Small World

I'm making a special lunch for a picnic with a friend tomorrow and my chicken wrap recipe calls for one anchovy fillet.  Gack.  But I've tasted this before and it's so good - I just pretend there's no canned fish once I've added it.  Although can I say that whenever I make this, I inevitably end up with an old can of decomposing anchovies in the back of my fridge because I just can't throw the whole tin away once I've used the one fillet.  Maybe I need to search for anchovy recipes on allrecipes.com.  I can't believe I even considered that possibility just now...

As I opened the box this evening to get my fish can, I was puzzled. On the box it said it was packed for Star Fine Foods from Fresno, CA (woot woot!).  But to the left of that info was printed "Product of Peru."  And then it read "Packed in Morocco."  What?  That covers half the world!  For some canned, ridiculously small fish? 

Behold, I have in my refrigerator door the evidence of a global economy: anchovies.

Easter Bunny

We totally do the Easter Bunny!  Do you?  As a Christian, there's so much pressure about these holidays that celebrate Jesus and have pretend characters also attached to them.  Will you "do Santa" when "Jesus is the Reason for the Season?"  Should your kids be excited about the Easter Bunny and forsake all affection for Christ in lieu of chocolate eggs in pastel?  As much as I am being sarcastic about these questions, they really are deep conversations that The Hubs and I have had.  We tried to do Santa (it didn't really work, which is a post for another time... December, perhaps?) but the Easter Bunny has been a bigger success in our home, largely due to the Easter egg hunt on Easter morning, I think.  I copied the idea from my Aunt Rene`, who would hide the foil-wrapped eggs around the house and my cousins would hunt them when they woke up.  Cute and simple - my favorite recipe.

Last night when we got home from hanging with The Fam in Fresburg (as my dad calls it), I crashed on the couch immediately after watching the fourth quarter of Denver vs. Oklahoma - so sad for Denver!  They almost had it!! - probably because The Hubs always wants to watch the recap on Sports Center and I could care less.  But this morning I awoke to a distraught Pinkalicious who was out of her room before 7-0-0 (preschool code for 7am) and saw that "THE EASTER BUNNY NEVER CAME!!!!"  Once again, Quality Mom has struck leaving her daughter's love of pretend friends in her wake.  Hubs got Pinks back into bed and I scrambled for the bag of foiled eggs.  10 minutes later, they were no where to be found! Gripes!!  So at 6:45, The Hubs went zooming to the store while I scribbled a note on construction paper from the Easter Bunny.  Here it is:

Dear Monkey Boy and Pinkalicious,

When I came to your house tonight, there was Miss Elizabeth,
And I had no idea how much fun she was to talk with!
We danced around the room to our hearts' delight.
The playing and laughing lasted all night!
And before we knew it morning had come.
And on no! My job here was not yet done!!
But before I could get started hiding my eggs galore,
You came out of your room!You opened the door!
All my magic is gone. I am just a stuffed bunny.
Until 7:10, you must do something funny:
Lay in your bed with your dad and your brother.
When the coast is all clear, then will come your dear mother
To tell you it's time, the chocolate's here just for you!
Thank you, Sweet Pinkalicious!
I love you!

I left it outside her door with one of her bunnies and her plastic eggs from the school hunt just as Hubs was walking in the door with the candy at 6:58!!  He grabbed Mr. Monkey and went into her room with the stuff while I quickly hid the eggs and dove back into bed (completely forgetting my instructions in the note), texting The Hubs that I was done.  They came out and saw the chocolate trail and basket, woke me up, and started the hunt.

I was sure Miss Analytical would lecture me about my obvious handwriting on the note, and the garage door sound before Dad came into her room, but no!!  It was a mile-a-minute recap of the adventures with Party Hardy Easter Bunny who loves the cat, Miss Elizabeth, and they love to dance and they spent all their time last night having fun and then I broke the magic and the bunny couldn't do my eggs so I had to wait while she did and maybe she wanted to marry Miss Elizabeth and I don't think my stuffed bunny could do it so a stranger probably maybe broke into our house and hid all the eggs or maybe it was The Easter Bunny for reals because she loves us so much and loves Miss Elizabeth and look at all my chocolate and I will leave the blue ones for MonkeyBoy.

Holy Cow!!!!!!  A Success!!!!!!!!!!!  It is amazing to what lengths we will go to keep a promise to our child, and equally amazing that it can bring as much delight to us as to our child to see it fulfilled!

Happy (initially) Secular Easter Celebration 
to you all!! 

May we never define our days by mythical characters, but by Truth! Yet may we always celebrate with chocolate! =)

A Debacle of Epic Proportions

Last year, in an effort to save money, we bought a hair trimmer for The Hubs. His mom has always cut all the boys' hair (four boys in the home) and it's seemed natural to him to do it at home. He can do it all himself, but usually needs me to blend in the back and even out the bottom length so that it is straight across his neck.

Pinkalicious, Hubs, and I have all been pretty sick throughout the entire month of February (Monkey Boy has had his fair share of repeated double ear infections), and thus, there has been neglect in many areas of responsibility around the house. This includes , but is not limited to, dusting, decorating for Valentine's Day and now Spring, cooking, and The Hubs' haircut. As we were FINALLY on the mend the second half of this week, we began tackling life, which was really refreshing. And I was so excited for the haircut. I love his hair done just right - it's thick, dark and glossy!

So yesterday he calls me in to finish up and hands me the razor. He says "even it out" and I'm thinking about the longer shag that he missed at the top and yes, yes, uh huh, trim it so it's even, and up I go with the trimmer and HOLY CRAP WHAT THE HELL?!?!?! I buzzed a 6-7 inch line right up the back of his head!!!!!!!!

Suddenly my life was not my own. The situation was so incredible, it could only be happening on TV! I stood and looked at it in shock and began laughing. Not the bowled-over laughing, but the silent, stifled, shocked, tearful laughing. I felt AWFUL and yet it was funny to me. I may be the worst wife ever, but I didn't mean to be.

And let's discuss The Hubs who yelled, "STOP!!!" just as I was realizing that it seemed like I was cutting alot of hair in those two seconds. Who laughed less than I did, of course. Who quietly commanded my compact mirror to survey the damage for himself. As he looked and then put his head in his hands, my laughing was over, and the tragedy was full-focus. He was so angry and yet nothing but kind to me. You cannot imagine. I could not imagine. There is very little room for compassion, and others in general, when it comes to a disheartened moment in my day, yet here sat a man with love and gentleness on his lips. It blows my mind still. Friends, what a blessing. What a man. What a servant's heart.

We've repaired it as best we can. Tomorrow he heads to school to teach high schoolers. And my heart breaks. I am afraid my actions will bring him shame. Each day for him is a fight for some semblance of respect from upstart students who have not learned authority in the home. What will happen with a racing stripe on his head? I can only pray, and hope that there might be an opportunity for them to laugh together with him at the wife who practices scalping, and who might be visiting detention this Thursday, razor in tow.

Blessings in Spring

In seeking ways to be thankful, it's amazing how my eyes have been opened to try to see everything I can, yearning for another way to praise the Lord in each day.  As Spring is beginning, I am reveling in the beauty of a new season and just have to share it!

 

 

Peeking through the fence in the backyard - purple blossoms wave Hello

Say What?

I played the observer on the way home from lunch today. One sign of interest was the advertisement for "Angle's of Joy Daycare." Do they think Joy is a shape? Is it an obtuse angle? And isn't "angle's of" a little redunant? 

A mile later The Hubs and I found ourselves chuckling about the Mercedes with the license plate frame "Their's No Princess Like My Princess."  How many people did this message go through and no one caught the mistake?  I can only hope it's a gift from a snarky seven-year-old, errors preserved for posterity.

Is this worth blogging about?  Probably not.  But where else can I be bitchy about the trivium of life? 

Moments of Thankfulness 2/16

As I count points of grace and gratitude in my life this year, I decided yesterday to capture a few with my camera.  Pictures always say more than words. 

#137 Winter's Bloom

#138 Morning Tea from The Hubs

#139 New Shoes on Perfect Little Feet

#139 Storms that Promise Renewal

The Greatest of These is Love

My friends have been talking this year about Valentine's Day: what do you buy for your husband?  do you even give him a gift? is celebrating Valentine's Day anything but obligatory?

In the past The Hubs and I have had some memorable Valentine's Days.  When we dated in high school, he bought me a heart-shaped locket (TOTALLY high school!) and we went to see the re-release of "Return of the Jedi" in the movie theaters.  Dating again in college, our first Valentine's Day was during the period of time when we hadn't had the DTR (Define The Relationship), so he gifted me with a red carnation (a flower, but not a flower that is too commited) and a sweet note.  One married Valentine's Day, we went to the mall, put each person on a $25 budget, and shopped for each other for a half an hour.  We met back up and exchanged gifts over an Orange Julius. 

As I surveyed this list in my mind a few weeks ago, I determined that 1) all my favorite memories include gifts and 2) I cannot remember how I celebrated HIM those days, but only how I was made to feel special.  So this year was going to have a new focus.  For Pinkalicious, we were going to make treats for friends, make Valentine's for family, make dessert for Daddy, and have lots of fun!  For The Hubs, I would make his favorites: omlettes for breakfast, lunch at Panera, make seafood alfredo for dinner, dessert from Pinks and me, and a special note about why he is my favorite.

This grandiose plan started to run awry on February 4, when I received a call from school that Pinky had an intestinal malfunction and needed to go home.  From that point her stomach flu was passed around to three of us.  Then she came down with the real flu on Monday and despite flu shots, it is being passed around to the four of us, with The Hubs and I getting it on February 11.  My plans have been foiled. All I have to show for my Valentine's efforts are bags of groceries and crafts, and a copy of Goldalicious, the third book in the Pinkalicious Series for my Pinkalicious. 

Reflecting on this list of failure, I scavenged my mind for anything I could do to make tomorrow special.  I have decided to do what I can.  Although we are both riddled with fevers, aches, and exhaustion, I will let him sleep in and nap as much as he can. I will nurse him.  I will not ask for my turn to rest or be resentful in doing what needs to be done.  I will put his needs before my own, and be happy in it.  This Valentine's Day, I will celebrate love by excercising love.