observations....

My daughter and I have some personality similarities.  I have a hard time remembering my early childhood.  I remember bits and pieces, some highs, some lows.  I remember some toys and activities, etc., but I don't remember what "I" was like as a person.  So I asked Mom this weekend, shortly after a confrontation with my non-cooperative 6 year old.  She said I held things in more than my girl does.  Later on during the weekend, Dad mentioned that they were harder on us than we are on our kids.  Hmmmm... in light of the fact that I now have a tendency to share too much, perhaps THAT's part of why I held things in.

Parenting is tough.  You have to make decisions about discipline, etc... in areas that are far from black and white.  YOU have to decide when to extend grace or mercy, or when to be strict and what some might call just.

One of my goals is to make sure that my kids know that our relationship is more important than the hierarchy.  Respect is important, but I want them to trust me as well.  I don't want them to be afraid to talk about things, and when the need for discipline arises, I want it to be productive, not demeaning. Finding that balance is hard.

a chocolate-covered Valentine's week

Hubby did good.  His wonderful sister told him that I had been craving truffles from The Cocoa Tree, and  he took the hint to heart.

Back when The Cocoa Tree was in downtown Franklin, Bear was still in a stroller, and one fall day one of my roommates from college and I strolled in to sample the truffles which I had heard so much about.  They did not disappoint, nor did the Mayan hot chocolate.  Well, that shop closed, but Bethany reopened in the Germantown district of Nashville a little while later.  I fully intended to pay the new location a visit before we moved.  You know what they say about intentions?  Well, I have lots of them.  Let's just say that hubby is the one who follows through consistently.

So last night I woke up from naptime (yes, when the kiddos nap, I nap, it's not often Bear goes down willingly) to the maintenance guy's knock, he handed me the box from UPS.  Alas, it was not from the maintenance guy (that would be freaky).  It was indeed from my beloved.

My present?  A dozen truffles.  I don't normally refer to candy as exquisite, but these truffles are not your ordinary buy-day-after-Valentine's-at-half-price.  And since the shop is no longer in driving distance due to our move, I can't just drive 20 minutes for my fix.

The adorable robin's egg and brown box is artistic in its own right.  It's solid construction hints that it contains better-than-ordinary treats.  Enclosed in the box was also a brochure, a "map" to help identify the flavors as well as a temptress for future orders.

So, my first truffle happened to be Liz's Milk Chocolate.  Simple, yet rich.  I probably should have payed more attention and saved that one to share with hubby.  He prefers the classics flavors, and this one fit that bill.  Milk chocolate shell with sprinkles on top surrounding the milk chocolatey ganache inside.  Heaven in its purest form.  Yes, it is "the one that everybody loves."

Last night, I tasted Karin's Irish Cream after I put Buddy to bed.  Bear was ecstatic to share a bite of Mommy's special treat.  Oh my goodness... delectable. Described in the borchure as 'The one that pours," it's a soothing blend of chocolate and Irish Creme at the end of a toddler-filled day.  I regretted sharing that bite with my daughter, oh how I wanted more.

This morning... why not have a truffle for breakfast? I opted to try Deborah's Chambord... "the one that stands out in a crowd."  Dark chocolate and raspberry flavored center, coated in white chocolate with a dusting of raspberry adornment.  This is the one that made me think "exquisite."  I have fond memories of the Jack and Ginger and Beck's Margarita from previous encounters... DC is a new favorite. Again, the giving mother that I am shared it with both kids.  My 18 month old kept pointing toward the box of truffles and chanting "dis" (this in toddlerese)... he wanted more.  I gave him a Hershey's kiss instead, and that seemed to subdue him.  Note to self: stop sharing my priceless treats with the children.

I'm blogging about these to remind myself which ones I like the best...  these truffles are really that good.  Thanks, Bethany:Chocolatier, for the cure to the common chocolate boredom.

cultural norms

While most Americans will at least give lip-service to the idea that breastmilk is best for our newborns/infants, if nursing doesn't work out, for whatever reason, formula takes over. That's our norm.

Bear and I were outside playing one evening last week, and one of the girls in the neighborhood talked about how excited she was to see her other brother. She picked up on my confused expression, and explained that her aunt had difficulty nursing her cousin, who was around the same age as her younger brother. So her Mom nursed him for her. The baby was born in the US, he could have had free formula from WIC. But in their culture the question is apparently, "Why wouldn't you give a newborn breastmilk?"

Now, I love my niece, but I don't think I would have nursed her. (Ignore the fact that I only nursed Bear for about 3 months.) For one, she lives an hour and a half away. Feeding an infant is a round the-clock-adventure. The reason the girl calls her cousin her brother is because while her mother fed him, he lived with their family. (I don't know if his Mom moved in, too, or what...) And quite frankly, even if it were something I was up to doing, I don't picture my sister as being one to go for it. It's just not normal here. Change a baby's diaper? Check. Burp someone else's baby? Check. Give a bottle to another Mom's baby? Check. Breastfeed someone else's baby? Ummm... second thoughts there.

I find the fact that this 9 year old girl talked about her "other brother" with no inhibitions fascinating. In her family's culture, what happened is normal. And though I am 99.999% sure I would not make the choice to let someone else breastfeed my child (unless they were severely allergic to formula, and then I would prefer the breastmilk to be given in a bottle so I could feed my baby), instead of thinking "ew, gross..." I find myself fascinated by the cultural differences.... and how even though they live in the USA now, some aspects of their culture are being preserved.

I heard about a particular passionate message from John Piper in church today.
I stumbled across it on another blog:

So, I am home because my throat feels like sandpaper and I didn't sleep well last night. this link to a plethora of links. I found I highly suspect I may not agree with every site theologically, however, it looks like there's some interesting info.

don't cry persecution just yet...

click above to go to some insight from a guy i knew in college, who is now a pastor (and a brand new daddy!)

my green babies' update & garden theology-

yes, i post about my flowers a lot. more than my daughter, even. i admit, they have become a bit of an obsession. i was going to save these for tomorrow's Wordless Wednesday, but some of them were actually taken today, and i am amazed by the details God puts into His creation. the gladiola "braid" will probably look different tomorrow, it's amazing how plants change behind our backs!

i can't help but wonder.... before the fall, were Adam and Eve just there to watch and enjoy? are weeds and plants' struggles to survive an effect the fall had on creation? God said what He made was good.... was all of nature in balance by divine providence. if it was, what did His people actually do before the fall required weeding and watering to help plants flourish? i like to think that He created everything good, and that included the need for tending and work. otherwise, what responsiblity would Adam and Eve have had? i wonder what digging into the Word would uncover about this...

anyway, here are my photos...

"Flou-flou"- yes, I am aware callas are poisonous. I don't let her play with them unsupervised. she actually dug these out of the trash; they are very green on the outside, so i threw them away. i think she was trying to tell me they are still beautiful. or she's just plain curious.

my most beautiful "flower" discovers sidewalk chalk

firecracker gladiola leaves- the braiding must be where the blooms will come out?

"mystery plant" from a lady from tech Mom's church

my callas- before I cut some for my mantle

1 young, 3 old

calla reflection

getting old... but still beautiful

i also have some tiny green beans on my plants out back. my camera batteries died, so i guess photos of them will come later.

Wordless Wednesday

Gramma & a friend wait for the water trough to fill.

For more Wordless Wednesday posts, visit the WW HQ or 5 minutes for Mom!

attn: breastfeeding moms

is dad feeling left out by your extra bonding with the baby? check out these funny t-shirt designs.
they made me laugh.

worthwhile causes...

FREE BOOKS FOR KIDS!
I think I mentioned that I had enrolled Baby-bear in the "Books from Birth" program a while back. Well, every month since then, she has received a FREE book in the mail. These books are hardcover, some are board books, all of them have been high-quality and age-appropriate. My neighbor Gina has 2 girls enrolled in the program, and says they don't duplicate titles, except for the "kick-off" story. Dolly Parton founded her Imagination Library in rural East Tennessee, and since then the program has spread. "Books from Birth" is the name it goes by in Tennessee, and thanks to this program, my daughter will have a pretty full library by the time she is 5 years old (unless we move somewhere where this isn't available).

If your children (under age 5) are not enrolled, visit the Imagination Library website to see if it's available in your area.


"Tampontification"
FREE TAMPONS FOR WOMEN IN NEED
Ok, tampons are not really a popular topic. But Caslon's best friend in WI sent me an e-mail to this link, and I thought I would share. The whole website is quite interesting... some may find it a little "crunchy", but it's worth perusing. And with the click of a button, you can show your support for having feminine hygiene products donated to women's shelters.

good news about ice cream!!!

well, depending how you take it, i guess!

word study:

dictionary.com definitions:
slothful–adjective sluggardly; indolent; lazy.

lazy – adjective

1.	averse or disinclined to work, activity, or exertion; indolent.

2.	causing idleness or indolence: a hot, lazy afternoon.

3.	slow-moving; sluggish: a lazy stream.

4.	(of a livestock brand) placed on its side instead of upright.

–verb (used without object)

5.

to laze.

diligent- –adjective

1.	constant in effort to accomplish something; attentive and persistent in doing anything: a diligent student.

2.	done or pursued with persevering attention; painstaking: a diligent search of the files.

An online search of the Bible found:
* 29 verses containing the word diligent
* 5 verses containing the word slothful
* 1 verse with the term lazy.

More thoughts on this to come, but I'd better get off my bum and do something...
****

Isn't it interesting that the positive word of the 3 has far more references than the other 2? I still need to read and study all the verses, but that stood out at me when I viewed the search results.

Good night, everyone!

i really am going to quit procrastinating...





























starting first thing tomorrow!!!!!!!!!!

Isaiah 40:28-31 (NASB)

Do you not know? Have you not heard?
the Everlasting God, the Lord,
the Creator of the ends of the earth
Does not become weary or tired.
His understanding is inscrutable.

He gives strength to the weary,
And to him who lacks might He increases power.

Though youths grow weary and tired,
And vigorous young men stumble badly,

Yet those who wait for the Lord will gain new strength;
They will mount up with wings like eagles,
They will run and not get tired,
They will walk and not become weary.