The past two days have really been Autumn-like….cold, windy, with an occasional rain. Even though I don’t like venturing out into the cold, I’m so excited that the colder weather is here! I’d rather stay inside where I can feel the warmth of a fire, drink hot cocoa, and smell a cinnamon-apple-something baking.  Speaking of apples, we still have so many apples from our apple picking outing about a week and half ago. I came across this apple bread recipe and, after trying it out, thought it would be perfect for the girls to lend a hand in.

Ingredients

• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil (I always use olive oil)
• 2 cups sugar
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
• 2 cups apples - peeled, cored, and coarsely chopped

1) In bowl, combine flour, cinnamon, baking soda, baking powder and salt; set aside.

2) In large mixing bowl, place oil, sugar, eggs, vanilla and apples.

3) Stir into flour mixture - mix (I also add just enough water to allow all the flour to mix in.)

4) Divide mixture between two greased 8-in. x 4-in. bread pans (I used a muffin pan). Bake at 350 degrees F for 40-45 minutes or until bread test done.

5) Cool for 10 minutes on wire rack before removing from pan.

What recipes do you like to make during the Autumn season?

These days, meals come in prepackaged boxes…everything from potatoes to cakes…just add water, perhaps an egg or two, and voila! - dinner is served. Our society is just go, go, go! Maybe it’s due to the fact that I live in the country, but I love baking from scratch. It’s less expensive, healthier (I know exactly what ingredients I’m putting into a dish…and can pronounce them for that matter), a great experience for the girls (educationally & emotionally…a wonderful chance to bond with my girls), and fun! If it can be done, I will do it - or at least attempt to :)  I didn’t have the luxury of having this taught to me. Instead, through trial and error, I learned how to bake from scratch just in the past year - it’s become very important to me that I pass this down to my daughters.

On Friday, Lilli and I made chocolate pudding from scratch. We used the “Hasty Chocolate Pudding” recipe from Allrecipes.com. Here it is in step by step instructions, with photos
Ingredients:

1 c. white sugar
2/3 c. unsweetened cocoa powder
6T. cornstarch
4c. milk
4t. vanilla

(note that T.= tablespoon and t.= teaspoon)

1. In a microwave safe bowl (this can be done over the stove as well but it would just take longer - see my “go, go, go” comment above…lol), whisk together the sugar, cocoa, & cornstarch. Whisk in milk a little at a time so the mixture does not have any dry lumps.

2. Place in the microwave and cook for 3 minutes on HIGH.

3. Stir. Then cook at 1 minute intervals, stirring between cooking times for 2 - 4 minutes, or until shiny and thick. Stir in vanilla.

3. Place a piece of plastic wrap directly on the surface of the pudding to prevent a skin from forming (the pudding will be HOT, so be careful!)

4. Chill in the fridge. Serve cold. Enjoy!

What do you like to pass down to your children?

That’s what I am…a Guardian…

Well, according to the Keirsey Temperament Personality Sorter anyway. In the book, What Every Mom Needs, the authors talk about how if we as mothers understand our God-given individual personalities, we are then able to overcome our weaknesses and become better mothers. Here is what a Guardian is:

Guardians are the cornerstone of society, for they are the temperament given to serving and preserving our most important social institutions. Guardians have natural talent in managing goods and services–from supervision to maintenance and supply — and they use all their skills to keep things running smoothly in their families, communities, schools, churches, hospitals, and businesses.

Guardians can have a lot of fun with their friends, but they are quite serious about their duties and responsibilities. Guardians take pride in being dependable and trustworthy; if there’s a job to be done, they can be counted on to put their shoulder to the wheel. Guardians also believe in law and order, and sometimes worry that respect for authority, even a fundamental sense of right and wrong, is being lost. Perhaps this is why Guardians honor customs and traditions so strongly — they are familiar patterns that help bring stability to our modern, fast-paced world.

Practical and down-to-earth, Guardians believe in following the rules and cooperating with others. They are not very comfortable winging it or blazing new trails; working steadily within the system is the Guardian way, for in the long run loyalty, discipline, and teamwork get the job done right. Guardians are meticulous about schedules and have a sharp eye for proper procedures. They are cautious about change, even though they know that change can be healthy for an institution. Better to go slowly, they say, and look before you leap.

Guardians make up as much as 40 to 45 percent of the population, and a good thing, because they usually end up doing all the indispensable but thankless jobs everyone else takes for granted.

Guardians at Work
As a Guardian, you enjoy working as a valued member of a team, whether you are leading it or following a credible leader. You like to work with people who carry their weight. You appreciate having clear-cut responsibilities and being recognized for your dedication and achievements. Your natural traits are those that employers have traditionally valued - and that successful companies still respect. You are responsible and loyal to an organization once you’ve signed on.

In any environment, including your work place, you are usually focused on making people happy and facilitating harmonious relationships. You often lend “aid and comfort” by drawing on a combination of tradition, past experience, and the direction of established authority. In your ideal job, people would give of themselves and work toward the good of the group.

Jobs That Match Your Personality
Keirsey.com surveyed 5,425 members about their careers. Here are 3 examples of careers that Guardians like you excel at and enjoy. More examples are included in your optional Career Temperament report, which also includes informational links to the U.S. Department of Labor O-net database, and actual job listings at HotJobs.

• Customer Relations
• Teacher: K - 12
• Producer (Entertainment)

Teacher…go figure…(as Lilli and I started school today…first grade, can you believe it?!)

YAY! I’m so excited because I just got my first Paperbook Swap book in the mail: What Every Mom Needs. In short, this book shows us moms how to be great moms without forgetting about ourselves.

I finished reading the introduction and laughed at nearly every page - I felt as though I were reading my thoughts on paper!

Here are a few excerpts from the introduction that I can relate to:

* “I need affirmation that the choices I have made are worth it, especially when I cleaned the kitchen floor for the third time that day…”

* “Staying at home with my new baby made me feel like I wasn’t ‘doing’ anything, even though I had never worked so hard in my life.”

* “She never came close to finishing the to-dos on her list.”

* “A photo of herself with her work friends…’We sure had some fun days together. I miss them.’”

*  “We’d rather go to the grocery store alone - and at eight o’clock at night - than wrestle our two year old into her jammies.”

* “One mom comments, ‘My husband said that since he did not go to the gym today, he’d like to go on Saturday. I snapped. Was he totally out of his mind? When did our schedule ever dictate time for me to do something for myself? I never leave my children’s side 24/7.’” (Now granted, Michael is VERY good about watching the girls…I just can’t bring myself to have *me time*…I’ve heard I need to get over that…lol)

* “Mothering matters. It’s one of the most significant undertakings we can ever begin. It shapes our world, our family, and ourselves. Whew! No wonder we’re tired…And no wonder we overlook ourselves in the process.”

(This one didn’t make me laugh, but it struck me deeply)

* “We need to define the worth of mothering. It is not measured by a paycheck or promotion. Instead, the value of mothering is in knowing that you, and only you, are the mother your child needs. God has chosen you for the job. No one else in the world can mean as much to your child as you.”

I will definitely enjoy reading this book!

“That red man with the horns that are gone…” My five year old was trying to explain to me what movie (among others…sigh…) she “liked watching” while she was visiting that certain out-of-state relative’s residence. (Obviously, nothing shocks me anymore…lol)

Any guesses as to what movie she was talking about? It sounded familiar but I couldn’t put my finger on the title. And since we don’t watch TV or listen to mainstream music, I don’t even know if she was talking about a movie out in the theaters. So I googled, “red,” “horns,” and “movie.” Hellboy was immediately displayed…with a rating of PG-13. That’s right, my FIVE YEAR OLD was watching a PG-13 movie. I would describe PG-13 as: completely off limits for a five year old; this is how the MPAA describes the PG-13 rating:

PG-13 - Parents Strongly Cautioned

Some material may be inappropriate for children under 13 years old.

May contain very strong language, nudity (non-explicit), strong, mildly bloody violence or mild drug content.

So how did I handle this? I had to explain to Lilli that even though her relative has different rules than our family, she still needs to think about if it makes God happy. I asked her if the movie Hellboy is something God would be happy watching. She said, “No because the slimy guy was fighting and not talking nicely.” I then asked her if God would be happy that she watched it…again her response was no. I explained to Lilli that we choose to do right things because God does right things. 1 Peter 1:15-16 says, “But now you must be holy in everything you do, just as God who chose you is holy. For the Scriptures say, “You must be holy because I am holy.”

We also then looked in the Bible to see where God tells us to watch nice things. Philippians 4:8 says, “And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise”

Does this describe the movie, Hellboy? I think not.

So what movies does Lilli think Philippians 4:8 describes? Cherub Wings, Little House on the Prairie, & Dora the Explorer (just to name a few). She understands it…but Satan sure does have a way of trying to tempt us away from purity and innocence doesn’t he? Thankfully God promises that “He will not allow the temptation to be more than you can stand. When you are tempted, he will show you a way out so that you can endure.” ~1 Corinthians 10:13 And what do I do as a mother of a child who is being swayed by someone who she trusts, but only sees maybe 8 weeks out of the year? Set God’s standard in our home and family…and pray, pray, pray. “For God has said, “I will never fail you. I will never abandon you.” ~Hebrews 13:5

And that’s a pretty darn good feeling

“It’s a beautiful thing to show some of your chest.” My five year old told me that she was told this by a to-be-nameless-girl on a recent trip to a certain out-of-state relative’s residence.

I’m sure I’ll be hearing more things like this as time goes on, since Lilli knows she can come to me with questions and I’m not going to make her *feel* a certain way about it…we look at the situation together, talk about the choices/decisions that can be made, the possible results from those choices, etc. So, I’ve decided to start a “How To Combat ___(insert wacky quote here)___ with God’s Word” series.

This obviously falls under the Modesty category. Society tells us to “flaunt it if we’ve got it.” Why? What purpose does “flaunting it” serve? Does it increase one’s self-esteem? Does it positively attract others? Is this where we want our children to find their worth?

I asked Lilli what she thought of that. She said, “I don’t know.” “Well,” I said, “when I don’t know about something, I look to see what God thinks about it…I go to God’s Word.” Lilli and I flipped to 1 Timothy 2:9 -  “I want women to show their beauty by dressing in appropriate clothes that are modest and respectable. Their beauty will be shown by what they do, not by their hair styles or the gold jewelry, pearls, or expensive clothes they wear.” I explained to her that it doesn’t matter what other people think about what is good or not, what GOD thinks is what really matters. His Word found in the Bible is the Truth. I then explained that God still loves everyone, even when they don’t follow His rules. But, it’s a good idea to always follow the rules because it keeps us safe  - sort of like looking both ways before crossing the road so you don’t get hit by a car.

I think this made sense to her, because she then said, “Just like when the snake told Eve it was okay to eat the apple even though God said not to.” Exactly…

…Corinne and I have been Sukwe-sober for one week. Let’s all give Corinne a warm welcome to the “Big Girl Club!” That’s right, Corinne (a little under 22 months now) is no longer addicted to her Sukwe.

For those of you who don’t understand the word, Sukwe, let me explain. I’m sure you those of you with kids understand that not every word young children speak actually sound like they’re supposed to.  “Sukwe” was Lilli’s pronounciation of the word, something. She just couldn’t say it. “Strawr-burry” was strawberry, “Wohr-ange” was orange, and to this day she still says “Your-gurt” for yogurt. Pretty soon “Sukwe” became our family’s name for pretty much anything: “You’re my little sukwe,” or  “What a sukwe!” But, it really stuck when someone (don’t remember who exactly) referred to Corinne’s pacifier as a “Sukwe.” And then - it just became habit.

I’ve been wanting to break her of her pacifier habit for quite some time now, but have never followed through. What mother wants to hear her child crying for something so comforting and so loved? I would always cave. I started to only allow her to have it while going to sleep, but she is a smart girl and would climb into her bed, get her Sukwe fix, and climb back out to play. Smart girl indeed…but it prooves that Corinne is also a big girl now…she understands us completely, is on the verge of potty training, can feed herself, and no - she does not NEED her Sukwe. “Tough love,” I thought…and so I trashed the FOUR Sukwe’s that were my second born’s best friend. Now there was no turning back…

It took me about an hour last Thursday to get her to take a nap. She was SCREAMING at the top of her lungs, throwing things, and obviously not a happy camper. (You’d think my pep talk about how she is a big girl now would have worked with her…) She finally conked out and woke up still mad at me. Thursday night was a little better, but that’s because the Poppa was home to back me up. Why do the father’s only have to give them “that look” and the kids know they better behave themselves? I must know this secret! Granted, why do mother’s have the ability to sleep through an earthquake, but awaken as soon as they hear their child crying from ten rooms away? That was my case Thursday night when I (literally…picture it) jumped out of bed in the middle of the night to Corinne running up and down the hall upstairs screaming (while Michael didn’t even flinch). I calmly walked up the stairs (understanding why she was acting the way she was) and held out my hands to her: “Corinny come to Mommy and I’ll rock you.” “Otay” was her answer (made my heart just melt) and I explained to her that it was still night night time and time for us to sleep. A soft “Otay” was her answer again and I put her in her bed. She was out before I even left her room. That was the last time we had any issues with her not having her beloved Sukwe.

“Train a child in the way he should go,
and when he is old he will not turn from it.”
~Proverbs 22:6 (NIV)

Since our portable DVD player busted on us a few months back, which was actually a blessing in disguise, I’ve come up with different ways to keep the girls occupied when we’re in the van. I’ve done a post on Must Haves for Baby…and I thought a post about must haves for a mother’s automobile would be a good idea. Here’s a list of what I keep in my van - because with kids, you just never know when you might need:

* Wipes - for diaper changes or sticky hands
* Tissues - for those runny noses
* Baggie of snacks - either Cheerios, crackers, raisins, granola.
* Juice boxes - Something I may switch to…I usually grab their sippy cups on the way out, but it’s going to be a little more difficult to juggle three here pretty soon.
* Toys & Books - I keep them organized in THIS on the back of the front seat so they can reach for what they want to play with.
* Change of clothes
* Brush & hair ties
* First Aid Kit
* Stickers (the scratch and sniff have been a huge hit!) - for being good girls
What do you keep on hand for your kids in the car??

I received an email asking my advice for a new mom shopping for her first born. I thought I might share my response in hopes of helping other new moms out there:

There are so many “must haves” out there that are really just junk…these are the things that we find we would never do without.

We (well…Corinne) really liked the Fisher Price Ocean Wonders Aquarium Swing (We got ours at Walmart though for about a hundred bucks….don’t know why amazon says over $300!!! Nuts!) The side to side motion really soothed her and since there are a couple adjustable seat positions, she never strained her neck trying to look up. I think she could have lived in that thing…lol.

We also really like the Britax car seats…comfy yet very safe. This is Corinne’s (and will fit her until age 6) and it matches Lilli’s booster (that she’ll be able to fit in until age 10…new Va laws require children to be in a booster until age 8 it so it worked out nicely).

I think any pack and play is also a good idea…especially if you are in a multi level home and need to put baby down in a safe area for a bit.

Those little “gyms” where the baby lies down and has toys dangling above them is fun too. We didn’t get an “expensive” one…you know the ones that claim to enhance baby’s development. I think they all can do that since baby is focusing on something and trying to reach for it - it doesn’t have to have flashing neon lights…lol.

(Once baby gets to the stage where he/she is pushing up on it’s legs.) Lilli and Corinne loved the stationary activity bouncer things…something like this. Nothing too flashy, but enough to where baby can focus on at least 4-5 different things. Make sure it’s height can be adjusted.

As far as strollers…I really like our Jeep stroller. We use this one for long term outings. There is enough storage and cup holder space and it’s SOOOO easy to maneuver (even with one hand), which has come in handy when traveling, especially through airports. I don’t even have to fight with it to open or close it. Baby can fully recline and the sunshade has a top “window” to peer through to check on baby. If new mom has a young step-child, niece, nephew, etc.: Our Joovy stroller is something we really like also - however, we usually only use it on quick & short outings. Perfect for the older child (in our case, Lilli) to ride along on in the rear- either sitting or standing - while younger child is sitting in the front. However, I wish this one had an adjustable reclining position for the child in front, as well as more storage space (This is why we use it on short outings). But the peace of having two children in the same stroller, without having one or the other running around, is quite convenient. She may want to try her strollers out - I hated having to “bend over” to push our other strollers.

Never again will I do high chairs!!! (Wish I would have known this earlier, rather than after my second child and now onto # 3)….what a waste! I love the booster seats that fit right on the chairs. Now that Corinne is old enough to sit in a lower back booster, I haven’t yet tried this one, but I would love to (perhaps Eleanor will have something that isn’t a hand-me-down afterall…I’m bookmarking this one) The high back looks great for those babies who still have the need to throw themselves back (lol) or just haven’t gotten their balance down yet.

And of course, a few stuffed animals. Lilli still has her “Spot” and Corinne loves her “Bear” that she’s had since she was born - they both look really *loved*

Everything, including motherhood, is a learning process. I’m on baby # 3 and am still finding things that work better than others. Perhaps I’ll have it down pat when I’m a grandmother

With daughter #3 on the way, I’ve gotten some practice in being a mother to daughters - in good times and bad, I love it! Here’s a list as to why, with today’s Music Monday pick at the bottom:

1) The easiest to explain: I know what it’s like to be a girl: the issues, struggles, emotions, etc.
2) Strawberry shampoo & lotion
3) Sparkles and glitter
4) Pink & purple nail polish on their piggy toes.
5) My heart melts every time they yell, “PAPA!” and run with arms wide open to Michael when he gets home from work.
6) Dance party time before bed.
7) Pretending to be (depending on the day) a fairy princess, fuzzy cuddly animal, or grown up mommy. Watching Corinne rock her stuffed animals to bed.
9) Watching Lilli hug her sister & say, “It’s alright Corinne, let me give you kisses” when she gets a boo-boo.
10) Butterflies, flowers, & hearts.
11) I sigh each time I get to do their hair in ribbons and curls, after dressing them in those “adorable, cute, little outfits.”
12) Hugs, kisses, & snuggles…just because.
13) Hand prints on my windows
14) My Little Ponies in my car
15) Handmade…anything 16) Watching them (in my peripheral vision) watch me
17) Watching them show me (again and again and again) what I’ve taught them.
18) Colorful Band-Aids
19) STICKERS!!
20) And this song pretty much sums up the joy of motherhood: Jamie O’Neal’s “Somebody’s Hero” (which, of course, I cry to every time I hear it…lol):

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