What Toy Construstion Vehicles Can Teach an Adult

I had the opportunity to play with Buddy E last night by himself. Like any two year old, he went from one thing to the next depending on what I was doing and where I was working. After a few minutes of work, I would stop and play with him for about 10 minutes frequently throughout the night. I don't often have the gift of having him to myself and wanted to devote quality nuggets of time with him, yet get the kitchen cleaned up from the day's activities.

I learned or was reminded of a huge biblical truth last night through this play time. Buddy E was playing with our toy crane, that includes orange wood barriers, construction men, a wheel barrow, and several other vehicles that move imaginary dirt and spread asphalt. Buddy E consistently would grab the construction man and road barrier and have them hop over to the field on the opposite side of the table.

Well, I wanted the construction man to sit in the crane and tried to take it from Buddy E (guess I didn't learn the gift of asking). Buddy E screamed "NO!" You see, he needed the construction man to lift the road barrier.

Do you see the spiritual lesson?

Buddy E was paying attention to the small details going on in this imaginary scene of life. In life, road barriers don't move by some imaginary unseen force on the construction site of life, they are picked up by men or a crane. Someone has to have some forethought as to where the barrier needs to be moved to. Buddy E was showing me, unbeknownst to him, a very important thing. God cares about the little details in my life, my movement throughout my day and yours. He cares about the barriers and wants to move them for me. But I have to remember that He is there. I have to take the time and ask Him for help, read His Word, worship. When you take God out of the fieldwork, moving heavy objects becomes a lot harder.

"Jesus therefore said, 'When you lift up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am He, and I do nothing on My own initiative, but I speak these things as the Father taught Me. And He who sent Me is with Me; He has not left Me alone, for I always do the things that are pleasing to Him.'" (John 8:28-29)

Before the Double Stroller

This post is new reading material for my sweet friend, Christina. For those of you who know me, it is a bit dated, but will be fresh and new to your eyes.

Before recently attaining a double stroller, I attempted to take a walk with my two-year old (Buddy A) and my seven-week old (Buddy E), using only a single stroller. Being a “good mom,” I placed the baby in the stroller (for a cat-nap) and let my eldest walk—thinking this would give him good exercise and allow him the freedom that this independent two-year old yearns for and I often restrict. The walk began beautifully, almost gracefully, as we sauntered along at a two-year old pace. We had ample time to look at every crack in the sidewalk, touch every lamp post and lava rock, pull every weed, and pet every lawn ornament. He was delighted at every tall blade of grass and energetically informed me of every one--during what was supposed to be a short walk. Yet, I began to grow impatient. I found myself not caring about stepping on a weed, catching a bug, or patiently explaining how we must hold hands to cross the street. Meanwhile, the newborn was remaining mostly content to sunbathe as long as I kept him in motion.

I, however, became impatient. I found myself saying, “Come on, Buddy A. Let’s go. Hurry up. We need to get home.” This only seemed to make Buddy A relish God’s creation even more, to my surprise.

In hindsight, I now ask myself, “Where did I have to be that made me rush Buddy A along?” Nowhere. So why was I telling him to hurry? Unbeknownst to my two-year old, he was doing something that I fail to do during my days as a professional chef, maid, teacher, wife, seamstress, and laundry mat. He was taking the time to admire God’s creation. Buddy A's excitement and lollygagging were praise to God’s ears. But they interrupted my agenda.

What I failed to remember was twofold:

1. Being a mom is my job (among many others), even though I don’t punch a time clock and get paid for it. I need to see that my children aren’t an interruption, they are God’s creation and gifts to me. Yes, there may be things that I want to get done, BUT I need to work on having a servant’s attitude toward my children. They won’t always be this age, wanting and needing my attention. One day the house will be quiet--no diapers to change or onesies to be washed, and no toys to be picked up. Then I will miss the days of hearing Buddy A tell me every time he takes a drink of water and Buddy E’s little cough alerting me to the fact that it is time to feed him.

And . . . .

2. In order to enjoy God, I need to spend time with God. Yes, even with two kids (now 3), there can be time to spend with God. In fact, there must be time made to spend with God. If something is important to you, you will make time for it. When I don’t spend time with God, I find myself becoming impatient and short tempered with my little flock. And I find my voice doing and saying things that I mentally criticized other moms for doing before I had children, namely yelling (but you probably haven’t ever done that). Yet, now I understand how this happens. When I don’t spend time with God I can’t walk in His Spirit or display His fruit. In short, I must spend time with God to walk in His Spirit and display His fruit.

The following two verses give me hope and encouragement. I pray that as you meditate on them they will do the same for you.

Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. (2 Corinthians 4:16-17)

Cloth Diapering 101--How I Cloth Diaper

My mom cloth diapered and my mother-in-law cloth diapered. My husband wanted to cloth diaper. Cloth diapering represented a mothering choice to be studied, conquered, and employed. Nobody I knew was cloth diapering at the time, which made it all the more appealing to me.

Logically, it made sense to cloth diaper--it was and is cheaper. But more importantly, we felt it was a call from the Lord. Why? Simply, cloth diapering allows us to be a good steward of our money that God gave us and of the earth He has provided for us to live on and use. Additionally, we are protecting our children from dangerous chemicals leaching into their skin. These are a few of the reasons it made sense to cloth diaper.

Writing this much requested post has proven difficult. There are numerous websites containing great information regarding the cost, variety, and reasons to cloth diaper. Why should I reinvent the wheel? Thus, I have decided to explain "how" we cloth diaper, in the hopes that you will see that it is easy to cloth diaper, and perhaps even addicting. I know that may sound odd--but there is great satisfaction in using cloth.

Hands down, using cloth diapers is cheaper than disposable diapers. It also gets cheaper with each child. My favorite type of cloth diaper is called the Chinese Prefold. It is the true work horse of cloth diapering. There are many fancy cloth diapers out on the market (All-In-Ones or AIOs, fitted diapers that use covers, and pocket diapers), but only the prefold remains the cheapest, most durable, extremely forgiving, absorbant, and virtually leak-proof diaper. I have tried the diapers that include all of the bells and whistles, but with each child I always go back to prefolds. (The stack of diapers on the right have been used for three children, and could be used for another child. (No I am not dropping any hints that Baby #4 is on the way.). By the way, if I am using a fancy diaper, I like Fuzzi Bunz. I have heard the BumGenius are good, too.

Don't think that you can go buy these durable diapers at Babies-R-Us or Walmart. No, you typically need to order them online. (Check out my friends at Toasty Baby. They even offer a cloth diapering service where they will wash your child's diapers for you!) Prefolds are typically $1.50-$2.00/diaper. They come in three sizes: infant, premium and toddler (as shown on the left). Most people only have to buy infant and premium diapers. However, if you have mammoth children like us, you will eventually need to buy toddler prefolds, leading up to potty training. Many people are worried about the Safety Pin to fasten the diaper. Worry no longer! Instead of using Bobby Pins, I use a thing called The Snappi. It works much like an Ace Bandage clip.

To contain the wetness or poop inside the cloth diaper, I typically use a wool cover. There are many to chose from, but I really like the Babyology wool covers found on Ebay. I also have been known to use Bummis Super Whisper Wrap, Kushie Diaper Wrap, or a Prorap Classic. All of them work well and have withstood three children and many washings. The great thing about all of these covers is that you only wash them when they become soiled. You use the cover, let it air out, and use it again. The manufacture states that you can use it up to five times before washing, but I must admit that my covers get used until they either have poop on them or are starting to smell of urine.

Let's talk about wipes. If you use cloth diapers, why on earth would you continue to buy packs of wipes? Thankfully, I am handy at sewing, so I just bought a yard of flannel and made about 30 wipes (per child in diapers). I love having colorful wipes. I have heard that you can save about $300/year by using cloth wipes. I wet my wipes with water and put them in a normal wipe case for outings or in the wipe warmer when we are at home. You can just add water to them or make your own wipe solution .

Perhaps you are wondering, what happens once I take the diaper off. Easy! If you comply with the instructions on the disposable diaper package, why not just go ahead and do cloth diapers? The directions state that you have to dump solid poop out. No big deal! By the way, when your baby is just on mother's milk (and even formula) you don't have to rinse the diaper off before you stick it in the wash,; it comes out in the wash. For example, let's say Babe E has a poopy diaper. I use my cloth wipe to clean his bottom and stick the wipe into the diaper pail. The diaper pail is lined with a water proof bag. I place the poopy diaper in the bucket that you currently see on top of the white pail.

You don't have to buy a fancy diaper pail. I recommend that you get a pail that is actually a trash can with a pedal to lift the lid, when you are in a sticky situation! When you have a chance, grab your bucket, dump the poop into the toilet and flush. Some people actually get diaper showers, but I just get as much poop of off the diaper as I can with either a wipe or toilet paper. I stick the formerly poopy diaper into a medium waterproof bag that I have in the bathroom.

When your diaper pail gets full, wash your diapers! Your washing machine doesn't get dirty either. Mine still looks and smells clean! When your child starts eating solid food and has firm poop, you can line the diaper with a rice paper liner that is biodegradable and can be flushed.

Helpful websites to assist you in cloth diapering:

• diaperjungle.com
  
• Real Diaper Association diapering facts including the health, environmental, and cost benefits to cloth diapering
• The Diaper Pin offers answers to frequently asked question such as getting started, washing instructions, diaper pail options, folding of the diaper, securing the diaper, and a cloth diapering dictionary
  
• You do the math, calculate the cost difference between cloth and disposable
• Diaper Kit provides pre-cut diaper fabric and you do the sewing

Amazing Pumpkin Pie

I have always felt slightly un-American because I have never enjoyed pumpkin pie. Yet, every year households all over America, including mine, eat their Libby canned pumpkin pie. In a last effort to enjoy this tradition, my son and I decided that we would make the icon-ized pumpkin pie to end our Thanksgiving feasting. For the first time in 32 years, I LOVE pumpkin pie. So, if you want to continue to be a rebel on Thanksgiving, don't try this recipe. However, if you want to enjoy your fist pumpkin pie, perhaps this Christmas, here is the recipe for you. I have adapted the original recipe to suit my tastes.

For starters, you must make a fresh crust. Store bought crusts are not allowed!

Whole Wheat Crust

2 cups wheat flour
1 tsp salt
3/4 cup butter
5 tbls ice water

Preheat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Place flour and salt in your mixer, Vita-Mix or Kitchen Aid mixer. Gently blend the ingredients. Then, add butter while the mixer is still on. Next, add water and process until just mixed. The dough usually forms a ball (in my mixer) when it is ready. Refrigerate dough for 1 hour. Finally, roll out the dough between sheets of waxed paper or on a clean floured surface. Poke holes in the pie crust with a fork. Bake the shell for 15 minutes.
And now for the drum roll . . . .

Amazing Pumpkin Pie

1 sugar pie pumpkin
(Cut pumpkin in half, scoop out seeds, and lay in a 9x13 glass pan with 1 inch of water. Bake for 1 hour at 400 degrees Fahrenheit, scoop out flesh, and puree in Vita-Mix or blender)

2/3 cup cane sugar

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp ground ginger

1/2 tsp ground nutmeg

3 slightly beaten eggs
2/3 cup coconut milk
1/2 cup raw cream

Combine pumpkin, cane sugar, cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg. Add eggs. Beat lightly until everything is gently combined. Stir in the coconut milk and cream and mix well. Pour the pumpkin filling into the precooked pie crust.

To prevent over browning, cover the edge of the pie (not covering the top) with foil. Bake at 375 degrees for 25 minutes. Remove the foil and bake about 25 minutes more or until a knife inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool. Refrigerate and enjoy with fresh whipped cream!

Homemade Cleaning Products

Well, there have been many requests to finish my discussion on how to clean organically on the cheap. Do I make my own products all of the time? To be honest--no. But when I have the time, I typically will make my own cleaners because 1) it makes me feel good, 2) it is comforting knowing the exact ingredients that I am using and 3) I know my children can be in the same room or even help me clean without being exposed to dangerous or potentially harmful chemicals. If I buy a product then you can bet it will be Seventh Generation or Bio-Kleen.

Laundry Detergent
3.1 oz bar Ivory soap, Dr. Bronner’s, or Fels Naptha etc.
1 cup 20 Mule Team Borax
½ cup Arm & Hammer Washing Soda
Water

5 Gallon container
Knife or grater
Pot large enough to hold 5 cups of water
Long stirring stick/spoon (for 5 gallon container)

Instructions: Shave the soap into small strips (I use a cheese grater) and place in the pot with 5 cups of water. Bring the water just shy of a boil and stir until the soap is completely melted. When the soap is just about melted, pour 3 gallons of hot water into the 5-gallon container and let it sit until the soap in the pot is totally melted. Once all of the soap shavings are melted, pour the mixture into the 5-gallon container and stir.

Once the soap and water are thoroughly stirred, add the ½ cup of washing soda and stir until dissolved. Once the washing soda is dissolved, pour in the cup of borax and stir again until dissolved.

Optional: If you like fragrant detergent, now is when you can add a few drops of your favorite essential oils. Suggested oils would be lavender, orange, or tea tree oil.

Now you've got a huge container of hot soapy looking water. Cover the container, place it somewhere out of the way and let it sit overnight. Once it's cooled it will gel. It will not gel uniformly so it will be lumpy and watery. It may not be very attractive, but it works. It's best to find smaller storage containers for convenience. I use empty, thoroughly washed, milk jugs.

Usage: ½ cup per laundry load is adequate to clean your clothes. This homemade laundry detergent works well in high efficiency washing machines since it is low suds-ing.

One word of caution, if using a high efficiency machines: Before pouring the lumpy gel into the detergent receptacle, stir it to break up the lumps. Very large lumps may not fully dissolve, stirring the detergent with a spoon, pencil, or whatever you have available (or your finger), works fine. Additionally, for cloth diapers, it does clean the diapers well. However, I did notice a build up on the diapers, rendering them slightly ineffective for absorbing urine. So be sure to do a hot soak every now and then, or a vinegar rinse to avoid a film buildup.

Yield: 110 ½ loads of laundry


Powdered Laundry Detergent
2/3 bar Fels Naptha Laundry Soap (equivalent of 1 cup grated)
½ Cup 20 Mule Team Borax
½ Cup Arm & Hammer Super Washing Soda.
Container large enough to hold 2 cups of laundry detergent

Directions: Grate the Fels Naptha laundry soap with a grater or use a food processor. Approximately 2/3 of a bar of soap will make 1 cup of grated soap.
Add the ½ cup of Borax and ½ cup of washing soda to the grated soap. Shake and/or mix well.

Use: One tablespoon of detergent is sufficient per load of wash. If you have a high-efficiency machine, you might want to experiment with using a little less detergent for normal loads. If your clothes come out feeling stiff, lower the amount of detergent. For clothes that are heavily soiled, add a teaspoon more of the detergent.

Yield: The recipe yields 2 cups of laundry detergent. If you use 1 tablespoon per load, you will be able to wash 32 loads of clothes.


Antiseptic All-Purpose Cleanser
Up to one tsp. antiseptic essential oil (thyme, sweet orange, lemongrass, rose, clove, eucalyptus, cinnamon, rosemary, birch, lavender, tea tree, or Thieves.)
1 tsp washing soda
2 tsp borax
½ tsp liquid soap or detergent (Dr. Bronner’s)
2 c hot water

Directions: Combine the ingredients in a spray bottle. Shake to dissolve and blend the minerals. Spray this on the surface and leave for 15 minutes before you wipe it with a rag, to give the essential oil’s antiseptic qualities time to work.


I have had these recipes for so long now, I honestly am not really sure where they come from. But upon researching a bit, these recipes are pretty standard from many different authors. Happy cleaning!