Busted by Brownie

To say that I have a sweet tooth is an understatement. I prefer 
chocolate to any other form of sweet. I'm guilty of sneaking a piece
of cocoa goodness behind my children's backs more often than
I'd care to admit, but anyone who knows my kiddos, can testify
that the last thing they need is sugar. 

This last weekend I made a couple batches of homemade 
super dark brownies. Unfortunately neither were for myself. One
batch was for a baby shower at work, and the other was for
a friend who's a new mom again. I did hold back a few pieces from
the baby shower batch for myself... I mean my family. On Saturday
morning, after working late the night before, my husband informed
me that he had eaten two of the last four pieces of brownie due to
a stressful evening alone with the children the night before. "The 
last two are in there (the fridge), and are all yours... ," he reassured me. 

After lunch, the older two kids were playing elsewhere in the house,
and I was chatting with my husband in the kitchen. The thought of 
yummy brownies propelled me towards the fridge. The children were 
immersed in some type of pretend play scenario, so it would be 

safe to discreetly eat one of my brownies. 

I carefully unwrapped the tin foil, took my first bite, and there she 

was, my five year old, who has a sweet tooth just as big as mine, wide- 

eyed, mouth running a mile a minute about something. I didn't hear 

a word. I was frozen, brownie in hand, hoping that she hadn't 

noticed. Maybe if I didn't move, it would be okay. The longer I 

remained there, the more I realized I had to get the brownie out of 

sight before it was too late. With my lil' lovely still rambling about

some obviously important issue, I slowly lowered my hand to 

the counter, behind an enormous jar of peanut butter. I refrained

from chewing and shifted the morsel to my cheek like a squirrel. 

Just when I thought I was in the clear, the chattering slowed and 

I heard her ask, "What's that?"

"What?" 

"What are you eating, Mom?" she reiterated. I was busted.

"Oh, you want a bite of my brownie?" I asked, knowing full well

what the answer would be.

Her little eyes lit up and the corners of her mouth turned upward, 

revealing her dimples. She relished every little bite, just like her 

Mommy. After sharing the brownie, I quickly wrapped the last one 

in tin foil and returned it to the fridge. 

Guess what I had as soon as the kids were in bed that night?

My Life's Status Report

Has it really been nearly three months since I last posted?? Life with a five 
year old, almost three year old and a three month old is crazy! So while I
feel creative juices are still hiding somewhere in the deep recesses of my
brain, I thought I would let those who do follow this blog know that, yes, I 
am still alive and will continue to write. 

This is a status report on my crazy, wonderful life. 

• House - despite desperate efforts, still a disaster zone.
• dishes - not too bad.
• common areas - cluttered with toys.
• my bedroom - scary.
• kids bedrooms - not as scary.
• laundry - you don't want to know.
• yard - yikes!
• Children - all are well, and in never ending growth spurts.
• Avalon - 
• loves Pre-Kindergarden.
• thinks five years old is the new fifteen.
• broke her arm over the summer. 
• will not climb the monkey bars for a while.
• James - 
• enjoys two mornings of preschool during the week.
• knows more species of dinos than the average adult.
• is not potty trained yet (will start to tackle that next month).
• is not yet three, but most people think he's four.
• Benjamin
• started teething at ten weeks.
• is sleeping through the night!
• is wearing 6-12 month clothes at three months.
• is rolling over and cooing, so cute.
• Husband - is still sane but threatening a vasectomy.
• I - 
• am chronically sleep deprived.
• have about two minutes a day to myself.
• have about 200 emails waiting in my inbox.
• feel like my social life is on hold.
• haven't written in far too long. 
• am a little worried I've forgotten everything I've learned about writing children's stories.
• know that even though this is a crazy time of my life, it's also wonderful and must be enjoyed to the fullest.
• know that God is faithful and gives me the strength to do all I have to do every day.
• am starting to cook up some new stories and hope to have some one-on-one time with my laptop soon.

"Praise the Lord. Oh give thanks to the Lord, for He is good; His steadfast love 

endures forever!" Psalm 106:1

Here We Go!

I'm returning after a bit of a hiatus, now a mommy of three.  It's been over a 
month since my new little man, Benjamin Michael, has joined us. The last three 
nights he's actually slept soundly between feedings (Praise the Lord!), and I 
finally feel like my sleep deprived brain can string more than a few words 
together to write a halfway decent post. 


I now have a four year old a two year old and an infant. To say life is busy would
be an understatement! And despite drowning in diapers, refereeing the older two,
administering endless kisses to both real and imagined boo-boos, and perpetual 
dish and laundry duty, I'm absolutely thrilled. I've always wanted a minimum
of three kids, and now I have them. My prayer is, "Thank you, Lord, for the 
blessing and privilege of raising my three children, and please preserve my
sanity... ." It's a bit of a challenge when my four year old (Avalon) cross 
examines me as though a seasoned lawyer and my two year old (James) 
behaves more like a bulldozer in human toddler form. 


If you could listen to a bit of my day you'd hear:


"James do NOT drink out of the dogs water bowl!"
"James! We do not stand on the back of the couch!"
"James, spit out that dog food, and we do NOT eat dirt!"
"James? What is in your mouth?"
"Oh James, that's gross."
"Avalon, no tattling."
"Avalon, you are not the mommy."
"Avalon, I am the mommy."
"Avalon, your mouth is getting you into trouble. Close it."
"Both of you, back away from the baby."
"Personal space, Avalon, back up."
"James, too close to the TV, back up. Back up more.
"James, do not touch the baby's head, OR EYES!"
"Inside voices, please... INSIDE VOICES PLEASE! Let's practice inside voices."
"No running in the house." (a second blur goes by) "No running!" 
"No yelling in the house... if you want to talk to me, come here (as I shout back)."


I'm sure most of you mothers out there relate to my list of frequently spoken 
mom statements. Sometimes I have to suppress a chuckle after some of the 
things I say. And yes, my two year old boy is as boy as they come. He eats 
dirt, dog food, and even toe lint. His hugs are really more like tackles and 
"gentle" is a word that doesn't compute in his male toddler brain. But he's 
amazing with captivating blue eyes and a smile that doesn't allow you to 
stay upset very long. 


My four year old (going on twenty two) is a pure delight, thoughtful, sweet and so
full of love. I love how much she loves her family, immediate and extended. I 
can't wait to see what kind of personality my new little one possesses. What a 
crazy, exciting, chaotic adventure this life is. I feel like I'm in a roller coaster at 
the top of a steep hill, saying to myself, Hold on and here we go!  I'm 
determined to enjoy the ride and call on the Lord to help me be the best mom 
for my children, and wife to my sweetie.  

Guest Post on Redwood's Medical Edge: Pacifier Use

I'm happy to be guest posting again today on Redwood's Medical Edge. 
This time the topic is pacifier use. Have pacifiers been falsely vilified? 
What is the latest research telling us concerning pacifier use and successful
breastfeeding? Read all about it and weigh in on the conversation here.


Jordyn Redwood is a RN who has eighteen years of ER and ICU 
experience who also writes suspense novels. Her debut thriller, Proof,
is coming out June 1st, 2012. Being a medical suspense fan myself,
I can't wait! Her blog is devoted to medical accuracy in literature and is
always an interesting read. 

Ready or Not...

You may have noticed that my posting has been less frequent lately. Even now,
my foggy brain is struggling stringing words together to transfer to the computer
screen. Sleep deprivation secondary to advanced pregnancy is to blame. My 
mother teased me earlier this week that it's God's way of preparing the soon
to be new mother for what will be elusive after her new baby comes. I've even
said this jokingly myself in the past, but it makes much more sense for a new
(or new again) mom to be well rested before her new bundle comes into the
world. Waking at least twice a night to go to the bathroom and then not being
able to go back to sleep despite extreme sleepiness just isn't right. 


If the lack of sleep isn't enough, there's the fact that taking a nice deep breath
isn't an option. Deep inside there is a sweet little baby bottom pushing up against
my lungs, causing the classic third trimester shortness of breath. So, here I am
putting forth a conscience effort to focus my thoughts while gasping for air. 
Dramatic, I know, but true nonetheless. 


Despite my physical complaints, I've been obsessed with readying the house for 
baby #3. This includes ungodly amounts of laundry; salvaging what I can from
my two year old's former newborn clothes; arranging a space in our bedroom for 
a crib, changing table and rocking chair (thankfully our bedroom can 
accommodate); cleaning out and organizing cabinets to make room for baby 
things; figuring out how to squeeze more linens into my linen cabinet; and the 
list goes on. 


Last weekend, my poor husband experienced a bit of shock when shopping for 
the new baby. For my second child, we were able to use a lot of same things 
(excluding clothes) I had for my first one, the majority of which didn't make it 
past baby #2. Reality set in big time when we purchased a new pumpkin seat 
(infant car seat) and set it up in the car. All child seats have been shifted in the 
old minivan to have the pumpkin seat in the only seat that has a latch system. 
Thankfully, my two year old is happy with his new place in the van and my four 
year old is thrilled the be in the "way back" like a big girl. 


I now feel mostly ready for our newest member to come and join our family. This
next week's objective is to pack my hospital bag. Talk about a reality check. I'm 
a bit (or more than a bit) apprehensive about transitioning from two children to 
three. I hear varying stories about the process from other mothers. Most say it's 
easier than when you go from one to two, but a few say it's absolutely nuts. I'll 
opt to believe the former and trust God that He'll give me the rest, strength, time 
management, and organizational skills that will surely be needed. 


I plan to post at least twice a month over the next couple months as this 
transition takes place and then try to go back to weekly as I've done earlier 
this year. 

Checked Your Oil Lately?

Last week while the munchkins were in preschool, I decided to get my van's
oil changed. To say that it was overdue would be an understatement. My 
dear husband had been intending to change it himself, but since weeks and
weeks, or maybe months had gone by, I decided it was time. I gave my other
half a courtesy call, and he agreed. I pulled up to a local garage and informed
the gentleman who came to my window that my oil change was sadly overdue.
I'm sure I gave him a, "please don't judge me," look. I warned him again, "It's 
been a long time." He smiled politely and asked me to leave my keys in the 
car and have a seat inside. 


After a few minutes of perusing children's magazines in the waiting room he 
came in and asked if the car had been serviced since their last record... in 
July (mind you this is now April the following year). I sheepishly shook my 
head and got ready for the bad news. I was informed that not one drop of oil 
came out of my van's engine. Not one drop. I knew it wouldn't be great, but I 
didn't expect it to be that bad. He assessed my driving habits quickly, stating 
that I probably mostly drove short distances around town, but had I taken a 
longer drive, I would've noticed problems. He was surprised the poor thing 
was still chugging along, and I wouldn't have made it one more week for sure.
The only thing that had really saved me was the high mileage oil used last
time. That, I thought, and some divine protection from above.


Now what to do about it. He said he couldn't just put more oil in and that my
van needed and engine flush. I verified with my husband that it was okay,
and my van received a flush, new high mileage oil, and new wiper blades 
(part of a combo deal). He was gracious enough to give me a few discounts
on all the services and reminded me before I pulled away that they'll check
my oil and fluid levels for me in between oil changes and top off for free. 
I assured him I'd remember that and never neglect my van so bad again.


I learned from this experience. Don't assume that because your car still
drives, all is well. God also showed me a spiritual lesson. A while back
my pastor compared maintaining your car's oil to our spiritual lives. This 
incident reminded me of that sermon. If I coast along in life ignoring 
potential problems, assuming I'm okay, not receiving fresh "oil" from 
God's Word (the Bible) on a daily basis, I could literally be on the verge 
of breaking down at any moment. I don't want to live my life with an empty 
oil tank. I want to be full of God's love, patience, grace, and gentleness. 
I can only do that by "abiding" in Him as He states in John 15:4.

"Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless
it abides in the vine, neither can you unless you abide in Me." English 
Standard Version

Verity or Apparition?

5 a.m. the other morning I was in the middle of an active REM cycle. My
subconscious was deeply ensconced in a dream about a Christmas 
play I had written. Even though I had written this play (not something I've
done in the lucid world), I only had one speaking line, and it escaped
me! There I stood, bewildered and flustered, behind back stage doors
about to go on with no clue what I was suppose to do or say. Finally a 
cast member handed me a script and all was well, or so I thought. 


This dream took a turn for the worst when I glanced down and spied
a gigantic spider on my left hand. I screamed and tried to brush it off,
but to no avail. The hair-raising arachnid clung to my fingers as though
its life depended on it. 


The next instant I was awake. In the dim light cast by my charging cell
phone, I noticed a familiar eight-legged creature. It scurried across my
left hand, my husband's pillow, and over the edge of the mattress at the
head of the bed. I felt frozen but heard myself saying, "Big spider, big
spider, big spider!" 


Jason sprang to action and used the flashlight app on his cell phone 
to begin the search. After a few breathless seconds there was no sign
of it. I turned on the lamp for better visualization. Jason pulled up the
mattress and looked under the bed. No spider. 


No spider, the words repeated in my foggy brain. Had there been an
actual spider, or was it remnants of my dream... real or imagined?
This dilemma was more disturbing to me. Jason decided to get
ready for work. I had a good hour before my alarm would go off, 
but there was no way I would put my head back where it had been.
Instead I plopped my pillow at the foot of my bed and curled up in 
a fetal position, not even my toes would fall victim to the potential
antagonist. Despite my fear of creepy-crawly creatures, I quickly fell 
back asleep.


Now, two days later, I'm still bothered by the question. Was the spider 
real or imagined? Last night I slept with my head a couple of feet away
from the head of the bed. I'd be inclined to believe it had been imagined
except that the spider I saw looked entirely different than the one in my 
dream. I think that night I prayed that the Lord would strike the thing dead
in its tracks. Whether or not He would do that, I'm not sure, but it doesn't 
hurt to ask. 


Some may chuckle at my reaction to this experience, and that's okay. 
We all have our quirks, weaknesses, or irrational fears. I feel I may 
have more than the average person, but self-awareness is a good 
thing, right? What do you think? Was spider real? Should I sleep
with one eye open? Should I chill and forget about it?