Power Tools

Some people get excited at the thought of powerful electrical tools in their hands - drilling a hole here, slicing a board there, stapling a project here. And some people may actually drool as they linger lovingly over a coveted tool while browsing their local home store.

Suffice it to say - I am NOT one of those people.

Generally, I avoid using power tools at all costs. They scare me. Especially the big saws and things that I imagine will break, spin off into the air and slice off my fingers and toes. You can imagine how much fun I had in my required shop class in middle school!

But mostly I just think I'll mess things up - drill a hole in the wrong place, cut the board too short and then have to go back to the store to get another one, power sand the vintage dresser too much and ruin the beautiful piece of furniture that's been in the family for years.

Unfortunately, when your husband is really busy and you really want to get the new curtains up in your room, but you really loathe the thought of using the drill... well, sometimes the desire to get the curtains up wins.

So I organized all my tools - hammer, screwdriver, pencil, measuring tape, level, curtain rods, and drill (shudder). I read and reread the directions. I spent nearly an hour measuring and remeasuring and using the level to make sure that the four holes were in the right spot.

Then I began to drill. Esther covered her ears and looked a little frightened. Yeah, I'd be afraid of Mommy with the drill, too. I realized part way into the wall that I'd hit a stud. (We actually don't have a stud finder and just get surprised. Hmmm... a Father's Day gift idea...) So I switched to the directions on how to put the bracket up when you drill into a stud. It worked and the first bracket went up pretty smoothly. Whewph! I congratulated myself for a job well done and went to tackle the next one.

I drilled the second hole and realized I'd again hit a stud. So I started to put the screw in and it stopped. Hey... No matter what I did, the stupid screw would not budge. Hey!!! So I pulled it out and tried the anchor method. I lightly tapped it in with the hammer and it bent. I tried three more. Three more anchors dropped uselessly to the floor. Then I tried a different kind of anchor. It wouldn't budge. It just made the hole bigger.

Then I made a fateful decision. I'd simply drill some more! And the hole got really big. Oops.

So I stopped.

I dropped everything where it was, left the room, and shut the door.

I think I'll ask Daron for help when he gets home.

Musings on Motherhood

I admit it. I get frustrated with my children. Yes, my sweet and chubby babies are often a cause for frantic tearing of hair and long pleading prayers for more patience and love. I often sit on the floor, exhausted from chasing after Nathan, giving Esther a time out for poking her brother in the eye, cleaning up the latest mess, trying to explain to the 911 operator that my ten month old had been playing with the phone, dozens of false alarm trips to the toilet, and little hands pawing at me while I try to simply send an email.

Then Nathan crawls towards me, laughing with his mouth wide open and his eyes eager as he climbs into my lap, then pulls himself up to standing and slobbers on my cheek. I kiss him back and he imitates kissing by smacking his lips together.

Esther, not to be left out, makes room for herself on my lap and strokes my cheek. “Don’t worry, Mommy.” I pull them close and hold them tightly, wondering how I could possibly get so upset when I’ve been so blessed. I think of the wonder that each of my children is, how my life would be so incomplete with their unique personalities, and the rare gift that being their mother truly is.

I love that Esther, at three years old, is already a great lover of books. She sits quietly and pours over her books, making up a new story if she hasn’t already memorized the book. We developed a tradition of me telling her a story right before naps and bedtime. She latches onto the characters I make up and we have story after story of her favorites. Then she wants to “nuggle” with me; so she scoots close, wraps her arms around me, and whispers softly, “I love you, Mommy.”

I love Nathan’s determined look and pursed lips and he stands on tippy-toe trying desperately to reach something he isn’t supposed to touch. When he finally gets it, he raises it with a grunt of triumph. I catch him at it; then he smiles and hands it to me, and is off to find more trouble.

I love to hear Esther sing. Her voice is airy and sweet, and a shy smile lights up her face when she knows that we’ve been listening to her singing to herself. She has us sing the same songs to her over and over again, all the while memorizing them.

I love that Nathan is too excited about everything to hold still. He is always going somewhere, usually with a toy shoved into his mouth as he crawls.

I love that Esther has so much of her Daddy in her. She has Daddy’s olive skin, his long toes, which she started to cross while she was still an infant, just like Daddy does. She is likes to sleep on her right side, just like Daddy. And she determined and smart – just like Daddy!

I love how Nathan gets all excited when he looks at himself in the mirror. He waves and says the sweetest “ahh,” which is his way of saying hi.

I love how Esther is so talented at making friends. Shy is not really in her nature. She can talk to anybody and is always interested in finding out more about people. .

I love that my children love each other. Though Esther constantly pushes over, sits upon, pokes, pulls, and otherwise pesters her little brother, her adoration of him shines through and I love to see it – the sweet stuff, that is. Nathan yells for his big sister whenever she leaves the room, and then follows her around. My absolute favorite thing is when Esther gets Nathan laughing so hard they can hardly breathe. Then she busts out with, “Mommy! We lapping together!”

More often, I need to pull them close and search their big eyes and kiss their chubby cheeks. More often, I need to tell them how much I love them. More often, I need to thank my Heavenly Father for such wonderful children. I am proud to be the mother of Esther and Nathan, two of the greatest blessings in my life!

More flowers

Yesterday afternoon, I hauled the kids to Lowe's and we picked up a bunch of annuals. More than I had planned on putting in as I wanted more room for perennials, but they were all so pretty! And I probably put in more than is necessary as they are all mounding and fast growing types, but hey, can you really have too many flowers?

We put in Mexican Heather (Esther kept wanting to know where the Esther flowers were), zinnias, and gomphrena. I'd never heard of it before, but was struck by the gorgeous fuzzy purple buds that I just had to get some.
Mexican HeatherZinniaGomphrena - isn't it beautiful?

I am really looking forward to seeing them fill out and create a wash of color in our front yard. Hooray! Now to decide on some perennials to fill in the gaps.

Yard Work

Our yard has been needing a lot of work for the last long while and we finally got a big chunk done this weekend. Well, Daron did most of it. (Can I just say how amazing he is?) On Friday evening, he rototilled the front garden area, then rototilled in a bunch of nutrient-rich soil that we had delivered on Saturday. Last night he planted two crape myrtles and some Indian Hawthorne bushes in there. Esther and I will be planting some annuals in the front this week. I still need to decide on what to do in the middle. Unfortunately, it will be a few years before the bushes grow up so it won't have the mature look that I'm hoping for yet. But it's a work in progress.The hawthornes really do look puny, but they will fill out the area eventually.

Daron has also been the driving force behind getting our garden started. We don't have much in yet as the soil preparation here in the Dallas area is a work unto itself. So he's been working cotton burr compost and peat moss into the vegetable garden area bit by bit. We do have some peas and beans growing, but we may have planted them too late as the weather is already hitting 80F most days. But our four tomato plants are doing well so far and look healthy and green. We're just hoping to avoid last year's disaster of all our plants' roots being choked by the adobe brick clay surrounding them!
Our strawberry plants have been thriving. They were the only things besides a couple of rosemary plants that lasted from last summer. Unfortunately, we're starting to have ants eat the ones in the front and worms have been digging into the back strawberry plants! Any advice?

Even the lawn is starting to show signs of improvement. The herbs we're growing in pots are doing beautifully and look so pretty and green on the front porch.

Finally, Daron pulled all the weeds from by the air conditioner and added some soil to level it off. The next step is to put down some weed blocking tarp thing and cover it with rocks. We also want to replace that lousy looking brick log next to the grass.It is so nice to have greenery and flowers surrounding one's home!!

Laughing with Esther

Laugh One:
Esther had just stubbed her toe on a wooden stool and after a moment of soothing, she was back to playing happily, wrestling with Nathan. I left the room for a minute and within moments heard a blood-curdling scream. As I ran into the living room, I quickly assessed the situation - no blood and Nathan was smiling. That's odd... Usually Nathan gets the raw end of the deal when they're rough housing. I asked Esther what happened and through her sobs, I could barely make out "Nathan 'pit up all over me!" Only then did I realize that her face was indeed covered with the remains of whatever fruit Nathan had just eaten for dinner. No wonder he was so satisfied with himself. So the stubbed toe hadn't been a big deal, but to be spit up on demanded screaming and even more screaming as I washed her up and tried so very hard not to laugh. And I did resist telling her that she was just getting her comeuppance for all the poking, pushing, clobbering, and sitting on that she's dished out to her little brother. The poor girl. For all her sometimes roughness, she really doesn't like to get dirty.

Laugh Two:
I was trying to change Nathan's dirty diaper on the driver's seat in the van before we went into Lowe's. He kept grabbing the steering wheel and pulling himself up and laughing at himself. It's rather hard to change a diaper like that. Exasperated, I said to Esther, "Nathan is being such a goose, isn't he?"

Esther says very seriously, "No, he just being a brother."

Miscellaneous

Here is the first pizza we made where Daron and I felt really good about the crust! Isn't it scrumptious looking?
Recently, Esther was playing with the colored pencils and this was her creation. It is a self portrait. Isn't that clever?

Goodbye boxed cereal! Hello homemade granola!

Up until recently, I've been only buying the all natural boxed cereals and granolas - think Kashi. They're really yummy and at least somewhat healthier than what you normally get in a box. Then I started buying them only when they were on sale. Then they seemed to stop going on sale, or the sale wasn't really a sale. So I stopped buying boxed cereal and granola.

Rather depressing, really, because I find it so much easier to pour bowls of cereal in the morning and hand out bananas and oj than to come up with something creative for every breakfast! And the fact that ever since I was pregnant with Esther, I can eat cereal at any time during the day.

My sister has been messing around with recipes lately, trying to create her own snack foods and found and adapted a recipe for granola. I was somewhat doubtful, wondering if I'd really be up to making my own cereal each week. But I gave it a try and voila! It really was simple and delicious! The recipe is extremely versatile and you could add just about anything to it. Give it a try and tell me what you think!

Cinnamon Stove Top Granola

INGREDIENTS
•1 1/4 tablespoons olive oil
•5 cups rolled oats
•1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
•1/3 cup butter
•1/4 cup honey
•1 tablespoon molasses
•1/2 cup packed brown sugar
•1/2 cup blanched slivered almonds (optional)
•1/2 cup dried cherries (optional)

DIRECTIONS
1. Heat the olive oil in a large stockpot over medium heat. Combine the oats and cinnamon and add them to the pot. Cook and stir until lightly toasted, stirring constantly, 3 to 4 minutes. Pour the oats out onto a large baking sheet and add the butter to the pot. When the butter has melted, stir in the honey, molasses and brown sugar. When the mixture starts to simmer, return the oats to the pot and continue to cook and stir until coated and hot.

2.Remove from the heat and stir in the almonds and cherries. Pour onto a large cookie sheet and allow to cool. The granola will harden as it cools. When cool, transfer to an airtight container and store at room temperature.

Notes: I toast the oats longer and keep it on the stove top for a bit longer after adding the liquid ingredients. Keep mixing or it will burn! It cooks it a bit longer so it will be toasted and crunchy. Then take it off the heat and add your dried fruit.

I also add about a 1/3 C. wheat germ, 1/2 C. Coconut, raisins, dates, etc. Anything goes really. I've added sunflower seeds and those are tasty. I'm thinking I would love to try pumpkin seeds come fall time! I recently added that dried fruit from Costco (cherries, blueberries, raspberries). SOOOO good!