Temper tantrums in the store

I took my Prozac this morning.

That was a good thing 'cause I also went to Target.

With kids.

A certain 2 year old does not do errands well. She can unbuckle ANY safety belt in any cart, but CANNOT sit. So, after a dangerous acrobatic feat that involved balancing on wire some 3 feet in the air, the said 2 year old was banished to the "big bin" in the back of the cart.

It takes her longer to escape from there - see.

The toddler was not happy about this arrangement and proceeded to

HOWL
and
WAIL

Unfortunately for her, I am on anti-depressants and this is not my first rodeo. I can tune out ungodly amounts of noise with narry a blink. I continued shopping, because the alternative was to leave and then come back later to do it all again. No. Thank. You.

Finally, we proceeded towards the check-out stands. Finally and loudly, I should say, for Babiness had decided that her finale required a cresendo. About 10 yards from the finish line we passed an unassuming elderly woman. She was tiny, wore a bad wig and was shopping for cosmetics. Apparently, in her advanced year, she had misplaced her filter -because she shouted - really shouted,

"SHUT-UP"

(snarly voice and all)

I burst out laughing. I was so stunned I didn't know what else to do.

"Shut-up" is a four letter word in our house, my big kids were shocked, and appauled. M asked, "Mom, did she really say, "shut-up?""

"Yes, honey, yes she did."

And in so doing she might have just made my day.

When 2 year olds choose the clothes

You may just find yourself leaving the house with a child wearing cowboy boots and a bathing suit.

Little of this, Little of that

Some women I know have recommended the book, Reckless Faith. While searching on Amazon for it I discovered that John MacArther has a book with a similiar name. It's called "Reckless Faith: Why Christians Today are Passive Idiots. "

Something like that.

Anyhoo, that is NOT the book I'm talking about. The one I'm talking about was written by a girl named Beth. I'm gonna read that one.

Beth and her husband Todd have been involved in orphan care for over a decade; they've lived on the edge. They've seen God work because they've been to places where only the work of God could make any difference. From what I gather, as Beth shares her story she encourages her readers to join her in living where things only makes sense from an eternal perspective. When her life begins to make too much sense, when her decisions are safe, and rational she questions whether she is really living how she should be.

Beth's passion is for the orphan child.

God's passion is for the orphan child.

The Bible says, (paraphrasing here) "Don't mess with the fatherless, don't take advantage of the weak...there defender is strong."

God is a father to the fatherless. He will take up there cause. He places the abandoned in families, and lifts up the oppressed.

Yea, I know hundreds of thousands of kids die, lives wrecked by AIDS, or starvation, or neglect or abuse. But somehow in the crud of it all I still believe that God does care for the orphan child. He cares passionately. And though it makes no sense, and though the evidence sometimes points to the contrary God loves these kids. He has a plan for their lives.

In my admittedly limited experience I have found that as my heart breaks for the things that break God's heart I know Him in a way I never could otherwise. And as I engage the battle for the "least of these" there is evidence of a powerful God at work.

From Russell D. Moore's Adopted for Life:

Perhaps what our churches need most of all in our defense of the faith against Darwinian despair is not more resources on how the fossil record fits with the book of Genesis and not more arguments on how molecular structures show evidence of design. Perhaps the most practical way...is to showcase families for whom love is more than gene protection.

An orphan-protecting adoption culture is countercultural and always has been.

growing things

favorite activity - she's winking in this pic. Couldn't tell? Well she's working out the kinks.

Now what was it I was supposed to do with these candles?

Gardens a-growin'. Those shiny rose leaves are from the bush Mom bought for me when Babycake's adoption was finalized.

Up to my eyeballs...

This morning, when I posted my "Happy Birthday Baby" I noticed it had been quite some time since I'd written.

It's been hectic.

Not all that interesting, but hectic.

The long and short of it is that we own a rental house. Our tenant moved out and left things a mess. We've been spending our hard won buckaroos and every last minute fixing up the said mess. All the while we've been trying to get new tenants.

Also, happening: We're finishing our basement into an apartment for a single mom. Long story. We're in process and have a contact at the Hope House who has been giving us pointers as we're looking to work with a young mom.

Also happening: End of the school year craziness and kid events.

Also happening: Hubs has a day job. You knew that, but did you know that there have been some interesting, exciting, time-consuming developments happening there within?

Also happening: ICKY GI Bug

Also happening: Pink Eye

Also happening: Babe's B-day

Also happening: church commitments

Also happening: waiting to hear about my job this fall

( Yes, I know that last one doesn't require me to do anything. But waiting happens to be one of my least favorite non-activities. I even peek under the wrapping paper at Christmas time for goodness sakes- I know it's lame, I just. can't. help. myself. )

Suffice it to say we're "maxed out", "stretched too thin", "running on fumes" etc. etc.

Margins. Usually we do a decent job of keeping white space in our lives. But our margins got scribbled on. And if we were to be totally honest, we'd have to admit some of the scribbles were made with our own pens. I'm hoping that this weekend we'll be able to pull out that big pink gum eraser and create a little do-nothing time in our lives. Wish us luck, or better yet: pray.

Baby Turns 2

Happy Birthday Sweetness...

I'll upload some pics and video soon, but for now:

Favorite cuss words: NO FUN!

Favorite passtime: Bathing

Favorite words: No Way!

Favorite person: Daddy (Mom is a distant 2nd)

Special Skill: Temper Tantrums

Favorite Food: strawberries or McD's hashbrowns (shut-up health police...i know... i know...whatever)

Favorite Item: blankie (Thanks Grandma Wood - that thing goes everywhere)

Favorite Person to irritate: Bub

Favorite footwear: pink cowboy boots, red crocks, or anyone else's shoes

True (food related) Confessions

-I love diet pop. The chemicals make it taste better.

-I cheated on my GF diet and ate a piping hot sopapilla - I got a stomache, and it was SO worth it. Mmmm...

-Jelly beans, Peeps, and gumdrops are the grossest candys on the planet.

-I actually like tofu, and try to sneak it into foods when my husband isn't looking.

-I am a coffee snob, but will drink any red wine with chocolate.

-I never follow recipes. Ever. Ever.

-Celery and acorn squash are disgusting. Oh, they taste fine, but there texture grosses me out.

-Sometimes I can't eat yogurt because the thought of all those pro-biotics swimming makes me feel queezy.

-I ate an unseemly amount of Jr. Bacon Cheeseburgers while pregnant with my daughter. Even now they have a special place in my heart.

-I HEART zucchini from my garden. Like a lot. Seriously, I eat pound of zuchs every week when they're ready for harvest.

-I hate the taste of freezer burn.

-When I eat raw onion my breath is terrible for like a week.

Okay, 'fess up. What are your food weirdnesses?