Best of . . . A MOPS Life Blog

Originally Published 3/26/10

I had fun writing this one.

Tuesday I went for a doctor's appointment. I've hit the weekly stage. There is plenty of time to think waiting at the ob/gyns. Thought I'd share (possible TMI).

Basic Observations

1. Peeing in a plastic cup the size of a shot glass becomes increasingly difficult as your belly grows increasingly larger. I would like a cup with handles.
2. Jerry Springer though conversation inspiring is not what the majority of women waiting want to see.
3. Drug reps who walk right in after I've been waiting half an hour beyond the time of my appointment frustrate me.
4. The group B strep test is birth control.
5. So is the hour and a half waiting at the office when the appointment takes all of two minutes and involves a tape measure and doppler machine.
6. I've been with a clinic before where I had my choice of four doctors and to physician assistants. They are no more on-time than a one doctor, one physician office where I know who will deliver my baby.

For the Doctor

1. Making a me wait with no pants on for 30 minutes guarantees you a frustrated woman.
2. Asking me about a lost pregnancy every visit because you haven't read the problems drives me crazy.
3. I truly like my doctor. I truly dislike being pregnant (though I am thrilled with the outcome and our ability to have a baby.) It is a love hate relationship I have with you.

For Women

1. The man you choose to bring will embarrass you. Not because he means to, but because he doesn't want to be in the ob/gyn's office and he gets bored with daytime talk. Even I want to throw bits of rotten food at Rachel Ray and the Ladies of the View. (Guess what time my appointments usually are.)
   
2. Your children could fall off the spinning doctor's stool if you let them play on it because every other method of distraction has failed.
3. The beautiful women in the pregnancy magazines are professionally dressed, professionally made up, and air-brushed. And no store in Uniontown sells those cute dresses.
4. You will gather more information from and give more information to the other women (and their men and children) than you thought possible. Even when your plan is to read something you have been wanting to read for weeks.

A Bonus

Drinking in order to be sure you are prepared for the required bathroom visit before you leave for the appointment only assures your discomfort as the wait alone is long enough to fill your bladder.

Best of . . . A MOPS Life Blog

Originally published on May 27, 2009. 

Thinking about all the sweet and salty and high-calorie foods I've just consumed, makes me think of ways to kick my body back into healthy, real, whole foods mode.

Green Smoothies here I come.

So I found a new blog, The Lazy Organizer. Her family eats very differently than my family. You will have to read to see.

Anyway one of the things she makes is green smoothies. They sound gross, BUT I tried one today. And it wasn't gross in the least. OK the color is semi-unappealing, but the taste is really rather good.

So what is in a green smoothie you ask. I will share.

• A handful of spinach
• Some fruit fresh or frozen
• Milk to make smooth (it is a smoothie after all) **She uses water instead of milk, but I am a dairy lover.
• Ice if your using fresh fruit (I left the ice out as I was feeling lazy and the children were screaming.)

Blend and drink.

Seriously, I know drinkable spinach sounds like yuck, but it wasn't at all.

What do you like in your smoothies?

Best Of ... A MOPS Life Blog

Thursday, October 2, 2008

EBay Days
That is what I call them. Those days when my child seems to know where my buttons are and takes great joy in jumping on said button all day long.

Would I ever do it? Not on your life! She is mine--button jumping and all--and I would fight to the death to keep her. But it is also nice to have some kind of expression for the days when nothing seems to go right in mothering.

Saying it out loud gives voice to my very real feelings of being at the end, and something in those words works its way to God's ears and somehow, someway diffuses the situation with some humor and always an encouraged heart.

What about you? What is your expression? And how does it work?

Best Of ... A MOPS Life Blog

During this busy, fun, memorable time...I think it can be easy to not remember to cherish the moments.
So to kick off our BEST OF for this week, we are starting with a poem that has been featured on our blog twice and is in our newsletter every month.
I still need reminded to cherish the moments and I am thankful for the author of this poem and for the friend who's bathroom I first read it in.


Friday, March 5, 2010

A Mother's Prayer Poem

I originally saw this poem framed and hanging in a dear friend's bathroom back in October. She did not realize that I copied it (via my cell phone)
and placed it on our blog.

Today she emailed it to me...and today I needed it.
I wanted to share it will all of you again.




A Mother's Prayer

Oh give me patience when tiny hands
Tug at me with their small demands.

And give me gentle & smiling eyes;
Keep my lips from sharp replies.

And let not fatigue, confusion or noise
Obscure my vision of life's fleeting joys

.So when years later and my house is still-No bitter memories its room may fill.


~author unknown

Merry Christmas

Dear Readers, 

The time has come for the authors of this little blog to take a writing break to have those few extra minutes to celebrate God with Us with their families. This will be the last post before Christmas. Check back on Monday, December 27, 2010 for the best of the MOPS blog features. New material will be written beginning Jan 3rd. 

Have a wonderful Christmas and New Year's celebrations. 

Sarah (On behalf of all the authors here.)

Luke 2 (taken from The Message)

The Birth of Jesus

 ^1-5About that time Caesar Augustus ordered a census to be taken throughout the Empire. This was the first census when Quirinius was governor of Syria. Everyone had to travel to his own ancestral hometown to be accounted for. So Joseph went from the Galilean town of Nazareth up to Bethlehem in Judah, David's town, for the census. As a descendant of David, he had to go there. He went with Mary, his fiancée, who was pregnant.  ^6-7While they were there, the time came for her to give birth. She gave birth to a son, her firstborn. She wrapped him in a blanket and laid him in a manger, because there was no room in the hostel.

An Event for Everyone

 ^8-12There were sheepherders camping in the neighborhood. They had set night watches over their sheep. Suddenly, God's angel stood among them and God's glory blazed around them. They were terrified. The angel said, "Don't be afraid. I'm here to announce a great and joyful event that is meant for everybody, worldwide: A Savior has just been born in David's town, a Savior who is Messiah and Master. This is what you're to look for: a baby wrapped in a blanket and lying in a manger."  ^13-14At once the angel was joined by a huge angelic choir singing God's praises:

   Glory to God in the heavenly heights,
   Peace to all men and women on earth who please him.
 ^15-18As the angel choir withdrew into heaven, the sheepherders talked it over. "Let's get over to Bethlehem as fast as we can and see for ourselves what God has revealed to us." They left, running, and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in the manger. Seeing was believing. They told everyone they met what the angels had said about this child. All who heard the sheepherders were impressed.
 ^19-20Mary kept all these things to herself, holding them dear, deep within herself. The sheepherders returned and let loose, glorifying and praising God for everything they had heard and seen. It turned out exactly the way they'd been told!

Blessings

 ²¹When the eighth day arrived, the day of circumcision, the child was named Jesus, the name given by the angel before he was conceived.  ^22-24Then when the days stipulated by Moses for purification were complete, they took him up to Jerusalem to offer him to God as commanded in God's Law: "Every male who opens the womb shall be a holy offering to God," and also to sacrifice the "pair of doves or two young pigeons" prescribed in God's Law.
 ^25-32In Jerusalem at the time, there was a man, Simeon by name, a good man, a man who lived in the prayerful expectancy of help for Israel. And the Holy Spirit was on him. The Holy Spirit had shown him that he would see the Messiah of God before he died. Led by the Spirit, he entered the Temple. As the parents of the child Jesus brought him in to carry out the rituals of the Law, Simeon took him into his arms and blessed God:

   God, you can now release your servant;
      release me in peace as you promised.
   With my own eyes I've seen your salvation;
      it's now out in the open for everyone to see:
   A God-revealing light to the non-Jewish nations,
      and of glory for your people Israel.
 ^33-35Jesus' father and mother were speechless with surprise at these words. Simeon went on to bless them, and said to Mary his mother,

   This child marks both the failure and
      the recovery of many in Israel,
   A figure misunderstood and contradicted—
      the pain of a sword-thrust through you—
   But the rejection will force honesty,
      as God reveals who they really are.
 ^36-38Anna the prophetess was also there, a daughter of Phanuel from the tribe of Asher. She was by now a very old woman. She had been married seven years and a widow for eighty-four. She never left the Temple area, worshiping night and day with her fastings and prayers. At the very time Simeon was praying, she showed up, broke into an anthem of praise to God, and talked about the child to all who were waiting expectantly for the freeing of Jerusalem.
 ^39-40When they finished everything required by God in the Law, they returned to Galilee and their own town, Nazareth. There the child grew strong in body and wise in spirit. And the grace of God was on him.

They Found Him in the Temple

 ^41-45Every year Jesus' parents traveled to Jerusalem for the Feast of Passover. When he was twelve years old, they went up as they always did for the Feast. When it was over and they left for home, the child Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem, but his parents didn't know it. Thinking he was somewhere in the company of pilgrims, they journeyed for a whole day and then began looking for him among relatives and neighbors. When they didn't find him, they went back to Jerusalem looking for him.  ^46-48The next day they found him in the Temple seated among the teachers, listening to them and asking questions. The teachers were all quite taken with him, impressed with the sharpness of his answers. But his parents were not impressed; they were upset and hurt.
   His mother said, "Young man, why have you done this to us? Your father and I have been half out of our minds looking for you."
 ^49-50He said, "Why were you looking for me? Didn't you know that I had to be here, dealing with the things of my Father?" But they had no idea what he was talking about.
 ^51-52So he went back to Nazareth with them, and lived obediently with them. His mother held these things dearly, deep within herself. And Jesus matured, growing up in both body and spirit, blessed by both God and people.

Pondering Mary

But Mary treasured up all these things (the worship of Jesus), 

pondering them in her heart 

Luke 2:19

And He went down with them, and came to Nazareth; 

and He continued in subjection to them; 

and His mother treasured all these things in her heart. 

Luke 2:51

Mary was chosen by God to contribute half of the DNA necessary for the Son of God to walk on this earth, fully God and fully man, to carry the embryo, the fetus, the baby Jesus, to give birth to the Savior of the world, to mother, parent, care for the child Christ. Wow!

Yet, the Bible says she, like, dare I say, all mothers, stored up in her heart the comments others made about her boy, treasures, words to roll over and over in her mind. Really, who among us doesn't keep, almost more than any other words, those spoken about our children. And isn't the call to motherhood universal. The woman chosen to bear the Son of God who so often is depicted with a glowing halo of holiness about her did the same things we do. Found words of goodness and treasured them, pondering them in her heart. Creating dreams for her son.

Granted, her dreams included dreams of royalty. Dreams of freedom from Roman oppression. You see, in her time, many people had forgotten the hard prophesies of the coming Messiah--the abuse, the death, the pain--and were counting on the reign of a king freeing their country from the Romans. But she dreamed for her child.

I wonder when they took Jesus to be consecrated at the temple if she really heard the words of Simeon, after claiming the Salvation that Jesus is, he turned to her,

Behold, this Child is appointed for the fall and rise of many in Israel, 

and for a sign to be opposed

--and a sword will pierce even your own soul--

to the end that thoughts from many hearts may be revealed. 

Luke 2:34-35

I doubt that there is a mother in the world who would desire for harm, for pain, for deep suffering to enter into the lives of her children. (Yes, even the really bad ones.) Yet it will come. Our dreams, those treasured words will one day have the taste of tears, the quality of ash, as our children walk this world. For if even the mother of the Savior tasted dashed dreams, surely we as mamas to ordinary, man-DNA-plus-woman-DNA creatures will too.

And so, in this season of Luke 2, I wonder if Simeon's words and the fullness of Mary's experience could have words for us.

she pondered these things

treasuring them in her heart

these children, fully human, are created for a purpose

these children in fulfilling their purpose (or in the time of running from it) will experience pain

we as their mothers will be pierced with the pain they are going through

God desires for the suffering of children and their mothers to work redemption in the lives of others.

And so in the midst of little girl dreams and little boy aspirations and the tears that accompany disappointment, I declare hope.

I think, Mary who watched the Messiah, a child she knew was conceived supernaturally, she heard and saw angels foretelling, she heard stories of stars and angels proclaiming His absolute royalty, hang on a Roman cross, be pierced by Roman spear, be declared dead by men experienced in the ugly art of execution would talk of the way God works redemption out of the piercing pain of dead dreams.

For Mary was also able to see and hug the resurrected Lord. (OK, I know there is nowhere written that she hugged Him, but, really do you think He wouldn't have allowed His mother to weep great tears of relief and joy and to hug Him really tight and really long?)

His life, His death, His resurrection give hope for all us mamas that in Him the dried tears, ashes of dreams, are part of a grand plan for redemption for us, for our babies, and for the world.

Thankful Friday!

It's one week before Christmas Eve- there is snow on the ground and presents under our lit tree. We are snuggy warm in our house and love each other dearly. What more could a girl ask for?

Thank you, Lord that I have a home. I can't help but think a lot about the homeless during this week of bitter coldness we have had across the country. I wonder, how do they do it? How do they survive? Bless them, Lord. Help me to bless them, too.

This week, I'm thankful for:

Gifts bought and wrapped

Christmas preparations early for once!

The anticipation of a fun Christmas Eve and Day with family

Great teachers at Church who are kind and gentile with my son and teach him about God's Son

My sweet husband who is my hero

Pecan Tassies and Peppermint anything


Thank you, Lord for providing for me!

What are YOU thankful for this week?

Moments that Count

Moments that Count

I recently spoke to my cousin who lives in Illinois. We were exchanging stories about the kids. Our talk took us back to the days when we were the kids.

On all holidays we filled our grandparents house to celebrate the day. We meaning four children, their spouses, and at least 8 grandkids (plus guests!). The house was filled with joy, holiday spirit, and noise. Lots of chaos!

As our conversation continued, we realized we could not remember a gift that we received during those holidays. We know there were gifts but now thinking about it, they didn’t matter. It was the moments we shared with our family.

As I am planning our Christmas in our new home, I want my children to remember the family moments. Of course there will be favorite presents and surprises. Everyone loves presents! I don’t want the gifts to be a main focus though.

That is why this year, I have a new plan. I plan on sitting with my children and making cards for the family that can’t be here with us because of distance. I plan on celebrating those who we have lost over the past few years even when tears come to my eye and my heart misses them so much. I plan on sharing stories of the children in Peru that my sister and brother in law had the honor of ministering to. You see I want to take the focus from Santa, presents and ourselves to show my children a whole world that we take for granted. I am thankful that my family instilled that into me and want my children to know the chaos of a house full…..of love.

~Donna Galderisi

Easy Truffles

Ingredients

1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
3 cups confectioners' sugar, sifted
3 cups semisweet chocolate chips, melted
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla



Directions

In a large bowl, beat cream cheese until smooth. Gradually beat in confectioners' sugar until well blended. Stir in melted chocolate and vanilla until no streaks remain. Refrigerate for about 1 hour. Shape into 1 inch balls. Roll in desired coating.

Roll truffles in ground pecans (or any ground nuts), cocoa, coconut, confectioners' sugar, candy sprinkles, etc.

To flavor truffles with liqueurs or other flavorings, omit vanilla. Divide truffle mixture into thirds. Add 1 tablespoon liqueur (almond, coffee, orange) to each mixture; mix well.

MOPS Rescheduled!

We have rescheduled MOPS!

We hope to see all of you

TUESDAY December 21st!
6pm-8pm

Christmas Question

I am sitting here watching the beautiful snow fall...thinking about what we may have been talking about tonight at MOPS (had we decided to try) and the thing I think I may have asked one or two of you in our conversations is...


What is one gift you can remember that really meant alot to you and you were very surprised to get?

You see my husband's side of the family we are all required to provide "This is what I want for Christmas and this is where you can buy it" lists. Yes. Sad isn't it? The argument is that no one wants to have a failed gift and the line I have heard the past 15 years that I have shared Christmas with this family, "if I am going to buy you a gift I want it to be something that you really want!"
As my family already knows, I hate telling people WHAT I want for Christmas! I do not like providing a list. I want to be surprised! I want you to think about who I am and I want you to get me something that comes from your heart! Am I alone in this? I think I am one of the easiest people in the world to buy for. All I want is something from the heart.

So the past few years I have refused to provide a list. I may have mentioned a few things in passing but unless it is written, no one pays attention. I still receive lists. I cannot say that I have never purchased something off of a list because. . .desperate times call for desperate measures.

So let me rephrase my question:
What is one gift you can remember that really meant alot to you and you were very surprised to get? One NOT ON A LIST...one FROM A HEART?

Cancellation

Our MOPS Meeting is cancelled for this evening, due to the weather.

We are going to reschedule for either Tuesday the 21st or Tuesday the 28th. We will know which date by tomorrow evening!



Tuesday's question will be up soon!!!!

An Example...

I am honored, as I have been asked to write to you MOPS. I first want to say, even though I am a 'seasoned' MOPS of 11 years, (having 5 children ranging from 11yrs. to 21 mos.) I still face many challenges that this journey of motherhood brings. I feel it is important for us to be 'real' with one another as moms. Do any of you remember the MOPS theme "Real Moms"? (hope I'm not that seasoned...LOL)

Recently, the Lord has been speaking to me about my attitude. Phil. 2:5 Paul states, "Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus:"
It is easy to be Christ-like when my day is going well, when the children are obeying and showing love to me or to one another. BUT what about the times, whether often or seldom, when the opposite is present? When the children are angry, sad, hurt or disobedient.....when the house is a wreck because we 'live' in it, or when NOT one thing has been checked off my 'to-do' list for the day ?
Am I being Christ-like, is my attitude that of His?

Do I realize my children are watching me, DAILY?

'Being real' ,I NEED the Lord to continue to help me to grow in this area! I DO want to make a difference in the lives of my children.

Col.3:12 states," Therefore as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.

On paper, I traced and cut my hand out adding these 5 virtues, one on each finger, and on the palm wrote Col.3:14 which states, "And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity." (I'm placing this above my sink where I OFTEN am )

Isn't that what it's all about...LOVE, not human love, but God's love. How much more could God's love be displayed than at Christmas! Christ was born to set an example for us to follow!

May we strive to live a life pleasing to Him.
Merry Christmas!

Journeying Together,
Lauren Martin
(Gal. 6:9)

Anticipation...

There is so much anticipation in my home for Christmas.

As we read our Advent story each night (and a few other Christmas and wintery stories), the excitement continues to build.

Today I am thankful for:

~The Reason for the Season

~The challenge I face as a parent, to make sure my children understand and love that reason.

~The mistake we made of telling our children that Sunday marks the day that we are getting our Christmas tree. I am thankful for this error (however, you would think we would had learned by now that our children have NO CONCEPT of time and that you cannot tell children anything exciting until maybe 2 hours before said event) because had we not, then we wouldn't be hearing this Brenna composed song, at least 3 times a waking hour for the past 48 hours (and counting)... "We're getting our tree on Sunday! We're getting our tree on Sunday!" Yes, can you hear her little voice singing?

~Anticipation for Sunday!

~Siblings getting along and HUGGING!

~A weekend of fun ahead with family, good friends and tradition.

~Early Christmas gifts. A little coin that says "Mommy I love you!" and a precious gold ring with a red stone that was purchased in the Secret Santa Shop at school. She could not wait to give all of us her gifts. We let her. Seems I know someone else just like that? Hmmmm. Isn't it very cool to see good parts of you in your children.

~Cookies that fail because I am reminded that I am not called to be "super mom" (baking well would be in my definition of a super mom) and my kids are content with the no-bakes. I am also reminded that it's okay to try again...but pick a DIFFERENT recipe = -)

~Anticpation of GIFT GIVING!

~Giving my daugher a "I'm six years old and need to play for an entire day and eat, rest and relax at will" day off from school. It's legal.

~Enjoying that day home with my children by making gifts and spending time together.

~An entertaining kitty cat from another planet = - ) - One of our cats has to wear a cone.

~Anticipation of our traditional Christmas Prayer by my dad. That when we were little he made EXTRA long on purpose.

~OHHHH how I love this time of year and all of the joy that it brings!!!

As We Wait

 

Tis the season of Advent. Waiting expectantly in our house sometimes ends up looking like a frenzied last minute rush to add some merriment and tradition to the season. I could see it now.

Husband: So what were your Christmas traditions?

Abigail: Well, Mom spent the holiday's frustrated, grouchy, and in a hurry.

Husband: What did you do?

Abigail: Rushed around alot.

OK, so maybe that isn't quite how it would go, but I'm telling you I could picture it and I didn't like it. (The Christmas planner I tried and advertised at our meeting bit the dust in the two-weeks of Birthday and Thanksgiving.)

I did what is becoming habit: read some blogs. Then I came up with a plan. And advent calendar that marks the days not with candies but with activities--

• watch a holiday movie (or four), 
• sing and dance Christmas carols, 
• make ornaments, 
• address and send Christmas cards, 
• read special stories, 
• give, give, give.

That's what we have. Lest you think more of me than you should, I will confess that the envelops weren't filled till the 3rd and the tree wasn't on the wall till the 5th and it still isn't straight. But, hey, I wasn't looking for perfection, just for tradition.

Now I can hear it.

Wife: So what did you do for Christmas in your family?

Simon: Well, Mom stuck a crocheted sting on the wall in the shape of a wounded Christmas tree and hung decorated envelops from it with things to do as we waited for Christmas. I think we should do that too. 

Well, maybe my imagination may be getting a little ahead of itself there. But I have my aspirations.

As an aside, I just bought a magazine, whole living, and read an entire article on embracing the chaos. There now I don't have to feel bad about ditching the Christmas planner.

Applesauce Ornaments

These are fun to make and they smell, oh, so good. I don't do anything exactly, but Donna does so I am going to use her recipe and tell you what I do, or don't (other than measure).

• 1 cup applesauce
• 1 cup cinnamon
• 1 cup glue

Mix all together till a dough forms. Roll out. Cut out your ornaments remembering to put a hole for the hanger to go through. Dry.

Since I don't measure my recipe looks more like

• 1 jar of the cheapest applesauce I can find
• 3 large gars of the cheapest cinnamon I can find
• all purpose flour

Mix the applesauce and the cinnamon together. Add flour till the mixture is roll-able. This is best done with a mixer as getting the right consistency takes a while. Continue from above. Usually I am pretty picky about the food we buy, but since these are more for the smell and the fun I don't even look at the ingredient list!

Question Tuesday!

After Joy's post yesterday, I was thinking about all of the times I have felt the Lord come along side of me and involve Himself with me at a time I really needed to know He was there. I would love to hear of a time you really felt the Lord come along side of you? Is there a specific incident where you can remember and encourage others by telling of that time?

Rejoicing in His love......

"I will be glad and rejoice in your love, for you saw my affliction and knew the anguish of my soul.  You have not handed me over to the enemy but have set my feet in a spacious place."  Psalm 31:7,8

There's just something about knowing that God sees my troubles!  Sometimes it's just the little trials - a flu bug hitting the family, a disagreement that brings irritation, disappointment with myself, fatigue, and unfinished tasks.  God is concerned and interested in my "small" problems. Nothing is too small for Him! 

Then there are the bigger trials - the ones that cause anguish.  Anguish over heartbreaking loss, tragic events, serious illness, broken relationships, devastating sin and the injustices of this cruel world.  He sees it all and understands what we go through each day.  He doesn't just look on and watch to see how we'll survive!  He comes right alongside us and helps us through each difficulty.  He steadies us so we can keep getting up every morning and caring for our families and other responsibilities. 

 I love the idea of Him leading us into a "spacious place".  We can feel so hemmed in by our circumstances, so powerless to change the trying situation at hand.  As we put it all in God's Hands, He allows us to feel that we are free and peaceful, even if the circumstances don't change. 

 During the Christmas season there are many happy moments and the anticipation of joyful events, but I still need the reassurance that God has His eye on me and is always there to help me.  I feel so incredibly blessed to know the true Gift of this season, Jesus, who loves us so much!  Christmas cards will bring us wishes of peace, love, and joy.  Amazingly, all of those are ours in Jesus.   When the moments of perplexity or doubt or weariness come, I will calmly do a reality check!  My God is aware of everything that has come my way and He is ready to help in every situation!  

written by Joy Herman

Just a List

Good Morning.
As we get closer to Christmas, could we all make a list of the gifts we've already been given.

:: raisins in oatmeal ::

:: getting out the Christmas music ::

:: advent calendars ::

:: cinnamon smells ::

:: cuddles in flannel sheets on cold mornings ::

:: snow and sleds and little people made big in snow clothes ::

:: thinking much about Jesus ::

:: red and green ::

:: time to make memories ::

:: fully charged cameras with plenty of room on memory cards ::

What's on your list?

Mommy and Me

Pulling in from our evening at church, my little son noticed that our yard was filled with snow. Not a lot of snow, but enough for him to drive his wagon, bicycle and big wheel through the snow and inspect the tracks that he created. He'd been waiting all of autumn for the chance to do this! He loves to see tracks in sand, mud and snow, and here was snow!!

"Mommy? Can I please just drive my wagon through the snow really quick?"

It's late... my head said
He hasn't slept enough this week
He's going to be cranky
He's only little once... grab this moment- will he even like making tracks in snow next winter?
Let him stay up and feel the joy of realized anticipation...
Rest and relish this short time with your son...

It was quiet, except for the sounds of toy vehicles coming and going from my garage. I saw his little face happily looking back behind each one to check out his tracks. "Mommy! Did you see the tracks my go cart made?" he said proudly. He slipped and fell, and decided right there to try to make a snow angel in our minimal amount of snow. The stars were easily visible. It was a perfect fifteen minutes.

I could have missed it....

Christmas Cookies

Christmas Snowballs

BLEND:
1 c. margarine
1 c. shortening / 4 t. vanilla
2/3 c. sugar / 4 t. water



MIX IN:
4 c. flour and then...
1/4 c. chopped walnuts or pecans
(Nuts are optional, but not for me! You can always do half with and half without!)


Chill at least 2 to 3 hours. (If I'm in a hurry, I press the dough all around the bowl so that it's thin ~ and it chills even faster, like within an hour.) Shape into walnut-size balls. Bake at 325° for 15 min. Allow to cool thoroughly and then roll in powdered sugar to thoroughly coat.