Three Things You Shouldn't Try To Do When You're Tired

1 - Write an e-mail with your husband

2 - Try to post on your blog

3 - Balance your checkbook

YAAWWWN.

WFMW - Turkey Tip

I can't really claim that I thought this one up all on my own. I actually got it from my cooking magazine but I did test it out recently and it really did help.

So I always use the roasting bags when I do my turkey at Thanksgiving and even though they tell you to put flour in the bottom of the bag to keep the bird from sticking to the bag it never really works all that well. Someone has to hold the bird up (usually a good 20lb. bird) while someone else peels the bag off the bottom of the bird. Just a little challenging.

The tip in my magazine was to put celery stalks under the bird while it is roasting. How clever thought me! But I wanted to try it out first on a chicken. So I did and I am happy to report it really works.

So we will be putting celery under our turkey while it roasts and we will not have to peel the bag off the bottom!

For more great tips head over to Rocks In My Dryer.

Beans and Rice

So I've always wondered what it would be like to have more children. The last couple of days I had the opportunity to find out. Husband and I have been taking care of some friends children while they are on a short trip. Two children to be exact. So I've found out what it's like to have four children this week.

It's been rainy in our neck of the woods. Playing inside is the only option.

It can be loud.

Cooking has been a challenge...actually knowing how much to cook and what to cook for kids not used to how we eat. Of course, last night of all nights, I decided to prepare a new recipe. It was a bean and rice recipe and after all day soaking (according to the directions) and cooking in the oven for two hours the beans were still crunchy. Before serving Husband gave it a taste and pronounced it awful. Time for plan B.

Plan B was spaghetti. Guess who had no spaghetti sauce and no ingredients for making any. Yep, that would be me. Had I actually planned to serve this meal at some point? Yep. Had I remembered to buy the spaghetti sauce? Nope.

Did I mention I love Husband who immediatly grabbed his keys and jacket and headed to the store for the missing ingredients? Meanwhile I scurried around frantically thawing meat in the microwave (that never works like it's supposed to) and boiling water for the spaghetti noodles which I did have.

Finally, sometime around 7pm we sat down to dinner. The kids were very good natured about the whole thing. Actually I think they looked visibly relieved that they were not eating beans and rice. Husband stated he was relieved to not be eating it and suggested I contact my bean guru for help.

I don't have a bean guru.

If you are a bean guru and have any tips on soaking beans I would be grateful.

The kids have gotten along great though. We were even able to do school today (they are also homeschoolers). I was a bit challenged though when trying to explain the distributive property to Brother and our little friend was asking for help with his Exploding the Code work. Multi-tasking is one thing...multi-thinking is something else altogether.

So, while it has been a pretty easy couple of days around here, my hat is off to Mom's and Dad's out there of more than two children.

Huzzah!

Just Go With It

I would like to say thank you to our Veterans out there who have given their time and their lives so that I can enjoy freedom of speech, freedom to worship as I choose, freedom to educate my children as my husband and I see fit and the miriad of other freedoms that we all too often take for granted but were fought for with a price.

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So I had this blog all thought out about how my son is getting older and it's all happening so fast, etc., etc. Maybe I'll blog about it soon but as nothing, and I mean nothing, in my day has gone according to plan I thought I would just go with it. God has shown me something very important today, actually a couple of things.

1 - "We make our plans and God laughs." I don't think He laughs maliciously, I imagine it as more of a loving chuckle. A chuckle and then He says, "Yes dear one, I know that's what you want to do today but I need this to happen today to teach you, to show you I love you, so that you can show someone else love so that I can grow you up and closer to Me and My image."

2 - Prayer should be the first move not the only option left. Of all the scripture I read this morning this is the verse that hit home for me today, "I tested you at the waters of Meribah." (Psalm 81:7b NIV) I had to go back and look up what happened at Meribah. It was the one of the first times the Israelites complained to God about being brought out into the desert to die because there was no water for the people. Moses went to God about what to do and God told Moses to strike the rock and water would flow. (Exodus 17:1 -7)

My notes in my Bible for this portion of scripture say this, "Again the people compained about their problem instead of praying. Some problems can be solved by careful thought or by rearranging our priorities. Some can be solved by discussion and good counsel. But some problems can be solved only by prayer. We should make a determined effort to pray when we feel like complaining, because complaining only raises our level of stress. Prayer quiets our thoughts and emotions and prepares us to listen."*

3 - We need to have our brothers and sisters in Christ to help carry our burdens. "Bear one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ." (Galatians 6:2) I'm so thankful for my sister in Christ that God sent to my house today to help me bear a burden and then take it to the Lord in prayer.

I'm so thankful for today, for the way God changed it and brought blessing and fulfillment to me. Sometimes it's good to just "go with it".

*I use the Life Application Bible, New King James Version, Tyndale House Publishers (c) 1996

A Froggy Who's Bloggy

I have a little notebook to write down thoughts I want to blog about. I call it my Bloggy Thoughts book. Husband wanted to know where the term "blog" derived from. So I explained it to him. You know, shortened form of web-log and all that. He mused for a moment then came out with this pithy quip, "Bloggy,... sounds like Kermit had too much to drink."

Ribbit.

In Search Of...

As a mother it is difficult to have a complete thought. I've been trying for days now to have one and I am invariably interrupted by Brother, or Sister, or Husband, Kitty, or the dog, or the phone, or, or, or....you name it, it interrupts.

It is hard to write blog posts when you can't have a complete thought. I have lots of ideas for posts but that's about as far as they get. Ideas. Why? Can't finish a thought.

I am currently sitting here staring off into space (sort of) trying to think of something wise and pithy to say and every time I get close...poof...it's interrupted. Sister wants to know if her piano playing is faster than a racehorse, or Brother needs to be reminded (again) to go take a shower, and now Sister wants to know when Thanksgiving is and when everbody is coming. The dog and Husband are at work so that can't interrupt this morning. But I'll bet before I'm done with this, Kitty will want to be let outside and thirty seconds later let back in.

Sigh.

I know there is a complete thought in my brain somewhere...and it's just dieing to be let out!

WFMW-In Search of Thanksgiving Place Cards

It's Wednesday and once again Shannon at Rocks In My Dryer is hosting Works For Me Wednesday. Only difference today is that it's backward! I'm asking for an idea...or at least a clue! (Check out more on this at Shannon's site.)

So what I'm wondering is if anyone has come up with a really cute place card for the Thanksgiving table? I've got the whole gang coming to my house this year and because of space issues need to seat smaller people in certain areas...hence the need for place cards. We've done the picture of the person decorated as a turkey, pilgrim, cranberry, pumpkin pie, etc., etc., etc., before. I'm looking for something different.

Let me know your ideas! I know there are a ton of them out there!

Thanks for your help and thanks for stopping by!