last 8 1/2 months has been, "It's just a season." Remember when I said I was falling apart just to hold it together? Life with twins has definitely required some temporary changes. The most major of those changes has been that I have had to be more tied to the home. (Let's face it--going places with two nursing babies just isn't as easy as going places with one.) It's not that I wasn't committed to my home before the twins were born; it's just that I had more flexibility to get out when I wanted or needed to.

Don't get me wrong--I am totally content with my circumstances. But there are times when I have to remind myself, It's just a season. And it's at those times that my very next thought tends to be, Maybe next year....

Last summer I really wanted for us to go to our church's family camp. But when we thought through the logistics of taking two 2-month old babies who were still nursing--and then napping--every three hours around the clock, we said, "Maybe next year...."

This past December when it came time to do our Christmas shopping, I really wanted to be the one to go shopping. But when we realized that it would be more work for me than it was worth, we said, "Next year...."

When I learned that some new women's Bible studies were getting under way at our church this month, I really wanted to join one. But when I considered that the babies' bedtime routine falls right in the midst of the group's meeting time, I said, "Maybe next year...."

But today, in spite of those few momentary disappointments that have come from our need for me to just stay home, it was in that moment when I looked at the snowy world on the other side of the window that I really realized just how okay I am with being tied to the home. I love being a mommy. I love that the Lord has blessed my husband with a job that provides for our needs so that I can stay at home and be a mommy. And I love the four little people who make me a mommy. I am blessed beyond measure, I'm a little tied down, and I'm okay with that... because I'm right where I want to be.

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A Few Recipes

I've been asked to share some of the recipes I've been using since changing my family's diet to include more whole foods.

Many of the changes I've made lie simply in the quality of the ingredients I'm using. For example, spaghetti has always been on my menu plan; but now I make it with Ezekiel 4:9 Sprouted Grain Pasta and a better quality sauce than what I was using before. Or, for another example, here's my new and improved recipe for Maid-Rites. (Don't know what Maid-Rites are? I didn't either until I moved to Iowa. :-) Think Sloppy Joes but less sloppy....)

Maid-Rite Sandwiches

Ground beef
Organic ketchup
Prepared mustard
Real maple syrup
Organic oats, uncooked
Ezekiel 4:9 Sprouted Grain Burger Buns OR homemade Whole Wheat Bread

Brown and drain ground beef and return to skillet. Add ketchup, mustard, maple syrup, and oats to desired taste and consistency. Warm and serve on lightly toasted buns or bread.

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Other dishes that were on my menu plan I have eliminated altogether. For example, I no longer make Jello-based salads or dishes that require condensed cream of chicken soup. I think there may be some healthy alternatives to these things out there, but I haven't done much looking yet. (Pointers, anyone?)

And, of course, there are some new recipes that have made their way into my kitchen! I am definitely not a master of some of these things yet, but I intend to keep practicing!

Whole Wheat Bread (This recipe originally comes from Bread Beckers, but I picked it up off A Matter of Eating and Drinking. I'm posting it according to how I do it.)

1 1/2 c less 2 T very hot water (I put it in the microwave and bring it just to the point of boiling.)
1 c cold almond milk (can use organic whole milk)
3 large eggs
1/3 c extra virgin olive oil
1/3 c honey
1 T sea salt
4 1/2 t instant yeast
6-7 1/4 c freshly-milled flour

Combine water, milk, eggs, oil, honey, and salt. (Temperature should be just right for yeast.) Mix in yeast. Add flour to make a soft dough. Knead until dough passes the windowpane test. Shape into loaves, cover with tea towel, and let rise until double. Place in 350 degree oven and bake 25-30 minutes. Makes 2-3 loaves.

A few notes from my experience with this recipe:
*Measure your honey in the same cup you used to measure your oil. This way the honey will slide right out.
*It takes about 12-14 minutes of kneading in my KitchenAid mixer before my dough passes the windowpane test.
*This tends to be a more sticky dough than you might be used to, so don't be tempted to add too much flour.
*I use 2 stoneware loaf pans which create bigger, more evenly browned loaves than the smaller aluminum loaf pans do.
*It takes my bread 1 1/2-2 hours to rise at room temperature.
*I loosely cover my loaves with foil at 20 minutes to keep the tops from over-browning and then bake an additional 8 minutes.
***UPDATE 02/04/10:  I have always used organic whole milk in this recipe, but I just used almond milk for the first time and am far more pleased with the results.  The dough had a much lighter, spongier feel to it, it smelled better (both before and after baking!), it rose faster (1 hour) and bigger, and it browned perfectly (in 30 minutes) without needing to be covered with foil as I mentioned above.

Whole Wheat Crackers (adapted from here. I've only made these once, but it seems like it will be an easy recipe to perfect.)

1 3/4 c freshly-milled hard wheat flour
1 1/2 c freshly-milled soft wheat flour
3/4 t sea salt
1/3 c extra virgin olive oil
1 c water
sea salt for sprinkling

Note:
*Crackers continued to crisp up after being removed from the oven.

Whole Wheat Pancakes (from Wholesome Sugarfree Cooking cookbook)

2 c freshly-milled (soft) whole wheat flour
1 t baking soda
2 t baking powder
1/2 t sea salt
2 T honey
2 eggs, beaten
1 3/4 c organic whole milk
1/4 c extra virgin olive oil
1/4 c vinegar

Add ingredients in order given. Don't beat too much. For waffles or fluffy pancakes, beat egg whites separately and add last.

Whole Wheat Pizza Crust (from Wholesome Sugarfree Cooking cookbook)

1 egg, beaten
2/3 c organic whole milk
1/2 c butter, melted
2 c freshly-milled (soft) whole wheat flour
1/2 t baking soda
2 t honey
1/2 t sea salt

Mix all together lightly. Press in a 12" x 14" pan. Top with your favorite pizza toppings. Bake 25-30 minutes in a 350 degree oven.

Note:
*This makes an excellent bread-like crust. I am still looking for a recipe that makes a nice thin and crispy crust.

Breaded Chicken Breasts (from Nourishing Traditions)
Serves 4-6

8 skinless chicken breasts
1 1/2 c unbleached flour
1 t pepper
4 eggs, beaten
2 c whole grain bread crumbs
1/2 c grated Parmesan cheese
about 4 T butter
about 4 T extra virgin olive oil

This is a delicious substitute for fried chicken. Trim chicken breasts and pound lightly with the small prong side of a meat hammer. Mix flour and pepper together on a plate; have beaten eggs ready in a bowl; mix bread crumbs and Parmesan cheese in another bowl. Using tongs dip each piece first in the flour mixture, then in the beaten egg, then in the bread crumb mixture. Saute a few at a time in butter and olive oil about 7 minutes per side, being careful not to burn. Transfer to a heated platter and keep warm in the oven until ready to serve.

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Causing a Scene

Do you ever feel like you're causing a scene just by walking into a room?

I get this feeling every time I walk into a public place!  You see, what's normal, every day life to me--caring for and toting around four children under four years of age--seems a little overwhelming to the common onlooker.  When I walk into a place with a car seat in each hand and a toddler on each heel, I see heads turn, I hear little murmurs or outright "You've got your hands full!"s; and I officially feel like I have created a scene.

I'm not saying that every person who sees me and my crew thinks I'm crazy or cursed (there are many out there who would agree that I am happy and blessed!) or that every person who makes a comment means it in a negative way.   I'm not even saying that I'm bothered by the fact that we just naturally tend to create a scene.  To the contrary, I feel like it gives me a great opportunity:  an opportunity to disband the belief that a mother of young children must feel frazzled and an opportunity to disprove the assumption that all children must act unruly.

I can just imagine a mother walking into a public place, her hands full (literally), her hair all a mess, her countenance full of sorrow, hopelessly beseeching her disobedient children to "Wait for me!"  That is NOT the kind of scene that I'm okay with creating! :-)  It sure wouldn't speak much to the joys of having children.  It sure wouldn't cause onlookers to say, "Look at that blessed mother."

I want to be the mother who walks into a place, hands full (literally), countenance full of peace and joy, enjoying the company of her obedient children who are calmly staying right by her side.  I want to be that mother not because I want onlookers to sing my praises, but because I want people to know that I am not "cursed."  I want people to know that it is possible to have four children under four years of age and to still have peace and joy.  I feel in a sense like this is my responsibility.  (Luke 12:48b says, "From everyone who has been given much, much will be required; and to whom they entrusted much, of him they will ask all the more.")

And, there's no doubt, it is a big responsibility.  But, the good news is, He who requires much of me has also given much to me.  Not only has He given me four blessings, but He has also given me His Word which instructs me and His Spirit which guides me as I endeavor to train them up.  He has given me joy.  He has given me salvation.  He has given me everything I need for life and godliness (2 Peter 1:3).

So, world.  As you look at me because of my full hands, I hope that what you see is my full heart. For there is my Jesus.  There is my hope.  There is my joy.  There is my peace.

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Best Blog Award!

I am so honored to receive this blog award from my blogging friend September!  I wish I could give it right back to her, because her blog, One September Day, is definitely among the best that I read. :-)

I "met" September in blogland last April through our mutual blogging friend Lynnette and her clever Getting to Know You idea, and I have been following her blog ever since.  I am always encouraged by September as she shares her heart, her every day experiences, and her love for Jesus and her family.  Even though I don't know September personally, I think of her as a friend.  Visit her--I think you'll enjoy reading One September Day just as much as I do!

Here are the rules for this award:

1. To accept this award you must post it on your blog with the name and a link to the person who gave it to you.

2. Pass on the award to 5 other bloggers that you recently discovered and think are great!

3. Contact the other bloggers and let them know they have been chosen for this award

I'd like to honor the following 5 blogs with this award:


Dancing Barefoot on Weathered Ground
I started following Lynnette's blog back when she had only 40-some followers.  Today, about 1 1/2 years later, she has 666 followers!  There is a reason so many people read her blog:  it's good!  I don't personally know Lynnette; but, shortly after I had my miscarriage, one of her relatives whom I went to high school with told me about Dancing Barefoot thinking that it would be an encouragement to me--and it was!  Lynnette's blog has a way of being entertaining and inspiring all at once.  If you don't already "know" Lynnette, I hope you'll go meet her now. :-)

Raising Arrows
I "met" Amy the same way I met September--through Lynnette's Getting to Know You--and I sure am glad that I've gotten to know her!  Amy is a Christian mom who seems to have a lot of practical knowledge in so many different areas:  homeschooling, organizing, child training, writing, baby wearing, and more!  Not only is Amy knowledgeable, she is also encouraging and easy to relate to.  I always enjoy my visits to Raising Arrows, and I think you will, too!

The Flinn Files
Amber is my best friend (and one whom I know outside the blogosphere!), and I love reading her blog.  Amber and her husband Tommy found out they were expecting their first baby just a few weeks after I found out I was pregnant with the twins, so we had the joy of going through our pregnancies together.  Little did we know at the time, though, that Tommy and Amber were in for the trial of a lifetime.  Their son Miles was born in early August with some issues that threatened to take his new life; and though by the grace of God they are now beyond the threat of losing their son, Tommy and Amber are still in the midst of some trying circumstances regarding Miles' health.  The Flinn Files is the record of Miles' life and of Amber's introduction to motherhood.  I hope that you'll visit Amber, meet baby Miles, and pray for them.  And I hope that their story will cause you to sing praises to our great God!

Our Family...One Sweet Day at a Time
Abby is another blogging friend whom I know outside of the blogosphere.  I like Abby's blog because she keeps it real--and because she shares cute little stories and pictures of her sweet baby girl Adelyn. :-)  Adelyn and our baby Ande whom we lost to miscarriage were due within days of each other, so I always enjoy looking at her and thinking about how we could have had a child that age, that size, doing and learning all the same things.  I like that Abby's blog is called One "Sweet" Day at a Time--that's the perfect word to describe her! :-)

Eternal Outlook: Travis' Blog
I love Travis.  (Of course, I do!  He's my husband!)  One of my favorite things about Travis (besides his handsome looks and his manly work ethic :-)) is his godly character.  Like the name of his our website indicates, Travis has a way of keeping an eternal outlook on life, and he always encourages me to do the same.  With a wife, four children, and a great job, Travis doesn't have a lot of extra time to blog.  But when he does, you can bet it will be encouraging.  I hope you'll visit Travis' blog and meet the man you sometimes read about here on mine!

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Practice Makes Perfect... Eventually

What is something you've had to practice in order to be good at?

This was the ice-breaker question my husband posed to our small group at our last meeting.  Knowing that the answer didn't have to be "spiritual," my answer came to me pretty quickly:  making bread!

When I decided to begin changing the way I feed myself and my family, I set forth some goals to help keep me from getting too overwhelmed.  One of those goals was to make my own bread.

Right away, this one goal presented me with quite a challenge.  If you've been reading my blog for a while, you might remember from my "Kneading" Heaven post that I have a focal point dystonia of the forearm which has greatly affected my ability to write and to do other common tasks that require the use of the muscles in the forearm--such as kneading dough.

Knowing what the consequences of kneading dough by hand would be--and having neither a stand mixer nor enough loaf pans to oven-bake my bread--I decided I would try adapting the bread recipe to my bread machine (which I had used only two times before).  However, when I pulled my neglected bread machine out of the cupboard and prepared to use it, I realized that the paddle was missing.  I was perplexed at first, but then I remembered that on the second occasion I had made bread in the machine, it had finished baking just as I was running out the door; so I had hastily wrapped it up without taking time to remove the paddle from the loaf.  And days later when the still untouched loaf had started to mold, I threw it out, evidently forgetting that the paddle was still inside.

While I was lamenting my stupid mistake, my mom came up with a great idea:  "Maybe you could have the kids take turns helping you knead."  I loved it!  Kids love to get their hands messy, Abel loves to cook, and I would love the help!  Not only would it save me some pain, it would buy me some time before I would have to purchase either a replacement paddle for the bread machine or a new stand mixer (thus appealing to my frugal nature)!

So, when I we first started making bread back in November, Abel did all of the kneading for me.

The loaves we turned out weren't super, but they tasted good and they were good enough to keep us from having to buy bread.

Then, the weekend of Black Friday, my husband found us a great deal on the 5-quart 475-watt KitchenAid Stand Mixer I wanted so badly!

I got the silver one (and it really did come with those cool prep bowls and the nifty timer!) for only $199.99!  Abel had been replaced (as the "kneader," that is), but he didn't mind.  He enjoyed enjoys the new mixer almost as much as I do!

Here is the first full batch of bread I made using my amazing new appliance.  I still had only one loaf pan at the time, so I used the extra dough to make a few dinner rolls, breadsticks, and pretzels.  (Well, they were supposed to look like breadsticks and pretzels....)

The next investment we made was on a second stoneware loaf pan.  (I actually had one boxed up with some stuff I was going to sell at a garage sale, but when I learned that stoneware is the way to go, I pulled it out and put it to use!)


And the latest addition to my bread-baking equipment was this!

For Christmas, Travis' parents bought me the grain mill attachment for my KitchenAid mixer!  This thing is awesome!  Having tried out a manual grain mill a couple months ago (and therefore knowing how much work it could be to grind my own flour), I felt totally spoiled to have a piece of equipment that does all the work for me.

The decision to begin baking my own bread required not only the acquisition of some equipment (which, after seeing the health benefits, I can say has been totally worth it!); it has also required the acquisition of knowledge and experience.  I didn't realize what an art bread baking really is.  I've been "practicing" making bread for a little over two months now, and I am just finally starting to end up with loaves that I'm not embarrassed to share with company.  :-)

Learning to make bread has been quite an adventure; but I guess since practice makes perfect, this perfectionist will keep right on practicing!

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