the great undertaking

Alternately titled: "The Lunatic Trip."


For months now we've been talking about it.  Considering, weighing pros and cons.  Back and forth.  Should we?  Should we not?  Is it just insane?  And we finally decided; we're going to go for it.

"It" is a major road trip.  This summer, in the hot and humid month of July, Jeff and I will take our brood on a three-week adventure.

You read that right.  I said "road trip."  We are driving.

Here's the thing: we grew up in the Midwest.   Jeff and I both spent the bulk of our childhoods in northeastern Kansas; our formative years were spent in wide open spaces, enjoying vast sunsets and huge blue skies.  Between the two of us, we could tell you a thousand tales of that land - we both love it dearly.  It's so exciting to consider visiting our old stomping grounds, showing our children where we met, went to school, played at the park.

Yes, I love the landscape of my old home.  (And truly, there are trees.  Tons of them.  And rolling hills too.)  But beyond all that, we're anticipating visiting the people.  Dear friends we haven't seen in years.  The church family which observed our growing attachment, the twists and turns our path held, and eventually were witnesses on the day we pledged our love to one another.

My brother and his family live in Houston, which may still be a ways from Kansas, but it's a whole lot closer to Kansas than Oregon.  We haven't been to visit them in five busy years; we're eager to do that as well.

So when we realized that Jeff's 20-year class reunion is this summer, the conversation began.  In the end we decided to do it.  We're driving to Kansas and then on to Texas.

Yes, in July.  Yeah, we know it'll be hot.  Our kids will think they're going to melt.
(Believe me, I know.  When Jeff and I went back for my brother's wedding in 2002 - a year and a half after we'd moved away - I thought the humidity would kill me.  The Pacific northwest made a wimp out of me.)

I haven't been able to attend my own class reunions.  It's either been too expensive, or I've been about to have a baby...or something.  But right now I'm not pregnant.  It will still be expensive, but it turns out that there is no perfect time for something like this.  So before any more time passes, while we have the chance, we are going to go.

Frankly, I must tell you that I'm terrified.  Baby Gabriel, for all his charm, is not a good traveler - a fact reinforced by his recent scream-fest on the way home from the coast.  I'm praying he'll somehow be transformed into one, but right now it doesn't seem likely.  Away from the comfort and familiarity of home - for three weeks - with five kids...is really scary for this retiring homebody.  At times it might feel like a nightmare.

And yet...I think it'll be well worth it.  Worth the stress, the planning, the anxiety, the price.

To go back, as we've been wanting to do for years, to see beloved sights, see familiar faces.  To enter the doorway of that dear old country church, to walk up the aisle once more: this time with my husband and children at my side.

It's the stuff dreams are made of.

Feeding Picky Eaters

Kids are notorious for being picky eaters.  Not all kids are, of course.  But frequently young palates tend to be a little less adventurous than adults.

Then there are seasons of  more...shall we say, selective eating?  For example, a child who has always been an enthusiastic eater may one day decide that he only wants to eat noodles.  Or bread.  But eventually (hopefully!) the phase passes, and he will again start branching out.

I have first-hand experience with picky eaters.  It's no fun for any parent to deal with, and I am no exception.  I do, however, sympathize with the choosier members in my family: you see, I too was a picky eater as a child.  This trait stayed with me into my teenage years, and even into my early twenties.  It's really only been the past ten years or so that I loosened up a bit, and in the past five years I've begun to eat things I never would've dreamed of in my more "selective" days.

So while I do sigh when one of my children turns up his nose at a new dish (without even giving it a chance
), I get it.  I understand, and I try to present new foods to them in a way that encourages my kids to experiment, but without inviting a major fight.

Dish Up the Fun
One thing I've noticed recently is that the name I give to a new food can make a big difference. My husband's alma mater is Kansas State University.  K-State's school color is royal purple, and our family wears a lot of this particular hue.  When I discovered purple cauliflower at the farmers' market, we served it as "K-State Cauliflower," much to the kids' delight.  Alternately, I love this child-friendly idea of creating Hummus Flowers.  And once, after I'd made bread,  it stuck in the pan and I was faced with a result which resembled a crumpled heap more than an actual loaf.  In an act of desperation I placed a hunk of bread on each child's plate, slathered it with almond butter and jam, and dubbed them "Open-Faced Volcano Sandwiches."  I was astounded to find that they were an instant hit!

Be creative, tailor it to your family's interests, and don't take your food too seriously.  There's so much potential for fun here.

Offer Choices
I have never been willing to do "the short-order cook thing," but I have come to believe that offering choices at mealtime can be key.  Do you have children who aren't fans of vegetables?  Offer several different varieties.  Frequently our dinner table will have sugar snap peas or carrot sticks and dip as well as another vegetable, usually a cooked one.  Even if a child doesn't care for either option, he will probably feel a little more cheerful about having a choice.

Another simple option is a bowl of apple slices or another fruit your family enjoys.  Mealtimes are apt to be happier if there's at least one item on the table which your child truly likes.

Hold Dessert Hostage
The long-time rule in our home is "feel free to enjoy dessert after you finish your dinner."  We serve each child a reasonably-sized serving of the main dish, offer a choice of vegetables if possible, and often offer a optional fruit or grain-based side dish.  Each person is free to eat or not eat as they see fit, but even if they don't want the main dish or vegetable, we still serve them a "no thank you helping."   If they choose not to eat, they may have dessert another day.  Sometimes this serves to motivate, sometimes not.  But either way: if you won't eat your dinner, you needn't concern yourself dessert.

We also use this technique when it comes to subsequent servings of other dishes.  For example, the child may have another serving of apples if he takes a few bites of his peas.

Keep Trying
You've probably heard that it can take a child many different exposures to a food before he or she finally accepts it.  It can be very frustrating to try, and try, and try only to have your offerings rejected  again and again.  Nonetheless,  I recommend that you keep making attempts. At my house we try to be cool and casual about it: Your dad and I enjoy eating this, and if you'd like to try it, that's great!  But if you'd rather not, that's okay.  When I was your age, there were a lot of things I didn't like to eat.  But now I enjoy things I didn't used to.  Maybe someday you'll change your mind too.  

Just the other night I served my family roasted asparagus at dinnertime.   My 4-year-old, long known as a boy who avoids vegetables at all costs, reluctantly decided to try a bite.  (I suspect that he was lured by the idea of ice cream I'd made that afternoon.)  But he did try it, and I was astonished to hear these words come out of his mouth: "The tip is good.  I like this part.  But only the tip..."  I suggested that if he liked the tip, he might like other parts too: my words fell on deaf ears.  He'd decided the tip was alright.  And that evening, he wasn't willing to stretch any more, not an inch more.

And that's okay, too.  As a friend of mine used to say, "different people like different things."  Even as a more open-minded adult, there are still foods which I cannot stomach.  But I keep trying new things, and I'm often delighted with the results of my experimentation.

Hopefully, as we parents enjoy trying new things, our children will notice this. As they (slowly) branch out from regular peanut butter & jelly, into the world of, say, pesto grilled cheese, they just may discover that there's a whole new world of foods at their fingertips.

Once they've learned that lesson, the possibilities are endless.

Thanks to Kristin at Bits and Pieces From My Life, Allyson at A Heart For Home and Christy at A Living Homeschool for inviting me to Guest Post this month.  It was fun, and I am honored!

nourishing summer snacks

I've had a lot of kids in my house lately. Besides my own brood, we have three neighbor girls who are frequently around at afternoon snack-time.

And frankly, I don't buy a lot of pre-made snacks. The stuff do I like costs a bit extra, so it's pretty rare that I buy it. So I'm attempting to keep a full supply of snacks around. With three extra children, though, they go pretty quickly. For example, my awesome new popsicle mold holds six frozen treats, which disappear in a flash. Thankfully, Elise doesn't eat them yet. But there are none left over for my poor husband after the locusts have devoured their sweet treats.

The thing is, it's important to me to offer good stuff to these kids. So I've been wracking my brain, and I thought I'd share a few things I've come up with.


Nut-Based Power Bars
These delicious morsels have been a favorite in our household for several years now. Grain free and lightly sweetened, topped with a thin layer of chocolate, they're deliciously satisfying. They're definitely a crowd-pleaser.

Buttery Homemade Crackers
Homemade crackers that are simple and popular with folks of all ages, these crackers go great with cheese, peanut butter, or alone. The only downside is the time they take to roll out, cut, etc....paired with the fact that they're gobbled up so quickly when served to a horde of hungry kids. But definitely something I feel good about serving!

Soaked, Whole Grain Muffins
I use the recipe from The Maker's Diet by Jordan Rubin. These muffins are simple, extremely moist, and satisfying. So far the favorite has been blueberry flavor, though the cinnamon raisin variety is good, too. I love that the recipe calls for soaking the flour, so as to neutralize the phytatic acid found in whole grains.


And last but not least, a quintessential summer treat!


Berry Popsicles

1 c. frozen berries
1 banana
1 c. whole milk yogurt
1/2. raw local honey

Blend together thoroughly (I use my blender), pour into popsicle molds, and freeze. Enjoy!

first (week) of school

off and running

Today we bid welcome to the new school year! Yep, we began our first trimester this morning - doing second grade, kindergarten, and a handful of toddler activities.

I started the day with great ambitions, and amazingly enough we sat down to breakfast at 8:00 AM! This is something I would love to achieve regularly, but rarely do. It felt like such a triumph to make it work on this day of fresh starts.

I've been wanting to begin a tradition or two to commemorate the new school year. As I kid I have memories of stocking up on school supplies, new clothes, maybe a new coat or pair of shoes. We haven't done that lately because...we don't have to. We get new things as needed, but not so much in connection to school.

Still, I didn't want my kids to feel that they were missing out. (Or maybe I was the one afraid of missing out?) At any rate, I wanted to mark the day in some way. Unsurprisingly, my thoughts turned to food, and so...I guess we have our new tradition:

Apple cider and homemade donuts.

They were really good (my second attempt ever) and I'm pleased to report that no one was burned by hot oil or pans. Against all odds, I didn't even set off any smoke alarms.

So, we were off to a good start - generally following the rough schedule I'd worked out, cheerful - and I was gathering my older boys and had just gotten out the first book, when it came to my attention that there was a distinct odor coming from a particular little bottom.

Yeah, should've scheduled for that.

Still, we made it through. Today we covered Old Testament, history (we're studying ancient Greece this year), reading, P.E. (we even had time for recess!), geography, and math. I'm trying to stay more in line with Charlotte Mason's concept of short lessons, and so far it's working nicely.

It wasn't perfect. Apart from that first stinky hiccup, we had some whining, tears, arguing, pencil flinging, clowning, clambering, and so forth. No, it wasn't perfect - not by a long shot!

But it was a start.

before I was a mom...

Before I was a mom, I never wrestled a stubborn booger from someone else's nose. With my bare hands.

Before I was a mom, I never said things like "I know who you are, I promise I do!" after running through a string of my children's names in search of the right one.

Before I was a mom, I never found myself thanking the Lord that my children were remembering to flush the toilet a just a little more frequently.

Before I was a mom, I never could have imagined that when three of my four children are at Grandma's house, it feels like an absolute vacation.

Before I was a mom, I never cried at children's programs.

Before I was a mom, I never spent any time wondering how crumbs procreate.

Before I was a mom, I never had an inkling of how much laundry a few kids could generate.

Before I was a mom, I never determined whether to go to a park, or not, by whether it had public restrooms.

Before I was a mom, I never understood how my own mother felt when she said things like "Why do I have to ask you to do things so many times before you do them?"

Before I was a mom, I never imagined how good it feels to teach my child something, and see them really "get it."

Before I was a mom, I never knew that I would find cloth diapers fun and exciting.

Before I was a mom, I never guessed that I would nearly burst with happiness when watching my baby's smile blossom on her face.

Before I was a mom, I never knew the joy of seeing a small child running to fling his arms around my legs.

Before I was a mom, I never understood how my heart could hold more love, every single day.