Stream of Consciousness, sort of.

I read something the other day (on a blog I love) that bothered me. I commented, (as did a lot of other people) and felt satisfied to have put in my two cents. The author was very gracious in her reply to me, and I hardly thought of it again. Just now I saw some of the comments left after mine, and now I am bothered again.

I am trying to figure out if I should blog about it or not. It sounds so stupid, but I wouldn't want anyone else to feel bothered by my blog post about being bothered.

I actually sat down to pour out my thoughts on the matter... but I stopped short. I'm unsure of whether to proceed. Is it acceptable to vent one's issues with another blogger's post on one's own blog? She has a ginormous readership (somewhere in the ballpark of eleventy million readers), while mine is small-ish (okay, okay. I think I probably have about 7 or 8 readers now), so I'm pretty sure that nobody who reads her blog also reads mine. (I mean seriously, I think I'm related to at least 3 of my regular readers.)

But still.

I hesitate.

I do not wish to ruffle any feathers.

I do not wish to offend.

Hmmm....

Perhaps I should sleep on it & figure out what to do tomorrow.

For now, I will leave you with a photo of the two most adorable people I know.

 

Goodnight!

Valentine's Recap

We here at Purple Brick Road were all about the Valentine's spirit. From the songs we sang (Skin-na-ma-rink-a-dink....) To the foods we ate (peanut butter & celery with pink sprinkles anyone?) to the paper we used in our crafts... we were all about love.

Even our peanuts got into the spirit. Tyson found this while he was eating one of my "quix mix" snacks (which is basically a trail mix that I throw together with whatever I can find, then serve in coffee filters because they are oh-so much cheaper than paper plates and so much easier to clean up than real plates - Thank you for the tip, G-ma! Wow. Run-on sentence much?) Anyway, he looked down & said, "Hey, Mommy? This peanut is a Valentine's peanut." I said, "Um, okay. Whatever floats your boat. I guess we can call this the 'Valentine Mix'." Then he said, "No, no, no. I mean, it has a heart on it." I said, "No way." And lo & behold (don't you just love saying that?) it actually did have a heart on it. Cool.
(Please try not to notice my terribly dry and ugly cuticles. If you played guitar and washed your hands about a bazillion times every day your cuticles would be crying out for help too. For the record, I often paint my nails on Fridays, so they can look pretty until Sunday night...)

I came home from bootcamp Saturday morning to find my boys gone to tennis, and this waiting for me on the kitchen table:

This was the cute card that Ty & Riley picked out. I suspect it was more Riley's choice since that boys does love a rubber duck. I won't share the message they wrote inside, but it was super-sweet, and bears Riley's first-ever signature. (which he had a lot of help with, but still.)

Aren't these beautiful. I'm so sad that my camera couldn't accurately capture their beauty.
It sort of chugs & chokes along when I'm trying to photograph anything up close. But I promise that now, almost a week later, those roses are still gorgeous. I think they might make it the whole week!

And, in the fridge was a tasty treat:
Strawberries! (Since I am trying in earnest to dump the junk food.)

Oh, but these are not just any strawberries. These are ginormous, mutant strawberries that must have been grown near a nuclear power plant, or Bruce Banner's gamma lab, or something.


I really must say that I noticed some interesting things this Valentine's Day that I had not realized in Valentine's Days gone by.

#1. Even the craft-foam hearts at my son's school speak "tween." At this point, I'm just thankful that I knew what "LOL" and "BFF" meant without asking. I feel so out of touch sometimes...

#2. Valentine's Day with boys is weird. Little boys are not into cute cards, sparkly hearts, and fluffy bears like little girls are.
Apparently, boys are into eyeballs. Gummy eyeballs. Which are meant to be eaten.
And also, little boys are into cows. Oh, yeah. I can hear you saying, "What? Cows? That's a cute cow. And very appropriate for Valentine's Day if you live on a dairy farm."


Well, here's the thing. We do not live on a dairy farm (although ironically, both my maternal and paternal grandmothers grew up on dairy farms... but I digress). Also, this cow is noisy - it moo's anytime you pick it up, bump the table, or cause a slight breeze to brush past it's general vicinity. And it is full of candy. "What's wrong with that," you ask? Well, true to the interest of adorable little boys, one must lift the tail of the cow to get the candy out, if you know what I mean. (For those of you who don't know what I mean, the cow poops out the candy!) Which boys apparently think is hilarious.

Who knew that living with boys would be so... unusual?

I LOVE MY CROCK POT

Really. I. do. I use my crockpot at least once a week. If you are a work-outside-the-home mom, your crock pot could very well become your best friend. You toss all you ingredients in before you leave for work in the morning, and by the time you get home (tired & bedraggled) dinner is ready for you! I should also mention that I use it throughout the summer when I am not working, too. It's great for cooking larger quantities of soups & sauces for freezing/canning.

Today I'm sharing my family's favorite crock pot dinner. Beef Stew. I must apologize for my "recipe." It's one of my own, and I tend to cook a lot like my Nani (Grandma). You know, a pinch of this, handful of that, etc. You'll probably want to figure out your own measurements according to the preferences of your family.

Keowdie's Best Beef Stew

Ingredients:
Olive oil
1 lb of beef stew meat (or venison)
1 white or yellow onion
A couple cloves of garlic
3-4 potatoes (red or baking)
4-5 carrots
A couple handfuls fresh green beans (optional)
A few cups of frozen corn (optional)
1-2 packets of brown gravy mix
Seasonings: rubbed sage, savory, rosemary, salt, pepper, whatever...

Directions:

1. Cut the stew meat into kid friendly bite-size pieces. Season with salt and pepper. Set aside.
2. Cut onion, mince garlic & saute them in olive oil. When onions are translucent & it starts to smell yummy, add the meat. Cook meat just until browned.
   
3. Remove from heat & drain.
4. Cut potatoes, carrots & green beans into bite sized pieces.
   
5. Put meat, potatoes, carrots, green beans & corn into crock pot. Add water to crock pot until everything is covered.
   
6. Stir in the brown gravy mix and seasonings. I usually do a small handful (each) of sage and savory, and a large pinch of rosemary. You could also add parsley if you want.
   
7. Mix it all up and cover. Cook on low 6-8 hours, or on high 4-6 hours (depending on your crock pot). You basically want all your veggies to be tender.
8. You can, if you prefer a thicker stew broth, use a few tablespoons of flour or corn starch mixed with water to thicken a bit before serving.
9. Serve with warm whole wheat rolls on a cold day. Yum.
   

Comments:

• If I make this on a week day, then I usually brown the meat and chop the veggies the night before. When I do this, I also season the meat with sage and savory when I brown it. Then, I put the meat, carrots, green beans & corn in a big Ziploc bag, add a little more seasoning, shake it all up, then stick it in the fridge. This gives everything an awesome flavor.
• I also cut up my potatoes the night before. I just put them in an airtight bowl, and cover them with water before putting the lid on. Then I store them in the fridge. I know potatoes can "sugar" in the fridge, but I think it must take more than a few hours, because they always taste fine.
• You can always add more seasoning as the day goes if it seems a little weak. You can also use fresh herbs (I do whenever we can afford it).
• This recipe works really well for venison. Because the meat basically hangs out in a hot tub all day, it's never dry or tough.
• If you like mushrooms (we do), you can add them about 30 minutes before you serve this stew.

For more crock pot goodness, visit Smockity Frocks.

I LOVE MY CROCK POT

Really. I. do. I use my crockpot at least once a week. If you are a work-outside-the-home mom, your crock pot could very well become your best friend. You toss all you ingredients in before you leave for work in the morning, and by the time you get home (tired & bedraggled) dinner is ready for you! I should also mention that I use it throughout the summer when I am not working, too. It's great for cooking larger quantities of soups & sauces for freezing/canning.

Today I'm sharing my family's favorite crock pot dinner. Beef Stew. I must apologize for my "recipe." It's one of my own, and I tend to cook a lot like my Nani (Grandma). You know, a pinch of this, handful of that, etc. You'll probably want to figure out your own measurements according to the preferences of your family.

Keowdie's Best Beef Stew

Ingredients:
Olive oil
1 lb of beef stew meat (or venison)
1 white or yellow onion
A couple cloves of garlic
3-4 potatoes (red or baking)
4-5 carrots
A couple handfuls fresh green beans (optional)
A few cups of frozen corn (optional)
1-2 packets of brown gravy mix
Seasonings: rubbed sage, savory, rosemary, salt, pepper, whatever...

Directions:

1. Cut the stew meat into kid friendly bite-size pieces. Season with salt and pepper. Set aside.
2. Cut onion, mince garlic & saute them in olive oil. When onions are translucent & it starts to smell yummy, add the meat. Cook meat just until browned.
   
3. Remove from heat & drain.
4. Cut potatoes, carrots & green beans into bite sized pieces.
   
5. Put meat, potatoes, carrots, green beans & corn into crock pot. Add water to crock pot until everything is covered.
   
6. Stir in the brown gravy mix and seasonings. I usually do a small handful (each) of sage and savory, and a large pinch of rosemary. You could also add parsley if you want.
   
7. Mix it all up and cover. Cook on low 6-8 hours, or on high 4-6 hours (depending on your crock pot). You basically want all your veggies to be tender.
8. You can, if you prefer a thicker stew broth, use a few tablespoons of flour or corn starch mixed with water to thicken a bit before serving.
9. Serve with warm whole wheat rolls on a cold day. Yum.
   

Comments:

• If I make this on a week day, then I usually brown the meat and chop the veggies the night before. When I do this, I also season the meat with sage and savory when I brown it. Then, I put the meat, carrots, green beans & corn in a big Ziploc bag, add a little more seasoning, shake it all up, then stick it in the fridge. This gives everything an awesome flavor.
• I also cut up my potatoes the night before. I just put them in an airtight bowl, and cover them with water before putting the lid on. Then I store them in the fridge. I know potatoes can "sugar" in the fridge, but I think it must take more than a few hours, because they always taste fine.
• You can always add more seasoning as the day goes if it seems a little weak. You can also use fresh herbs (I do whenever we can afford it).
• This recipe works really well for venison. Because the meat basically hangs out in a hot tub all day, it's never dry or tough.
• If you like mushrooms (we do), you can add them about 30 minutes before you serve this stew.

For more crock pot goodness, visit Smockity Frocks.

Bible in 90 Days Update

I'm still. so. far. behind.

Seriously.

I have somehow managed to get 10 or so days behind.

I feel like such a failure.

But.

I am not going to give up.

I sat down last night and marked up my Bible with Post-its. (Dude. I LOVE Post-its!)
I figured out that I have to read 27 pages every day this week. Then I will be completely caught up by next Monday. See?
I added a little reminder to stay caught up, because this feeling of being behind is awful. Terrible. And, also it's going to take some serious dedication, perseverance and sacrifice to do 27 pages/day for a week. (I'm not entirely sure I can do it... clearly I was unable to do 12 pages/day so far, or else I would be behind.) My Bible will go everywhere (and I mean everywhere) with me. Any time I have a minute or two I will stick my nose in that book and read. Read. READ!

How is your reading going?

Odds-N-Ends

Today I have just a few odd & ends to take care of.

First of all, I have to say "Thank you!" to the very awesome Beth from Raising Three Sons.

I received a Target gift card from her on Friday.
I was lucky enough to win this little beauty (because, really, is there any store that is better than Target?) in a giveaway on her blog. You really should click on over and visit her. Raising Three Sons is one of my favorite blogs. Beth is witty, funny and she inspires in the delight she finds in being a wife & mom. I guarantee she'll put a grin on your face!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I recently received an email asking about my hair and [gasp!] tattoo. Someone wanted to know if I really have pink hair and a tattoo.

I guess that if you have come to know me for the relatively calm Christian woman, wife, mom & career girl that I am... it could maybe come as a surprise that I am a "little bit rock-n-roll."

So, do I really have pink hair? Well, let's see:
I'd call that a big yes. The hair color company actually calls it "magenta," but I think the name matters not. It's as pink as it can be, and I love it!

And what about the tattoo?

I must admit that, yes, I have that too.

Mine was not some drunken college statement to rebel against my parents. I got it just three years ago, and it means something very special and important to me.
This is the Manus Dei (which is Latin for "Hand of God"), and it is inside my left forearm, just below my elbow. It is one of the most important things I have done for myself. It is both a symbol and a reminder. I have anxiety disorder, and have had it most of my life. This tattoo serves as a constant reminder that I have nothing to fear, that my worry is misplaced because I have faith and can trust in my Lord. This is something I know. I know this as well as I know my own voice. But sometimes the chemicals in my brain are not so cooperative with remembering this. My tattoo reminds me that He is here and that nothing ever surprises Him.

It is also a symbol of my decision to follow Him, no matter what. It is my way of proclaiming, "I have given my life to the Lord. My life is His, and I will do with it whatever He calls me to do. Even when I don't want to."

So, yes, I'm a little bit country and a little bit rock & roll. I have pink hair and a tattoo. I hope that you won't hold these things against me. Because I'm also a wife and a mom and a daughter of Christ, just like you.

What Can I Say?

I'm so. far. behind.

I think I might be somewhere in the ballpark of 9 or 10 days behind, but I'm too afraid to actually count.

I don't really know how it happened.

Mondays & Wednesdays are tough for me. I have many students, lots of paperwork and very little time for anything outside of my work and family responsibilities.

I think I got a couple days behind...

And then it completely snowballed on me.

As in, "Run, Indiana Jones! Run from the ginormous boulder of unread Bible pages that is chasing you! Run!!!"

{Deep breath}

But all is well. I am not panicking. Yet.

March first is over a week away. That's my be-caught-up date. I will be caught up by march 1.

I want to stay caught up for the rest of the challenge. So that I can finish on time.

Wait. Let me rephrase that: I will stay caught up for the rest of the challenge so that I can finish on time.

Here's how I'm going to do it: I am going to multitask it a bit by taking my Bible with me everywhere. I can bang out at least a half hour of reading every other morning while I do cardio. I can read for 5-10 minutes between a couple of sessions at work (since I rarely take a lunch), but on the days that I do take a lunch, I can read then. I will also be reading while I wait for Ty's bus in the afternoons, as well as the time between me getting everything ready for the next day & me going to bed (which is sometimes only about 10 minutes...).

And speaking of going to bed, I should be headed that way now... I just started Job today. The entire story of Job makes me so sad. But I shall read it and glean what I can from it anyway.

Thanks for stopping by!

Blame it on...

Cub Scouts, or...

hockey leagues, or...

the NFL.

There might be a slight shortage on content here at Purple Brick Road this week.

See, since we are in the middle of the school year, I have zero time to blog in the middle of the week. (Consequently, I also have zero time to knit, read, do laundry, sleep and occasionally, shower...) So I have recently started sneaking out of my house on Sunday mornings to write & schedule posts for the week.

Last Sunday was super-busy though. We had to do the grocery shopping (a day late because of a busy Saturday), then we had to go on a hike with Ty's Cub Scout pack, then Hubby had to go play hockey, then I had to finish cleaning the house, then the in-laws (whom I absolutely adore!) came over for the Superbowl. That went well-past my bedtime.

No blogging was accomplished. But, for good reason - the blessing of a rich family life.

If we get a snowday, maybe... but at this point that's a long shot.

In the mean time, let me know in the comments section if you have any questions for me... you know, anything you want to know. About my story, family, Bible in 90Days, ultimate secrets of the universe...

I'm just kidding about that last one! (But if you know any great secrets of the universe - like why the weather forecasters in St. Louis can NOT seem to accurately forecast the weather - please be sure to share in the comments section!)

For now, I will leave you with a recent photo of my sweet boys.

Works for Me

This is my first time. Please be gentle...

We have recently revamped our system of discipline.

The boys are getting older (22 months, and 7 years) and things were beginning to get a bit out of hand. They keep coming up with new & innovative ways to break rules, "shurk the work" and generally get into trouble.

My husband & I realized over Christmas vacation that we were doing a lot of reacting, and it rarely turned out good. (Think crying, stomping, yelling full-on temper tantrums... and that was just me!)

So, we implemented three new tools that have stopped the virtual spin cycle that had become our house.

The first thing we did was to sit down with our 7 year old & work together to put those unspoken household rules (you know, like "speak to others with respect" and "obey Mom & Dad") into a clear & concise list. The list was written out & posted in the kitchen. (Isn't it nice when kids start to read fluently???)
The second thing we did was to think up some creative (and useful) consequences for breaking those rules. We wrote them on strips of paper & put them into the consequence jar. Some examples of consequences you might find in this jar include:

"wash the kitchen floor" - I don't know about you, but mine seems to be a magnet for all things sticky.
"Put five words into alphabetical order" - because this is a great skill to practice when you are in 1st grade.
"Empty recycle bag into large can" - there is always something to be taken outside.
"Scoop the poop" - we have two dogs and a fenced backyard. If it's raining, there is a gecko cage upstairs.

Here's the really fun part: if Mommy or Daddy break a rule, they, too, must draw out a consequence & get it done.

Attitude during consequences is faced with additional consequences being drawn out & completed. (The family record was four in a row - it was not set by me.)

It's working wonderfully. Ty gave himself a consequence last week because he realized he had disrespected me (after I gave him my "mom look.")

I should mention that Riley is exempt from the consequence jar at this time. He's too little to understand & do most of the stuff, so he still gets a minute on the rug when he needs a correction.

The other thing we did was to implement "Sticks."

We have given Ty an allowance for several years. He can do specific chores & extra things around the house to earn money. Since the chores that need to be done are different each day, they are written in a notebook for quick reference. We give one craft stick per chore or helpful deed, and at the end of the week, the sticks are exchanged for cash. (Each stick is worth a dime. Daddy just gave us all a raise - cheapskate Mommy was only giving a nickel per stick...) Until recently, Ty was the only one who received sticks.

But, in the face of a few really lazy weeks, we decided to make sticks available to anyone who gets the work done. Each family member has a cup (they will be more stylish cans, as soon as I save enough) on the table in the hallway.

The person who does the work gets a stick in their cup. Ty is the official family stick counter. This means that at the end of the day, he has an opportunity to see how helpful each family member was that day, based on how many sticks they got. Last week, his little brother helped do all but one of the chores while Ty loafed on the couch. Ty really began to understand the system.

Now, they do not get sticks for some things, like keeping their rooms clean, clearing their own dishes from the table, picking up their toys in the living room, or generally taking care of their own stuff. But, they do get sticks for things like helping me unload the dishwasher, helping me with laundry, dusting the baseboards & swiffering the floors.

I know allowances & discipline can be controversial topics, but this is what 'works for me.'

For more great WFMW ideas, visit We are That Family

A Silly Question

Okay, I have a question for everyone who is reading or has read the Bible from Genesis through 2Chronicles.

Come to think of it, I wondered this the last time I tried to read the Bible.

Are you ready? Here it is:

We just covered the stories of Saul, David & Solomon. The battles, the moving of the Ark, the building of the temple, etc. I thought the timeline & events were very clear the first time.

So does anybody know why we are reviewing it again in the books of 1&2 Chonicles?

Now, I am not by any means criticizing or questioning the Lord in a prideful manner. It's His story, and I am happy to let Him tell it in whatever way He wants to.

But. I'm confused. Because I also know that He doesn't seem to do anything, big or small, without a very specific reason.

As I read this morning, I caught myself saying, "Yes, I already know that David made Joab count all the fighting men in Isreal, & that this displeased the Lord. I just read about it, like, three days ago. Why to we have to go over it again?"

And, then I realized that there must be a reason for all this review. And, then I became mildly frustrated (with myself, not God) because I can't Imagine what that reason could be. It seems a silly question, because I know the answer must be very obvious...

So, I present the silly question to you wise women.

Why all the review?

Bible in 90 Days update

It's been a while since I posted about how it's going.

It's going... inconsistently.

I'm frustrated because I keep getting behind. Wednesdays are just not a good day to read. My work schedule and my after-work schedule are super busy.

Today I'm about one full day behind. I'm feeling frustrated. And I hope to get caught up and ahead by Tuesday. Maybe if I read some of Wednesday's pages on Tuesday I will be able to eek out Wednesdays pages on time.

HOWEVER...

As for the actual content, I'm loving it. Here are a few reflections:

• The Old Testament is seriously violent. There is a lot of beheading people, chopping them with the sword, piercing people with the sword, etc. If God were to make it into a movie, it would have to be rated R for adult content & violence.

• I simply do not understand how in the name of all that is purple, the people of Israel kept turning their backs on the Lord their God. Seriously! I mean, I know they didn't have the Grace that came from Christ or anything, but they did have prophets. And they had the stories of their own ancestors - all that wonderfullness of God bringing their own people up out of Egypt. They had miracles. But they still kept putting up those darned asherah poles. This boggles my mind & I simply do. not. get. it.
  

• The story of David was a happy & sad & happy one. He messed up by having that one guys killed, but he faced his punishment & moved on, walking in the ways of the Lord. The story of Solomon was happy and then tragically sad. You would have thought that after having spoken directly with the Lord, and receiving all that wisdom straight from God Himself, Solomon would have been able to stay faithful to the Lord.
  

• I cannot pronounce any of the names or places in the Old Testament. I am sure God cringes each time I verbally butcher someone's name. This was especially true in 1 Chronicles.

• I must admit to being a little surprised by the fact that the Israelites put to death so many children of the people they were driving out. Everytime it says "both young & old," I want to cry. I haven't read this part of the Bible since I became a mom, and it breaks my heart to think about that. I understand that God was really only concerned with His people and everything, but still, that's not a side of God I had ever really ruminated on before. It's uncomfortable.

Overall, I am absolutely loving the changes in my heart that are stemming from spending this much time [almost] daily in the Word.

Are you reading the #B90Days? How are you doing?