Lots to Do

There are two dates on the calendar; and a lot of action going on to get everything ready for those two dates.

July 1 - house gets put up for sale

Sept 1 - when we are scheduled to move into our new house

Rob has already started bringing the boxes home. The kitchen is under a painting renovation and the cabinet doors are in the garage being sanded down and painted a color that matches the same decade that we are currently living!

Family devotions and meal time prayers are including petitions to God - to sell our house and have us able to move to our new home in a few weeks.

We are more than ready to be closer to the school and the church and know beyond a shadow of a doubt that God wants us to live closer! Now it is up to Him to get us there - and to give us the strength to get everything done.

Please pray with us - - there is a lot to do!

Blessings,

~Martie

Photo Shoot for Two

I love my daughter's photography work ...

I love my other daughter's image on my daughter's work...

Enjoy

There are more photo's.

Thanks for stopping by- I am so glad you did.

Blessings,

~Martie

The Good Life

I can't imagine what life would be like if I had to spend my days with only having to make sure there are clean clothes for everyone and figure out what is for dinner. How boring would that be?!

Life is so much more exciting when there is mono and spleens to think about... hearing aids and autism to monitor... and for good measure a broken bone or two...

Do not- -I repeat, DO NOT feel sorry for this boy. He is wearing this blue contraption on his hand like a Olympian does a medal around his neck. (It does not help matters that everywhere we go people ask what he did to his arm!) Chest swells to full lung capacity as he explains it was a football injury. Absolutely amazing at how much pride a piece of plaster can foster in a pre - teen boy!

As for me, well, I have spent a lot of time in the van (transporting patients to their next doctor appointments) thinking about what life will be like when they are all grown and gone. I am seeing Rob and I sitting on the deck of our quiet house reading a book and sipping lemonade (oh, alright, lemonade for Rob - Diet Coke for me). I have to say that these future imaginations do not look too bad. I have yet, in my imagination, to see myself take a sip of my drink and look at Rob and say, "Boy, I sure miss spending 1/4 of my life in the van going to doctor's visits" Right now, quiet, lemonade and reading sound pretty good.

My future is looking brighter - - now if it would only get here! LOL

Trust you are enjoying your summer. Our summer is shaping up to be one we will not soon forget. Thanks for stopping by, I am so glad you did.

Blessings,
Martie

Just One Day?

I recently picked up a copy of a book that I had been wanting to read. I've seen the books on shelves since about the time my second child was getting the potty training 'thing' down. When James hit potty training age - the reward system worked for him better than any other child. (See previous post this subject!) I often joked that I needed a sign for James that read: "WILL PEE FOR FOOD". It truly was about that easy.

Then came Zak - and that is a whole different story! When potty training Zak he decided to do the 5 year plan. Autism does funny things to kids - and potty training tends to be one of those 'things'! I finally thought that if he lived long enough to go to college - he would hopefully be potty trained. I did have hope that even if that was not true there is a whole isle dedicated to the retail sale of adult sized pull ups!

Then came Anna - and I came across the book on the shelf at the Goodwill "Potty Training Your Child in One Day." I laughed at the thought - and then I saw that the book was on clearance for 50 cents. I came home and read it. (If you are depressed and in need of a good book to help you laugh - I highly recommend this book. It is especially helpful in the laughing department if you have potty trained one or more children within the last 5 years. You will 'get' the humor better if the event is not too far removed from your mind!)

The premise of the book is to make one day that you devote to potty training your child. You make sure you have lots and lots of liquids for your child to consume and you make sure that the child 'gets' that this is potty training day. You put up streamers and have a "Potty Party". The child gets new panties/underwear and a new potty chair. Then the whole day is spent talking about things that have to do with using the potty. (books, movies etc). The theory ( and it does appear that the author really believed this to work) is that by the end of the day your child will be completely potty trained.

The part that made me laugh was one of the chapters towards the end of the book that told about how you need to realize that accidents happen and that if the child is having accidents it does not mean that the child is not potty trained. That part made me laugh a lot. You read through the whole book making sure you get all the ways to have your child using the toilet exclusively by the end of the day; only to find that there is a disclaimer that reads that even after doing the "potty party" your child will still potty in his/her undergarments.

What amazes me is that this book has sold. It just shows how desperate us mothers can be for anything that will quickly get us through this passage of life. I was thinking that perhaps I should write a book on how to get a million dollars in one day. Then at the last chapter I can include that if you do not get the million dollars in that day - don't despair there are other days. Just keep trying and eventually you will get the million. ( Perhaps if I sold enough copies I could quit my day job. Oh I forgot, I don't have a day job - or at least one that pays money).

My theory on potty training has been to use as much candy as needed to get the job done. You will notice that with all the kids that have been successful in that department in our house - are not lacking for extra padding on their bodies. (Zak is a dead giveaway that he did not respond well to my plan. Oh well, 4 our of 5 is not too bad of odds. LOL

Thanks for stopping by, I am so glad you did.
Blessings,
~Martie

More for Less

One of the ways to save money in the menu planning is to look at meat differently. Americans as a whole consume more protein than their bodies need. When I was attending Weight Watchers it became quickly obvious to me how big our serving portions of meat are!

We as Americans look at meat as the food ingredient to center our food around. Many times this can be hazardous not only to the weight loss efforts but also it can wreak havoc on our grocery budget also!

One way to save money and enable you to stay, or to have, a smaller budget for grocery items is to look at meat as an ingredient in your meals and not as the main course.

For example the other night I was making Swiss steak for dinner. I was able to get by with a one and a half pound package of round steak ( containing 3 small steaks) as the meat for the entire meal. Rather than giving each one of the kids a steak - ( and having to purchase 2 more packages to have enough for everyone to have their own steak). Before I cooked them I simply cut the 3 steaks into bite sized pieces and added them to the tomatoes in the skillet. I then added an extra can of tomatoes and extra seasoning spices to the skillet. Thus allowing me to have more vegetables in the meal; but without sacrificing the taste. The end result was the same taste as Swiss steak - but with less meat needed to go around. We had more than enough for everyone to have an ample helping and left overs to boot. Thus I had two meals with less meat than the original recipe called for that would have just served one meal.

You can also take this concept further and add less meat than called for in a 'casserole' type dish. With chili you can add a half a pound of ground beef (rather than a whole pound) to get the meat taste but add another can of beans to stretch the chili further. Thus you have another half a pound of meat to freeze for the next time you have chili and you have a bigger pot of chili with the added beans. You can add less chicken than what is called for in a chicken and rice hot dish and add extra broccoli for the needed filler in the recipe.

Looking at meat as an ingredient rather than a main dish can help save dollars in the grocery budget. Taking a closer look at just how much meat you need in certain dishes can help you not only save money; but also help you meals be within your caloric budget as well.

I love it when I am not only able to save money on certain things - but also have in the process a healthier option to feed my family. Who says you can't eat good food on a tight budget?!