These have been such trying days in my family. It sometimes comes to a point where it feels difficult to pray. I realize how little I understand what to ask for, what to hold on to, and what to hope for. I was reading a little this morning from Shadowlands, about C.S. Lewis's time of grief after he lost the love of his life, Joy. Every fear he ever had about giving his heart openly to someone only to feel the pain of loss came true with her passing. His doubts and anger ring so true but so does his ultimate understanding that Providence does not promise to give us all the answers but to be the answer.
When I am at a loss as to what to pray for I am perhaps most able to be still and rest in the shelter of God in silence. When it seems that there is nothing left that is secure to hold on to is when clinging to His unseen hand is most real. When all hope in is lost is perhaps when the true Hope will seem clearer. This I cannot truly say right now for my hope is still here, still flickering. It is sometimes dim and sometimes bright, but it is here. I believe while there is still life and breath in us there is still hope for healing.
Please come, our Comforter, and be our strength. Be the steady rock we can stand on and our shelter from the storm. Let not this storm of disease and disappointments wash away our faith, or hope, or love for You.
Amen
Thursday, April 26, 2007
Wednesday, April 11, 2007
My, My! How Time Flies!
I have sorely neglected my blogging endeavor. Totally with reason, of course, but rather than go into it all I plan to just move forward from here.
I just came back last night from visiting Mom up north. My mom is doing fairly well. She faces a difficult time ahead and still needs plenty of prayer but thank God she is being treated by a doctor in whom she has confidence.
Little Miss T. has her second birthday this week and is getting more fun to work with day by day. I love twos and threes. I love to watch personalities being revealed day by day. As speech develops we get to glimpse bits of what their minds have been working on and pondering. Miss T. is definitely getting funnier. She has a bit of a bossy streak that needs curbing but she is so far very open to correction and is easily refocused to more positive behaviors.
At this age I reserve "No" for serious offenses and prefer to use positive direction. For example, when she goes after my cell phone (or the nice picture frames or remote controls or any of the myriad of forbidden objects) rather than just saying "No" I say "That is not a toy, let's find something to play with." Usually, this refocuses her toward finding something good with which to play. If she persists I physically remove her from the object she can't play with and get her going in the right direction, but at this point this rarely happens since she knows I am firm on what is and is not allowed.
I haven't yet run into any "terrible twos" with the kids that I've worked with but I have run into plenty of parents that don't let their yes mean yes and no mean no. This alone can make this time a trial. Twos, in general, are so eager to please and be seen as "big kids." They need a job to do or they will find ones that parents or caregivers don't necessarily want them doing. They like to work, as they can, by your side and they also need the time and respect to do things on their own undisturbed. I did not say "unsupervised" but undisturbed.
Adults sometimes expect little ones to come on command without considering what they might be engrossed in doing or learning. They are more than extensions of ourselves and need respect as future autonomous individuals. I express this respect by first observing what Miss T. is up to and giving a countdown warning for her to wrap things up when it is necessary to move on to something else. "We will be having lunch in five minutes," for example, precedes the final, "OK, it is time to eat." I also don't bring out activities without adequate time to do them without her feeling rushed. Painting ten minutes before lunch is not an option, but if she asks for it I give her an alternative time for the activity and stick to it. If I tell her we can do an activity after lunch then nap going back on my word is not an option either.
So, it is Happy Birthday to Miss T. this week :D I look forward to what the coming year will bring!
I just came back last night from visiting Mom up north. My mom is doing fairly well. She faces a difficult time ahead and still needs plenty of prayer but thank God she is being treated by a doctor in whom she has confidence.
Little Miss T. has her second birthday this week and is getting more fun to work with day by day. I love twos and threes. I love to watch personalities being revealed day by day. As speech develops we get to glimpse bits of what their minds have been working on and pondering. Miss T. is definitely getting funnier. She has a bit of a bossy streak that needs curbing but she is so far very open to correction and is easily refocused to more positive behaviors.
At this age I reserve "No" for serious offenses and prefer to use positive direction. For example, when she goes after my cell phone (or the nice picture frames or remote controls or any of the myriad of forbidden objects) rather than just saying "No" I say "That is not a toy, let's find something to play with." Usually, this refocuses her toward finding something good with which to play. If she persists I physically remove her from the object she can't play with and get her going in the right direction, but at this point this rarely happens since she knows I am firm on what is and is not allowed.
I haven't yet run into any "terrible twos" with the kids that I've worked with but I have run into plenty of parents that don't let their yes mean yes and no mean no. This alone can make this time a trial. Twos, in general, are so eager to please and be seen as "big kids." They need a job to do or they will find ones that parents or caregivers don't necessarily want them doing. They like to work, as they can, by your side and they also need the time and respect to do things on their own undisturbed. I did not say "unsupervised" but undisturbed.
Adults sometimes expect little ones to come on command without considering what they might be engrossed in doing or learning. They are more than extensions of ourselves and need respect as future autonomous individuals. I express this respect by first observing what Miss T. is up to and giving a countdown warning for her to wrap things up when it is necessary to move on to something else. "We will be having lunch in five minutes," for example, precedes the final, "OK, it is time to eat." I also don't bring out activities without adequate time to do them without her feeling rushed. Painting ten minutes before lunch is not an option, but if she asks for it I give her an alternative time for the activity and stick to it. If I tell her we can do an activity after lunch then nap going back on my word is not an option either.
So, it is Happy Birthday to Miss T. this week :D I look forward to what the coming year will bring!
Wednesday, March 14, 2007
Just a Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood
It is an unbelievably gorgeous day here in suburbia and I intend to do what I can to enjoy it. Took my vitamins this morning for some pep in my step but I woke up too late to make a smoothie. Part of enjoying a day like today is keeping my insides happy so I have the energy to run around in the sunshine after Little Miss T. I made do with a semi-natural protein bar. I would love to find a good recipe for a homemade alternative.
I did make sure Miss T had a good breakfast, Cream of Wheat with wheat germ, milk and homemade chunky applesauce. It reminded me of my own childhood. If I think of my mother and my childhood in the same thought it invariably brings up the image of her at the stove stirring up cream-of-something for breakfast before school. She was a big believer in a hot breakfast before school. My sis and I were never allowed cold cereal before school. Cornflakes were actually a weekend treat in our house, and those colored loop cereals were a mysterious food other kids ate until I got to college. I tried them and realized I hadn't missed much. Eggs, pancakes, and such were the weekly big, Sunday breakfast fare. Monday through Friday it was cream-of-something - farina, rice, cornmeal, oatmeal, or (of course) wheat.
By ninth grade I grew a bit whiny about it and so was told I could fix my own breakfast, and boy did that teach me a lesson. It was then I realized what a time saver it had been to have mom making breakfast while I puttered around getting dressed in the morning. I also learned it took work to stand at the stove stirring up a pot and often ended up eating that awful microwaved stuff they say is oatmeal but is really nothing like the real thing. Sometime during college I finally learned how to make it like Mom and I have passed on this family tradition to the children I have nannied. Parents are usually amazed that I get their kids to eat such "health food." In reality our recipe is a little like eating veges in the French manner. They know it takes care, flavor, and a wee bit of fat to make something healthy into something delectable.
Cream of Something
Follow package instructions for proportions of liquid to cereal. For example, on the back of my box of Cream of Wheat for one person I would use 1 1/4 cup liquid to 3 T cereal.
Rather than using water use whole milk or for a richer flavor evaporated milk reconstituted with an equal amount of water.
To this add a pinch of salt and 1 to 1 1/2 t. sugar for each serving. I use sea salt in a salt grinder and add a few twists worth. Salt rounds out and enhances sweet flavors but a little goes a long way.
Also add a splash of real vanilla extract and a cinnamon stick to the pot, if you have it. Cinnamon sticks are available relatively inexpensively in the Hispanic foods section of many grocery stores. If your stick is longer than 2-3 inches break it in half and use half a stick for a pot of up to 4 servings.
Warm just until hot to the touch to meld and release the flavors, also taste test before adding the cereal. How your milk tastes will be a good indication of how your cereal will taste. It is easier to tweak and taste test before cereal is added because once the cereal is in you have to wait until it is fully cooked and by then it will be too late for it to absorb the full flavor of your enhancements.
Add cereal. One tablespoon wheat germ per serving may also be added. It adds vitamins, fiber, and even adds really nice flavor to the cereal. I love it!
It is best to stir constantly over medium to medium low heat for a creamy, smooth texture until it is thickened. For many cereals this is only about 5 minutes but for some, like oatmeal, it could be 10 to 15 minutes. Oatmeal benefits from cooking even longer over low heat until very creamy and thickened. While you stir you can think about how much you love who you are making it for, pray for them, and add the benefits of all those blessings.
Once thickened serve immediately onto a wide flat dish. It will spread out into a pretty circle over the dish and looks lovely with a sprinkling of cinnamon over the top. Besides looking nice, serving onto a plate also helps it to cool, whereas hot cereal can stay molten lava hot for a while in a bowl. Kids can also draw a picture in it while they eat :D
I did make sure Miss T had a good breakfast, Cream of Wheat with wheat germ, milk and homemade chunky applesauce. It reminded me of my own childhood. If I think of my mother and my childhood in the same thought it invariably brings up the image of her at the stove stirring up cream-of-something for breakfast before school. She was a big believer in a hot breakfast before school. My sis and I were never allowed cold cereal before school. Cornflakes were actually a weekend treat in our house, and those colored loop cereals were a mysterious food other kids ate until I got to college. I tried them and realized I hadn't missed much. Eggs, pancakes, and such were the weekly big, Sunday breakfast fare. Monday through Friday it was cream-of-something - farina, rice, cornmeal, oatmeal, or (of course) wheat.
By ninth grade I grew a bit whiny about it and so was told I could fix my own breakfast, and boy did that teach me a lesson. It was then I realized what a time saver it had been to have mom making breakfast while I puttered around getting dressed in the morning. I also learned it took work to stand at the stove stirring up a pot and often ended up eating that awful microwaved stuff they say is oatmeal but is really nothing like the real thing. Sometime during college I finally learned how to make it like Mom and I have passed on this family tradition to the children I have nannied. Parents are usually amazed that I get their kids to eat such "health food." In reality our recipe is a little like eating veges in the French manner. They know it takes care, flavor, and a wee bit of fat to make something healthy into something delectable.
Cream of Something
Follow package instructions for proportions of liquid to cereal. For example, on the back of my box of Cream of Wheat for one person I would use 1 1/4 cup liquid to 3 T cereal.
Rather than using water use whole milk or for a richer flavor evaporated milk reconstituted with an equal amount of water.
To this add a pinch of salt and 1 to 1 1/2 t. sugar for each serving. I use sea salt in a salt grinder and add a few twists worth. Salt rounds out and enhances sweet flavors but a little goes a long way.
Also add a splash of real vanilla extract and a cinnamon stick to the pot, if you have it. Cinnamon sticks are available relatively inexpensively in the Hispanic foods section of many grocery stores. If your stick is longer than 2-3 inches break it in half and use half a stick for a pot of up to 4 servings.
Warm just until hot to the touch to meld and release the flavors, also taste test before adding the cereal. How your milk tastes will be a good indication of how your cereal will taste. It is easier to tweak and taste test before cereal is added because once the cereal is in you have to wait until it is fully cooked and by then it will be too late for it to absorb the full flavor of your enhancements.
Add cereal. One tablespoon wheat germ per serving may also be added. It adds vitamins, fiber, and even adds really nice flavor to the cereal. I love it!
It is best to stir constantly over medium to medium low heat for a creamy, smooth texture until it is thickened. For many cereals this is only about 5 minutes but for some, like oatmeal, it could be 10 to 15 minutes. Oatmeal benefits from cooking even longer over low heat until very creamy and thickened. While you stir you can think about how much you love who you are making it for, pray for them, and add the benefits of all those blessings.
Once thickened serve immediately onto a wide flat dish. It will spread out into a pretty circle over the dish and looks lovely with a sprinkling of cinnamon over the top. Besides looking nice, serving onto a plate also helps it to cool, whereas hot cereal can stay molten lava hot for a while in a bowl. Kids can also draw a picture in it while they eat :D
Wednesday, March 7, 2007
Fun Videos
Great retro videos have been springing up all over the net, notably at Homeliving Helper and Charming the Birds from the Trees. Its been a nice way to lighten up my mood and inspire me to feminine pursuits.
One of my favorite feminine pursuits is home cooking. I love to care for others through my cooking. I could never honestly claim to be the world's best cook but I can make a variety of homey things. Stews, roasts, potatoes with gravies, and such lightened up with succulent salads are my mainstays. I am a soup lover but my love, K., is not so soup has been relegated to a side dish or must be accompanied with something freshly baked. This week's days are rather long but tonight I think we will need a warm curry to ward off the chill!
One of my favorite feminine pursuits is home cooking. I love to care for others through my cooking. I could never honestly claim to be the world's best cook but I can make a variety of homey things. Stews, roasts, potatoes with gravies, and such lightened up with succulent salads are my mainstays. I am a soup lover but my love, K., is not so soup has been relegated to a side dish or must be accompanied with something freshly baked. This week's days are rather long but tonight I think we will need a warm curry to ward off the chill!
Wednesday, February 28, 2007
I'm a Bit Down But Not Out
That is the great thing about having an awesome God to rely on. Circumstances can bring us down, but when God is on our side we are never out. While some Christians may view this differently I can't substantiate the belief that we a promised a trouble free ride through this world once we believe. We are promised that we are not abandoned in our troubles. We promised that we are never alone and we have with us One who has walked this road many times before. One who is able to give light to each step even when it appears the darkness is surrounding us. We have only to keep our eyes on the Light instead of trying to peer through the darkness.
I am down because a cancer that we thought my mom had beat returned in less than a year with a disturbing vigor. The first time around I have to admit it seemed pretty minor. Doctors said the success rate in treating her form of cancer was over 95%. She went through her treatments, never lost her hair but was "only" somewhat tired. As her usual habit, she seemed to handle everything so well. My mom is an amazingly strong woman. God only knows what she really went through and never complained about.
Things were not as they appeared to us or the doctors however. The return of a cancer within a year post treatment is considered a bad sign. It is a more aggressive cancer than it originally appeared. This is where we have to remember that life itself is not as it appears. To unbelieving eyes everything is a function of simple random chance, it is void of rhyme or reason. To unbelieving eyes this disease is just the ultimate "bad luck." I am so glad that as a family we have more than luck or chance to rely on. God is working in us to open us up to prayer and faith at new depths. He is reminding us of how dependent we are on Him to bring us through trial not with a focus on outward appearances but by leaning into His unseen arms. He is reminding us of the strength of weakness.
It is my prayer that the Lord will continue to guide all of us, most especially my mom and her doctors, in His wisdom and strength. Whether it is His will to heal her miraculously or through the medical treatment she may receive I pray that He will be glorified through this ordeal. May He strengthen our faith, let us never lose hope, and through it all may we learn to love Him and each other more and more.
"And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love." (1 Cor. 13:13)
I am down because a cancer that we thought my mom had beat returned in less than a year with a disturbing vigor. The first time around I have to admit it seemed pretty minor. Doctors said the success rate in treating her form of cancer was over 95%. She went through her treatments, never lost her hair but was "only" somewhat tired. As her usual habit, she seemed to handle everything so well. My mom is an amazingly strong woman. God only knows what she really went through and never complained about.
Things were not as they appeared to us or the doctors however. The return of a cancer within a year post treatment is considered a bad sign. It is a more aggressive cancer than it originally appeared. This is where we have to remember that life itself is not as it appears. To unbelieving eyes everything is a function of simple random chance, it is void of rhyme or reason. To unbelieving eyes this disease is just the ultimate "bad luck." I am so glad that as a family we have more than luck or chance to rely on. God is working in us to open us up to prayer and faith at new depths. He is reminding us of how dependent we are on Him to bring us through trial not with a focus on outward appearances but by leaning into His unseen arms. He is reminding us of the strength of weakness.
It is my prayer that the Lord will continue to guide all of us, most especially my mom and her doctors, in His wisdom and strength. Whether it is His will to heal her miraculously or through the medical treatment she may receive I pray that He will be glorified through this ordeal. May He strengthen our faith, let us never lose hope, and through it all may we learn to love Him and each other more and more.
"And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love." (1 Cor. 13:13)
Monday, February 12, 2007
Blogging Hiatus
Although this little adventure is just started I will not be on regularly for a while. Important family matters have come up which have a much higher priority. I'd like to ask anyone reading this to say a prayer for my mom.
Thanks all and God bless.
Thanks all and God bless.
Tuesday, February 6, 2007
Easy Pasta Florentine
I made this today as a quick lunch for Miss T. She loved it! Her little face was covered in spinach after two child size bowls. Now, little Miss T is not a fan of vegetables and particularly seems to dislike anything the color green so I was a little worried that lunch would be a bust but she shocked me!
When I am making something new I give kidlets I care for the "job" of being taste testers. I do this before serving while everything is still in the pot by making a small fanfare of pulling out a clean spoon cooling whatever it is appropriately and having them taste. I find that they are usually happy to "help" and it avoids making a big deal at the table of trying the new food with a big bowl of whatever sitting in front of them. Nine times out of ten it leads to them wanting the new stuff right away and waiting the few minutes to serve and cool the food, and sometimes do a pre-lunch toy clean-up, makes them a little more excited. I think it is less intimidating to them to taste test rather than just be faced with a plateful of new stuff.
Anyway, here's the recipe!
Pasta Florentine
Sauce:
2T butter (very young children should never be restricted from real, healthy fats- they are vital for brain development)
2T flour
1 cup milk (may be 1% or even skim for older children and adults but whole tastes best)
2 generous heaping T of Parmesan cheese
2 generous T of ricotta (optional)
dash pepper
1/2-1 t. dry basil (1-2 T fresh)
taste test before adding any salt to taste (with the Parm. cheese it might not be necessary)
8 oz. spinach or more for more sauce (fresh or frozen broken apart)
1/2 box cooked and drained pasta (great on whole wheat penne or rotini)
This sauce is quick so if pasta is not already cooked I start that first. Leftover pasta is fine too.
Melt butter in a medium sauce pan. Add flour and mix with a spoon til flour is fully blended. Cook for 1 minute or so, add milk all at once and give it a good stir. Don't worry at this point if it seems slightly lumpy, those will dissolve as this cooks. Add cheeses, pepper, and basil. Cook for 5 minutes stirring until you see the sauce thickening enough to coat the spoon. Taste test and added 1/4-1/2 t. salt if needed. Add spinach. Cook a few minutes more til hot again, stirring occasionally.
You can use this last cooking time to drain your pasta.
At home, for me this sauce would be done but if serving to kids who have the tendency to pick the veges out of their food, give it a blitz in the blender or food processor then add to the pasta and stir to coat.
When I am making something new I give kidlets I care for the "job" of being taste testers. I do this before serving while everything is still in the pot by making a small fanfare of pulling out a clean spoon cooling whatever it is appropriately and having them taste. I find that they are usually happy to "help" and it avoids making a big deal at the table of trying the new food with a big bowl of whatever sitting in front of them. Nine times out of ten it leads to them wanting the new stuff right away and waiting the few minutes to serve and cool the food, and sometimes do a pre-lunch toy clean-up, makes them a little more excited. I think it is less intimidating to them to taste test rather than just be faced with a plateful of new stuff.
Anyway, here's the recipe!
Pasta Florentine
Sauce:
2T butter (very young children should never be restricted from real, healthy fats- they are vital for brain development)
2T flour
1 cup milk (may be 1% or even skim for older children and adults but whole tastes best)
2 generous heaping T of Parmesan cheese
2 generous T of ricotta (optional)
dash pepper
1/2-1 t. dry basil (1-2 T fresh)
taste test before adding any salt to taste (with the Parm. cheese it might not be necessary)
8 oz. spinach or more for more sauce (fresh or frozen broken apart)
1/2 box cooked and drained pasta (great on whole wheat penne or rotini)
This sauce is quick so if pasta is not already cooked I start that first. Leftover pasta is fine too.
Melt butter in a medium sauce pan. Add flour and mix with a spoon til flour is fully blended. Cook for 1 minute or so, add milk all at once and give it a good stir. Don't worry at this point if it seems slightly lumpy, those will dissolve as this cooks. Add cheeses, pepper, and basil. Cook for 5 minutes stirring until you see the sauce thickening enough to coat the spoon. Taste test and added 1/4-1/2 t. salt if needed. Add spinach. Cook a few minutes more til hot again, stirring occasionally.
You can use this last cooking time to drain your pasta.
At home, for me this sauce would be done but if serving to kids who have the tendency to pick the veges out of their food, give it a blitz in the blender or food processor then add to the pasta and stir to coat.
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