Small Potatoes

Here's something else I've learned from that book I read recently by a non-Christian mother: attitude adjustments are small potatoes. This mother-author was describing a time when she was maxed with the demands of caring for a new baby and feeling low in more ways than one in the wee hours of the morning. Then she told how she realized she didn't have to feel this way. She chose to enjoy the moment and be thankful. As I read, it hit me like a ton of bricks that the ability to refocus like that is a common grace thing. Perhaps if the pagans can do it, I can do it a little more often--and without pride or a martyr complex.

A Sign of Progress?

Anna (5): "Mom, I think you need to clean your mirror either today or tomorrow. I see some splatters on it."

A Man of Many Words

Charles Haddon Spurgeon (1834-1892) has the notoriety of authoring the largest set of books by a single person in the history of Christianity. His sermons fill 63 volumes and contain over 20 million words.

Source: Free Grace Broadcaster Issue 203, p. 23

Testing Again

I think I fixed the comments button problem. If so, feel free to comment on any entries without that button here. If not, feel free to call or email me with those helpful hints.

More Technical Difficulties

Thanks to a helpful friend, the time on my blog is now accurate. However, I just noticed that the comments buttons have disappeared. I'm going to poke around and look for them myself here in just a sec, but if those buttons don't show up on my blog soon, feel free to send helpful hints. Being a social creature, I like interaction.

Banana Breakfast

This simple smoothie recipe is currently our favorite fast breakfast. My older two can make it themselves. (I pour up, though!) And we've only had one major mess so far: the two year old assistant pushed the blender button without permission. The blender was already full, and the lid wasn't on. Even that incident wasn't as bad as it could've been. Anyhow, we love it, and it gets you just as far as a bowl of oatmeal!

4-5 bananas
1/2 cup peanut butter (more or less--we never measure it)
1 quart buttermilk or yogurt

Add as many ice cubes as you can fit one by one while blending to top it off and chill it out.

Technical Accuracy

Anybody know how to set the clock on this thing? My computer clock is fine, but for some reason, the clock on the blog is about two hours behind. That was okay with me when I was blogging mostly at night (no accountability for my tendency to a late bedtime), but now it looks like I'm blogging in the wee hours of the morning. Anyhow, at least I've stated for the record that the time is incorrect (unless of course Central time is switching to Pacific--which could easily happen without me knowing it!).

Enjoy the Journey

"Don't try to go faster than grace."---Brother Lawrence

This is something I've been learning that applies both to my own life as well as my parenting. It's easy to see how much ground needs to be covered in my (and my kids') sanctification and try to put my nose to the grindstone in order to get there. Yet, I'm realizing that such an approach is flawed in many ways.

If I'm getting there through mere determination and will power, it won't be pleasant or joyful after a very short time, and God commands that we serve Him joyfully. Also, I won't be prone to glorifying or giving thanks to God (things we're also commanded to do, I believe) because I'm doing this, thank you very much. And finally, I've learned that once I "get there" I'll just realize there's so much farther to go. God is infinitely holy, and He's the one we're seeking to imititate.

Douglas Wilson has said something to the effect of "don't hold the standard any higher than you can love." God teaches us the same way we teach our kids, "line upon line, precept upon precept; here a little, there a little." Those of us with a bent toward overachieving need to remember to focus on the next step, not the next leap.

Thanksgiving reminders are always in season

"Civilization has run on ahead of the soul of man, and is producing faster than he can think or give thanks. "

---G.K. Chesterton

Spring Has Sprung

One of the blessings of owning a well established house is having lots of blooming things around that we didn't plant. Every year we thoroughly enjoy our rows of forsythia and wild plum (or sand cherry) bushes in bloom as the first sign of spring in our yard.

This Easter Just Remember . . .

"No bunny loves you like Jesus"

Rice Day

First, let me establish some context. We probably eat more rice than your average American family (especially the last year or so) because we probably have more candida issues running amuck in our household than your average American family. Yesterday we reached a new milestone, though. It was our first official McLeran Rice Day.

If we'd known ahead of time, we would have hung out banners or something, but it only started to dawn on us about noon as I was pulling out a tub of Kozy Shack rice pudding for dessert . . . to go with our leftovers lunch (which for the kids was a rice-based casserole) . . . after a Rice and Shine (rice grits) breakfast. As I started to see the culinary pattern forming in our day, I thought, "Maybe I should do something besides the fish, rice, and veggies I had planned for this evening." Then I decided to bask in the glory of the accomplishment rather than avoid it. After all, I doubt there are too many other American kids that have eaten rice at every meal and even for dessert. What a claim to fame!

Not a substitute for getting to bed on time, though!

"The best cure for exhaustion is whole-heartedness."

Anonymous

And she didn't even have children

"Life is so startling. It leaves time for little else."---Emily Dickinson

Diaper Free by Ingrid Bauer

I recently finished reading this book (thank you for the recommendation, Colleen), and was surprisingly encouraged and challenged by it. The author is not a Christian, so there were lots of fundamentals we disagreed on. Yet, she exposed me to some new ideas about child care, and not just in the diaper department.

As I've progressed through this intensive parenting course God has me on, I've started to learn some of the fundamental things Mrs. Bauer speaks of regarding respecting my children. No, not the same way I show respect to another adult, but constantly remembering their God-derived personhood and showing deference whenever possible to their unique desires and preferences. Titus and I will not be trapped by the lie that everything they desire is inherently good or best, but I tend to be a somewhat authoritarian, toe-the-line kind of parent, so keeping this in mind helps balance me out and cultivates an environment for a warm relationship with my kids.

Now if I can just figure out how to get Eva to prefer to use the potty when it's convenient for me and to give clear signals when she'd like to exercise that preference . . .

One Night with the King

This was our selection for last night's Family Movie. (Thanks, Ruthanne!) We thought it was beautifully done, and though plenty of artistic license was taken, there did seem to be a fundamental respect for the Scriptural text. It will be fun to read the biblical account as a family now and more carefully judge the movie's accuracy.

Straight from the Tea Box

"Charms strike the sight, but merit wins the soul."

Alexander Pope

Being a Friend

This is Lewis, our charming three-year-old. Notice the sporty cell phone in his back pocket? Let me back up a bit. My dear friend Jami asked if I would help her out by journaling some about her family, too, since she doesn't have time for such things. Being the good friend that I am, I can't turn her down.

The cell phone Lewis is modeling is the one Jami sent through her washing machine several weeks back. We happened to sit next to Jami's family at the homeschool play yesterday, and one of her children gave this nonfunctional carcass to Lewis. He is very proud.

Let it Snow?

Must document the two March snows. Lewis (3) and Ian (7) are shown enjoying the second event, which actually stuck around long enough for Ian and Daddy to have a snowball fight the next day!

Introduction

Well, this is all just too easy! That last post about Jocelyn's birthday was primarily in order to see if I could figure out how to upload a picture. Thanks to my husband's capable help, that went off like a breeze, and now I feel I should give some sort of purpose statement for this blog.

Primarily, I want to have an organized way of recording some of the
little-- and big--moments in our family's life. Sort of like an electronic scrapbook and journal rolled into one. I hope this will be something our family can enjoy looking back on in years to come.

But this will also be an easy way for us to share a portion of our lives with others (whether family, friends, or strangers), and maybe we'll provide a little encouragement to each other along the way.

Happy Birthday, Jocelyn!

Here's our sweet two-year-old with some of her loot from her family birthday party. Those bags are full of pieces to a Little Tikes track. We were a little unsure of the wisdom of this purchase when we saw all those pieces, but they snap together easily to form a flexible track that bends any which way. The track and battery operated cars were a hit with everyone from Daddy and 15-year-old Aunt Brittany down to the two-year-old owner. Grammy made the cake (as usual), and we enjoyed having Nana, Grandpa, and Grandad here, too, to help make the event special.