Bananas and Jelly Beans

I said I would never be one of those moms who makes a different meal for one of her kids, or all of them. But, I am. I was cursed with a child who is a difficult, picky eater. Both my brother and sister were very picky eaters growing up. I am not sure they ever got over it entirely. They did grow to love many foods, but still picky overall. Another problem is that I like to cook foods that just do not appeal to children in general (e.g., babaganouj and greek spiced chicken, or pasta sauce full of whole olives, mushrooms and capers).

When Alexander is home he eats a small variety of foods. He likes most breakfast foods mainly because most of them are sweet. But, for lunch and dinner it is always meatballs, chicken nuggets, or ravioli. Occasionally we may be able to sneak in something different (like hamburgers or tacos). He never eats any fruits or vegetables. When I serve him chicken noodle soup from a can he makes a point to pick out all the carrot and chicken pieces.

For a long time, it was difficult to get him to even eat a meal at home. We know he eats at daycare. It’s a monkey see, monkey do situation. When he sees the other children eat, then he wants to as well. His eating habits are so terrible, it is the reason we decided to have another child. We figured if there were another sibling at the table eating, then Alexander would be jealous and want to eat as well. (Well, that’s not entirely true. God blessed us with a second child and we happened to see the benefits of Alexander having a sibling.) His eating habits have been a bit better since Kristiana's birth.

Alexander has always been a candy fiend. Recently, he discovered jelly beans and we, the parents, discover their power. We have been able to get him to pick up his toys, eat all his dinner, and behave like a civilized person all with the promise of jelly beans afterward. But, a new problem has also cropped up. This is where I become that mom who makes different meals for the kids, “Alexander, what do you want for dinner?

“Jelly beans!” Alexander replies.
.
“No, jelly beans are not dinner. You can have meatballs, chicken nuggets, or ravioli?”

A little disappointed, “I want jelly beans.”

“No, you can have them after you eat dinner.”

Then we make him something, and the bowl of six or seven jelly beans sits in front of him as motivation to finish dinner.

Last night, Alexander was bent on having a banana for dinner. We did not have any bananas. But hey! That is something healthy! So Andrew rushed out to the grocery store and bought some bananas. Alexander ate one and half bananas. Is that bad? That’s a lot of banana. “Okay buddy, you can have your jelly beans.”

And one more Alexander tidbit. Andrew has long called Alexander, Sasha, because it is the Russian diminutive of Alexander. Sometimes Andrew calls him Sashabus (Latin ending). Recently, I have heard Alexander saying, “I Sashabus,” or simply chanting, “Sashabus, Sashabus, Sashabus.” It’s pretty cute.

Political Impressions 3.0: Political Pettiness amongst the New Administration

http://www.weeklystandard.com/weblogs/TWSFP/2009/05/text_of_cheneys_aei_speech.asp

I read a long speech (the link is above) by former Vice President, Dick Cheney and afterwards I found myself touched and inspired by his words. The speech is mainly a rebuttal to OUR new presidential administration undermining the actions of OUR previous presidential administration. It was well worth taking the time to read it to the end. It's a little piece of God bless America.

If you are an American concerned about the well-being of OUR NATION, I highly recommend reading it. Whether you are on the left or the right of the argument, it is interesting to see it from the perspective of someone who was on the inside.

On a side note: In my opinion, after reading Cheney’s perspective, it makes the Obama administration look very petty.

Feast of the Ascension

I was going to say something about this feast today and then I realized there are many great things already said. So, connect yourself to a wonderful and simple description of the icon below by clicking on it.

A Charitable Heart

This is a worthy Blog-jacking. The following was hijacked from A Byzantine Christian in a Postmodern World.

'What is a charitable heart?'— asks St. Isaac the Syrian— 'It is a heart which is burning With charity for the whole of creation, for men, for the birds, for the beasts, for the demons-for all creatures. He who has such a heart cannot see or call to mind a creature without his eyes becoming filled with tears by reason of the immense compassion which seizes his heart; a heart which is softened and can no longer bear to see or learn from others of any suffering, even the smallest pain, being inflicted upon a creature. This is why such a man never ceases to pray also for the animals, for the enemies of Truth, and for those who do him evil, that they may be preserved and purified. He will pray even for the reptiles, moved by the infinite pity which reigns in the hearts of those who are becoming united to God.’ In his way to union with God, man in no way leaves creatures aside, but gathers together in his love the whole cosmos disordered by sin, that it may at last be transfigured by grace.

Happy Mother's Day

In the Face of Evil, Hope – Honoring Adam Robert Towler

When I wrote my college entrance essay, I wrote about the “a significant moment in my life.” The topic of my essay was how I found my faith and how it made me a leader amongst my peers. While nothing will ever be more important to me than renewing my faith and encountering the Holy Spirit, if I had to write that college essay today, the moment would be different. This time I would write about my brother’s murder and how we who knew him were able to persevere in the face of evil.

In the daily news, there are constantly stories of death, tragedy and murder. It is so easy to glaze over these stories without a wince of emotion. It is so easy to disconnect from the people who unquestionably suffer under these events. But one ominous day I found myself and my family standing on the other side of the newspaper headline.

The phone rang one Sunday morning, July 16, 2006. I was readying for Church and my in-laws were visiting. I was 21 weeks pregnant with our first child. There was a lot to be joyful about. On the other end of the phone was my mother. There was hesitation and fear in her voice. I think perhaps she was holding back her hysteria.

“Renee, Adam is missing.”

“What do you mean he is missing?”

“He went out last night to his friend’s house and didn’t come home.”

“Oh well, he probably stayed the night and he left his cell phone in the car, or something.” I was thinking he is 20 years old and it would not be unusual for him to do something like that. Although, he had never stayed out all night before without planning it beforehand.

“No, Renee. Adam is in trouble. We called the friend he was with and he said we needed to talk to the police...” The conversation went on for a little bit longer. My father was going to go to Adam’s friend’s house to check things out. My mother told me that she would call me when she knew more. When she called later, we were horrified by the news that Adam had been murdered. Other events and emotions that occurred during the following weeks of our mourning are not as important as what occurred in our hearts.

We who knew and loved Adam all suddenly came face to face with evil. Adam and another young woman were murdered by a mentally disturbed college student. What happened in the house where they died can only be described and explained by evil. There was one young man who survived the attack. Without him we would not know what happened. He had been friends with the murderer. He said, when he looked into his friend’s eyes, it was like he was not there anymore. There was a great darkness he had never seen before. I am sure this evil will haunt that survivor for the rest of his life.

But, this story is how good things can come of evil. First and foremost, we prayed. We prayed for Adam and all the others involved. We prayed for each other, because we all missed him and grieved. We celebrated his life and thanked God for what a good life it had been. Adam had been a writer, a poet, a comedian, a linguist, a runner and a dear, dear friend to us all.

Instead of focusing on this evil, or focusing on our grief, we became inspired. Friends and family became inspired to continue pieces of Adam’s life. Some renewed their faith, because of Adam’s great faith. Some prayed to Adam asking for him to pray for us. Some urged the university where the murderer had been a student to change their policies on student discipline. Some wrote poetry, because Adam was a gifted poet. Some began running, because Adam was a runner. Every year, our family has held a 5k/10K race to celebrate Adam’s life and to give to his favorite charities. (To find out more go here http://www.adamtowler.com/). Some gave time and money to charity, because Adam gave his time and his heart to charities. Some of us just bought his favorite pizza and ice cream and sat, ate it and remembered how much he liked it.

Today, I live as though I am living for Adam too. I am living my life for others and not only for myself. The good things that Adam did remind me to be selfless and to be a witness to faith. He had a great sense of his place in the universe. He knew that there was great beyond that he did not understand—wise beyond his years.

Though we had come face to face with evil, I believe we were all moved by the Holy Spirit to find what is good and holy. We were all beckoned to reassess our lives and put things into perspective. We became more than we had been and gave more than we had before. Our eyes were opened to blessings previously unseen. It was a reminder to live everyday as though it were our last, and to not have regrets. The ways in which Adam’s life, death and after-life have affected people have been countless. We are still counting the miracles. We will never forget Adam.

Happy Birthday, Adam. Pray for us.

Happy Anniversary

Party for two.

4 years of marriage, 2 babies, 4 apartments, 4 years of grad school, 7 years together--Beautiful

Ideal Woman

Since before I was born my parents have had this Salvadore Dali print hanging in their home—“Leda Atomica.” You can read a description of this painting here http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leda_Atomica/.

One interpretation of this painting is that this is Dali’s rendition of the Annunciation. Dali was deeply religious (though also a VERY odd character). He has many paintings with religious subject matter, so it would not be a stretch to think this has the deeper religious interpretation suggested.

I have always adored this painting. I have loved it for its beauty. I have delighted in its ethereal subject. As a child, not understanding its meaning or depth, I admired it for the ideal portrayal of a woman’s figure. I wanted to be like her when I grew up. I am extremely appreciative of this woman’s curves. Dali has brought beauty to the natural shape of a woman. On days in which I feel badly about my own shape, I remember this painting and think this is Dali’s portrayal of an ideal woman—curvaceous, medium build, normal breasts.

The woman in the painting is his wife, Gala. In this painting, Dali puts Gala on a pedestal. She was always on a pedestal in his mind. In other paintings Dali portrays the Virgin Mary with Gala’s face. It is no insult to the Holy Mother. Gala was his ideal woman and therefore, Mary ought to have the face of the ideal woman (Blessed Theotokos, we magnify you).

Today I wanted to share with you this vision of beauty—the ideal woman—so that you might also identify a piece of yourself in her.

7 Not So Quick Takes Tuesday

1. I cannot understand why I am so tired. C’est la vie. Just as the Swine flu freak out started last week Andrew and I came down with colds that commenced with one full day of achiness. I spent the rest of the week trying to get over it. Today, I finally feel as though I am over it.

2. Kristiana: She had an ear infection that we only noticed on Holy Thursday. We had to wait all weekend to take her to the doctor. She was a trooper. She took 10 days of amoxicillin and appeared to be better. By the middle of the following week after she stopped taking the antibiotic she was rubbing her ear pretty vigorously again. Now she is on a stronger antibiotic and she hates the orange flavor. Last week on Wednesday night when she was grumpy with her earache we decided to take her mind off of it by shaving her head with clippers. Her hair was all patchy, so now it will grow in evenly. She’s pretty cute with her fuzzy velvety head. I miss her hair. Headbands and ribbons have become her friend. The head shaving was fun for her.

3. I have been reading the Duggar story “20 and Counting,” and I am almost finished. A friend sent me the book. It is pretty interesting how they have weaved their Christian values throughout every aspect of their lives. Their story has inspired me to be more Holy. They put every aspect of their lives into the hands of God. Every THING is for God, or because of God.

One of the stories they told was how their vacuum broke down and they really needed one because they had a lot of dust in their home from living on a busy street. So they prayed for one and to make a long story short they got one. I initially thought that God does not go around talking to us and sending us vacuums. That can be dangerous going around thinking God is telling you to do things--or blasphemous thinking God will send you material goods. But, then I thought, or does He? I mean, why not. People experience miracles and signs all the time. As Walker Percy pointed out, what about the Jews? They are a sign. Why can’t a vacuum also be a sign? This is a longer discussion. But, their vacuum story has reminded me to put all my trust in God and simply have faith. I am also reminded of the story of Christ walking on water. He tells Peter to come to Him. Peter starts to walk on water, but half way to Christ he begins to sink and Christ tells Peter, “Oh ye of little faith.” (Matthew 14:22-34).

4. In relation to the passage above, I have a friend who used to always remind what Jesus said in this passage, “Come.” He wants us to surrender to Him and simply have faith. So my story of faith this week, we have been wanting a baby walker for Kristiana. I went to a secondhand sale to find one, but they were over priced. I have been tempted to just buy one at the store, but it doesn’t really fit into the budget. We would buy it on credit. So I decided she plays with the one at daycare enough that we don’t need one. Last Friday, our neighbors moved out and they left some things beside the dumpster—an old T.V., a table and chairs, and a baby walker! I could not believe my eyes when I pulled into the driveway. I sheepishly approached it and examined it to see if it was damaged in any way. It wasn’t. It was just used. I celebrated God. I do not know why, but I felt like it was a gift from God. I was so happy. Kristiana loves the walker. She contently played with toys while sitting in it all weekend. It gives us enough time to put her down and get a few things done here and there.

Now I am praying for a new crib ;-) The side rail on our crib does not stay up very well. If you lean on it, it falls down. Kristiana does not use the crib yet. She still sleeps in the bassinette or in our bed. I thought about using duct tape to tape up the rail, but I’d rather have a brand new, never used crib for safety.

5. On Saturday, Andrew pulled out an old jar of change and started counting it. Alexander got really excited about it and started telling Andrew over and over, “I want money!” I pulled out a piggy bank and we gave him a bunch of pennies to put in the bank. It took him a while and he had a good time. When he had finished, he ran to Andrew and told him again, “Daddy, Daddy, I want money!” Andrew told him,

“No more, Buddy.” Alexander was, of course, upset. At that moment Andrew received a phone call and came to the kitchen where it was quieter. I was making bread with Kristiana. A few moments later Alexander popped into the kitchen door with a sword in his hand. He pointed the sword up at Andrew and scrunched up his face and said in a Cookie Monster type voice, “Gimme your MONEY!” Andrew and I immediately busted up laughing. Alexander got grin on his face like, “I did something funny.”

Forever, I am going to remember that moment, because it was so funny and precious—the time Alexander held his daddy hostage for some pennies.

6. Also on Saturday, Alexander and I planted herbs and tomatoes in pots on our back porch. It was a fun little activity for us and I can’t wait for the results!

7. The executive staff is out of the office this week for the yearly May board meeting. So, it is extremely quiet and slow around the office. It’s nice. It is a mental break for me.

Cabbage Patch Baby

The Beauty of a Wife

Friendship, kinship
Moral backbone
Lover, mother
Makes a home

Breakfast, lunch
Pours the coffee
Dinner, dinner
Then the laundry

Hugs and kisses
Welcome arms
Eyes of warmth
Lips of charm

Beauty, Beauty
She’s the one
A wife and more
The family Sun

Boring Old, No One Special

Boring old, no one special, me.
That is plain for anyone to see.

But who am I, should someone ask?
Here I shall explain this task.

Born again is my name.
Once a daughter—so very tame.

Once a student, actress, artist,
Pretty intelligent—never quite the smartest.

Now living a quiet, unassuming life,
Secretary, mother, wife.

These are all the boring old, no one special parts of me.
Let me now deviate to illiterate the unique, yours truly.

Married to the East.
Sister of a Saint.
Daughter of a Beast.
Citizen of Shame.
Keeper of a King.
Mother of the Potential.
Child of Virtue.
None of these sequential.

Friendship, friendship and some prudence.
Hope, hope, and hope some more.
All of these still a bore.

My Gripe About Coupons

Coupons, I know they have value when you live on a budget, but I have several reasons why they do not work for me:

Coupons are usually for products I do not use, or use rarely.

When it comes to groceries I usually buy a lot of whole foods. They don’t make coupons for tomatoes, zucchinis and cage free chicken eggs. I usually see a lot of boxed dinners and air freshener coupons (go figure, coupon clippers must be stinky people or they wouldn't peddle the coupons).

Further, coupons are usually for brand named products and I usually buy a good quality generic brand. The generic brands are still cheaper than a brand name bought with a coupon. For example, diapers–it is still more expensive to buy pampers or huggies with a coupon than to buy the store brand.

There are a couple of products in my home that are worth getting the top brand with a coupon, for example razors and household cleaners. However, I buy those things infrequently, or I can buy them bulk.

I use coupons on occasion when it is something I use and I happen to have a coupon on hand at the time of purchase. However, my time is already so full I usually do not have time to go hunting for a coupon for a $2.00 tube of toothpaste for which if I then bought three tubes I could get a $0.55 discount via coupon. The time spent hunting for the coupon usually amounts to more than the coupon is worth.

On the other hand, our local grocery prints store coupons when I check out. When purchasing certain products, I may get a coupon for the exact same product like yogurt or toddler snacks. If it is a product I use, it is usually a pretty good deal. However, the drawback is the coupon is often a short term offer and expires before I get to use it.

Coupons expire! Again, I do not have time to keep track of which ones are going to expire.

Perhaps, I do not want to do business with a company that does not pass the savings on to consumers every time I purchase the product.

I have a feeling a few of my reasons may be why a lot of people do not use coupons any more.

I feel better now that that is off my chest.

Easter

Here is a picture of our Easter basket. We are missing the Eastern Easter chants.

By death, by death, He conquered death. By death, by death, He conquered death.

And to those in the graves, and to those in the graves.

He granted, He granted, He granted

Life.

JBF Sale Waco (Review)

Over the past weekend, I had kind of a BAD EXPERIENCE with the JBF (Just Between Friends) Sale. To start, there was somewhat lack of information pre-sale. I went to the internet and was able to get most of the information I needed, but some of the most vital information was not there, like the process of what will happen when you go to drop stuff off.

This time the owners reduced the amount the consignor receives at the end of the sale. They used to give 70% to the consignor. This time it was 65% and on top of that they charge a $7.00 flat fee for processing. “Hey, y’all I thought that is why you take a percentage!” Further, they have consignor volunteers work the entire event, so they are taking fees and making you do all the work. They do give the volunteers 5% back on their sales, but I am pretty sure that it is hardly worth the 5%, since you have to work in 4 hour shifts.

Depending on how much you sell they take another percentage of it through their processing fee! If you have a lot to sell, this may not be a big deal—you are probably just happy to get rid of your stuff. But, I am not made of money, I don’t have a ton to sell, so it takes a nice chunk out of my sales. I probably would not care about the 65% if they did not take the extra processing fee as well. This time around the $7.00 fee took an additional 22% of my sales! I will not be consigning with them again.

My BIGGEST PROBLEM this year was that most Moms WAY overpriced their goods. I suspect because of the increase in the consignor fee. My approach was to price it at the recommended 1/3 original purchase price,. I did not want it coming home. I discovered in previous sales, if you price it at ½ the purchase price, or put a do not reduce star on it, then it does not sell. So far I have never sold anything with a do not reduce star on it. That does not mean my stuff did not sell on regular sale days. In fact, a majority of my stuff sold at the original price.

I have been able to buy good things at the JBF Sale before, but that was when people priced more sensibly. That is fine if they want to do that. That is the point of a free market right? The long and short of it for me is I SIMPLY WON’T GO ANYMORE, or I will not buy your stuff. I can buy new stuff for similar prices—stuff I know will not wear out quickly, or break. This is a call to moms who do this sale to price things better. Don’t price for the half price sale. I guarantee you will sell more at regular price if you price well.

SOME GOOD THINGS ABOUT THE SALE

I have told all my friends that the only reason I keep going for is SHOES. The shoes normally are not priced too high. If they are priced too much, I do not buy them. But, my son goes through shoes so quickly, that it’s a pretty good deal for me. I picked up two pairs for him at the first night presale. They were in really good condition—almost new. If I had bought them in the store, I probably would have spent $50.00 or more (they had characters and lights on them). But, I picked up two pair for $8.00 total. So Moms, keep bringing in those little boy shoes.

I also must say that the vendors were great and their prices were reasonable—especially the lady with the bows. I wish I had picked up a card from her, because I did not get back to buy any bows.

I liked the new location at the convention center. The room was a little difficult to get to.

Each sale is different, so I am hoping my little review will influence the next one to have better prices, and just be better in general. I am definitely not putting my things in it for sale anymore. It is not worth it FOR ME (That’s just a little note to moms who don’t have a lot to put in, or a lot of time. Some people have lots of stuff to put in and a lot of time to prepare their stuff and volunteer). But, I guess I will go back to look at the shoes again.

Conversation Points

How ‘bout them Zags?

They’re doing well this year. Let’s break the cycle boys.

Facebook Hiatus

I hate to be one of “those people” who need to do something like this, but when you are defeated sometimes you have to be the bigger person. So here I am saying it out loud, Facebook defeated me. Last week in the midst of Lenten fasting, I found myself more obsessed with Facebook than ever. So, I am taking a break. I have not logged in since last Friday. I plan to check it once a week on the weekend. If you need to urgently contact me, call my cell phone; it’s listed. And thank you for understanding my temporary Facebook insanity. (If you are reading this on Facebook, it’s not because I logged in. It’s imported from my blog.)

Married with Children? –Read This (Funny Because It’s True)

http://www.cnn.com/2009/LIVING/personal/03/20/p.husband.wants.besides.sex/index.html

My sister sent me this article on being married with children. It is basically a letter from husband to wife about what his experience as a husband and father has been. It is so poignant to my husband and my married life that it could have been written by Andrew himself.

As I read it I had a Walker Percy Moment: Walker Percy writes about how understanding your place in the universe is key knowledge and will help you in your understanding of just about anything else in the universe…In his writings he talks about the joy beings take in being able to identify with one another—we take pleasure, feel comfort and safety in being able to find oneself elsewhere in the world—being at a T.V. talk show and the host says, “hey, is anyone from New Jersey and some in the crowd cheers.” The cheer is the joy—saying to the world, “hey, that’s me. Woohoo! I am from New Jersey.” Or walking on a downtown street and catching your reflection in the store window and you turn and stare as you walk by. You think hey that’s me and you react to your appearance.

As I read the article about the relationship of a loving couple married with children, I look at the window saw the reflection and said, hey that’s me. Then I laughed. It’s funny because it’s true.

This Week in Review - I Have to Review, Otherwise, I Am Not Sure It Happen

This week we had some visitors. Shout out to Uncle Bart, Amy, Will and Katie Clayton. It was a nice little visit. Will was looking at Baylor for school. I hope he comes here—if we are still here. I hope he gets a big fat scholarship. By the way, see you guys in San Antonio in July ;-)

I made corned beef and red potatoes (no cabbage-it's bad for breastfeeding) on Tuesday for St. Patrick's Day. My mom always made corned beef and cabbage when we were growing up. It is a nostalgic, comfort food for me. St. Patrick's Day is quite a joyous feast day. It is full of folly and jolly amidst a solemn Lenten fast.

Boy, am I tired. Kristiana has her first illness. She had a fever at the beginning of the week, Thursday, last night and today. I hope it kills whatever she has. She has had a wet scary sounding cough all week. On Tuesday, I stayed home with her. She was complaining rather pathetically about being sick that day. I think she might have RSV, which is the same virus that caused Alexander's asthma. But, I am keeping her nose clean and it does not sound like it is in her chest. Ever since Tuesday, this week has been a blur. Say a little prayer for our little Krissy. (No, we don't call her Krissy, but it's cute isn't it?)

Alexander’s new things: He has to play outside everyday with the other kids in the neighborhood. They are all older than him and not quite nice to him. He has taken to sitting quietly by himself and “reading” books. It’s great. We encourage this activity.

Last Saturday, I took him to the library for the first time. They had a bunch of wooden toddler puzzles there. He put together every puzzle (about 10 puzzles) and refused to look at a single book. It took candy to get him to leave. We went today and his friend Brenna was there. They both put the puzzles together and then they both looked at books together.

A couple of nights ago Alexander started asking to “Watch Cars. Watch Yighting” I knew what this meant. He wanted to watch the movie Cars. He has watched everyday since. Andrew and I think this is okay for now, since we both really like this movie, and it is nice to have a break from Thomas the Tank Engine.

I really want to write some childrens' books. My mom got me thinking about this last month. I bought myself a childrens' rhyming dictionary. It is my belief that the best childrens' books rhyme. Besides being entertaining, rhyming helps a child understand the cadence of language, and adds a touch of whimsy to the story. It also helps for memorization. My book writing is not going very well. I’ll be darned if I have five minutes of free time when I get home. The only true free time I have all day is my lunch break, which I usually use to go for a walk/jog, check my facebook, pay a bill and choke down some lunch. I also get about 15-30 minutes of reading in before bed.

Speaking of reading, I am on page 60 of Atlas Shrugged. Yep, it took me two weeks to finish 30 pages. Don’t get me wrong, I am thoroughly enjoying this book. I was hoping to read 20 pages a night to finish the book in three months. However, by the time I get to my book every night I have been awake half the night with baby, wake up for the day at 6 am, made lunches, breakfast, wake up everyone else, dress the kids, feed the kids, take kids to daycare, go to work for 8 hours, come home make dinner, clean up after dinner, wash bottles & pump, play outside, wash child(ren), story time, bedtime, finish some of previously mentioned kitchen stuff, sometimes finish up laundry, one day a week volunteer at church…who has time to read. I am out by 9-9:30 pm.

Andrew and I both have March Madness. But after next weekend I am sure it will wear off.

God Bless to all who partook in reading this week in review.

Thoughts of this Friday – Faith, Reason & Evangelism

I have not forgotten two years ago when I began this blog an acquaintance began a debate with me about faith. This person sent me a very provocative video featuring a prominent atheist with reasons why faith in God is foolish and dangerous. I watched this video and then immediately went to work on an extensive rebuttal. The video was very compelling however, the speaker’s arguments were full of fallacies, which I desired to demarcate and explain. However, an hour later, and several pages into my response, I grew weary, laid down my metaphorical quill and paused to think about where this was going. I no longer desired to make my rebuttal--tediously, line by line; I no longer wished to continue the debate. I realized that perhaps this debate would go on for a long time and no ground would be gained. I thought that after a break I may come back to this.

Months later, I felt guilty that I had not come back to it. And then thought, if someone were seeking in the opposite direction from which I was arguing, then they would only be seeking to find ways in which I was wrong, in the same manner I was seeking to argue their wrongness; and the cycle of arguments would continue indefinitely. There is a very good Muslim medieval philosopher--and I should be shot, I cannot remember his name now (sorry, Dr. Tkacz, al Farabi?)—who said if one cannot argee to the existence of God in the first place there is no point in beginning an argument on faith with that person.

If there is one thing I did retain in all my philosophical training at Gonzaga, it’s this, you cannot reason yourself to faith. No one has ever done it. C.S. Lewis couldn’t do it, Soren Kierkegaard could not do it, and neither can you. You can reason whether some notions are right or wrong, but faith is not of the same nature.

Andrew always tells me that I should not be mad at him for being an hour late to dinner, because he was evangelizing. “It’s a chance to save a soul.” He reminds me we are all called to evangelize. The reason I did not finish my rebuttal was out of my own weakness. So some days, like today I feel guilty that I never finished my rebuttal. Maybe I will dig it out and see if I can finish it (now, two years farther from my years as a philosophy student).


+May God be merciful to me, a sinner.

Keeping a Vigil for Jeanette

Please join me in praying for the repose of Jeanette's soul, who passed away last night.

And for the consolation of all her family.

Eternal rest grant unto her, O Lord.

And let perpetual light shine upon her.
May she rest in peace.
Amen.

Tone 3 for Resurrection

Let the heavens rejoice, let the earth be glad.

With His arm the Lord has won victory.

By His death the Lord has conquered Death.

He has become the first born of the dead;

he has delivered us from the depths of the Abyss

and has granted great mercy to the world.

Through Heaven's Eyes

Andrew always tells me to look at my life through heaven's eyes. It's from this song in Prince of Egypt. I embedded the song from YouTube below. I am not exactly sure what my life would like in "heaven's eyes," but I think it means each person's life has purpose and meaning; and your life is part of the beauty of creation. See the video and you will feel better about yourself and creation.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oG0a9WFkgzU

7 Quick Takes Friday - While Christ Was on the Cross

1. I saw a news headline that said the Seinfeld cast was reuniting for his new show. Wouldn’t it be fun if the Seinfeld Show came back on the air? They would pick up with the same cast and characters and a few new characters like Jerry should have a wife on the show. That would be great. We’ve all had a break from that show and it would be nostalgic for those who used to watch and it would new to the next generation. It would also be the first show to ever come back from retirement.

2. Alexander story of the week – We had a scare last weekend. We thought Alexander might have a cavity. He was complaining that something in his mouth hurt, he wouldn't eat much, and woke up crying in the night. He said his mouth hurt. He would not eat. Further, he has never been compliant about letting us brush his teeth well on a regular basis. So we were a bit frantic about it. I started calling dentists on Monday. No one will see a child under three. Finally, I was able to get him in with the only pediatric dentist in town (she's only open 3 days a week). He was still complaining about it Monday morning. But, when I picked him up from daycare that evening the caretakers said he didn't complain all day and ate well. So the next morning I canceled the appointment. I think his pain was either associated with his nasty cold he also had over the weekend, or he had a sore in his mouth. Andrew later admitted to giving him sunflower seeds!!! The package clearly states not to give the seed to children under three. Anyway, the message of this story is brush your kids' teeth even when they don't want to. 4,500th time you do it, they will learn. ;-)

3. Kristiana story of the week – Last night something awoke me. I wasn’t quite sure what it was, but 15 seconds later I heard it again. It was my precious daughter letting out the loudest farts you’ve ever heard come from a little bit. I thought, “Dang girl, you woke your mamma up with all that noise!” She was letting off stream after stream of farts all night long. The funniest part was that she was dead asleep. It didn’t bother her. She’s the gassiest baby I have ever met. Other people have commented about her gassiness—from both ends. A couple weeks ago she farted really loud in church. You can imagine our embarrassment. People who were not looking at her did not know it was her. Oftentimes, she lets out a little baby grunt when she pushes it out. This might be an issue later on when we have to explain to her that she needs to work out how to do this quietly. :-(

4. Did anyone else see the political commentary on Ugly Betty last night about the Bailout? Scathing. I was skeptical about where they were going with it at first. The company on the show did not get their bailout. The owner had to put up his own assets. Betty and her family did not get their bailout, nor did Betty want a bailout. Her father earned it instead. In the resolution of all the dilemmas on this episode of the show, the final message was, “Do the right thing.” We all know that there is a right way and a wrong way to deal with money matters and interpersonal relations. So, do the right thing.

5. My Lenten soul refurbishment is not going as well as I had hoped. I definitely need to spend more time praying. I haven’t gone for reconciliation yet and I had hoped to make it a weekly practice. If you get a chance, say a little prayer for me that I may make more frequent reconciliation. It’s more important than you can imagine.

6. I did not cook dinner at all this week: one dinner at a friend’s house, two frozen pizza’s, one sandwich on the run to church, and Taco Bell bean burritos tonight. It is totally weird to not have cooked for five whole days. I love cooking, but on the other hand, it’s kind of nice to have had a break. Even with this little break I have found it difficult to get little things done, let alone do anything extra like pray, read, knit, etc.

7.“While Christ was on the Cross, you were on His mind.” Remember His labor of Love.

P.S. I started Atlas Shrugged. I am on page 30 of 1063. So far, it’s brilliant.

Attack of the Alexander Monster

Photoshoot - to update pictures of the princess. Notice Alexander in the background.

"Mommy, take pictures of me too." (the jealousy begins)

"Baby Sister, get out of my Picture!" (Whack!)

(Head butt.) "Move, Baby." (Sadness.)

"This photoshoot is over. I am getting my 3 month old self outa here." (Scoot, scoot, scoot)

As Alexander would say, "Ta da."

That was our day, all day, yesterday. We spent most of the day trying to fend Alexander off Kristiana. I had really hoped not to repeat what went on in my house growing up. Somehow, I have got to figure out how to stop the cycle.

Do I have to be the little sister.

TOO CUTE - Mother's of Little Girls Beware

Check out my cousins' new business! I will definitely be purchasing one of these as soon as Kristiana is big enough. This so creative and beautiful. Prices and ordering details are toward the bottom of the page on this blog.

http://www.poshtoppings.blogspot.com

Renee’s 7 Quick Takes Friday - And Atlas Shrugged

1. Facebook Fast? Check out this article in the Wall Street Journal. (Click Here)
This is sad and painfully true for many Facebook users. I don’t know if I want to do this. But, I could probably benefit from it.

2. Canned seafood is delicious, is good for your wallet, good for your waistline and has a multitude of health benefits. My favorites are smoked oysters, smoked kippered herring, tuna, salmon (in that order).

3. I have recently taken up drinking a glass of wine with dinner as often as possible. Weird that’s like an uber adult, or European thing, to do.

4. Coffee is my beverage of choice lately. I have recently taken up making and drinking coffee every morning. I never understood why my mom drank so much coffee. I thought her habit of drinking almost a pot a day was disgusting. Now that I have two kids, I totally understand. If it were at all sane to drink coffee all day, I would. I usually try to keep it to one cup of coffee and one cup of tea since I am breastfeeding. I totally feel bad about giving all that caffeine to Kristiana. And no, I will not be giving up coffee for Lent. It’s just not a vice for me, yet. We’ll see what the effect on me is when there are a couple more kids in my house.

5. Poor Alexander – cool moist, moldy weather = asthma = up all night coughing = parents up all night and breathing treatments = icky, runny, burning, frequent diapers = sad Alexander. BUT, we’re all used to the drill by now.

6. Kristiana is the classic trooper of a second child. She’s so strong and intelligent, she amazes me. She has a smile that can brighten any day. Alexander also amazes me. On Tuesday morning Andrew and I went get ready for work and left Alexander to his trains. As we were both standing at the sink Andrew’s phone began to ring. “Who is that?” Andrew asked.

I replied, “Oh, I am calling you apparently. Alexander must have my cell phone somehow.” An endearing moment ensued.

“Hello? Alexander?”

“Hello? Mummy? (pause) Mummy! Trains, mummy. [blah, blah, blah, baby talk].”

“Alexander, give the phone to Daddy.” Andrew ran downstairs to get the phone and Alexander gave it to him. Awe, so cute.

7. Strange to say but, YAY Lent starts next week! There is something about suffering, self-denial, good works, and attentiveness to one’s soul that is cathartic and uplifting.
Happy Mardi Gras to all.

And P.S. I plan to begin reading Atlas Shrugged. Wish me luck.

Renee Needs

It's been a while. I am just trying to find the balance. I haven't even kept up on my favorite blogs.

Anyway, I thought y'all would be interested in this, because it's a chance to google yourself, so it should be fun for you.

Here's how this works: Google *your name* needs, and write down 10 of the search results.

1. They were all along the lines of "Renee needs to gain weight" and "Renee needs a man."
2. Her advice: Renee needs to get back to the joy of "just being."
3. You know if Renee Zellweger needs a couple of bucks, I'm happy to lend it to her.
4. Renee needs a break. (Ain’t it the truth? We all do.)
5. Renee needs a home. She squats in a shack down on Gardner street. In the shadow of wealth and the town's elite. Wondering each day what she'll have to eat.
6. Renee needs to tell a very important reality-altering story –
7. Renee Zellweger Needs a Makeover.
8. RENEE NEEDS TO MIND HER BUSINESS AND STOP TAKING ALL OF STRESS AND PUTTING ON OTHER PEOPLE YOU ALL NEED TO GET RID HER
9. At her work, if Renee is late more than six times, she's in danger of losing her job.
10. Garlington Center needs your voice, Renee

A Stream of Neverending Laundry...Alexander's Sick 2.15

Eleven loads of laundry later, Alexander is still tossing his cookies, etc., and I have still not begun our family's regular laundry.

It all started late Saturday night, which was really early Sunday morning around midnight. I heard acry and went to Alexander's room to check on him. It was not quite his normal middle of the night cry. I opened the door and smelled it (I will spare you the detail of the odor, but it wasn't roses). I immediately knew something was wrong and flipped on the light--vomit everywhere--poor kid. That was load of laundry number one. Andrew helped me bathe Alexander and remove bedding. At that point Alexander was a bit traumatized and wanted to sleep with mom and dad and vomit on mom and all of mom and dad's bedding. We should have known better (load of laundry 2-3, plus pillows 4-5)--we did know better and ignored it, because we were tired. Then we all had a camp out in the living room--auxiliary blankets and pillows vomited on a couple more times (loads of laundry 6-11, I threw in all the blankets he used for good measure, and towels used to cleanup). Whew. All day Sunday he was tired but stopped vomiting and kept food down; Monday he was feeling fine, but had fevers; Tuesday, today, I woke him up and he immediately had diarrhea and a little bit of vomiting. Woohoo! and more laundry to do.

A lesson for all parents of little ones with an upset tummy: have a plan for vomiting. We were so tired we didn't think about letting him vomit all over the blankets would create so much laundry. We did have a bucket for him, but it's not easy to get a little one to warn you they are going to throw-up. In the past we have handled it better putting Alexander on towels and getting him to do it there. It created a lot less laundry. I think Andrew and I were both too sleep deprived to think and just wanted to cozy up and get some sleep. It was a bit of a cold night. C'est la vie-back to it