A Glimpse Into Life Lately

Today's Soundtrack

I discovered the wonder of Pandora radio a few months ago and am completely hooked. Radio that you can completely customize to play the kind of music you like best? Yeah, I'm there!

It also helps that I married a very tech-savvy guy. He made it possible for me to listen to my Pandora stations in the kitchen, our bathroom, and even the minivan using my Iphone and whatever sort of dock/speakers he has set up. If you are unfamiliar with Pandora radio, basically it's internet radio that "gets you." You start off with a favorite artist or song - and Pandora chooses other songs and artists based on what you picked. If you don't like a song, you press the "thumbs down" button and Pandora stores that information. If you like a song, you guessed it - you press the "thumbs up" button, and Pandora recognizes that as well. In time, Pandora "figures" you out and plays all the stuff you like.

I have a dozen stations or so - quite a few are kid-oriented, as I seem to be constantly surrounded by munchkins. Lately, however, my life has been moving to the soundtrack of my gospel station. It plays a mix of Southern gospel, contemporary Christian, and good old-fashioned gospel music. This morning, while taking my shower, I sang along to "Testify to Love", "Oh What a Savior", "The Longer I Serve Him", "Tell Me One More Time About Jesus", and "The Old Country Church." The old songs bring back sweet memories of growing up in a small church and thrill me with their meaningful words. The new ones have a different vibe - more passionate, reminding me of what I live for and why I serve a living Savior.

It's hard to be downhearted or to be tempted to complain when your heart is constantly full of music that praises Him! Psalm 146:2 - "While I live will I praise the LORD: I will sing praises unto my God while I have any being." Beyond that, I am filling my children's minds and hearts with words that glorify God. It makes my heart smile every time I hear the Beast chime in with "Here I Am to Worship."

What's your soundtrack today? Do the songs make you think and the words lift up your spirits? Considering all that God has done and does for us, what would be more natural than outbursts of heartfelt praise, even during tough times? Praising changes our perspective from ourselves and our problems and shortcoming and lifts our focus to God.

Let's praise Him today!

Monday Mischief

in case anyone was wondering how my Monday went. . .

Proof Positive

that the Drama Queen can be quite the little angel when special occasions call for it.

that the Beast is indeed as studly as his dad.

that no matter how many times he gets in trouble, the Spud can immediately pull out his squishy smile and be redeemed.

that is quite possible for all three to sit peacefully on the same couch together.

that I have an amazing, adorable, and absolutely perfect little family. At least for a day!

Hope you all had as fantastic an Easter as we did!

Remembering

I woke up this morning to sunlight streaming through our tiny bedroom window. It was a glorious sight indeed, as sunshine has been a little scarce around here, oh, just the last SIX MONTHS or so! The joke that Oregonians have to buy a new pair of sunglasses every year because it's been so long since they've worn them last is particularly true this year. :)

Sunshine was also present on the dining room table, where a tray of bright chickie cookies and little blue bunny candies waited to be taken to the Drama Queen's class.

I rejoiced in the sunny smile on my daughter's face when she came out of her room this morning to discover what Momma had made for her class.

Everyone's spirits were high as Momma allowed each of the offspring to have a sugary treat for breakfast - personalized, no less. (shh, don't tell the pediatrician!) The grand moods continued as I loaded the kids into the van and drove the Drama Queen to school with the windows open. The boys wiggled in their seats in anticipation of a day that could finally be spent outdoors.

The trees outside our front window are abundant in vibrant blooms; the daffodils our neighbor planted in great faith are finally poking their brilliant heads toward the sky. A cheerful robin quickly peruses the backyard in search of the perfect worm. It is spring! These sunny scenes around me remind me of what we will be celebrating on Sunday - the fact that Jesus, the Son of God, rose from the dead and gave us the opportunity at a glorious new life with Him! Gladness and songs of praise fill my heart as I ponder these things.

But. Today, commonly referred to as Good Friday, was not full of sunshine or new life so many years ago. Today I think about my Savior suffering for me, being scourged by Pilate, denied by his disciples, mocked by the people, tortured on the cross, and surrounded by common thieves. Yes, I know the wonderful ending to this story, and I am thankful beyond words for it. However, I know that too often I forget the agony and suffering my Savior went through on that day. I pass over it to celebrate the grandeur of his resurrection and neglect to acknowledge the darkness and terribleness of the crucifixion. Today, despite the joyful sunshine outside, I choose to remember. My heart is heavy with the things He endured for me.

Matthew 27:26-54

[26] Then released he Barabbas unto them: and when he had scourged Jesus, he delivered him to be crucified.

[27] Then the soldiers of the governor took Jesus into the common hall, and gathered unto him the whole band of soldiers.
[28] And they stripped him, and put on him a scarlet robe.
[29] And when they had platted a crown of thorns, they put it upon his head, and a reed in his right hand: and they bowed the knee before him, and mocked him, saying, Hail, King of the Jews!
[30] And they spit upon him, and took the reed, and smote him on the head.
[31] And after that they had mocked him, they took the robe off from him, and put his own raiment on him, and led him away to crucify him.
[32] And as they came out, they found a man of Cyrene, Simon by name: him they compelled to bear his cross.
[33] And when they were come unto a place called Golgotha, that is to say, a place of a skull,
[34] They gave him vinegar to drink mingled with gall: and when he had tasted thereof, he would not drink.
[35] And they crucified him, and parted his garments, casting lots: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, They parted my garments among them, and upon my vesture did they cast lots.
[36] And sitting down they watched him there;
[37] And set up over his head his accusation written, THIS IS JESUS THE KING OF THE JEWS.
[38] Then were there two thieves crucified with him, one on the right hand, and another on the left.
[39] And they that passed by reviled him, wagging their heads,
[40] And saying, Thou that destroyest the temple, and buildest it in three days, save thyself. If thou be the Son of God, come down from the cross.
[41] Likewise also the chief priests mocking him, with the scribes and elders, said,
[42] He saved others; himself he cannot save. If he be the King of Israel, let him now come down from the cross, and we will believe him.
[43] He trusted in God; let him deliver him now, if he will have him: for he said, I am the Son of God.
[44] The thieves also, which were crucified with him, cast the same in his teeth.
[45] Now from the sixth hour there was darkness over all the land unto the ninth hour.
[46] And about the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani? that is to say, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?
[47] Some of them that stood there, when they heard that, said, This man calleth for Elias.
[48] And straightway one of them ran, and took a sponge, and filled it with vinegar, and put it on a reed, and gave him to drink.
[49] The rest said, Let be, let us see whether Elias will come to save him.
[50] Jesus, when he had cried again with a loud voice, yielded up the ghost.
[51] And, behold, the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom; and the earth did quake, and the rocks rent;
[52] And the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints which slept arose,
[53] And came out of the graves after his resurrection, and went into the holy city, and appeared unto many.
[54] Now when the centurion, and they that were with him, watching Jesus, saw the earthquake, and those things that were done, they feared greatly, saying, Truly this was the Son of God.

Let us never forget!

Wordless Wednesday - Cutest When They're...

rare moment - the Beast does not like to share his bed!

more wordless fun at 5 Minutes for Mom...

Not So Easy Peasy

It's not so easy to find time to blog when you are:

*wiping snot every five minutes - major allergies around here!

*still attempting to potty train the Beast

*dressing your boys in matching outfits because you can - and because you know one day they won't let you do it anymore

*shopping for the perfect Easter outfits for the kids. matching of course

*cleaning up a mess to turn around and clean up another mess, only to turn around and discover that the original mess is now on Version Two

*trying to accomplish housework with two not-so-subtle and not-so quiet shadows

*taking advantage of the sunshine that has FINALLY graced us with its presence

*working on Easter projects for the kids and not having the slightest idea what you are doing

*sneaking in a sloppy kiss here and a squishy hug there - because, like the matching outfits, those will not be around forever

*driving Hot Wheels and Thomas trains endlessly around the tracks and actually enjoying it

*listening to yet another knock-knock joke that makes no sense and offering up yet another rendition of the "Itsy Bitsy Spider" at the top of your lungs

Yep, it's busy. Crazy busy, fun busy, I wouldn't-want-it-any-other-way busy. (Of course there is always time to play around with photos in Picnik!) ;) Gotta go pick up the girlie from school! Happy Tuesday, all!

Fabric Banner Tutorial

Yesterday, I posted the lyrics to the beautiful song "He Lives" with a very brief and admittedly inadequate description of how that song has affected me this Easter season. It got me thinking that I would like to have some more meaningful Easter decorations in my home. I decided to make a fabric banner with those words - HE LIVES - to put up in our living room.

There are dozens and dozens of fabric banner tutorials all over the internet. I checked some out but then decided to make it up as I went along. Money has been a little tight around here; so I was determined to make the banner without having to purchase any new materials. Fortunately, I have boxes of designer fabrics left over from the French memo boards I used to make for my etsy shop.

So here's how I made the banner:

First, I made a paper pattern for my fabric triangles. I folded a piece of paper in half and then cut a diagonal to the size triangle I wanted.

Then I opened the triangle up and laid it on my fabric. I traced two triangles on each fabric that I was using and cut them out.

I chose to use a different fabric for each pennant on my banner since I had so many coordinating fabrics, but it would be really pretty to just choose two fabrics and alternate them.

Next, I took two matching pieces of fabric and placed them back to back. Using my sewing machine, I stitched down one side and up the other, leaving the top open. I did this for each set of fabric triangles.

I used a small pair of sharp scissors to trim off all the excess fabric on each pennant.

I turned each pennant right side out, using a skewer to make sure the point of the triangle was completely turned out.

Then, I ironed all the pennants to make the seams and creases sharp.

I found a pretty pale blue ribbon that had been wrapped around a gift I received and folded it in half length-wise, ironing it so that it would stay folded and creased. I then arranged my pennants along the inside fold of the ribbon and pinned them in place. (note my ghetto safety pins - I could not locate my sewing pins and had to make do with these!)

It was very quick to sew a quick seam along the ribbon to attach the pennants to the ribbon. (A glue gun would work well here too!)

For my letters, I just used my Sizzix die cutter to punch out black felt letters. It would be pretty easy to make the letters using any stencil or even hand-lettering with fabric paint. I used my hot glue gun to adhere the letters to the pennants.

It took two scrap pieces of black ribbon and a step ladder to get this banner hung front and center in the living room. I love it! It makes a great Easter decoration, although I will probably keep it up for a while afterwards. I love the message and the colors.

What have you done to decorate for Easter?

He Lives

I serve a risen Saviour,
He's in the world today;
I know that He is living,
Whatever men may say;
I see His hand of mercy,
I hear His voice of cheer,
And just the time I need Him
He's always near.

Chorus:

He lives, He lives, Christ Jesus lives
today!
He walks with me and He talks with me
Along life's narrow way.
He lives, He live, salvation to impart!
You ask me how I know He lives:
He lives within my heart.

In all the world around me
I see His loving care,
And tho my heart grows weary
I never will despair;
I know that He is leading
Thro' all the stormy blast,
The day of His appearing
Will come at last.

Rejoice, rejoice, O Christian,
Lift up your voice and sing
Eternal hallelujahs
To Jesus Christ the King!
The hope of all who seek Him,
The help of all who find,
None other is so loving,
So good and kind.

- Alfred Ackley

This is the song that has been on my heart lately as I think about the upcoming Easter Sunday. The words are so powerful and so true - He lives! Not only did He rise from the dead that wonderful day, He lives today in my heart and in so many others.

Because of Him, I can face today and every day joyfully. He lives!

A Child's Prayer

Dear Jesus,

Thank you for this day and thank you for my family. I pray for Grandma and Grandpa and Grammy and Pop. Pray for those peoples in Japan, cuz in case you didn't know, they had an earthquake. An earthquake is pretty bad. It's really serious. Anyway, I pray for our governor too but I don't know his name. Oh, and that I will win when I play Angry Birds again. And please let Mommy and Daddy let me stay up later tonight. and I pray Mommy makes something different for dinner tomorrow. I love you!

In Jesus' name, Amen

- the Drama Queen

The Blue Blob

Since official, professional therapy is not currently an option for the Beast, we have been looking for ways to still continue the therapy at home. Thus, the Body Sox has entered our household - in blue of course. It is helpful in so many ways - developing muscles, working on sensory issues, etc. (you can see all the benefits of the Body Sox here)

It certainly is entertaining!

Painting Again

I closed The Framed Frog down in December, but I have still done the occasional frame or art piece for friends and family. While I was visiting my brother Tom and his family for Jack's memorial service, I promised my nieces that I would paint each of them personalized frames.

It only took me two months to finish them! The older girls had specific themes and colors that they wanted on their frames, and I just picked fun colors and themes for the younger ones:

and of course I made a special frame for Jack's memory:

it's been a while, but it was nice to pick up the paints and brushes again without the pressure and stress of short deadlines. Hope my sweet nieces enjoy their colorful frames!

Stuck in the Trenches

Potty training. A formidable duo of words. Words that make me want to run screaming and crying to the hills, never to look back. Words that make me want to fork over a large sum of money to anyone who will come in and do the job for me.

Unfortunately, I am stuck in the trenches of this battle. Nay, friends, let's call it what it really is - a WAR! It would have been just a battle had it not lasted (and still continues on) so interminably.

Apparently I was tricked with my first kid. Granted, it was still no easy task, but before the Drama Queen turned three, she was fully potty trained, including night time. Thus I was fooled into thinking that perhaps potty training wasn't so bad. I may have even gone so far as to say that to another mom who was struggling with the whole issue. I was confident in my techniques until. . .

The Beast showed up. He and I have been battling this thing out now for quite some time. I think the first grenade was thrown when I tried to start him at the same age his sister did. It was quickly apparent that he was not "ready." Years later (and yes, I said years people) we are still struggling. The exhaustion is setting in for this mommy. I am tired of changing yet another pull-up or figuring out which stain remover will work best on the latest poop-encrusted underwear. I am weary of making sticker charts, promising sweet rewards, doing several different versions of "potty dances", and pleading with the little man to just use the potty already. I look at my foe - a four-year-old, 44 pound boy - and think, "How is it possible that we have not succeeded yet?"

The Spud has entered the fray as of late. With cheerful Mikeyisms such as "I go potty too" and "gimmecandyipoop", he also wants to attempt a confrontation with the great porcelain throne. You would think he would take one look at his despairing, worn-out mother and BACK OFF, but no, he persists and tries to wedge himself onto the toilet while I am trying yet another tactic with the Beast. He sits on the toilet seat for a nanosecond and then jumps off, pumping his fist into the air and shouting, "I pee in the potty! Now I get a treat!" Then I have to be the bad guy, announcing to both boys that neither will get a treat, since one really didn't pee in the potty and the other one blissfully peed in his pants.

Not to mention, the Beast has another weapon up his sleeve - his recently-diagnosed autism. His lack of focus and poor attention span have certainly magnified the problem. I have several sites offering helpful (and otherwise) information that I continually peruse in seeking advantages in this war of potty training.

Anyone else stuck in these trenches with me? Please, tell me so I can feel like I'm not the only one fighting this. Or, if you made it out alive and succeeded in your venture, share that too. Only don't brag too much - we trench folk wouldn't appreciate that. And for any of you that have advice or awesome tips to help me along the way, I would greatly appreciate it. Especially if your tip was entitled "Potty training your stubborn autistic child in less than a day" or "How to hypnotize your child into using the potty, eating all his dinner, and cleaning up his toys."

Writing on the Door Posts

A long time ago my Mom sent me a package full of all sorts of books, mostly for the kids. There was one book in the mix published in the 1960's that listed a Bible verse for each letter in the alphabet. I thought it was really cute and set it aside, forgetting about it.

In my personal devotions one day, I read these verses: "Therefore shall ye lay up these words in your heart and in your soul, and bind them for a sign upon your hand, that they may be as frontlets between your eyes. And ye shall teach them your children, speaking of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, when thou liest down, and when thou risest up. And thou shall write them upon the door posts of thine house, and upon thy gates." (Deuteronomy 11:18-20) These verses brought back memories of pieces of construction paper lining the dining room walls in the house in which I grew up. Each piece had a Bible verse written in childish handwriting on it - some were verses my dad had chosen for us to copy, and others were verses we had picked out ourselves. (hence the "Vanity of vanities, saith the Preacher, vanity of vanities; all is vanity." that was prominently displayed in one corner.) I still remember all of those verses!

So I decided to do my version of writing the Scriptures "on the door posts". I located that cute alphabet Bible verse book and made color copies of each page. Then I chose matching scrapbook paper from my stash and cut "frames" for each verse. Finally, I mounted them all on the living room wall with Sticky Tac.

Of the three kids, only the Drama Queen can read, and not very well yet. So we take a moment of our family devotion time to recite the "verse of the week" and practice saying all the big words. Hopefully they will see how important God's Word is to Mommy and Daddy, and someday, when they have trusted in Christ as their Savior, they will really understand the importance of God's love letter to us. Never underestimate what your kids are seeing and what they are hearing.

I love what a fellow blogger ( and many commenters!) had to say about little ones memorizing Scripture. This is definitely the time to hide it in their little hearts. :)

Wordless Wednesday - Birthday Snapshots

more wordless fun at 5 Minutes for Mom...

Four Already!

Hey, not-so-little-man! I am amazed that you have reached your fourth birthday already! It seems like just yesterday that I found out I was going to have a boy. We chose the name David because it means "beloved" and because we wanted a strong name for our first boy. I can't imagine calling you anything else - the name David fits you so well.

Happy Birthday! The fourth year of your life has been filled with many wonderful events and surprises. It was also shortly after your third birthday that we got the official diagnosis of high-functioning autism for you. I have watched my three-year-old make incredible leaps and bounds through ESD preschool and therapy. Daily we find new ways to connect and bond with you, and I am so proud and happy that God blessed us with a little superman! Only you would prefer Spiderman, I know.

So here's to a very Spiderman-filled day! I hope you liked seeing your big bunch of balloons and your special Spiderman outfit for the day. I knew you would love the water sword from the dollar store that you've had your eye on for months now. I'll bet you thought your momma would never cave and get you that, did you??

And it's not a birthday in our house unless we get cupcakes for breakfast. I love the way you carefully peeled the wrapper off yours and oohed and aahed over the surprise blue cake! It will be fun to take some of these to share with your classmates at preschool. And later, we will have a big Spiderman cake and open lots of presents at your favorite restaurant.

I hope it all makes you feel super special - because that's exactly the way I felt when the nurse gently laid you in my arms just seconds after you were born. Special.

Happy Birthday, Beast!