Otis Sidekicks

Establish the work of our hands for us-- yes, establish the work of our hands.  Psalm 90:17 https://achildgrows.com/blog Walking with a friend I mentioned I missed cloth diapers just because of the feeling I had having my rectangles of cotton lined up and pinned up one by one. A row out my window, clothsline with the simple labor of love, soiled to sunshine. She did not laugh, but understood the pleasure in a type of work. With May comes work, but everytime I see clothes on the line I feel a community connection of coming out of our winter blankets and getting to work, seeing the blue sky and pleasure in the first load swinging in the breeze. This May feels like a moving light board under my feet. Fields to get to, concerts to attend, decisions for pre school and highschool while balancing the art of homemaker. We are doing well, happy  in our day to day, but running and flexing our muscles of quick thinking and nightly strategy for our sixteen plus activities each...

Today M got stung by a Bee. He made it inside before crying, flanked by Little D being his spokesperson  I quickly did the "Bee sting routine" and thought I would pass it along! ~Remove the stinger with tweezers if you can see it, try not to pinch the stinger ( that can inject more venom) ~Control swelling, ice the area. One ice cube is perfect. ~Apply a mixture of baking soda and water. ~Keep the area clean it can take about 3 days to heal. You can use Arnica gel for swelling. ~ If the child/person has a reaction (swelling, trouble breathing) call 911 After that I had made extra paste from the baking soda and water so I gave the three youngest kids each a cutting board, a dollop of paste and they had at it. Then I poured a little vinegar on each "palate", like a square volcano board! They loved it.   As M declared at the end while we were scrubbing everything clean with the leftover drops from the experiment we turned p...

Behold! I tell you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed ~ 1 Corinthians 15:51 In talking to friends this week I realize we ALL have those moments of anguish right there mixed in with the normal and with the joy. The small storms of life that can wreck an evening or cause a perfectly decent day to be checked off as on par with  Alexander's terrible, horrible , no good, very bad day. Sometimes it is a half hour, when as a mother we leave the house for a drop off and return to tears and chaos. Or it is a situation at work that seemed fine and suddenly exploded into a huge mess. There can be challenges with children and with personal goals being derailed. These are moments that are small in the scheme of things but feel very BIG when they happen.  When a kid fails a test, are on the outs with a friend or loose a big game it can feel like the world is ending. Praying this week I realized...

For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in   Matthew 25:35 Today after my grocery run I decided to make chicken drumsticks...for an after school snack. Usually after school is when I do fun, inspired kid snacks. Lucy's friend asked the other day if they could "play playdough in my baking time" as if it were a measurment during the day. It is often true I bake in the afternoon to have things fresh when the kids start coming home from school between three and five, activity dependent. Easter candy IV's have started to turn into emotional meltdowns, so I decided to jump on the Paleo bandwagon and serve some serious protien instead of peeps. It reminded me of how, as a young mom, I really wanted to know how other mother's fed their children! Did they learn from their mother's? Their grandmother's? Their father's? Did they cook in college or with friends for fun? One of...

“Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines, sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.”  Mark Twain Train buds, so fun to have sleeping cars.  Some waiting was long, but overall the train was a very smooth process. Michagan Ave Bridge & truly good Chi town deep dish Stans is worth a visit Lu was pretty excited about the American Girl Doll store! How wonderful to travel with Grandparents! Bulls game! Such a fun game and entertainment with Benny the Mascot's Birthday! A fabulous trip exploring Chicago. We took the train from Minneapolis/St Paul to Chicago and spent most days walking all over the city. What a wonderful city to explore. It is not always easy to travel with kids, especially a big group but we had so much fun. We only took 2 phones, no other electronics, i pads and i pods stayed hom...

~ 1 Cup + VitaFiber Syrup* OR Agave OR Honey ~ 6 scoops protein powder (I use Quest) ~ 3/4 to 1 Cup ground almonds, I put them into the blender whole and lightly crush for texture ~ Added chocolate chips, dried fruit, unsweetened coconut to taste 1. Heat the Syrup of choice in a saucepan over medium heat until it starts to bubble 2. Remove from heat and pour into a big bowl (pre spray bowl with non stick spray for easy clean up) 3. Stir in crushed almonds and protein powder 4. Stir in a cup of your choice, I like semi sweet ch. chips, unsweetened coconut and cinnamon 5. Spray a baking pan with non stick and using a plastic spatula press mixture flat 6. Put in the oven at 350 for about 5 minutes 7. Let cool 15 min, cut and store in the fridge. I store in layers with wax paper between. **You can purchase the VitaFiber syrup on Amazon.com, it is my favorite but the Agave works really well too. ** Play around with protein powder flavors and types. Make sure to check fib...

And wine  that  maketh glad the heart of man,  and  oil to make  his  face to shine, and bread  which  strengtheneth man's heart. Psalm 104:15 A friend  recommended  reading Carry On Warrior by Glennon Doyle Melton of Momastery Blog, and it was a wonderful reminder people are hungry for personal journeys, not just the beautiful ones. In 8th grade I started the process of developing my own personal sidekick, an eating disorder. It started with peer counseling other kids who had disorders. I took notes and was fascinated by this way to fit in with the culture around me and control my environment. Growing up in multiple places, schools, with real socioeconomic and cultural diversity a underlying truth was every women deals with food.  Another piece of this puzzle for me is the reality of food sensitivities  If you have been with me when I have reacted and turn bright red or get hi...