That's How You Know

Each Sunday that I missed church over the last couple of months I have been presented with a Tootsie Roll from Hubba as soon as he gets home. The awesome family who is in charge of running the church library on Sundays always has a dish full of treats available for those who return their borrowed items - and for those who just want a treat. Hubba has stopped in there faithfully each week to get himself a pack of Smarties and the customary Tootsie Roll for his mom. (Because: chocolate! That's why.)

A few weeks into this new ritual I asked Hubba why he brought home a Tootsie Roll for me every Sunday. "Because I love you!" he replied in a tone that would suggest I was insane for not already knowing the answer.

Since the day of my accident I have had people bringing things over. Plates piled high with cookies and cinnamon rolls, get well cards and packages in the mail, books to read and other things to keep me occupied. We still had friends and family bringing us meals six weeks after my fall. I'm sure if I were to ask why so many people did these things for my family and I the response would have been the same as Hubba's. Because we love you! What an overwhelming feeling it is to really see and know how very loved you are.

I wish I had a Tootsie Roll for every one of you.

You don't have to ask. You know why. Thank you.

Lessons Learned From My Christmas 'Break'

Here's what I look at all day, every day.

It has been a looooooong week since my ankle surgery.

Unfortunately, my initial tendencies lately are to feel sorry for myself, sitting around on my bed all day. For those of you who think that sounds wonderful, sitting in bed having others attend to you 24/7, it is pretty overrated; especially for someone like myself who likes being independent.

I will admit that the sweet little bundle of beautiful baby boy who rests to my right and shares my confinement does make it more bearable. But still. For example - I used to have free access to the multitude of snacks in my kitchen without anyone having to know of my terrible treat-eating habits. Now if I want one, I have to ask someone to get it for me. This is all fine and good, except that after asking a couple of times I can't bring myself to ask again. "Could you go get mom another plate of cookies from the freezer downstairs? Oh, and a bowl of ice cream?" It just doesn't seem right. I'm sure this is a good thing... but when I just want a chocolate crinkle cookie from my stash in the downstairs freezer and have to ask someone to bring it to me I can guarantee you my stash is being depleted when I'm not looking. Revealing the places where my stash is hidden really stinks.

I think that I have learned a few wonderful lessons this past week, however. It has been a tough one, but a good one. I have mentioned before that we live in an awesome neighborhood. It's like an extension of the family, really. And when something like a broken ankle and a newborn baby happen in the same week, people really want to help. Usually when I have a baby and someone offers to bring us dinner I will tell them that I appreciate the offer but we are fine and have plenty of capable cooks around. Even if I want to accept their offers of baked goods and delicious meals this just seems like the right thing to do. Just say no, a little voice inside my head whispers to me. You are independent! You can do it all! You don't need any help.

That voice is me, the part of me who wants to do it all. The part of me that wants to show the world that no matter how large our family is or what happens to us, we can handle things ourselves. It has been difficult to admit to, but that voice is wrong. Sometimes, it takes a village to love and support a family during a tough time - and this is one of those times.

Not only do I want to accept any and all offers of food and assistance, I sort of need to. I can't even stand for more than a few minutes at a time and even that about kills me, trying to precariously balance on my good foot while holding my broken ankle off the ground. I'm stuck in bed pretty much all of the time unless I am feeling up to making my way to the couch. Allen is busy being mom AND dad when he's home, tending to the housework and the kiddos, and as soon as the teenagers get home from school he's off to his other job - the one he gets paid to do. (Love that man!)

I'd ask the teenagers to pitch in and make dinner but it seems they are in a constant state of doing homework or tending to my other little needs during the evening (changing diapers, helping littler kids with homework and getting PJs on, helping me make school lunches for the next day, maintaining the house, etc.) not to mention the nights they have their own obligations (church activities, basketball games, practices, etc.).

So I've changed. I have learned to respond to offers of help not with, "I appreciate that, but we're fine" but instead with this new phrase:

"That would be awesome. Thank you."

I am not sure why it is so difficult to let others serve us. When I am asked to help others, I love to do so. I want to be the first in line to bring in a meal for a family with a new baby or whatnot. I love the feeling of being able to fulfill a need for someone. So why do I have a hard time letting others do the same for me? They would not ask to help if they did not want to do so. It has been a good lesson for me to accept these kind acts of service. I am filled with overwhelming gratitude for the wonderful neighbors and friends who have done so much for us in the past week.

To everyone who has sent well-wishes and amazing food and sweet little gifts our way, thank you. You have all helped make this much more bearable and we are so grateful for everything.

A million times, thank you.

It's Coolister Outside

I wrote about my littlest munchkin and now I need to write about Coolister, the oldest. I think I've already written quite a bit about the range of emotions I am experiencing as I think about him being at the university next year, making his own choices and dictating his own schedule. I know he'll do well. He'll muddle through if he has to and figure things out because he's smart and he knows how to get by. I'm proud of him for all he's accomplished in his life so far in regards to school and sports, too - but I think that what I really want to focus on right now is his heart.

At first sight, Coolister is kind of a goofy, silly kid. He's extremely fun-loving and comes off as irresponsible (okay, sometimes he is) and self-centered at times. Pretty much your typical 17-year-old boy, really. But behind the scenes, as his mom, I get to see the side that many others don't. The kid has a heart of gold. He is quick to forgive, always one to help others feel included and filled with a light that comes from really knowing who he is and what he has the potential to become. Coolister is also a kid who has a willingness to help out whenever someone needs it.

Take today for instance.

Last night we had quite a snow storm. So much snow that this morning Coolister and his dad braved the cold at 6:00 a.m. to shovel our driveway, sidewalk and even a path around the suburban so that we could actually get into it without wading through snowdrifts to our knees. I sure do love those two!

After school as I was dropping off a couple of the kids in our carpool I noticed an elderly single woman (I'm pretty sure she's in her eighties) in our neighborhood out trying to shovel a path from her garage so that she could pull her car out. I called home on my cell phone and Coolister answered. All I had to say was, "Sister N. is out shoveling her driveway by herself..." before he answered, "I'm on it, Mom."

Coolister helped her shovel just enough to get her car out of the driveway and when she tried to pay him he told her that was not necessary and started to walk away. Once she was in her car and on her way he returned and finished shoveling her entire driveway and sidewalk.

After about an hour and a half I began to wonder where he had gotten off to. I drove over to Sister N's house and saw that he had finished shoveling at her house and and made his way next door to where another single lady in our church congregation lives. There he was with his jeans wet to his knees, almost finished with shoveling her driveway as well. No one had asked him. He just saw that it wasn't done and started doing it.

These are the things that make my mama heart swell with pride. These are the important things that his dad and I have hoped to instill in our kids' hearts and minds. Smarts at school are valuable and important but even more vital is the knowledge that serving others without any thought for yourself is the key to real happiness in life.

Oh, how I love my biggest boy and his huge heart.

Kindness Begins With Me

I taught my class on Sunday about God's desire for us to be kind to others. We talked about how happy it makes us feel when we do and say nice things as well as how it feels to be the recipient of kind words and deeds.

To illustrate I had each child take turns sitting in a chair at the front of the room with a felt crown on their head. I then asked the other kids to say something nice about the person wearing the crown, "Prince/Princess (insert name here)".

Here were some of their responses:

Prince Hubba

"He pways wif me so nice!"
"You are a very loving boy."
"I like his clothes a lot."

Princess S~

"She is very creative."
"She's my best fwend."
"Her is so beautiful!"

Princess E~

"I love your smile!"
"She is so pretty."
"Her have great hay-o (hair)!"

Prince Super C

"You are nice to others."
"He is so smawt all the time!"
"I like to play with you."

Once class had ended, I had a feeling of regret. I wished I had given myself a turn with the felt crown and heard what nice things the kids would have said about me. It seems selfish, I know, but like I taught my class, we all enjoy hearing nice things that others say about us. Is there really anything wrong with that? (No, there's not.)

I have decided that for this week, everyone I run into or think about will be deemed "Prince/Princess (insert your name here)". I'm going to compliment others on things I notice, even if it may embarrass them a little. I'm going to perform small acts of unexpected friendliness. I'm going to offer words of encouragement and kindness and try to proliferate those warm, happy feelings that come when we feel loved. If my class of 4 and 5-year-olds could benefit from it, couldn't we all?

You know that saying about how the teacher is often the one who gets the most out of giving a lesson?

Yeah.

EXTRA! EXTRA! Read All About It!

Not only is this girl cute, smart, and full of personality, she's also got a heart as big as Texas. Over the summer she held a Lemonade Stand fund raiser for a local group called RAH! Every penny she earned (including the money she got from recycling the cans) was donated. RAH! contacted our local paper and they interviewed her for a story which was published today. Want to read about it?

Click here.

Service (With a Smile): Sunday

It's the last day of my serving (with a smile!) week. It has been fun. And hard. And I won't ever publicly proclaim my awesomeness again, so I hope you enjoyed it. I also hope you don't all think I'm a big bragger. That was the hard part.

I'm counting a bunch of simple acts of service for today... wiping tears, holding little hands, singing quiet songs, making smallish people smile in the nursery at church. There was also breaking up fights, cleaning spilled drinks and wiping runny noses, and I'm still going back next week and the week after that and every week until someone tells me they want me to do something else. Plus I volunteered to teach a weekly sign language class at church that lost its teacher to the National Guard. Ok, toot, toot, toot and all that. Enough already!

To end this week on a thought that is right up my alley, let me tell you a story. I was driving Coolister and another scout to pick up food for their food drive this week and as the back of the vehicle began to fill with canned goods I asked, "Doesn't it make you feel great that you're doing this? A lot of people will benefit from this food you're collecting." Coolister responded, "Yeah, it's like that quote we learned at scout camp. Serving others is like peeing your pants. Everyone can see what you've done, but you're the only one with the warm feeling."

Exactly.

Service (With a Smile): Saturday

First off, let me share with you a service that was performed for me. My older kids get asked to babysit often and I am so appreciative of their willingness to do so. I sometimes have to assign each older child to a younger one so no one is completely ignored. Last night Allen and I went to see the late show of Prince Caspian at the dollar theater, and Coolister was assigned to tend Baby O. He took his responsibility seriously, because when we returned home, we saw this:

My oldest and my youngest. So sweet.

Today was fun. I got my hair cut in the afternoon.

If you ever wondered what I would look like with straight hair, it's your lucky day. It only happens when I go to the salon because I don't have the time or patience to do it myself. The next time you see me, it will be curly again.
The person who did the haircut is a cousin on Allen's side - someone I love to chat and laugh with. She really liked a shirt I made for our family reunion auction this summer but was not the winning bidder, so I decided to make her one since I'd be seeing her this afternoon. (service complete!)
After I got home, Cowgirl asked if I wanted to join the 7-Up Club. I asked her what I would be committing to and she said, "A water party at the beginning, a water party at the end, and sometimes we will drink 7-up." That seemed simple enough, so I signed up. After she convinced everyone else to join Allen suggested we have the first official meeting TODAY. So, Cowgirl and I went to purchase some 7-up and then the kids got their swimsuits on and ran through the sprinklers!
I think that allowing Cowgirl to act on her whimsical club was a service she much appreciated. And everyone else had some fun, too.

Service (With a Smile): Thursday

I went to Good Earth today to buy some freshly ground peanut butter (try it - it is fun to work the machine and it tastes awesome!). The machine wasn't working, which was a bummer. However, I can always find something I need there, so I proceeded to the checkout line where a man was talking with the checker about his purchase...

Man: "I thought it would be free with the coupons, so I didn't bring any cash. Do you want me to use my debit card for the remaining amount? It will probably cost you more to process the payment than I owe on the groceries."

Then, a thought bubble appeared above my head: Service (with a smile) week! Offer to pay it for him! So, I offered, and he graciously accepted my shiny quarter. Hoo-Rah! I was able to do something nice for a stranger. That felt good.

And now, I am going to do something nice for you. I make some amazing granola (toot! toot! toot!) and you get to have my recipe. It's OK, you don't have to thank me. If you really decide to reward yourself by making this delicious (and nutritious!) stuff, most ingredients can be found at any health food store (like Good Earth if you live near me). Enjoy!

The BEST Granola

First mix the following ingredients in a large bowl:

7 cups oats
6 cups 6-grain flakes (looks like oats)
1 cup raw sunflower seeds
1 cup pumpkin seeds
2 cups coconut flakes
2 cups sliced or slivered almonds
2 ½ cups (1 pound) brown sugar
1 ½ teaspoons salt

Then combine the following ingredients in a separate bowl:

2/3 cup water
½ cup olive oil
3 tablespoons almond or maple flavoring
1 cup honey

Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients and mix well. Bake at 250 degrees for an hour and a half (90 minutes), stirring every 15-20 minutes. Cool thoroughly, then add:

2 cups banana chips, broken
3 cups raisins
2 cups chopped dates in oat flour (this is the way they are sold here, you could use any kind of dates as long as you chop them up)

Makes 7 or 8 lbs. of cereal.

Service (With a Smile): Wednesday

Today's service was simple: carry along a bag of animal crackers to Cub Scout pack meeting.

There is almost always a fair number of kids under the age of 3 at these meetings with their families. I get to hang out with the kids in this age group at church every Sunday, so we're pretty good friends. I actually always bring a treat to share with my little pals at Pack Meetings. (It helps them remember who their favorite teacher is.) And so, today I shared some animal crackers with some of my favorite smallish people and enjoyed some grateful smiles in return.

Allen and I also brought grocery bags with us on a walk and beautified the neighborhood as we went. It was surprising how quickly our bags were filled - we would empty them in trash cans along the way then fill them again... and again... and again... you get the picture. (Not a real picture - you didn't really want to see a bunch of discarded water bottles and gum wrappers and plastic cups, did you? I didn't think so.)

Until tomorrow...

Service (With a Smile): Tuesday

I know, you're thinking I wasn't going to follow through on my promise to report to you daily this week. Well, it's not my fault, it's my computer's. So without any further ado, here is Tuesday's post:

First of all I would like to say that I am never going to do this again. Blogging about the service I perform is difficult because I prefer to do it without tooting my own horn (so to speak. I can't actually play a horn and don't own one). BUT a promise is a promise, hasty or not, so here's Tuesday's report...

I had a plan, and it did not come together. I ended up taking elemenoB to her eye appointment and then at D.I. to drop off our donation from yesterday. Of course, we went inside to hunt for treasures (and school clothes). And then we went to the grocery store and the bank. I was looking for someone I could perform some act of kindness for the whole day, but no opportunities arose. As I began to make dinner I felt panicky. It was almost 7:00 p.m. and no service! I started to justify reporting things like "I drove elemenoB to the eye doctor" and "I let the kids have an Otterpop after dinner" but I am not a cheater. In the middle of a sewing project my brain had an AHA! moment. I did do service! First of all, I found these 2 things at D.I. that I would love to display in my home, but they don't "fit". I bought them anyway and plan to give them to a friend who I think will enjoy them:

(Someone sewed this thing by hand, people! I saved it from it's wrongful imprisonment at D.I.)

And the sewing project I was working on...hello! It was for someone else. The teenagers at our church are going on a reenactment of a Pioneer Trek and are dressing the part. All of the young ladies are wearing bonnets as part of their pioneer garb. One young lady does not like girly things, but is going to dress the part of a pioneer chick because she is a good sport. And she does not sew, she plays sports and does not have time (nor desire) to make a bonnet. I happily volunteered to make her one, mostly because I am dying to see her actually wear it. Instead of the typical flowery bonnet, I gathered the supplies for a less froo-froo bonnet last night:
and set to work. Here is the final result:
And there you have it! (TOOT! TOOT! TOOT!) Let's see what opportunities I encounter today...

Service (With a Smile): Monday

I realized something today. It's not so easy to do service for others when you don't leave the house. Sure, mothers are serving their families all the time, but I figured that would be sort of like cheating with what I was trying to achieve this week. So, maybe I'll get out tomorrow and find a way to serve someone, but for today it all happened within the walls of my home.

I am a merit badge counselor for the scouting program in our neighborhood - specifically for the Citizenship in the Community merit badge. I guess I could count that in and of itself as a service, but I won't. Part of the badge is to perform some significant community service (go figure!) so I helped the boys today to prepare a flier that we will deliver around our neighborhood tomorrow:
We will collect the food on Thursday morning. But I'm only counting the fliers/posting/collecting for today's service.

But wait, there's more!

I tried to think of what else I could do from home. I came up with some great ideas, but the one I decided to follow through on was a family D.I. drive. We came up with quite a bit of stuff:
I told the kids that I wanted them to go through their clothes, toys, books, and other things with the idea that someone in need could use what they had, not just to get rid of things they didn't want. And away we went. Some items ended up in the trash but we found some great, quality items to donate as well.

So, there's my report for Monday! I have a plan for tomorrow. We'll see if it comes to fruition.

A Week of Service (With a Smile!)

I often try to do nice things for others and I love the happy feeling it brings me. After reading a talk on the subject of doing good I have an even greater desire to do so. Someone I look up to once told me that "a goal not written down is only a wish", so I'm writing it here and promising to update daily this week.

My goal for this week is:
I'm going to do something nice for someone else every day and I'll tell you about it here. Not in a bragging sort of way, but more of a "Look what YOU could do, too! And think of what a difference you can make" sort of thing.

Plus there will be no excuses to skip a day if I know someone is checking up on me.

Stay tuned!

Home Run

I am not a huge sports fan but this video my friend Trish emailed me is awesome. We need more people like these girls in sports - and the world in general.