The Efficiency Gene

Or maybe we should call it the lazy gene. Whatever it is, I have definitely passed it on to my daughter.

Every morning Keri is responsible for an array of chores, one of which is to fold up the blankets on her bed. She is a very helpful girl and I am grateful that most of the time she accomplishes her jobs without complaining. However, just like most humans she is always looking for ways to make her life easier.

Tonight when she was getting ready to climb in bed she proudly proclaimed, “I am going to try and not use any of my blankets tonight so I don’t have to fold them up in the morning.”

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If you don’t see me around much this week, it is because I am out playing with my family who is visiting from out of town!

Reflections

Nearly 7 weeks ago Morning Glory of Seeds From My Garden bestowed upon me the Blogger Reflection Award. Even though it has taken me awhile to officially accept this kind gesture, it doesn’t diminish in any way the thoughtful words she wrote about me. In fact, she gave me this award at a time in my life when I needed a gentle reminder of who I really am.

As with most bloggy awards, I am now supposed to pass this forward to others based on the following criteria:

“This award should make you reflect on … bloggers who have been an encouragement, a source of love, impacted you in some way, and have been a Godly example to you. … Bloggers who when you reflect on them you get a sense of pride and joy … of knowing them and being blessed by them.”

1. Kimberly of Temporary? Insanity was the first bloggy friend I had the chance to meet in real life. She is even more remarkable in person than she is on her blog, and that is saying a lot. She is incredibly sweet, she has a huge heart and she possesses a fun, warm and witty personality. Kim is an extremely talented writer who has a knack for engaging her readers. She definitely knows how to paint stories with words … she really needs to work on that book she has floating around in her head!

2. One of these days I am determined to meet Dedee of The Quiltmaker’s Gift. I think we would be instant friends. Anyone who reads her blog can tell that she is smart, level headed, well balanced and compassionate. I thoroughly enjoy her insights into life and I admire the way she makes her readers think. But don’t think she is always serious, she has a hilarious side to her as well.

3. Jen of Lords of the Manor is another bloggy friend I would love to get to know in real life. She is kind, resourceful and very knowledgeable on a plethora of topics. I always seem to learn something new when I visit her site. I have enjoyed getting to know her better through exchanging emails.

4. I have had the privilege of knowing Liz of My Ice Cream Diary for four years now. She is one of the first friends I made in the Pacific Northwest and my life has definitely been enriched by knowing her. She is in her late twenties, has four kids, and she homeschools most of them. She is funny, she is inspiring, she is down to earth and she always tells it like it is. She is also full of wisdom which is probably why she has her own advice blog.

Enjoy your award and if you feel so inclined, pass it on.

Fast

Even though we are very grateful for our little two bedroom apartment, Rudy and I can’t wait until we are able to move to a bigger place. Things tend to get kind of cramped when you have two adults, one first grader and one rambunctious two year old living in a relatively small amount of space.

Keri is also getting to the point where she is itching to have more space. She relishes the day she can go to a room and shut the door and quietly play with her toys without younger brother destroying everything she does. She also longs for the ability to be able to walk as loud as she wants, run around and freely practice cartwheels since no one will be living below her.

She knows these things won’t be a reality until Daddy is done with school. Whenever she asks for a pet, or a garden or anything else where we need to own a house I tell her, “When Daddy is done with school we can move and get a this or be able to do that.”

I think she is getting a tad impatient for the doctorate degree to be done with because as Rudy was leaving the house today to go to school, Keri called out:

“Daddy, you need to do your homework … (long pause) … FAST! So we can move to a house.”

If only he had just a little bit of homework to complete and not an entire dissertation to write and defend.

Menu Plan Monday – August 20, 2007

A few days ago we went to our local Farmer’s Market and stocked up on some delicious fruits and veggies. The raspberries and blueberries we purchased make to-die-for Berry Smoothies. I should share the recipe with everyone. We also got a few pounds of Donut Peaches. These are my new favorite fruit, they are simply heavenly. I probably could eat all of them in one sitting.

In case you have never heard of them (I hadn’t until last year), Donut Peaches are white flesh peaches that are incredibly sweet. There are two varieties, Jupiter and Saturn, and they are smaller and flatter than your typical peaches. I definitely prefer the Saturn ones, but both kinds are very tasty.

If you can find them in your area, I highly suggest you try them. You won’t be disappointed. I am not a huge fan of regular peaches, but these ones will make your mouth water.

Monday: Kidney Bean Tacos and fruit

Tuesday: Santa Fe Chicken Salad

Wednesday: Leftovers

Thursday: Meat and Pasta Bake, fruit and veggies

Friday: My husband and I are going on a date sans kids. I am not sure where we will eat yet, but we are planning to finally see “Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix.”

Saturday: Leftovers

Sunday: Curry Croissants, veggies and fruit – My younger sister, my older sister and her husband and their two kids are flying into town from California. They will be here for the week, hooray!

As usual, if you never know what to cook for dinner and/or you need more recipes, please visit Laura The Organizing Junkie for more Menu Plan Monday participants.

Year of the Family

“In a world filled with much laboring and striving in parliaments, congresses, agencies and corporate offices, God’s extraordinary work is most often done by ordinary people in the seeming obscurity of a home and family.” ~ Neal A. Maxwell

I think I may have stumbled upon a possible new tagline for my blog.

What a powerful statement, which if properly observed, would have an enormous impact on our world today. Think of the potential the next generation of this earth could have if everyone realized the true power that lies within the walls of our homes. As Neal A. Maxwell states, “Every year should be the Year of the Family.”

Last week my new SMART habit was to learn how to better enjoy the little things in life, especially those things which pertained to being the mother in my family. I aimed to do better at this by remembering to put on my gratitude filled and optimistic face before I left my room in the morning to greet the craziness of the day.

I must admit I was pretty pleased with my mothering attitude these past seven days. Granted I wasn’t perfect, after all there were still definite times where I got frustrated, but progress was made. Cooking dinner, washing laundry, playing repeated games of Go Fish, running errands with little ones in tow, visiting the park and getting the kids ready for bed didn’t seem quite so burdensome as they used to be. In fact I was more grateful for the opportunities I had to be with my children.

I still want to keep working on the goal of enjoying the little things in my family this week, but I do want to add another baby step to this particular habit. So what will the baby step be? Making sure to take the time to have a family prayer every morning.

We do really well in our house at individual prayers, couple prayers and family prayers in the evening, but for whatever reason family prayer in the morning hours is a hit and miss thing. What better way is there for all of us to enjoy the little things in life more than to pray together as a family?

Having daily morning and nightly family prayer will also bring abundant blessings into our lives. It will also help us on our quest to raise respectful and responsible children, children who are full of integrity and who possess a strong, moral character.

“I submit that a return to the old pattern of prayer, family prayer in the homes of the people, is one of the basic medications that would check the dread disease that is eroding the character of our society. We could not expect a miracle in a day, but in a generation we would have a miracle.

“A generation or two ago, family prayer in the homes of Christian people throughout the world was as much a part of the day’s activity as was eating. As that practice has diminished … moral decay … has ensued.” ~ Gordon B. Hinckley

My Undiagnosis

Nearly four years ago I was diagnosed with Polycystic Kidney Disease (PKD). The nephrologist attending to my case used an ultrasound and a CT scan to make the decision. Since then I have had several urine and blood tests performed just to make sure my kidneys are functioning properly. Thankfully the tests always come back within normal parameters.

Another sure sign of kidney disease is high blood pressure. Mine is typically really low. The highest it has ever gotten is 130 over something which occurred when I was in labor with Cory.

Since it had been a few years since I last visited with a nephrologist, my primary care physician and I decided it would be in my best interest to set up an appointment to see a kidney specialist. While setting up my visit, they also scheduled a renal ultrasound to be performed before my appointment with the doctor.

The ultrasound technician was the first person who alerted me to the fact that my PKD diagnosis might be incorrect. Although I do have a large 13 centimeter simple cyst on my right kidney, the kidney tissue itself looked fine. The tissue in my left kidney also looked good.

While in the kidney clinic, they took my blood pressure twice (98/60 and 94/62), had me give a urine sample and talked with me extensively about my medical history. I then had two different renal doctors tell me that I don’t have PKD. In fact to use their words, I have “no kidney disease, just cysts.” What a marvelous piece of news to receive!

When I left their office I felt like I was walking on air. I didn’t even mind paying my $7 parking garage ticket.

So what works-for-me? ALWAYS get a second and third opinion when it comes to your health, even if you feel like you completely trust and respect the diagnosing doctor.

“Where’s Da Bug?”

Lately, Cory’s favorite book has been Richard Scarry’s, “Cars and Trucks and Things That Go.” He loves to find the amusing little Goldbug who hides on every, single page. As he looks at each picture he loudly exclaims, “Where’s da bug? Where’s da bug? … There’s da bug.”

Seeing him with this book brings back my own childhood Goldbug memories.

Menu Plan Monday – August 13, 2007

Thank goodness we are finally recovering from all the allergies and colds that have recently afflicted our household. I can’t wait to get back to a “normal” routine this week. I have actually been craving a good workout at the gym. Yes, I know I am a little odd, but I love the rush I get when my endorphins are kicked into high gear.

Last week there was a large demand for the Thai Chicken Wraps recipe, so I thought I would let you know I posted it here. I hope you enjoy it. It really is a simple yet scrumptious meal.

Monday: Spinach and Mozzarella Ravioli, fruit and veggies

Tuesday: Meatloaf, potatoes, fruit and veggies

Wednesday: Leftovers

Thursday: Chicken and French Green Bean Casserole, rice and veggies

Friday: Spaghetti, fruit and veggies

Saturday: Grilled brats, fruit and veggies

Sunday: My Day Off

As usual, if you never know what to cook for dinner and/or you need more recipes, please visit Laura The Organizing Junkie for more Menu Plan Monday participants.

Thai Chicken Wraps

My close friend, who I consider a fabulous cook, recently introduced me to this mouth savoring recipe. It is already a family favorite in our house.

Thai Chicken Wraps

1 lb chicken, thawed and cut into small pieces

2 teaspoons soy sauce

1/2 teaspoon ginger

2 carrots, grated

Chopped cilantro

1 bunch green onions, sliced

1/2 cucumber, quartered

2-3 cups cooked

The Little Things

“Enjoy the little things, for one day you may look back and realize they were the big things.” ~Robert Brault

This is my new habit.

Yes, I do long for the days where I don’t have messy diapers to change and picky toddlers to feed and where I don’t have to constantly remind the little ones to use their quiet feet so they don’t disturb the neighbors who live below us. But when these things are gone, so will all the other things that I cherish – the sounds of laughter which emanate from the kids room while they happily play together, the slobbery kisses and tender snuggles I am adorned with throughout the day and the peaceful and quiet moments that come at night when I sneakily check on the children as they slumber.

It is here in their room, in the still hours of the night, that I am often filled with awe and wonder. These souls that have been sent to me are so precious. Sometimes it is hard to remember this during the chaos and busyness of the day.

This last week has been kind of rough on all of us. Being sick, being homebound, and not being able to get my natural daily high from working out is taking its toll. As I work on enjoying the little things, I want to remember to take the time to make the kids laugh and to have my daily happy moments. I also want to add one more baby step to the process.

Before I leave my room in the morning to greet the craziness that awaits me, I want to make sure I have on my gratitude filled and optimistic face. I think this might help change the entire outlook of my day. Every morning I already take about 15-20 quiet minutes to prep myself for the day – making the bed, saying my prayers, going over my list of things to do – so this should be pretty easy to add to the routine. Although, I might have to make myself a little reminder sign to stick on the backside of our door.

I might also need to start spending a little less time on the computer. Family first, blogging second.

For more information on how you can join Smart Habit Saturday and make positive changes in your life, please visit Lara of The Lazy Organizer.

Bumping Around

Keri just recently acquired her first pet, a betta fish given to her as a birthday gift by our good friend. She named it Kanea.

Watching her watch her prized fish reminded me of a conversation she and I had not too long ago.

Keri: “Why do fish live in the water?”

Me: “Why do you think they do?”

Keri: “Because if they lived on the land they would have to go bumping around on their tummies since they have no legs.”

I am glad that is not my mode of transportation.

Movies, Flicks and Films

Growing up in Los Angeles I used to see movies all the time. In fact, one time I went to four movies in a single day – “Arachnophobia,” “Presumed Innocent,” “The Freshman” and one other one which for the life of me I can’t remember.

However, the older I have gotten, the more precious and valuable my time has become and consequently I don’t frequent the theater quite so often anymore. It also doesn’t help that movie tickets have gotten so expensive, especially when you factor in the price of babysitting.

Occasionally, though, my husband and I still like to watch a good quality show together. Here are a few titles currently on our Let’s-Get-Around-To-Them-Some-Day List. Some of these films are still in the theaters, but the majority of them are already out on DVD which means we will just put them on hold at our local library.

1. “Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix”
2. “Pirates of the Caribbean: At The World’s End”
3. “Dreamgirls”
4. “The Devil Wears Prada”
5. “Casino Royale”
6. “Miss Potter”
7. “Music and Lyrics”
8. “O Brother