I Spy: The Story Time Edition

I decided to share my experience tonight of taking my son to story time as if I were playing "I spy"... because it is my blog... and because I can.

I spy...my son so excited about and engrossed in walking on the little strip of bricks on the sidewalk by the library that he nearly ran into a light pole.
I spy...my son dividing up the books we were returning equally between the two inside drop slots and then obsessively peeking over the edge to make sure they safely made it into the bin.

I spy...my son attempting to convince me that he needs to use the restroom (although he really doesn't, he just likes the fact the the library has restrooms he can use if he needs to and always wants to visit them).

I spy...my son nearly having a meltdown because he couldn't sit on the "A" on the alphabet train rug (because his name starts with A and he must sit on the A).

I spy...my son attempting to use the stapler to staple his shirt during craft time.

I spy...my son rubbing the glue stick on my shirt during craft time.

I spy...my son plowing over another kid while they "dance" during their music/dance time.

I spy...my son almost accidentally shutting a kid in the big wooden book that they open up for the kids to pick books from when story time is over (he absolutely must be the one to shut the book!).

I spy...my son trying to take off with our books we were going to check out while I speak to the nice librarian in the children's department.

I spy...my son dropping said books onto the floor.

I spy...my son being fascinated with the automatic doors on the way out.

Sincerely,
The Frazzled Mother

Solution To: Can You Repeat The Question?

Here is the original problem:

Here is the solution:

Sincerely,
The Math Freak

Can You Repeat The Question?

For all of my fellow math freaks out there, here is your problem of the week.

I'll explain the directions in a bit more detail using the example they gave you since it is a bit confusing.  In the example, there is a 0 in the first space on top and a 1 directly beneath it.  That means that 0 must appear exactly 1 time in the bottom row of numbers.  Similarly, there is a 2 directly beneath the 1 in the top row.  This means that the number 1 must appear exactly 2 times in the bottom row.

So your goal is to fill in the bottom row of numbers so that, when completed, every number in the top row appears the exact amount of times in the bottom row as the number directly beneath it.

Enjoy! And good luck!

Sincerely,
The Math Freak

The Kardashians Ain't Got Nothing On Us!

Sometimes I feel like I am filming a reality TV show because the things that happen are so ridiculous that it seems like it has to be a scripted moment on one of those shows.  Trust me, we have had more than our fair share of crazy things happen around here.  Just to warn you, if the talk of vomit makes you squeamish, I wouldn't read on!

Just yesterday evening, my son had the stomach flu.  I was in the basement on the computer getting ready to blog when I distinctly heard the sound of someone vomiting, followed by frantic running to the restroom, followed by Anthony yelling, "I need help!".

I run upstairs and snatch my daughter off the floor just as she was about to play in a pile of vomit.  I took her in her room and put her in her crib with a few toys so that I could begin cleanup without having to worry about her playing in it.  When I returned to the living room, I found our dog licking all the vomit up off of the floor.  It was simultaneously seriously gross and kind of nice.  It certainly meant less work for me as I now had less to cleanup.

Then later that evening, after my daughter was in bed and I had returned to the basement, I yet again heard my son vomiting and my husband yelling for help.  When I went upstairs, I found that, although there was a wastebasket right beside them, my son had vomited all over himself, my husband, my son's lovie, the couch, and the floor.  Oh yea, some of it did make it into the wastebasket.  Apparently, there was no warning, just spontaneous projectile vomiting which would explain why most of it didn't end up in the wastebasket. 

So I gathered up all the dirty laundry and took it to the basement to wash it immediately.  After Anthony had put my son to bed, he came downstairs and asked if his cell phone was in his jeans that I had taken.  I yelled, "I hope not!" and bolted into the laundry room.  I guess Anthony didn't expect me to wash the stuff right away, but I didn't want it sitting around.  I flung open the washer door and began searching the nasty vomit water in the washing machine for his cell phone.  Not like it mattered anyway, if it was in there, it was done for.  Fortunately it wasn't in there.  Then I proceeded to scrub my hands and arms down like I was surgeon prepping for surgery.  I'm determined not to get sick!

Sincerely,
The mom who said vomit more time than you probably cared to read!

Say What?

This Sunday while having lunch at a local pizza shop with my in-laws, my son said he needed to go to the bathroom.  My husband took him to the bathroom and then returned to the table.  We had finished our meal and were on our way out the door when my son said he need to go to the bathroom again.  As frustrating as it is, I didn't want to tell him he had to wait until we got home.  We worked hard to potty train him and emphasized the importance of him telling us when he needed to go, so it just seemed a bit wrong to tell him to hold it.

I took him to the bathroom this time.  When we got into the bathroom he said, "Mommy, I want to pee standing up".  So I explained to him that he wasn't tall enough to stand up and pee into the toilet.  Then he said, "But daddy let me stand up and pee in the other restroom".  So, I explained that he probably let him use the urinal and that girls bathrooms don't have urinals.  And then came the question that is so simple and yet so complicated...."Why?".

I tried to keep it simple.  "Girls can't stand to pee.  We have to sit, so we don't have urinals in our bathrooms."  But my son doesn't do simple.  "Why?", he asked.  He is nothing if not persistent.  So then I had to explain the difference between boys and girls to him.  I sure it won't be the last time. 

Our talk started me thinking about how fast he is growing up and how I never imagined having to explain some of the things that I have talked to him about so soon.  And before I know it will be time to the "The talk" if you know what I mean.  YIKES!  Can't they just stay little forever?

Sincerely,
The-M-O-M

Baby Miller #3?

I know many of you probably read the title and assumed that I would be announcing that I am pregnant with our third child.  And you would be right...NOT!  Sorry, no such announcement.  But the title did get you to my blog!  ;)

Before having kids, Anthony and I were pretty comfortable with the idea of three children.  Sometimes I would throw in an "or four", but I just don't see how that is even going to be possible, for a variety of reasons...but I'll save that for another post.  My thoughts on how many kids we would have has gone every which way the wind blows since first getting pregnant with my son. 

After I found out I was pregnant with my son, I suddenly wasn't sure I even wanted kids.  What if I wasn't ready to give up my free time?  What if I resented him for that?  After my son was born, I was adamant that we would only have one child.  I will admit that I may have uttered "Don't even think about it!  Don't look at me, don't touch me...another baby isn't happening!" on more than one occasion.  But between coming to terms with have an unexpected c-section, a long recovery, being hormonal, and being more tired than anyone should be for having just one baby, what would you expect me to say?  I slowly came around however.  The turning point for me was my son's first birthday.  In that moment, realizing that my baby wasn't a baby anymore, I had baby fever.  After the birth of my daughter, I actually immediately started talking about baby #3.  Going from one to two was worlds easier for me than going from none to one.  So I just thought, why not have another?

Since then, again, my feelings have wavered.  There are two of them, and two of us.  We get the experience of raising both a boy and a girl.  Sometimes, between working, running a household, having two young kids, and having a wretched dog who misbehaves whenever possible, I don't know how I could handle another child.  (That reminds me, we have a lovely dog free to a good home if you are interested!)

But that brings me to today.  Today my son asked if we could go for a walk.  So I loaded both kids up in the wagon and headed out on a walk around the block.  The way our wagon is set up, the kids face each other while sitting in it.  My daughter spent much of the ride staring at my son, taking in every thing he did and every words he spoke.  She loves to watch her big brother.  At one point my son said something that my daughter thought was hilarious.  So he kept repeating it so that she would keep laughing.  Half way around the block there is a steep hill that we go down.  I turned around to make sure that my daughter wasn't falling out of the wagon.  When I turned around I saw that my son had put his hands on my daughters waist to help hold there so she wouldn't fall forward. 

It was such a sweet moment.  Although they do get on each other's nerves, even at this young age, they genuinely love each other.  It is so fun to watch the two of them interact with each other.  Their love for one another has truly blessed our family.  Although Anthony and I have not made any decision on a third child yet, as I reflect on these sweet little moments, my heart melts a little and I think, how could I not want another?

Sincerely,
The Flip-Flopper

Operation Christmas Child

A few years ago I started taking part in Operation Christmas Child.  The organization Samaritan's Purse, a christian relief and evangelism organization, runs Operation Christmas Child.  This program uses the gift of a shoe box to demonstrate God's love to needy children all over the world and to share the good news of Jesus Christ (as stated on their website).

Before filling a shoe box, you have to decide whether or not you want to make one for a boy or a girl.  Then you have to decide on what age you are going to make one for.  The age categories are 2-4, 5-9, or 10-14.  Then you fill your shoes box with hygiene items, schools supplies, candy, and toys (and enclose a $7 dollar donation to help cover shipping of the shoe box).  Then find a drop of center to drop your shoe box off at.

I thought this year would be a good year to get my son involved.  This was a good opportunity to teach him about helping others, to spend time together, and to share something I am passionate about with him.  It wasn't just something that I could sit and tell him about, it was something he could actually help with.  I figure children are never to early to start getting involved and helping those in need.

First, I explained the concept to him.  I told him how he has nice clothes, a warm home, and food to eat, and that some kids don't have these things.  I also told him he has so many people in his life that love him and want to bless him with gifts (i.e. toys) and that there are children that don't have toys to play with.  Lastly, and most importantly, I told him that he is blessed to attend church and learn about Jesus and that not everyone knows Jesus. 

Oddly, he seemed to understand somewhat all that I explained to him.  Then I asked if he wanted to help me buy stuff to put in a box for a child somewhere so that they could have a special gift and learn about Jesus.  He was very excited about this.

So with that we set off to buy items for the boxes.  I was a little apprehensive about the second part of the project.  Would he loose sight of the goal and want to buy things for himself?  Would he be upset when we got home and he couldn't play with the toys we bought for the children?  But even if all that (and more) went wrong, it would be a good lesson for him to learn.

We went to the Dollar Tree and got a shopping cart.  He was excited to push it around the store.  They had candy up front, so he helped me pick some out and happily threw it into the cart.  The toys aisle came next.  He picked up anything and everything that looked interesting to him and kept saying, "The little boy would like this mommy!".  Unfortunately, not everything he picked up was appropriate for the age category we were doing or for the guidelines that Samaritan's Purse set.  So I tried to steer him towards certain items and let him pick the colors/characters that he wanted to send the kids.  All and all, he did surprisingly well (except for the part where he picked up a small bat and a bouncy ball, threw the ball into the air, swung at it, actually made contact, and sent the ball flying into one of the shelves...but I wasn't going to mention that).  He only asked for one thing while we were in the toy aisle.

Next we did school supplies which he actually liked to help pick out (since he is getting into coloring and doing crafts more and more).  Lastly, we did the hygiene items which he couldn't have cared less about.  At the checkout he did ask for candy.  When I told him he couldn't have any, he asked me why.  I reminded him that this shopping trip wasn't about him, it was about the kids we were sending shoe boxes to.  He actually left it at that.

Once home he was so excited to show Anthony all the stuff we had bought and then pack it into the shoe boxes.  He helped "pack" them (he just threw everything in, I had to go back and make everything actually fit in the box).

My son surprised me on so many levels.  His genuine excitement to buy stuff for the boxes was infectious, though I still wonder if he really understood we were helping others.  And I was surprised at how well he handled himself, hardly asking for anything for himself (which is hard for a kid, because everything is so "me" oriented at this age) and for not having a meltdown when he couldn't eat the candy or play with the toys we bought for the kids.  Maybe he is saving the tantrum for next year, or maybe he just understood more that I give him credit for and really wanted to help.  Regardless, I was really proud of him and I think it was a good first experience in giving back for him.

Here is what we did this year.  We packed two shoes boxes.  One for a girl (age 2-4) and one for a boy (age 2-4).  We bought all of our items at Dollar General.  I know that some people will read that and think we are being cheap, and that's fine if they want to think that.  Dollar general actually has quality (some name brand) hygiene items, candy, and school supplies, not really any different than what you would find at Walmart.  Toys can get a little questionable, but they do have great items (a lot of classic toys) if you just take the time to look at them.

We packed the same thing for the girl and the boy because, especially young children, really like a lot of the same things regardless of gender (though we bought different colors/characters based on gender and I did include some hair bows for the little girl).  Here is what we packed in our shoe boxes:

Wash Cloth
2 bars of Soap
2 toothbrushes
Toothpaste
Comb/Brush
Notebook
Pencil Case
Pencils
Erasers
Colored Pencils
Pencil Sharpener
Crayons
Candy
Car
Comeback Ball (ball with wrist strap on an elastic string)
Tambourine
Slinky
Top
Squishy/Puffer Ball
Mini Chalkboard with Chalk
Stuffed Animal
Bouncy Ball
Play-Doh
Jump Rope

I usually like to include a coloring book and a puzzle, but I couldn't find any that I liked this year.  There are two new things that I am excited about this year.  First, they have a sheet you can print out called "all about me".  Your child fills in the blanks and tells all about him/herself so that the child receiving the shoe box can learn about the person who sent it.  You can even include a picture and a mailing address so that the person can write back if possible.  Second, if you give your seven dollar donation online, they will e-mail you a special label with a bar code to put on your shoe box so that you can find out what country your shoe box went to.

If you would like more information on Operation Christmas Child, you can visit www.samaritanspurse.com/occ.  There you can find information on how to pack a shoe box, what to include (and not include), and where you can drop them off at.

Sincerely,
The mom who seriously hopes no one saw her child hit a ball in the store...sigh

Solution To: Better? Or Worse? That Is The Question.

Here is the original problem:

Is a 10% raise followed by a 10% cut in pay better, worse, or the same as a 10% cut followed by a 10% raise?

Does either of them yield the original salary?

Explain your answer. (Or better yet, prove you answer!)

 

Solution:

 

Both scenarios yeild the same salary in the end, though neighter of them yeild the original salary.

 

Proof:

 

Now you could just test out a couple of different salaries and come to the solution but that by no means proves that that solution would hold up for every given salary.  So here is a simple proof for you:

 

 

Let  x = any given salary such that x>0 and x is a real number.

 

First scenario:  Given x (our original salary), find x after a 10% raise followed by a 10% cut.

 

x     Given (our original salary)

1.1x  Receiving a 10% raise means we are receiving 110% of our original salary.  110% as a decimal
         is 1.1     Multiply x by 1.1 to get our salary after the raise.

(1.1x)(.9)  Receiving a 10% cut means we are receiving 90% of our salary.  90% as a decimal is .9 
                 Multiply our new salary by .9 to fund our salary after the pay cut.

.99x  Combine like terms and we find that after a 10% raise and then a 10% cut we are receiving 99%
         of our original salary.

 

Second scenario:  Given x, find x after a 10% cut followed by a 10% raise.

 

x

.9x

(.9x)(1.1)

.99x  Again, after a 10% cut followed by a 10% raise, we are receiving 99% of our original salary.

 

Therefore, neither yeild the original salary, they both yeild the same salary, and either way you are getting the shaft.

 

Hopefully none of my math professors read this...that is one sloppy proof.

 

See you next week with another problem.

 

Sincerely,
The Math Freak



Better? Or Worse? That Is The Question.

Here is your problem of the week.  As promised, no tricks this week!  Good luck!

Is a 10% raise followed by a 10% cut in pay better, worse, or the same as a 10% cut followed by a 10% raise?

Does either of them yield the original salary?

Explain your answer.  (Or better yet, prove you answer!)

As always, I will post the answer on Sunday.  Enjoy!

Sincerely,

The Math Freak

What's So Wrong with Halloween Anyway?

In my humble opinion, Halloween gets a bad wrap.  I don't think there is anything wrong with Halloween in and of itself.  When done correctly, Halloween (and trick-or-treating) can be a great, age appropriate activity.

Growing up in the public schools, we used to have Halloween parties.  Facing increased pressure from Christian parents, the name was changed to harvest festivals (or something along those lines).  Eventually, they (I believe) put the kabosh to all of the Halloween festivities.

I understand these Christian parents concerns.  As a Christian parent myself, there are aspects of Halloween that I don't care for and don't want my children taking part in.  But I think trying to completely avoid all Halloween activities to avoid exposing your children to certain things is ridiculous.

First of all, you can't enter a grocery store, Walmart, etc. without likely exposing your child to some of the more questionable aspects of Halloween.  Second, I don't believe in overly sheltering my children.  At some point, children need to be exposed to different view points and lifestyles.  It opens the door for discussion on what your family believes and why and how to deal with people whose views differ from yours.  Third, almost everything in this world has both good and bad components to it.  Have you completely cut out TV, the Internet, music, video games, books, magazines, etc. from your children's lives?  I highly doubt it.  All of the aforementioned things can be great.  You just have to use common sense and be guide for your children and supervise their use of such materials.

I think the same applies to Halloween.  Am I going to let my children go to haunted houses?  No.  Am I going to let them dress up as the Devil, or a witch, etc.?  No.  But do I think there is anything fundamentally wrong with letting my child dress up in a cute costume and go door to door for candy?  No.  And I intend on letting my children do it.

This year I made them Thing 1 and Thing 2 costumes and I am so excited!

Sincerely,
The Mother of Thing 1 and Thing 2

Oh Yes They Call Him The Streak

So at lunch with the in-laws on Sunday after church, the song "The Streak" came up.  I think my sister-in-law started singing in, not really sure though.  Anyway, I think they had the song on a record or a tape, so that's how all of them know of it.  I know of it because my Grandma had a Ray Stevens video that my brother and I used to watch when we were little.  This song is completely and utterly ridiculous, but good for a laugh.  It always makes me chuckle.  So if you have 4 minutes to waste and to sit around and become just a little more stupid for having watched something, then by all means enjoy!



Sincerely,
"The Streak"er Watcher

Random Realizations

It was a fun and busy weekend for us.  Here are some of the random things I realized this weekend:

1.  I realized that I cherish my children's dark clothing because regardless of what is plastered all over it, I can just throw it in the wash and rest assured that it will be stain free since the dark color will hide any stains (yes, I know that was the longest run-on sentence ever).  I loathe white shirts.  If I could have any super power, it would be to fight stains (or perhaps it would be to make a maid appear at any given time...hmmm...I'll have to think about that one).

2.  I realized that I am not very lady-like.  I was always more of a tomboy growing up.  Part of it was I liked sports and just wasn't into all the girly stuff but the other part of it was I was chubby and never felt very girly or pretty.  Sadly, I have always kind of felt out of place.  I have, over the years, made some attempt to be more girly and lady-like.  But it's a two-step forwards, one-step back sort of thing.  For instance, I put on a skirt for church and I don't wear skirts/dresses very often.  So, without thinking, I got into the car the way I always do.  I was happy that there weren't paparazzi following me around as I got into the car to go to church as I may have had a Britney Spears / Paris Hilton moment, if you know what I mean (except i was actually wearing underwear like one should be, just to clarify).  Fortunately, my lapse in judgment didn't happen at church, that could have been rather scandalous.  And then I began to think I wasn't cut out for this grily stuff.  But once I arrived home from church I realized that the shoes I had been wearing nearly gave me blisters.  Then I thought to myself, "It was totally worth it because I looked really cute."  Yep, I am 100% girl through and through.

3.  I realized that I am the type of parent that believes that my children are no more special than anyone else's and that my children should follow the rules set by the places we go even if that makes them upset and I have to remove them from the situation.  On two separate occasions this weekend, I realized that some parents do not feel this way and believe that there kids should be allowed to do whatever they want to because that makes their life and job (as parents) much easier.  I don't mean to sound like I am judging, because I'm not, but their ideas on parenting irk me to no end.

4.  It is difficult to resolve an issue that really has no compromise.  You can't have half of a dog, it just doesn't work like that. 

Sincerely,
The-M-O-M

Solution To: What Kind of Math Is This Anyway?

Here is the original problem:

 

Find the pattern of the following set of numbers:

8, 5, 4, 9, 1, 7, 6, 3, 2

 

 

Here is the solution:

 

The pattern is:  They are in alphabetical order.

 

BWAHAHAHAHAHAH!!!!!!!  When I told Anthony what the answer is, he said, "That's just not even right!"  I think it's safe to say he wasn't amused.  But now maybe the title makes more sense, and the fact that I said to think outside of the box makes more sense, and also that I said some of you may wish to cause me bodily harm upon finding out the answer makes more sense.  See how it all comes together. 

 

Ok, so maybe this one wasn't that fair.  But math isn't just about the math.  It's also about fostering critical thinking and problem solving skills (that's the teacher in me talking). 

 

Anyway, I will come back with a less tricky one next week.

 

Sincerely,

The Math Freak

What Kind of Math Is This Anyway?

Here is your Problem of the Week.

Find the pattern of the following set of numbers:

8, 5, 4, 9, 1, 7, 6, 3, 2

Just as a hint, you may want to think outside of the box.  And many of you who don't figure it out may wish to cause me bodily harm (just kidding, I hope so anyway) after I tell you what the answer is.  ;)  That's ok though, it just means I am doing my job and making you think!

Sincerely,

The Math Freak



Chicken Minestrone Soup

I made this Chicken Minestrone Soup for my grandparents a couple of weeks ago and wanted to share the recipe with you.  I realize that the "soup" on the end of the title is a bit redundant, since anyone who knows anything about Minestrone would know that it is in fact soup.  But I figured that a lot of people (assuming they were like me a few years ago) had never even heard of it...so I added it for clarity.

This soup is easy, delicious, hearty, wholesome, and just makes you feel warm and good inside (did I give you enough adjectives?).  If you have tried my other soup recipes thus far, you may have noticed that my soups aren't very "soupy".  Anthony and I prefer our soups to have more of a stew consistency or at the very least, a "stoup" consistency (to borrow a word from Rachel Ray's lexicon).

Here's what you need to make it:

1 lb. chicken, cooked and shredded

2 - 14 1/2oz cans diced tomatoes with basil, garlic, and oregano

6 C. chicken broth

2 medium zucchinis

1 16oz can kidney beans, rinsed and drained

1 1/2 C uncooked shell pasta (or any type of pasta)

Here's how you make it:

1.  Bring a large pot of water to a boil.

2.  As the water comes to a boil, cut your zucchinis into chunks.

3.  When the water is boiling, add the pasta and zucchini to the water.  Cook until both are tender. 
     Drain the excess water.

4.  In the large pot with the pasta and zucchini, add the chicken, tomatoes, broth, and beans.

5.  Heat through and serve.

View Printable Recipe

I often cooked my chicken during the day in the crockpot while I am at work so I don't have to babysit the chicken as it cooks.  It just adds unnecessay time and work to this meal to cook the chiken in a pan right before I make the soup.  But you can do it however works for you.  Also, this recipe makes a bunch, so I usually freeze some for later.

Enjoy!

Sincerely,

The Stoup Maker



Halloween: The 2010 Edition

With Halloween fast approaching, I thought I would blog about Halloween costumes.  I have decided, once again, to make my children's Halloween costumes.  This year's costumes aren't quite ready yet, so I thought I would blog about my son's costume from last year.

I was looking for a costume online when I fell in love with a Sock Monkey costume.  Of course they only sold it in one size, a size that would not fit my son.  My heart was totally set on this adorable costume.  The more I looked at it the more I thought it really didn't look that complicated.  So I set out to make one myself.

It was pretty simple actually.  I went to a thrift store and bought a Men's XL sweater in the color I wanted his monkey to be.  I also bought a red sweater and a white sweater to do the rest of the monkey.  I was lucky enough to find a sweater the had a button opening at the top.  I made the side with the opening the back.  Having the button opening made getting him in and out of his costume possible.

I am not much of a sewer, so I made it as easy on myself as possible.  I turned the sweater inside out.  I placed a pair of my son's pajamas that he fit in at the moment on top of the sweater (so that the neck hole on the sweater lined up with the neck hole on his jammies and so that the jammies were centered on the sweater).  Then I placed pins along the perimeter of the jammies to mark where I wanted the hem of his costume to be.  Then I simply sewed along the pins that outlined his jammies.  Cut away the excess material, turn right side out, and you have an instant costume.  Well, somewhat.

To make the multi colored hat and tail, I sewed a piece of white sweater and an extra piece (what I cut away) of the other sweater together.  For the tail, I folded the material in half (inside out) and then free handed the tail as I sewed.  It's basically just a long strip, not too complicated.  For the hat, I folded the material (inside out) and then placed a hat that I knew fit my son's head on top of it.  Using the same method for the hat as I did the main part of the costume, I used pins to outline the hat.  These pins marked where I wanted to sew to make is monkey hat.

The I cut out the white and red pieces for the face and butt.  I used iron-on adhesive to secure these pieces since the stitching would be noticable in these areas and again, I am not a good sewer.  I cut out little half circles for the ears and hand sewed those onto the hat.  Then I just attached some buttons for eyes and found some white gloves.

And Voila!  A cute, affordable costume.

Sincerely,
The Do-It-Yourself-er

One of Life's Greatest Blessings

I am convinced that one of life's greatest blessings is to have a child, for so many reasons.  It is so easy, the older we get, to get so caught up in our day to day activities and to take so much for granted.  But having a child has allowed me to find joy in the little things, the mundane, routine, seen-it-a-million-times things.

On the way home from a shopping trip recently, my son commented on how pretty the changing leaves were and talked endlessly about all the different colors.  Sure, I enjoy the beauty that fall brings us, but I don't get overly excited about.  I don't look at it with total wonderment.  But my son's enthusiasm and childlike wonder helped me to take a step back and think about (and appreciate) how beautiful and amazing God's creation truly is.

Sincerely,
The-M-O-M

The Burdensome Secret

I am sure we all have skeletons in our closet.  It almost seems impossible to escape this life without any.  I am not entirely sure how my family will feel about my blogging about this.  However, I took a leap of faith when I posted my faith journey.  I was in need of something and looking for an answer to prayer.  Posting that entry made me feel utterly naked in front of everyone, but I found the answer I was looking for.

I started this blog because I needed something, I just couldn't pinpoint exactly what that something was.   I set out to blog about the things I am passionate about, the things that bug me, the crazy goings on in my daily life.   I set out to push myself beyond my comfort zone and to write about and accomplish things I never thought possible. It was a lofty idea...but whatever it was that I was in search of (a community, a support group, a fulfilling project, etc.) I have slowly begun to find it. So it is with that in mind that I share this.

I have thought of this "secret" often.  It is at times so burdensome.  I have revealed it to few people.  I barely even talk about it with those who know a fair amount about the situation.  The reason why I shy away from shouting this from the roof top is driven by both fear and shame.  So ashamed of all that happened and so afraid of what people would think of me..   Airing out your family's dirty laundry is generally frowned upon, usually by the family in which it involves.  But I am hoping that this post both helps me heal and helps someone else in the process.

In many cultures, what your immediate family does (good, bad, or otherwise) is a direct reflection on you.  Here in America, this isn't the case as much.  And whether I'm a product of the culture I grew up in or there is some other underlying reason behind it, I tend to think that each person is their own person.  One person actions shouldn't reflect negatively on you just because you are related.

So here it is.  My brother went to jail for breaking into several homes and stealing items from those homes.  He was selling the items to support his drug addiction.  He has since been in and out of jail 3 or 4 times over the past seven and a half years.

I remember when he was released the first time and how happy I was to have him back.  How naive I was to think his trials were over.  But a few short months later he surrendered to his drug addiction and was soon back in jail.  One difficult incident that has been so hard for me to let go of is when he borrowed money from me.  He said he needed the money to buy him and his young son food.  So I without question lent him the money.  When he came back the second time, maybe a week later, I was a bit more skeptical (knowing now that other people had also lent him money).  He made me feel guilty for not wanting to give him money and manipulated me into doing so.  Not more than a week later was when he went back to jail.  It didn't take me long to realize that the money I gave him was likely used to buy drugs, not food.

The journey has been very long, and very painful.  Over the course of these seven plus years, I have gone through the stages of grief many times over.  But the hardest part for me has been forgiveness.  I have gone through the motions of forgiving him and said I forgive him time and time again.  Then I find myself so angry about everything and realize that maybe I haven't really forgiven him.

I recently found out that my brother was released from jail again and is currently in a halfway house.  He had asked my parents about spending Christmas day with us and  he was told that they would need to see how everyone felt about it.  My immediate response was, "Of course, it's Christmas, and he's family.  He should be here."  I still hold out hope that one day he will beat his addiction and be able to lead a somewhat normal life.  He is still family, no matter what.  And I will continue to forgive him as many times as is necessary.

In my daily bible readings, I recently came across this:

"Then Peter came to him and asked, "Lord, how often should I forgive someone who sins against me?  Seven times?"

"No, not seven times," Jesus replied, "but seventy times seven!"

Matthew 18: 21-22  NLT

Does this mean that I should forgive someone exactly "seventy times seven" times (or 490 times) and not a single time more?  No, it means I should forgive someone as many times as is necessary.  It doesn't mean that I forget or that I naively let myself continue to be hurt by this person.  It just means that I continue to offer forgiveness as many times as is needed, because that's what God does for us.

What if he only forgave us 490 times and not once more?  No matter how good I think to think I am, whether I am aware of it or not, I am certain, in some way or another, I sin on a daily basis.  We are sinful people by nature.  I am and will forever be in need of his constant forgiveness and mercy.  And so that is what he requires of us.  Who are we to deny someone forgiveness when we are granted it time and time again.  We would be hypocrites.

Sincerely,

The Unburdened Blogger

Solution To: Four Fours

Here is the original problem:

Four Fours

How many numbers can you represent using four 4's and any available operation?

For example, here is the representation for the number 0:

0 = 44 - 44

See how the representation contains four 4's

Find the representation for the numbers 1 through 10.

Solution:

This problem is an interesting problem in that there isn't just one solution.  Here is the solution that one person gave:

1 = (4/4)+4-4 2 = (4*4)/(4+4) 3 = (4+4+4)/4 4 = ((4-4)/4)+4 5 = ((4*4)+4)/4 6 = ((4+4)/4)+4 7 = 4+4-(4/4) 8 = 4+4+4-4 9 = 4+4+(4/4) 10 = (44-4)/4   And while her answer is correct, it isn't an the only correct solution.  For example the number one could also be represented in this way:  1 = (4+4)/(4+4) (and there are other solutions).  2 could be represented in this way: 2 = (4/4)+(4/4).  You see where I am going with this.  There are in fact many solutions to this problem.   Sincerely, The Math Freak



Four Fours

Friday! Friday!  To finish off your week with a bang I am sending you a fantastically fun math problem!

Four Fours

How many numbers can you represent using four 4's and any available operation?

For example, here is the representation for the number 0: 

0 = 44 - 44

See how the representation contains four 4's

Find the representation for the numbers 1 through 10.

Enjoy!  And try not to hurt your brain thinking about it!  ;)

Sincerely,
The Math Freak

My House Is Not Clean

My house is definitely not the cleanest house on the block.  I can't remember the last time more extensive cleaning projects took place, like cleaning the inside of the refrigerator or washing all of the curtains (or the windows for that matter).  I'm lucky if I even find time to use the edge tool on my sweeper to sweep around the baseboards.

Having kids has certainly changed my priorities.  And working has complicated things a bit.  I'm gone 5 hours a day for work.  By the time I get home, change, and give everyone a snack, it's nearly time to start dinner.  So then I make dinner and then we eat dinner and then we clean up dinner.  Then there is only about an hour and a half until bedtime routines start.  So I could use that time to clean or I could spend it with my kids.  Sometimes I spend time with my kids while cleaning (since Aaden loves to help so much), but that's not always feasible.

I'm lucky to find the time to get the basics done, grocery shopping, cooking, laundry, etc.  There is a huge part of me that feels so inadequate for not having an immacculate home, like I should be able to do everything perfect all of the time.  But then I sit back and realize how silly that it.  Anthony thinks the house looks fine and the kids could care less.  They would rather have more time with me than perfectly a clean home.  So the only people I have to be concerned about are outsiders coming into my home.  And you know what, if someone comes into my home and measures my worth as a wife, a mother, and a person based on how clean my house is, they are no friend of mine.

I am doing the best that I can for my family, and that's all that really matters.  I don't know how anyone who works full time does this.  I suppose I could get a few more things done around the house if I blogged less.  But blogging makes me happy.  And if Mama ain't happy, ain't nobody happy!

Sincerely,
The-M-O-M

Fresh Tomato Salsa (or Pico De Gallo)

One thing that I like to do is to take something I love that I order at a restaurant and make it at home.  I was introduced to the wonderful world of Fresh Tomato Salsa (as Chipotle calls it) or Pico De Gallo when I started eating at Chipotle while commuting to/attending the Kent State University's main branch.  There is a Chipotle on the edge of campus and people thought it was crazy that I had never eaten there.  So I tried it out.  And my world was never the same...

Fresh Tomato Salsa is so easy and yet it turned out to be so complicated.  Every time I made it, it just felt like something was missing, but I couldn't figure out what.  Then one day I had both an "AHA!" and "DUH!  Why didn't I think of that sooner?" moment.  It was lime zest.  I had been adding lime juice, which is a necessity, but the juice just doesn't bring the same clean, bright, yet subtle flavor that the zest does.

So without further ado, here's what you need:
6 tomatoes
1 medium red onion
2 jalapenos
About .5 cup fresh Cilantro
1 lime
Salt

Here's how you make it:
1.  Dice tomatoes, onion, and jalapenos.  (I seed my jalapenos, but if you like some heat you can leave the seeds in.  If you need help on seeding a pepper, see my post on BBQ Jalapeno Poppers.)  Combine in a large bowl.  Drain off excess liquid. 

2.  Chop cilantro.  Add it to the bowl.  Stir.

3.  Using a microplane or a grater that has small holes, and zest the lime.  Zesting something isn't hard, once you know how to do it.  Here is a picture of the grater I use. 

I use the small holes on my grater.  You could use an actual zester, but this usually creates long strips of zest (you could always chop the strips into smaller pieces).  That's great for a garnish, but not for eating.  Zesting something simply means removing the outermost colored skin of a citrus fruit.  So you would be using the grater to remove this part of the lime.  Just try not to go too deep and remove the white part of the skin underneath.  It's bitter, and you'll be sorry!  Here is a video of how to zest a lemon, if you need further help.

4.  Cut lime in half, squeeze in lime juice.

5.  Salt to taste.

View Printable Recipe

That's pretty much it.  Many people will tell you that this only keeps 24 hours because the mixture gets watery.  While it's true that the mixture does become a little more watery due to the sugars in the vegetables breaking down, simply drain it off or use a slotted spoon to scoop out your salsa when you serve it.  There is quite a lot of chopping involved so I don't want to have to make it over and over again if I want it a couple of days in a row.  That's just silly.  Especially since it stills tastes amazing well past 24 hours.  In fact, I'd say you can get about 5 days out of it before it's not "Fresh Tomato Salsa" anymore. 

We most often eat it with tortilla chips, but we have found other uses for it.  Here is one of our favorites.

Breakfast Burritos

Here's what you need:

1 tortilla

2 eggs

2 pieces of Canadian Bacon

1 slice American Cheese

Fresh Tomato Salsa

Here's how you make it:

1.  Lightly beat the eggs.  Add the eggs and the salsa to a frying pan.  Cook through (essentially you are making scrambled eggs).

2.  Meanwhile, cook the Canadian bacon.

3.  Place a tortilla on a plate.  Place the cheese on the tortilla, then the Canadian bacon, then the egg mixture. 

4.  Roll into a burrito and enjoy.

View Printable Recipe

This burrito is good for you and amazingly satisfying.  And the possibilities are endless.  You could use whatever cheese or meat you like.  We have made this before with smoked turkey breast deli meat and Anthony had made his with pepperoni before.  Anthony also likes to add some hot taco sauce to his.

Sincerely,

The girl who would totally have a Chipotle in her mansion if she were a millionaire.

I'm Trying Not to Mess Up My Children

I bought my son this Little Tikes Climber at the community garage sales this past weekend.  He hasn't had much of a chance to use it (in fact he only went down the slide once) because the weather has been so crazy lately.  Since today was nice, I thought we would take the opportunity to go out and play on it.

I asked my son where his socks were (since he no longer had them on and I know I had put some on him this morning).  He told me they were in the basement.  So I asked him to go get them for me so we could put them on and then put his shoes on.  He said, "I don't want to put them on.  They make my feet sweaty."  That gave me flashbacks of him as a baby and started me thinking about how little he has changed.  His feet would always sweat as a baby when he had socks on, not matter the temperature.  And once he figured out how to do it, he would always pull his socks off after I put them on him.  He would then crawl around with them in his hands and later drop them somewhere.  The house was littered with socks.  And when I couldn't find a match to one of his socks, I raided the toy box, because it was normally buried in there.

Then he said, "I don't need socks.  Just shoes.  I'll wear my shoes with no socks."  That made me cringe!  I don't know why, but that just totally grosses me out.  The feeling of tennis shoes on your foot with no sock, and the way your foot sweats in there...I just can't handle it.  The only shoes meant to be worn without socks are sandals, and I guess some dress shoes (only because it doesn't look right, not because I don't want to wear socks with them).

I am trying really hard not to purposely mess my kids up.  I am trying not to pass on my personal hang-ups about things or my fears of things.  For instance.  I have a fear of heights.  How ever irrational it may be, I cannot control it.  I think often of the trip Anthony and I will be taking to Niagara falls and of the fact that we paid extra to get a premium view which means our room will be somewhere between the 34th and 50th floor.  I try not to think about it because I get very nervous, and start to sweat, and want to throw up, and want to say "Forget the trip, let's stay home."!  But I have made and effort not to let my fear show to my kids.  If they develop a fear of heights later on, so be it.  But I don't want it to be because of me, and I don't want to hold them back from doing things they want to.

So anyway, I just matter-of-factly said, "we wear socks with tennis shoes, it's just something we do."  Inside I was thinking, "That's totally gross dude!".  He insisted on no socks however.  So as we made our way over to the closet I began to reluctantly pull out his tennis shoes.  And then I saw them.  The brand new Crocs I bought him that he had been wanting to wear.  It was genius.  I guess I should now add that to my list of acceptable sock free shoes.  He was excited to wear his new shoes and I didn't have to be grossed out.  A win-win situation.  The Crocs saved the day!  (Perhaps that was a bit over-dramatic!)

Sincerely,
The woman who actually has a list of acceptable sock free shoes.

Who's In Charge Here Anyway?

Thank you for taking the time to entertain my random musings.

In my humble opinion, all children's clothing sizes should be standardized.  A 12 month at this place should be the same as every other 12m at every other place.  Honestly, how else are you supposed to know if it will fit your child for sure then?  They certainly don't try on their clothing before purchasing it like adults do. 

And while we are on the subject, I am curious about something.  All of my daughter's shorts seem to run smaller around the waist than all of her pants in the exact same size.  Some of the pants and shorts are even the same brand.  If that should happen to anyone, it should be adults. 

For instance, let's say you wear a size 8 (if only...) and you own both shorts and pants in a size 8.  Your shorts would run smaller for during the summer when you eat lighter and are more active.  Your pants would run bigger for the winter when you eat more comfort food and attend one holiday party after another...and put on a few pounds...and need some extra room in your pants...  (No?  That's just me?  O well...)

Sincerely,
The Muser

Solution To: How Many People Does It Take To Cook an Egg?

Here is the answer for all you egg lovers out there just in case you ever find yourself in this EXACT situation...(it could happen...).

Here is the original problem.

How can you cook an egg for exactly 15 minutes if all you have is a 7-minute hourglass and an 11-minute hourglass?

Ok, so you start with your two hourglasses. (The bigger one is the 11-minute one and the smaller is the 7-minute one, in case you needed that to be more clear.)

Then you flip them both over to start both of them.

At seven minutes, the 7-minute hourglass will have run out and the 11-minute hourglass will have four minutes left in it.

Then you flip the 7-minute hourglass back over.

When the remaining four minutes have run out of the 11-minute hourglass, eleven minutes have passed.  The eleven minute hour glass will have run out completely, and 4 minutes will have run out of the 7-minute hour glass.

Now, as stated above, four minutes have run out of the 7-minute hourglass.  Eleven minutes total have passed.  Tip the 7-minute hourglass back over.  Now the four minutes of sand in the 7-minute hourglass that were on the bottom are now one top.  Allow the 4 minutes in the 7-minute hourglass to run out.  Now 15 minutes have passed.

Bada-bing, bada-bang, bada-boom!

See you next week!

Sincerely,
The Math Freak