In Such a Short Period of Time. . .

Just a few brief glimpses of our day. Keep in mind that the was all this morning.

Breakfast, and all the other morning chores and getting ready.
A trip to Sam's Club for produce, etc. I see (too late) Livia tossing the eggs onto the conveyor- 5 broken.
A stop at Wal-mart (the bank is inside); tomatoes and basil to plant later.
Unload groceries, etc. Hummus is dropped on the cement. Livia licks it up. Plants fall out of the back of the van. Stroller falls out of the van, too, and onto the plants.
A ball is hit toward the house. A broken flowerpot, with glass and dirt is all over the back porch. Children walk in it.
Kids get drinks and someone pours theirs out on the bench cushion on the porch.
Livia, knocked in the mouth with a PVC pipe (I know!) is bleeding.
Water from the fridge is all over the floor. Ice cubes are floating in the toilet.
Lunch is all over the floor. (Did I mention that I mopped today?!)
Rhyle has fallen off his scooter (not his 2 wheel bike that he can ride!), and skinned his knee and ONLY needs Dad.
Wet pants need changing.
Wet bed needs changing. (not Livia's!)
Wet diapers need changing.
My heart needs changing.

LIVIA is THREE

At dinner tonight we celebrated Livia's birthday by each sharing thoughts on why we are thankful to have Livia in our family. The boys unabashedly piped right up, though I admit the focus of their thanks was questionable!

Rhyle: So that we can have birthday cupcakes.
Owen: I'm glad for Livia because we can have chocolate cupcakes.

Later, I was reading to Owen and Livia and Owen graciously offered to move over and let Livia sit next to me, "because it's your birthday and you came from Mom."

Gentleman In Training

Owen (6) has been steadily reading his way through all of the Ralph Moody books (Little Britches series). I love it when I catch phrases from good literature that he's trying out on us at home, like tonight:

"I'm going to go see Dad to the door."

The Cry Threshold

I have noticed that since I had Tate and we moved back home and in all that has happened in the last 8 months. . . that on many (most?) days I predictably experience an emotional apex. I call this my cry threshold. Most days I reach it around 9:30 or 10 pm, after all of the day has taken it's toll; when I'm weary and lonely (and there is still so much undone!)and all of a sudden feeling very, very sad. This cry threshold has become a barometer for me of my exhaustion and emotional health. On days when I feel this rush of sadness and weariness at 7pm instead of 10pm. . . I need to give myself a bit of a break. It's a sign to go to bed, to pray and journal and rest.

So, it's probably not very good that today I met my cry threshold at 10am. Keep in mind that I am newly back from Phoenix (yesterday afternoon). It was a great trip, but it wasn't restful (especially with a baby who didn't sleep well). I am weary and it's Monday. There is way too much to do and after three loads of laundry, lots of dirty dishes, disciplining of children, nursing. . . well, normal life. . . then I heard dripping in the kitchen.

Braden warned me that he thought our roof may be leaking. This is the kind of thing you find out in the spring when it starts raining and continues for days. It's not the kind of thing you really want to find out at all. Our office has some kind of a leak, and so does our basement. . . but not the kitchen.

Today is Livia's birthday. She is three and oh, so Livia. (I love her!!) When I called the children down to Bible time I didn't know that Livia had been washing her hands. (read: using up ALL the soap and running the water nearly full blast) The drip drip dripping in the kitchen was water running from the upstairs bathroom down through the ceiling and the light fixture, through the floor, and into the basement. (Does this remind you of anything else you've read on my blog?!)

10am Monday. Cry Threshold.

Disruption Meets Interruption- and Drives me to Distraction

A glimpse of our life:

Rhyle is standing up and reading his lesson to me; the book is laid out on the coffee table. (Really, Rhyle is leaning over, then dancing a bit, then crouching down and twisting from side to side. . . it's a wonder he can read at all!)

Tate has pulled up to standing at the table and is trying to grab the book with drooly fingers. He, too, is awfully busy. (Personally, I just think this is how boys learn.)

"Tate!" Rhyle exclaims, with a little laugh, "Stop it! You're disinterrupting me!"

Pumpkin Muffins

With a nod to my wonderful cousin Lara Thomas, I present another delicious recipe! I've served this up at a couple of "Brainy Breakfast" get togethers at my home, and also have made these for breakfast, or an easy picnic lunch take along. Enjoy!

Pumpkin Muffins and Orange Frosting*
Adapted by Natasha Augusto and Lara Thomas (original recipe from Cooking Light, November 2006)

*Makes 18 muffins

*Ingredients: (adjustments to make this recipe without eggs are in bold)*
2 ¼ cups flour

2 tsp. cinnamon

1 ½ tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. ground ginger

¼ tsp. salt

1 cup brown sugar – it calls for packed, I _didn't_ pack the brown sugar

1 cup pumpkin puree

1/3 cup plain yogurt *(1/2 cup – mixture of water and plain yogurt)*

1/3 cup canola oil *(1/2 cup)*

¼ cup molasses

1 tsp. vanilla

2 large eggs *(1/2 package of cream cheese)*

Preheat oven to 400. Combine flour, cinnamon, baking soda, ginger, and salt in a medium bowl, stir with a whisk. Combine brown sugar, canned pumpkin, yogurt (or yogurt and water), oil, molasses, vanilla and eggs (or cream cheese) with a whisk or in a mixer on low. Add flour mixture and stir until just moist. Spoon into muffins cups with papers or coated with oil. Bake at 400 for 15 minutes (it took a little longer with the cream cheese variation), until a wooden pick comes out clean. Remove muffins immediately and let cool. Makes 18 muffins.

*Orange Frosting (*/To make the frosting orange I added cooked carrots)/
/Adapted by Lara Thomas from America's Test Kitchen /

Cook one large carrot in boiling water until quite soft. Puree in blender or food processor, adding enough water to blend into a soft puree.

*Place in mixer:*
8 oz of cream cheese
½ cup of sugar (I used ¼ cup of sugar)
1 tsp. vanilla
1/8 tsp salt
At least 1/3 cup of cooked carrots – depends on how orange you want the
frosting and your taste preference. The carrots make the frosting sweet.

Whip ingredients on medium high speed until light and fluffy. Reduce
speed to low and slowly add 2 cups heavy cream in a slow, steady stream.
When almost fully combined, increase speed to medium high and beat until
mixture holds stiff peaks (about 2 ½ minutes more). Makes ample frosting
for an entire cake.

Note: this frosting *without the carrots* makes a quick easy frosting
for birthday and party cakes

She's Catching On. . .

Livia was almost finished with her salad at lunch today, when I watched her very slowly pick up and examine a piece of spinach.

"Mom," she said, "This looks like a LEAF!"