A Change Of Plans

Here I am typing a blog post when I should have been on my way to Washington D.C. for the first time ever in my life.  But when you live in the north east during the months of November through March you just never can really plan too much.

There is a big storm coming through and the trip had to be canceled.  While I am disappointed, I am also trusting God to be in control and know what’s best for me.  And since I feel like I’m drowning in my own body right now, I trust that 2 extra days of rest are what God deems best for me at this moment. 

So instead of me being gone, my husband went back home for the day with Micah leaving me home alone to recoup in peace and quiet.  And attack my to-do list until I fall down in exhaustion.  Meanwhile I am chugging down the vitamin C, goldenseal echinacea, and a variety of Bolthouse juices.  And attempting to do the following:

• wash, dry, and fold all dirty laundry
• make supper
• do the banking and all paperwork that is piled up on my desk
• pack for lafayette
• dishes
• clean
• read

From the trenches of motherhood…where I’m doing all I can to get better… – Mandy the TrenchMommy

Saturday Simmer {1.29.11}

I hope to make Saturday Simmer a part of my week where I kind of recap on my week (if nothing else) and share some of my highlights.

So this week I will begin with a great blog post that I read.  It’s titled “' target=_blank>' target=_blank>Two Things Every Kid Needs to Know” and if you are a parent of children (any age, really) you will appreciate it.

On Monday night, while waiting for my husband to come home from a late meeting, I listened to this fabulous and encouraging message by James Macdonald.  I highly recommend you listen to this if you want to be challenged and encouraged in your daily Bible study.

This week I have been bringing in the swagbucks by watching the technology channel on swagbuck tv.  I do this by multi-tasking – letting it play while I fold clothes and stuff.  It’s great because I learn a ton about the latest technology out there all the while earning swagbucks to cash in for Amazon gift cards to use towards kindle books!  Sweet deal!

For those who don’t know what swagbucks is, it’s a search engine that awards you “dollars” that you can redeem for real gift certificates or prizes.  You get paid to search!  If you sign up through the widget towards the bottom of my sidebar you will be helping me out, too!  {Sorry!  Couldn’t resist the self promotion!}

Other than that, I have been busy getting ready for our trip to the Biblical Counseling Training Conference again this year.  And…with just days to go I am not feeling well.  So as I type my parents are taking our kids out, my husband just scrubbed up the tub for me, and I’m headed to soak and drink throat coat tea till I can’t hold any more!

Oh! And last, but not least, I want to share a link to an e-book I came across this week about maximizing your mornings – fabulous!

From the trenches of motherhood…where you push on no matter what… – Mandy the TrenchMommy

Kindle Options: Give Your Opinion Here!

Alright, I can not believe I am about to say this…but I am!…I want to buy a Kindle!

I am a diehard fan of holding a paper book in my hand and being able to dog-ear the pages and write notes in the margins.  However, after using the Kindle App on my droid I am now enjoying the electronic option…just I would really enjoy a bigger screen!

My favorite part thus far is being able to have my whole library with me wherever I go.  {I know…*sigh*…I have “issues”.}

However, I really can’t make up my mind if I want to spend $50 more to get the 3G compatibility vs just wi-fi version.

So…!  This is where YOU get to share your thoughts on the topic.  Leave a comment and tell me your thoughts, opinions, and pros & cons on the matter!

And thanks in advance for your help!

From the trenches of motherhood…where I am coming over to the “other side”… – Mandy the TrenchMommy

To Tie or Not To Tie?

What are YOUR thoughts on this Motherhood Matter?

9 Things Behind My Couch

I had 40 minutes until the kids came home and I was following up on the ultimatum I had issued 2 days before.  When Abby got hurt from tripping over toys on Saturday night I said these words:

“If you would pick-up this wouldn’t happen!  I am going to clean Monday and if it’s not picked up I will be taking care of it for you.”

So there I was with 32 minutes to go when I decided to pull the couch down a few inches so I could access the bottom of the bookshelf.  And - Oh! - what a “treasure” I found…

• A pile of legos…and I do mean a PILE!
• 1 pink sock
• 1 of Micah’s socks
• Micah’s missing shirt…that I’ve been wondering about for over a week now.
• The missing TV remote control
• A book
• A pad of Post-It notes
• A large dress-up scarf
• Wrapper for a pack of crackers

So now I am sitting here wondering, what have YOU found behind your couch lately?

From the trenches of motherhood…where I am cleaning behind the couches… – Mandy the TrenchMommy

Sign #9

The 9th sign that your child may be/is ready to be potty trained is when he asks you a question like this:

“Mommy, how do diapers attach to people?”

Yeah.  When he/she can use words like “attach” in proper context….I think they are old enough to know how to use the potty!

For the first 8 signs….click here!

From the trenches of motherhood…where I am trying desperately to keep Micah from being the first (and only!) child to attend the Beginner Sunday School class still in diapers… –Mandy the TrenchMommy

My Droid Passion

Mt. Dew & Emily: What A Combination!

This year at our youth group’s Snow Camp we once again held the annual food challenge.  One of our leaders is infamous for his amazing – both in a bad and good way – challenge.

It starts by having two teams, usually guys vs. girls.  Then the winner of the last round gets to pick a number.  Each number is attached to a food – a really good one, or a really bad one.  Then whoever can eat that item the fastest is the winner and wins the points associated with that food item as well. 

Anyhow, now that you have a basic rundown of how this works, lets insert Emmy.

She was just chomping at the bit to participate and when no teen girls were ready to step up for that round I allowed Emmy to join in.  Wouldn’t you know that the food chosen was Mt. Dew.

At 10:00pm at night no less!

So it was Emmy vs a teen boy.  She had to drink 1 cup of Mt. Dew Whiteout before he could drink 2 cups of it.  Keep in mind that Emmy is not used to drinking soda, let alone Mt. Dew with a kick!

Here’s a video of her chugging it down to a….

BIG WIN!

Way to go Emily!

Now, no more Mt. Dew until you’re 13!

Enjoying Life In Emily Style

 

Emily is our child that is full of life.  In case don’t know us in real life…here are a few pictures to show you my point…!

8 Signs Your Child Is Ready To Be Potty Trained

You know your almost-4-year-old is ready to use the “big boy potty” when…

1. He tells you when he needs to be changed.
2. He can carry his own diaper bag.
3. He can climb up onto the changing table without help.
4. You ask if he needs to be changed and you can trust his answer is right and don’t need to check for yourself.
5. He can hold “it” all day just so he doesn’t go in his diaper.
6. He is very specific on what underpants he wants to wear each day!
7. He knows that you are right handed and lays down to be changed accordingly.
8. He can tell when you’ve wiped him clean and informs you, “That’s enough, Mom, I’m clean now"!

Leave a comment to share with my the signs you have seen in your children!

The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year

The highlight of my year isn’t Christmas, or Thanksgiving, or even my birthday!  Although I do enjoy each one of those holidays.

{*Gasp*  You mean my birthday doesn’t show up as a holiday on your calendar?!  Well! You had better go correct that right now! *Grin*}

But my favorite time of the year is when we head out to Lafayette, Indiana for the annual Biblical Counseling Conference.  (#bctconf on twitter)  We spend 5 days just marinating in the Word of God through wonderful teaching and incredibly practical classes.  It’s the time if year when I get to just sit back and be fed – on an amazing spiritual buffet! – after pouring myself out to others for the past year.

It’s kind of like the difference between giving yourself a manicure at home and going to a spa to have one done!  While I take care of myself through out the year, it’s this once a year “spiritual spa” visit that just refreshes my soul!  To God be the glory for allowing us to be able to go and for using His instruments (the great speakers/teachers) to encourage so many people through this ministry.

So I am just so excited to be getting ready for our trip again this year.  But it also means a lot of preparations since each one of our children stay with a different family at church.  To make this event go smoothly for all involved I start planning and preparing in the beginning of January and my preparations include a countdown on my phone! 

Hey!  It keeps my focused!  (Okay!  And it’s there simply because I just love counting down to it every year!)

In the next few days I’ll share with you a few tips for traveling when your family is going in 4 different directions! 

From the trenches of motherhood….where I’m in the throws of cooking, packing, and planning… – Mandy the Trench Mommy

Trash Talk

Trash Can.

Garbage Can.

Waste Paper Basket.

Waste Can.

These are all names for one item that does a fairly simple job.  We put our garbage, waste, trash in it and get rid of it. 

Some people like to display theirs in decorative cans and baskets.  Others – like us – keep theirs hidden under the sink or behind a closet door.

So what’s the purpose of this post?

Isn’t it funny how there are so many names and ways to use a simple item?

None of us – okay, after watching the show Hoarders I better say most of us – don’t like having stinky, yucky trash just laying around anywhere. 

We put it in the place designated for stuff that we want to get rid of and then routinely take care of it. 

Get rid of it.

Throw it out.

Put it out at the curb.

Toss it.

Dump it.

You get my point!

So why are we not better at trashing our trashy thoughts, too?

We don’t like the physical stink of rotten things…why do we cling to the stench of rotten thoughts?

Hmmm….maybe that Hoarders show hits home more than I first thought?!  YIKES!

Philippians 4:8 says: “Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things.” (NASB)

If you are thinking things that don’t line up with all of these checkpoints…you need to…

TRASH THEM!

TOSS THEM!

GET RID OF THEM!

THROW THEM OUT!

From the trenches of motherhood….where I am doing some tossing… – Mandy the Trench Mommy

Garbage Can Lids & Other “Junk”

Yesterday the kids had a snow day.  After lunch all 3 of them bundled up and headed out to play in the 6 inches of snow on the ground.  While we don’t have a sledding hill to say, we do have a small – very small – bank around one end of the house.  In fact, while it is a steep slope, it’s probably only about 6 feet in height/length.  The short distance doesn’t mean a thing to the kids!  They were bound to have fun sledding no matter what!

So imagine the comedy of looking out the back door to find them using the lids to our garbage cans as sleds!  I have to give them an A+ for creativity!  They had fun and it kept them busy for a whopping 15 minutes.

Hmmm…so what else is “new” around the trenches….well…

• I made 6 meals to stick in the freezer out of a total of 15 that I need to make.
• We are having a small roasting chicken for supper tonight.
• That Overnight French Toast recipe I told you about did not fly around here.  It was too soggy even after I adjusted the ingredients by large amounts.  So you can try it….but we are not raving about it.  Looks can be very deceiving!
• My new habit of coffee drinking is going well.  Maybe a little too well thanks to some of the fabulous flavors of International Delight creamers!  Here is a short little article about the possible benefits of drinking coffee…tell me what you think!
• I am really enjoying my new Mary Kay business and want to make sure you know that my January specials of the month are the $90 Miracle Set for only $65 and the Limited Edition Liquid Illuminator normally $20 for only $16.  (I  can take credit card and shipping is free!)
• And while I may be blogging about totally random and odd things….at least I’m attempting to get back to blogging! 

There’s A Crocodile In The Couch

The other day the kids sat in a row on the couch here in the living room watching the old “Black Stallion” movie.  At one point it was a scene with a snake.  The girls sat with their hands over the faces – their heads buried on each other’s shoulders.  Micah, however, sat with rapt attention watching the creepy creature. 

That is until he noticed the girls cowering into the corner of the couch.  It was then that he realized they were afraid and his little 3.75-year-old brain hatched a crafty little joke.

He grinned his irresistible smile and casually said: “I put a snake in the back of the couch.”

The desired reaction occurred as the girls both let out yelps of fear and scrambled off the couch.  He giggled and said, “I am just teasing you!”

A few minutes passed by and they all sat quietly watching the movie when a sly look once again slipped across Micah’s face and he said, “I put a crocodile in the couch!”  Once again the girls leaped off the couch in a fit of screams.

Micah fell over in a heap on the couch laughing so hard at his own joke on the girls!  The girls ended up laughing in the end, but they didn’t find the humor in it that their brother did.

What boggles my mind is how quickly Micah has picked up on the whole joking and teasing thing.  All I can think is that the teen years around here could be pretty interesting!

To say the least!

A Message To View…

I am feeling…

…warm…

…thankful…

…blessed…

…sad…

…humbled…

…refocused.

Why does it take a traumatic event to sometimes make us refocus on what is truly important?

Today was one of the crazy days.  The alarm did not go off when it should have. We were running super late to get Abby to school.  Emmy was home sick. I lost cell service for awhile and couldn’t make 3 very critical phone calls.  When I did make those phone calls I got a bunch of run around.  And because of the weather and a sick child I was house-bound from making some important errands.  All in all I was feeling like I was accomplishing nothing and at noon I was still in my pjs resigned to the fact that I would just look away from all that needed to be done and simply cuddle with my sick little girl.

And that’s about when I got a call saying that there was a house fire at the home of a couple who attends our church.  Immediately my frustration with the day melted away as I was jolted back to the reality that my day was going just fine.

Then this afternoon, after I picked Abby up from school, I drove up to be able to just be there for the couple…particularly to hug the wife and let her know I am praying for them.  As I walked into the house the floors were spongy, and huge drops of water were continuously falling from the ceiling.  While the house didn’t burn completely the water damage is so great that I imagine it will have to be gutted completely.

When you stand in the middle of a room surrounded by shattered pieces of such an event life seems so simple…so clear. 

God.

Family.

Nothing else matters as much as knowing that God is in control, and for them today, that they were both safe and sound physically.

So tonight I am sitting here typing out my thankfulness that I am safe.  My family is safe.  And for this moment I am going to enjoy what God has allowed me to be blessed with.

Who cares about the wash to fold, the dishes to clean, and the playroom to pick up.

It’s time to simply enjoy those I love so much and praise God for allowing me these few moments with them.

French Toast & 5 Books

To all of you who were waiting to see the “finished” product on that French Toast recipe…here it is!

I will share the recipe with you once I make a few alterations.

But meanwhile please – PLEASE! – go over to my book review blog today where I am giving away 5 – FIVE! – books!  The giveaway is simple and I would love to have lots of participation!  So help a girl, out….please??????!!!!!!

See you tomorrow!

It’s A New Year

It’s another new year.  Hard to believe how fast the time flies by. 

Even when I’m not having fun.

Once again I find “getting up early” on the top of my goal list for the year.  It’s a goal that has  been a constant struggle since we moved into full time ministry 4 & 1/2 years ago.  Up until that time it was something that I conquered fairly easily in comparison to recent days.  I blame it on the fact that our days, and nights, are just so different from the routine we had as laypeople.  However, I’m not giving up…I’m going continue to make this goal #1 until it’s been reached!

This year I have called out reinforcements to help me meet this goal.  I asked my sister-in-law to text me each weekday to keep me accountable to getting up.  So far this week it’s been 2 out of 3 mornings.  Not bad!

Along with new things for a new year…I also happened to find this fabulous looking recipe for Overnight French Toast over at From My Kitchen To Yours.  I am anxious to try this out tomorrow morning. This is what it looked like today after I did the prep work.  I’ll try to grab a picture of the finished product in the morning amidst the am chaos!

Meanwhile, as you sit at the edge of your desk chair waiting for my scrumptious photo of the the finished breakfast food….you can run over to my book review blog and check out a BIG giveaway that will be happening tomorrow…after breakfast. *grin*

PS – go visit Rachel who happened to be thinking a lot like me today!  ;-)

Why I Do What I Do

Sometimes I ask myself why do I do what I do?

Normally my answer would be “I do what I do because I want what I want because I think what I think.”  And while that is all good and true, it’s not the answer to today’s question.  Well…not exactly.

I have been asking myself this question in concern with my blogging life.  Yes.  My “blogging life”.  *ahem*  Or lack thereof as of lately. 

And today I got my answer.

I was out and about all morning and got home to an e-mail from a lady who had seen one of my vlog book reviews posted on Facebook by another person.  Her e-mail was the sweetest and most kind note of encouragement about my review and my blogs.  Even despite my lack of TLC the past few months. 

Anyhow….!

That’s when I sat back in my desk chair, sighed a happy sigh, and said to myself, “THIS is why I do this!” 

When my reading and reviewing can encourage someone else I get excited!  To God be the glory that this simple passion of mine can be used to inspire, help, and encourage others.  Even when it’s a bit dull!

From the trenches of motherhood….where I am doing a happy dance today… -Mandy