This, that, and other tidbits...(ham glaze too)

Well I guess I am trying to write every day, and if not every day, much more. I mean if I want to be an author I should probably step it up a bit hu?

So for days like last night when I dont have much to write about I will write about tidbits. Hopefully you might find something interesting about it? Make sure and let me know what you think....feedback will be the best help and mood lifter I can get! :)

I also thought, since one of my books is about being a stay at home mom, and I am all about not cooking, yes you read that right!, I would share easy simple fast tried and true recipes of mine. The ones that get a 10 from hubby. Uh hu, I make him rate my meals, and he is glad to!!

So the one hilarious moment out of my day yesterday was when driving Alia to school. She informed me that, "sam was my boyfriend, but not anymore"

Ohhhh, I wondered. I asked her why she thought this, and her response, well I tried not to laugh while she was telling me, but it was soooo sweet. Now just to tell the boys mom :)

"Because mom, he just started being a real gentleman, and then we just kinda liked eachother"

HAHAHA, so sweet, but ALREADY? What on earth am in in for with three daughters?!

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The rest of my day yesterday was KK keeping me on my toes! She not only is starting to walk, ON HER TERMS, but she is trouble with a capital T!!


She decided whatever I wanted to clean, that it in fact needed to be examined and torn apart. So thus my day was one where nothing happened! I guess a lot happened actually, you just couldn't tell it by looking around my home.


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Lastly I figured I would share a real simple recipe with you. Ham dinner. I love it, but hubby isn't the biggest fan...that is unless I use this glaze. It is AMAZING and so simple. I make extra and freeze it for quick meals. I put it over hamsteaks and then pop in the oven and dinner is done in 20!!

1 cup Pineapple juice
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 tbsp (I use less) mustard
1/2 cup honey

Put it all in a pan and bring to a boil (make sure to watch it you do not want this stuff boiling over. Trust me, I have not learned my lesson yet! It makes a baked on black ROCK type mess on your stove!) and then just simmer for a few minutes. Pour over ham and wor-laa (is that really a word?) you are done!


Ok so I hope this was of some interest to you...if not, oh well, I guess I can try again tomorrow, right? ;)

Everyone Wins.......

Except me that is.

Really anyone who knows me knows I hardly ever win anything! No matter the odds. Point and example, did you know that someone can NOT win in a situation where everyone wins?

Yep that was me. So at our MOPS meeting yesterday I was anxiously awaiting the "raffle". We got 5 tickets to put in 5 different bowls and if you didn't win the first you were to win one of the things you put your ticket in for. There were exact number of prizes as there were people, so everyone would take something home.

So here we go, first item I wanted, nope not my name, second, again no. Well, ok here goes the third, fourth, nope and nada. Ok so I became a bit excited, the last one I kinda really wanted and I had to get it, since the first four were gone. Fifth name called; NOT mine!

Ok smile, be gracious. Act like nothing happened. Someone even asked if I had my name in for those last two. " No" I answered. She said "well you have a great attitude" I was thinking, hmmm, very nice, but dear no, not if you could see me inside. I was having a tantrum. The kind where the lil child kicks and whines on the floor of the store cuz they wanted you to buy that toy!

Yep that was my luck, I can't even win where everyone wins!

However it did all end good. The girl whose name got drawn twice let me choose between her two items (neither of which I had put my name in for) so I did get to go home with something. A refill glass for the movie theater. (whenever I can get there with three small children :))

Really though it is all good. I just chose to find the humor and have a good laugh in the fact that I can't win even when the odds are EVERYONE wins.

Gods creation......includes ice.

What do you think of when you think of a piece of ice?

Cold? Wet? Square? Clear? Hard?

Yes ice is all those things. But believe it or not it is so much more. To me at least. It represents all that I am and all that I don't think about or appreciate in myself on a day to day basis. It represents appreciation, and a love, of sorts.

You might be wondering how can such a simple compound mean all that?

Well it is what gave an otherwise rotten day a glimmer of peace.

We were on our way to Alia's concert for school and of course in a rush. I always seem to be in a rush, but that is another story! You know, the kind of rush where it is, "get your shoes on, grab that book, go potty, oh, and GET YOUR SHOES ON!" So we were in need of a pit stop. The kind that provided nourishment. So we went to none other than good ol McDonalds.

I ran in and ordered our food, and while waiting grabbed our beverages. In the process of filling the cups a piece of ice jumped out and landed on the floor (near the wet floor sign). I finished filling the cup I was working on, stepped sideways, picked up the cube and tossed it into the garbage can and went back on with what I was doing.

What happened after that took me off guard, made me sad and warmed my heart all at the same time.

A lady (clearly older/elderly) I think she might have worked there, but then again maybe not, I couldn't tell. She came up to me, showed me where the drink holder was, and then proceeded to look me directly in the eyes. She said with such tender sincerity "Thank you." She went on to explain (I looked a bit confused) "no one ever picks up the ice. That ice that falls, no one does that. Thank you."

There you have it. So simple but so profound.

Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good. Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor.

Romans 12:9-10

What was sad is that a simple act like that made someones day. This kind of thing should be the normal way we treat Gods creation. But since it isn't, it is also that very thing that is so touching and wonderful. It made me feel good. Feel good to be...well to be me. I was showing Gods love in the simplest form. In the way He created me to. I was living a standard not everyone does and showed a respect that often goes unnoticed.

A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.

John 13:34-35

I appreciated the simple reminder. I wished her a wonderful evening and we were on our separate ways.

Then I arrive at school to find my daughters art project. I was floored. I guess God teaches in the small things. Her art, titled "Gods Creation" and she came up with it all on her own! She also drew everything as she saw fit to be "God's Creation". It is stunning. Beautiful. And created by a 5 year old! Reminds me, "faith like a child". We are to love His creation. And I do.

Thank you God.

A broken mommys heart

After a wonderful rejuvenating trip to Las Vegas for the Women of Faith conference I had high hopes of writing something with wit and charm. I was excited to learn that many people thought my writing was indeed good enough for a book. So dream....back on.

But tonight I write with a heavy heart. Well heavy and ready to pounce on some other peoples children! And the worst part is, some are my friends children. Oh and the part that "thou shalt not kill" ya know, that pesky lil commandment.

Not sure how mothers over the ages have managed to not kill other children. Really, how? Can you help me?

My Alia, my sweet Alia, the one I was SOO proud of today (she brought cupcakes to school for her birthday, and she had promised herself she wanted the Principal and another adult she adores to give them cupcakes, so INSTEAD of eating her own with the class, she added it to the leftover one and took it to them. While the class was eating theirs, she just read a card) got her heart broken into a million pieces.

My sweet little girl came down stairs tonight timid and shy. She was afraid to tell me what she was about to, "because it was so terrible she wanted to keep it to herself and not say the words", for fear I would "see" that in her. Her words not mine.

First her best friend refused to play with her today, there is a new girl in their class the past few months and she was playing with her, when Alia asked if she could join she told her flat out NO. She is confused why she would do this, primarily because she herself would never do such a thing. Ok, so I told her everyone has an off day. Maybe if that was it all would have been fine.

But then there is this one little girl, girl number one, in her class who has always had trouble with her. And I don't know as if the teachers know to what extent, but she is SO mean to her. Well today my lil girl was trying to be funny with the rest of the girls at lunch and girl number one laughed a "mean, making fun of" laugh, and told her that wasn't funny, it was dumb.

Shortly after that this same little girl told my Alia that something Alia was trying to show another peer (who said oh that is neat) that it was NOT neat, it was dumb. And as Alia slowly retreated away, she overheard girl number two telling girl number one that she only said it was neat to be nice.

So here my poor little girl is, the day of her school "birthday", a day she has looked forward to for months and she is broken hearted, telling me she is no fun, not pretty and she doesn't like herself, cuz no one likes her. They only see the dumb kid in her and that it hurts. Tears are streaming down her face this whole time.

GOSH my heart is breaking as I am writing this. I am crying. Crying those tears I cried ALL those years ago. When I was made fun of. I thought I was done with that pain, and now here I am and it is ten times worse than it ever was then.

So back to my original question. How do you not POUNCE on these children? I want to just forget I am a Christian. Forget what God has taught me and ignore what He is teaching me right now! This is my baby you are messing with! The most adorable, generous, giving, sweet, fun, sensitive, nurturing, funny, and bright little girl! HOW can they treat her like this?

Oh did I mention I have to have a party with all these little angels this weekend? Yep I have to have a happy face and be all cheery and wonderful to them when I know they hurt my baby and they, or at least girl number one shouldn't even be at my house because she has never been nice to my generous Alia!? How do I get through this party?

How do I get over my tantrum and be the bigger person, all while soothing my little ones broken heart?

Really I have no words of wisdom. At least not yet. Maybe if you check back in a day or two I will have had a profound moment. But as for now, I doubt it.

I just wanted to share with you that you are not alone in wanting to strangle any child that has hurt your own baby. I am there with you!