Multitude Mondays- VI

I am thankful for...

February 21

155. Praying and reading the bible with Steve tonight.
156. That my sister Elizabeth found a job in North Carolina
157. For Jack eating REALLY well tonight (more than 2 jars!)
158. For free pictures at shutterfly.com
159. For Steve and I being on the same page when it comes to discipline

February 22

160. For an uniterrupted quiet time early in the morning
161. That Jesus died on the cross for me when I had done nothing to deserve it. Reminding me to forgive others who have hurt me even just as I have been forgiven.
162. For James 4
163. For getting together with Kindra and Amber to catch up and pray for each other.
164. For Steve watching Jack tonight so I could have this uninterrupted time.
165. That God always uses our past hurts for good

February 23

166. For a good walk/jog in the park with Rebecca, Hannah and Jack
167. For accountability
168. For a fun dinner (and a margarita) at the colonade with Steve's family
169. For getting to meet my father in law's first boss from many years ago.
170. For the joy Jack brought the people behind our table (senior citizens thought Mickey Mouse was so interesting :)

February 24

171. For a GREAT morning at the park with an old, dear, and wise mentor from my MBA program.
172. For the encouragement she always gives me when it comes to work and direction when I need it.
173. For Jack enjoying a beautiful morning at the park and running down the pier.

February 25

174. For spending a couple of hours with Paula during her visit to Florida, a dear mentor who I miss very, very much.
175. For Jack playing with her son Landon and Cole in the afternoon.
176. For a fun dinner with the Mattachiones
177. For God constantly providing above our needs

February 26

178. For being humbled
179. For a reminder to be more dependent on God on the smallest things
180. For a day spending quality time with Steve and Jack
181. For a lunch for Steve and I by ourselves while grandpa watched Jack (much needed!)

February 27

182. For the last sermon of the nautical series at our church
183. For the change and freedom God gives through the Celebrate Recovery ministry at STF
184. For an impromptu afternoon with the Waechters at the park

Multitude Mondays- V

I am thankful...

February 14

129. For God's love for me
130. For the love my three boys have always given me (Steve, Andrew, and Jack)
131. For a fun Valentine's lunch date with a friend from work

February 15

132. A mentor who listens and provides guidance
133. For Steve and I communicating really well tonight
134. For Jack who was in a 'ma-ma' mood tonight and was extra snuggly
135. That a close friend who understands the challenges of working part time and caring for little ones at home.

February 16

136. For being able to be at service tonight to watch the McCall family and their plans for the future
137. For how God always comes through when we take leaps of faith

February 17

138. For spending a wonderful morning with a friend and her little boy
139. For learning to let go of the house being dirty and spending more quality time with Jack
140. For an encouraging and beatiful testimony at Celebrate Recovery
141. For a reminder that my identity is in Jesus Christ, not in my job or relationships
142. That I am always worthy in God's eyes and I am his child
143. For God working on Steve and I to move us on a new direction

February 18

144. For the wisdom God gives when we ask for it
145. For Luke 12:11
146. For growing and healthy children at dinner with our friends tonight
147. For having the Crown financial workbook as a reference I go back to time and time again, years after first reading it.

February 19

148. For enjoying a beautiful morning at the McDill park
149. For a challenging workout with Steve and Jack
150. For spending the evening with Steve's family
151. For a good conversation with Steve's aunt Heather and her advice on parenting and discipline


February 20

152. For a friend from work taking time out of her day to teach me how to sell things on ebay
153. For Steve watching Jack Sunday afternoon by himself
154. For planning our dinners for the week and being able to prepare a healthy meal at home

Weekend in Boca Grande

This past weekend we stayed at my father in law's condo in Boca Grande. It is about 2 hours south of Tampa close to Naples. Thank you to my father in law for inviting us to spend the weekend with him! Steve's brother and his girlfriend came along too, making a total of 6 of us including Jack.

Saturday morning we headed over to Gasparilla Island. It is truly a beautiful island and here are some pictures from our drive over there

Once we got there we headed over to PJ's Seagrill for lunch. Jack wanted to wear his sunglasses because he saw Steve and I wear them. This was so funny to us because in the past he has wanted NOTHING do with them! But he did look cute sporting his shades :)

Surprisingly there was not a lot of seafood dishes at the restaurant so I was not impressed. But Jack was in heaven because they had a fish tank! Recently he's been ALL about 'ishys' and wakes up asking for them- ha! This was the right place for him.

After lunch we took a ride around the island on a golf cart. The real estate people that rent the condo year round kindly let us borrow it for the afternoon.

We took the golf cart down to the lightouse at the end of the island. It was really pretty! Too chilly to layout, but warm enough for a nice outing.

In the afternoon Steve's old friend and fraternity brother Jason stopped by to visit. He lives close by and it was great we got to spend some time with him, his wife Tera, and their 7 month old Lawson.

Lawson was such a happy baby. We had such a nice time with them, and they even stayed past Lawson's bedtime and left pretty late.

I was very excited when they told us about the UPromise program. Through this program Publix gives 2% back of all purchases towards a college fund for children. Jason said his buddy had already saved up $600 towards his child's education- but he didn't have a baby yet- HA! I think we could save up some money pretty quickly if our parents participate on it too. No better thing than free $ for things we already spend money on anyway.

Sunday morning we went out on the boat fishing. Jack is always quite happy on the boat and loves to take everything in. It is a joy just to watch him! And Steve caught a small fish out there, and worked with Jack so they reeled it in together.

I must say Jack was more excited about the pictures of a fish than the actual fish. He didn't know what to think of it.

I am bummed I didn't get any pictures of my father in law from the weekend. We had a wonderful time and hope to go back there again when the weather warms up!

A belated Valentine's card

Hope everyone had a great Valentine's day! I didn't have time to post this yesterday, but better late than never right? Our little man turned 17 months on Valentine's day and I am so thankful for him. He is talking up a storm, playing, dancing, and communicating really well with us. I am going to wait until his 18 month birthday to post a more detailed update on him.

Steve and I didn't do anything exciting for Valentine's day. We were resting from a long weekend and just had a routine night. We did look at lot into San Francisco last night, as Steve's company will be flying us out there over the summer! I am sooo excited and can't wait to plan for that.

I will post pictures from our weekend in Boca Grande later this week. Hopefully I will get to it by Friday!

Multitude Mondays- IV

I am thankful...

Monday February 7th

Steve is out of town on a conference. It was a rough night.

97. For Steve’s absence making me realize how much he helps in the evenings with Jack
98. For getting to rock Jack to sleep as he’s not feeling good tonight
99. For a small victory in an area I have struggled with these last few weeks

Tuesday February 8th

100. For a much needed free starbucks mocha drink
101. That despite having six meetings in one day I did not feel overwhelmed or stressed
102. For Steve being back safe and how much both Jack and I missed him (even if it was just for one night!)
103. For the lady that takes care of Jack almost feeling like part of the family. I am thankful for how much she loves and cares for Jack
104. For a long conversation with her grandchildren, and how interesting the world is from the perspective of a 3rd and 7th grander

Weds February 9th

105. For a flexible work schedule allowing me to spend the rest of the week with Jack
106. For an email from a friend who is being called to move and how much I will miss her
107. For encouraging notes

Thurs February 10th

108. For two dear friends who delivered healthy and handsome baby boys today.
109. For spending the day with Jack and smothering him with kisses.
110. For being content at taking care of our home and being able to slow down
111. For how Jack listens and understands when I talk to him.
112. For Jacks growing vocabulary and how I can't wait to have a conversation with him


Friday February 11th

113. My boss flew out to Texas this week as her 13 year old nephew was having open heart surgery. I am thankful for the good news that he did well and was being transferred out of the ICU today.
114. For a fun morning at a friend’s house who hosted a valentine’s day party
115. The opportunity to share about Andrew to another mom I just met. I am thankful for her empathy and welcoming conversation.
116. For Jack having a blast with tons of little boys his age.
117. For traveling down to Boca Grande with Steve and his family
118. For my favorite 3 year old having a good tooth surgery and doing very well

Sat February 12th

119. That Jack LOVES being outside, encouraging me to get out and enjoy the outdoors (and not be lazy!)
120. For the blessing of my sister praying for me over the phone
121. For a kind father in law who likes to spend time with us and is generous
122. For a beautiful sunny day in Gasparilla island with family
123. For a fun evening with old friends from college, and their baby boy

Sun February 13th

124. For a good conversation with my father in law in the afternoon
125. For getting to snuggle with Jack during a boat ride
126. For Jack catching his first fish with his dad, grandpa, and uncle.
127. For all the blessings God provides above of our needs
128. For beautiful flowers and cards from Jack and Steve

Multitude Mondays- III

I am thankful for...

74. For finally getting the hang of couponing
75. For the money we are saving which we can put into something else
76. For my excitement as we look into different options of starting a college fund for Jack
77. For being able to laugh and not cry (while turning away from Jack) during a difficult moment with him
78. That we are consistently eating more vegetables
79. That Steve gets home early from work today
80.- For how much Jack enjoys Gymboree and the break it gives me
81. For lunch with wonderful friends
82. For finding in encouragement in other moms who are honest about their struggles
83. For Jack learning to interact with other little boys
84. For a great afternoon catching up with Raquel and Beckham
85. For an hour at Border's by myself
86. For toddlerbooks and how they will help me over the next few years
87. For spending an afternoon with Steve's cousins and extended family
88. For DVD's keeping little boys entertained and keeping them from running around in the rain

89.For Danielle and her advice as a seasoned mom of two boys
90.For a goodbye dinner for the Edgels before they leave for Ohio.
91. For the memories made with Rachel over the last few years

92. For husbands taking care of the little ones for the night for the most part

93. For catching up with much needed rest Sunday afternoon
94. For the joy Steve had taking Jack out for some quality time
95. For being able to prepare meals for the week and catch up at home
96. That I'm slowly getting better at cooking and have to look less at menus

Deceptively Delicious- Part II

So I was convicted to read that dinners should never be a power struggle but that it should be a positive and pleasant experience. So often we make Jack continue eating after he signs 'all done' by waving his little arms in the air. Since he turned 8 months old he's not very interested in eating when he could be out playing! So we make him eat even when he doesn't want to.

We need to find that fine line between  encouraging him to vs. forcing him to eat more.

I started thinking about how my parents approached dinner growing up. Let me start off by saying my mom is a great cook. She can whip up anything in just a few minutes and it tastes delicious. She is a wonderful mother and tried her best to instill good eating habits on my sisters and I.

But I remember being forced to eat an entire vegetable soup plate before every meal up until we moved to the U.S. To this day I don't like any type of soup and equal that word with 'bad tasting'. I don't like most vegetables either. In fact I've only made soup once since we've been married and that's when Steve was really sick and asked for some homemade chicken noodle soup about a year ago.

So how do I get Jack to eat vegetables? I somehow must make the vegetables taste good so he wants to eat them. So I will want to eat it myself.

A good pointer I read in the book- is to have a side of vegetables at every meal even if there is already a vegetable mixed in the main course. And to serve them as appetizers while cooking if dinner is not ready. If children are hungry enough, they will end up eating and hopefully develop a taste for it overtime.

So we are going to try that going forward. I have no idea how its going to work out but I hope it turns out well. I think its better than the alternative of forcing veggies on Jack since I know it didn't work on me long-term.

One more convicting point about this book- was to not turn the TV during dinner. I must confess I so often turn the TV on when Jack doesn't want to eat, because he will sit in that chair and just open his little mouth, and it makes feeding him much much easier and my life less stressful.

And even though Steve gets home around 6:30 for work a few days a week, somehow I am going to manage so we can ALL eat dinner together. He's been asking me to do this for a while, but its hard to make it that late without eating dinner. I am just going to have to get creative so we can last until then to eat together as a family. Hopefully this will help keep Jack 'entertained' during dinner without having to resort to the TV.

I'd LOVE to hear tips from you on what has worked well for your family on good eating habits, and specially on getting your toddler to eat vegetables :)

______________________________________________________________

Quick update since I originally wrote this:

Last week went out to dinner. We ordered mac and cheese with a side of broccoli for Jack. He apparently did not like it and spit it out three times!! Even when I mixed it with the mac and cheese. Ahh it was so frustrating.

I haven't been turning on the TV during mealtimes. The first time he must've pointed at the TV 10-15 times while saying 'Hot-dog' over and over again! (hot dog is what he calls Mickey Mouse)

"I do not like broccoli. And I haven't liked it since I was  little kid and my mother made me eat it. And I'm the President and I'm not going to eat any more broccoli" - George H.W Bush

Deceptively Delicious

A few weeks ago I picked up the book Deceptively Delicious at Border's. The book caught my attention because it was on sale for $7 from $25 (love a good deal) and it was pink and cute. ha! I am a sucker for all things pink.

Probably the best $7 I've spent in a while. Here's a summary of what I like about the book...

- The recipes are all about mixing vegetables in with everyday meals so children are not able to taste it

- It gives you a summary of the benefits of each vegetable

- It shows step by step how to cut, steam, and puree the vegetables (something I have very little knowledge of and have had to resort to Youtube to learn)

- Most of the recipes are five ingredients or less

The book does a good job of integrating vegetables and still keeping the meals tasty for the most part. Here's my feedback on the recipes I've tried:

- Ground turkey tacos with butternut squash mixed in taco sauce (excellent)

- Homemade mac and cheese with wheat pasta and butternut squash (excellent- even got a text from my father in law on how much he liked it)

- Tuna salad with cauliflower puree (very good)

- Pita pizzas with spinach (not well liked)

- Eggs with spinach (not well liked- must be something about spinach)

- Eggs with cauliflower and a pinch of sour cream (well liked)

I am really excited about incorporating more vegetables into our meals. I am not a person who really likes vegetables although I buy them every week at the supermarket because I convince myself we will eat more vegetables that week. That usually doesn't end up working out as planned.

If you are a seasoned cook and know what you are doing in the kitchen, you will find this book a little too basic. I enjoyed it because of the step by step guide of how to cook the vegetables and the quick weeknight meals. Good for someone who doesn't know much like me- ha!

I read something in the book which really struck me last week. There was a tip on how 'dinner' should never be a power struggle of making children eat something they refuse. And so it really got me thinking about our own eating habits and my approach to mealtimes at home.

I will write more about that on my next post...

I love you no matter what

A couple of weeks ago I was talking to a fellow employee who works in the IT department. We don't talk very often but somehow we got into the conversation of toddlers and discipline. I mentioned that Jack already at 16 months had shown some signs of the famous terrible two's and it scared me a little.

"Terrible two's?" He replied "We had the terrific two's. Both of my children were great, and although challenging at times for the most part they were pretty easy''

This was the first time I'd ever heard anyone say something that positive and talk that great about their kids at that age. The conversation ended but in the back of my mind I kept thinking about the 'terrific twos' he talked about.

This Monday he walked by my desk and I just had to ask him- "What did you do with your children that they were so easy? Honestly, you're the first person I've ever heard talk about these 'terrific twos"

He told me he and his wife were devout christians and had always prayed for their children (They are now teenagers). He kindly gave me a lot of practical advice on things that had worked for them, but one thing stuck out to me the most...

''I had this habit of whispering into my girls ears- I love you no matter what"

I came home and talked to Steve about it and it led to a great parenting conversation that night.

Well this afternoon I read a blog update on Kate McRae a little girl who has been battling a very aggresive brain tumor for years (hang with me here, there's a connection).

This week Kate had a check up brain scan and it turns out her tumor has come back. In today's blog post her mom writes about having to explain to her daughter that she may be called to heaven sooner than they would like. And in the midst of her conversation her daughter whispers into her ear 'I will love you no matter what'

Here's what she wrote:

I wept as we talked about heaven and she softly said, "mom, I don't want to go without you, I would miss you way too much." "And I don't want you to go without me either baby." And then the question again that pierces our hearts daily, "Why hasn't Jesus used his power yet? He's so much stronger than cancer, why?" So again we talked, and cried some more. We ended the conversation with her whispering in my ear, "I will love you no matter what." I had to go to my room to cry alone.

I assume Kate learned those words from her parents.

I was surprised to read the words bolded above for the second time in one week. I don't know if its a very common thing to say, but honestly before this week I had never heard of it before so its really struck me  and I wanted to share it here.

I hope to make it a habit to whisper it into Jack's ears.

I hope Jack knows that he will always be loved no matter how many times he messes up. And no matter how frustrated I may get with him during the 'terrible twos' stage.

And from a different perspective, I hope I will also love the Lord no matter what. No matter what the circumstances- if our health is stripped away, if our wealth is gone, or if he calls Steve or another one of my children to heaven sooner than I would like.

I didn't mean for this to turn out a sad post. These words have spoken loudly to me this week and I think they are powerful words we can share with our children.