Michal's Post Picks

I have been internet impaired this week as our home computer died. Jared has been generously leaving his laptop at home for half a day each day, either leaving it until lunchtime or bringing it home to me at lunchtime (I love that he works one mile away. It is so much better than his previous 50 minute each way commute.) Anyway, I haven't had time to blog and the computer all at the same time.
I'm only slowly getting caught up on reading some of my favorite blogs, but I thought I'd give a few highlights to check out.
First, you have to see the video on Mahina's post about her younger brother. He's dancing on stage at a Bare Naked Ladies' concert in a green dress. What is most amazing is how long they let him stay on stage and sing along with him!
Next, check out the love story continued on the Pioneer Woman's blog. If you haven't been keeping up with it, you'll be tempted to go back and read the other installments. Trust me, folks, there is surely a bidding war going on over the movie rights to her story.
Then, there is a feast for the eyes on Vanessa's blog. She's Morgan's sister (of One More Moore) and she just got married. She posted some gorgeous bridal shots. The photography is breathtaking and the dress (made by her oh-so-talented mother) is fierce! And if you read down a few posts, you can also catch her story of meeting her husband. (Seems to be a recurring theme. Kimberly is also doing a soap opera version of her own love affair. Who needs chick flicks when you can read great blogs?)
Dawn over at Because I Said So shares her thoughts on love, forgiveness, and curse words. She's always good for a laugh.
Anyway, that should keep you busy until I have time to post something of substance.

Think Pink

A good friend of mine, Jana, is a breast cancer survivor. She posted today on the Think Pink for Life blog, sponsored by For Every Body.
Even though I have heard Jana's story, I cannot stop weeping as I read her post. I sit here, with the laptop on the kitchen counter as I feed Bronwen some oatmeal lefthanded (Jared is cringing right now because it's his laptop and he's surely concerned about wayward oatmeal), and cry for Jana's loss, for her strength, for her victory over breast cancer while she watched her daughter succumb to brain cancer. I weep with joy that her life today is happy, in spite of the pain of the past.  I hurt for her all over again and remember how important it is to raise awareness and money to find a cure for breast cancer.
If you get a chance, please read Jana's post and the posts of others who have been affected by breast cancer. They are continuing to accept these stories to post through October 20th, so pass the info along to the people in your life that might have a story to share.

Bedtime Books

Inspired by Ian's favorite book this week, Goodnight Lulu by Paulette Bogan, I have decided to feature my favorite children's books that deal with kids at bedtime who don't want to comply. 
Bedtime for Frances by Russell Hoban
Don't Let the Pigeon Stay Up Late by Mo Willems
Froggy Goes to Bed by Jonathan London
How Do Dinosaurs Say Goodnight? by Jane Yolen
Henry and Mudge and the Bedtime Thumps by Cynthia Rylant

I'm sure that there are others that we are forgetting, but there are a few on the theme to get your started. Feel free to comment with your favorite books about kids who are clever at staying up/popping up out of bed.

Team Spirit

This fall, we entered a world new to us as parents: team sports. Henry was old enough this year to sign up for the local soccer league, and had been anxiously awaiting the day. Practices began mid-August and by the first Saturday in September we were all at a soccer game.
An under six soccer team is a sight to behold. You always have one kid who's picking his nose or fiddling with his shorts when the ball is headed right for him. In all honesty, I expected Henry to be the kid who lays down and sucks his thumb in the middle of the game. He, who has resisted sleep since the day he was born, is perpetually fatigued and has a tendency to whine. I was surprised to find on that first week that Henry was active in the entire game and only started showing signs of fatigue in the last few minutes. He got in there and kicked the ball, chased it down, and did his best to take it away from the other team as well. Who knew?
What I have figured out now, three games into the season, is that at least on our team (Go, Eagles!) the kids seem to take turns on whose week it is to be the space cadet. Henry did not have his finest game last week, when he had been up at the circus until 11pm the night before with his Grammy and Papa. (Grandparents think that our kids have early bed times because we--the parents--are mean and grumpy. They forget that if our kids don't have an early bedtime, they become mean and grumpy!) At one point, Henry even tried to take a little nap on one of the goal posts! And the kids who seemed like a lost cause in that first game were in the thick of things this week, fighting for their kick at the ball, very much a part of the game.
It made me think about how as a team, everyone has bad days and good days. Instead of relying on the star of the team to carry everyone else, in a good team everyone feels like the star at least some of the time, and each member feels the responsibility to help the team succeed. If we all do our best, then hopefully someone else will have a good day on our off day and we'll still pull off a win.
I'm going to bring this up tomorrow night during Family Home Evening because we have been talking to our kids about family unity a lot recently. We've memorized together a scripture on the subject and try to bring up every day how our actions and words can unify us or tear us apart. And I think that the team spirit analogy may bring this home to them.
It's a good thing to remember in a marriage as well. Sometimes we resent that our spouse is having a bad day (at being a spouse), when we just need to cut them some slack and recognize that it's a good day for us to carry the team to victory. Marriage is the perfect setting for the team mentality rather than the "me" mentality.
Anyway, think about how a team mentality might help a relationship in your life. Then go out there and bring home the win! And if you're in the neighborhood next Saturday, the Eagles' game is at 10:00 am!

Gi rls Will Be Gi rls

As we were walking up the soccer field for Henry's game yesterday, I caught this moment between two of the players on his team, Marissa and Eliza.
Just by looking at them, you can see that they are anticipating the game, but also having fun being together. And don't you love a little
gi rl who brings her pink purse to the game? Accessories are just so important when bringing together an outfit! Incidentally, Marissa is an intense player, pink cleats or no.
Anyone who says that little boys and g i rls are no different hasn't spent much time around them.

Autumn

I love autumn. It is by far my favorite season. When I lived in Utah, spring was a close second (our spring in Northern California is mostly just warmer rain, as opposed to the colder rain of winter. Blah.) I love the crisp feeling in the air, the fall colors, the clothes layering that adds extra dimensions to an outfit, and I love fall food. Give me a cool fall day and I'll bake up a storm. Not so great when you are trying to win the battle with baby weight.
So today dawned cool and overcast with a briskness to the wind. By noon I had changed out my original dinner menu for a pot of my favorite vegetarian chili and a pan of cornbread. I have been pretty busy all day--not home long enough to defrost the butter for cookies--so I have avoided any truly dangerous baking, but then again, this is only day 1 of fall.
Anyway, I thought I'd share this recipe with you in case it feels like autumn in your neck of the woods. It tastes delicious and is completely guilt-free. The original recipe came from Cooking Light in December 2003, but I've tweaked it a little and added a few ingredients to make it mine. Here's the modified version.

Best Vegetarian Chili

• 1 T. olive oil
• 2 c. chopped sweet onion
• 1/2 c. chopped yellow pepper
• 1/2 c. chopped green pepper
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 T. brown sugar
• 2 T. chili powder
• 1 t. ground cumin
• 1 t. cocoa powder
• 1 t. dried oregano
• 1/2 t. kosher salt
• 1/2 t. black pepper
• 2 cans Mexican style stewed tomatoes, undrained
• 2 cans black beans, drained
• 2 cans pinto beans, drained
• 1 can kidney beans, drained
• 2 cups frozen corn (or 1 can corn, drained)

Heat the oil in a large heavy pan over medium high heat. Add onion, bell peppers, and garlic. Saute 5 minutes, until tender. Add spices (sugar through black pepper) and stir for 30 seconds until fragrant. Add tomatoes and all the beans. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes. Add corn and continue to simmer for 10 minutes more.
Serve with 2 T. chopped avocado, a dollop of light sour cream, and/or a sprinkling of grated cheddar cheese. Yum.
(The above picture was taken almost three years ago, two days before Ian was born, at Apple Hill, our favorite fall destination. I'll do an Apple Hill post as soon as we can get there.)

It's Raining, It's Pouring

So, Jared & I celebrated our 10th wedding anniversary at the beginning of the month (as you already know if you read my blog.) We were determined to do something to celebrate it that involved leaving our kiddos with someone else, but as it approached we could think of lots of other things that we needed to spend our money on more than a getaway to somewhere fabulous. We have always been full tithe payers, but have lately been really asking the Lord to "open the windows of heaven and pour [us] out a blessing." (Malachi 3:10)
So, regarding this wedding anniversary, it seems that tithing blessings kicked in to make it nicer that the money we had to spend on it. First, I received a gift card in the mail (as a thank you for helping with Laura's wedding) to the Cheesecake Factory, a chain restaurant we enjoy, which we used on the night of our actual, mid-week, anniversary. We were out $18 for a babysitter, but not bad for an evening out sans children.
Then, we remembered that we had already paid several months ago for a night at the Hyatt Regency Embarcadero in San Francisco. We'd stayed there once before and I loved the location and the bedding--those people know their linens! So we decided to go for one night and stay there, then spend all day Saturday in SF before going home. Not an entire weekend getaway, but still a nice break from the routine. Plus, we spent three days of our honeymoon in SF so it seemed appropriate. Total cost (now) on the room for us: 13 cents for some random tax.
Then, Jared's patient who owns a limo service and trades with us from time to time asked Jared if he'd like to use the limo again. So, at no cost to us (except the trade) we got a ride into town and to dinner on Friday night, then picked up again on Saturday evening to go home. That meant no gas, no tolls, and no ridiculous SF parking (our hotel alone charged over $30 per night for parking.) Even the tip was part of the trade. Cha-ching. (Special bonus: no bickering over directions as we navigate a lesser-known city--priceless.)
We hit up Jared's parents to watch the boys while we were gone and paid them later in chocolate. Not a bad deal (for us, that is.) The boys can't wait for us to leave again, since Grammy and Papa took them to the circus and they had a marvelous time.
We went to dinner Friday night at a favorite Italian place, Lupa Trattoria in Noe Valley. We love their food and they always treat you like old friends, even if it's your first visit. The owner and chef actually greeted us at the door! (The photo to the left is of our appetizer--bosc pears wrapped in marscapone, then in prosciutto. Very good.)While we were eating some other patrons nearby kept ogling Bronwen (yes, we did take the baby--it was asking too much to leave her with the grandparents when she's still positively awful on a bottle.) They came up at one point and told us how much they missed their children's baby days--all teenagers now, of course. Later (after they'd had a bit too much wine,) one of them came back over and asked to touch her hair and showed us pictures of his children, etc. etc. Much to our surprise, when it was time to pay, the server announced that our bill had been taken care of by the other table! Chalk another one up for tithing!
The next day we wandered through the Ferry Building Marketplace, which is a foodie's paradise. On Saturday mornings there is a local farmer's market there, and inside the Ferry Building there are all sorts of specialty shops for artisan cheeses, wines, chocolates, breads, oils, pastries, and flowers. We sampled a few different things there and then made our way down the Embarcadero towards Pier 39 and Fisherman's Wharf (yes, totally touristy, but it was all within walking distance and it's fun to do once in a while.)
Among other things on the Pier we stopped to talk to the market researchers there and Jared qualified to do a one hour fast food taste test for a $100 pay out. At first, we thought we would both get to do it, but having the little tyke along was a problem, so I found a quiet spot to feed her while Jared did the taste test. I felt bad for him having to fill up on fast food when we were eating our way through town, but he was willing to take one for the team. (In the end they didn't need him, but paid him anyway, so he only spent 20 minutes and didn't have to sample any gross fish sandwiches, McRibs, or new-fangled fast food salads.)
All in all, we had a lovely time. We did a lot of walking, ate some of our favorite San Francisco food, enjoyed the out of doors and a Saturday that wasn't full of laundry, grocery shopping, and vacuuming. We ate in nice restaurants, picked up a few things shopping (including a "genuine" Coach wallet for $10, a gorgeous hand-silk-screened shirt sold on the street, lots of overpriced chocolate, and some used books from Helper's Bazaar, (where I got to meet the locally famous fashionista and philanthropist Joy Bianchi. She said, "You're a book person? I like book people. Come next door and let me show you some really special things." Next door, I got to see the upscale version of her shop, with vintage couture dresses, hats, and jewelry. When I googled it later, I found that was even cooler than I knew at the time.) And we did all of this for very little cash out of pocket.
Let's hear it for tithing!

Update on Baby Scotty

Some of you knew that my nephew, Scotty, was spending extra time in the NICU. Thank you for your prayers on his behalf. Just wanted to let you know that Tyler has posted an update on his blog. Check it out.
More from me later on our trip to San Francisco.

"Richer than I you can never be. . .

I had a mother who read to me."--Strickland Gillilan

I have always loved great children's literature. I come by it honestly. From my babyhood, my mother read wonderful books to me. She says that by the time I was walking, I would follow her around with a book, begging her to read. She'd wash a few dishes, then read me a book. Finish the dishes, another book. Put in some laundry, read me a book. I was a bookworm as a one year old, and I think that it is not just because she read to me, but also because she cared enough to find high quality, well written and illustrated books. All children's books are not created equally--there are plenty out there that are complete junk.
I remember when I was in eighth or ninth grade my parents started talking about moving the family to somewhere more affordable (they fixed on St. George, Utah) so that my dad could quit his job as a salesman and open a children's bookstore. It was my dad's middle age crisis dream--he was afraid that his job should be making the world a better place, and he wasn't sure that selling guitars and drums to rock stars really qualified for that. (I think that raising six children was his contribution to improving the world.) This children's bookstore dream came before the big box Barnes and Noble or Borders and long before Amazon.com forced many small, independent bookstores to close down. When I saw You've Got Mail, The Shop Around the Corner reminded me of the children's bookstore that they dreamed of.
I have done my best to instill the love of reading in my children by using the same method that my mother did--by filling our home with beautiful, well-written books, and by making them accessible to my kids. They have bookshelves in their bedrooms that are overflowing with books. We read a lot together (although I will admit that I used to spend more time reading to them five years ago when I only had two kids. The upside is that now Kimball will read aloud to them as well--and he does great voices!) We are all passionate about books around here, and there's nothing that I love to see more than finding one or more of my kids reading quietly, wrapped up in the story unfolding. Even the boys who can't read yet will sit and "read" for ages, because they have so many of their books memorized by now that it's almost as enjoyable as being read to. (Last week, they took all their pillows and blankets and big stack of books into the refrigerator box that is still here and made a "book cave." Aren't they cute?)
So, because I love children's lit and because I want to share that with you, I have a new section on the sidebar of my blog, entitled, "Fall in Love with Children's Lit." Go check it out. I've made a link for each book so that you can easily get them on Amazon if you are so inclined. Or go to the local library. I will be adding books regularly and will also try to post sometimes featuring specific authors, illustrators, or series that we enjoy. One of the great things about quality children's literature is that you as a parent (or aunt, uncle, babysitter) can enjoy it as well.
Feel free to comment here about your favorites that aren't on my list yet. I just made this list in a few minutes tonight and it is by no means comprehensive--it is a work in progress.
Now, if I can just find where I put my book, I'll curl up for a few minutes before bedtime. Happy reading!

A Child is Born

When I was six years old, my mother had her fifth baby (I was the eldest)--a boy named Tyler. He was MY baby as far as I was concerned. I helped feed him, change him, hold him, and mothered him as only a big sister can. He was the cutest thing I'd ever seen.
Well, that little baby has grown up and today, he became a daddy. He and his wife, Erika, welcomed their first son into the world in the wee small hours of the morning. I had taken my cell phone to bed with me, hoping I'd get a text message when the little one had arrived. All day Monday I prayed for Erika, that the baby would be well, that she would be well, that we would have good news soon. So I was relieved to finally get the text message at 4:00 am that he had arrived safe and sound.
I don't mean to be stealing Tyler's thunder by posting about this. I know that he has uploaded pictures to his blog but hasn't had time to post yet. I will leave him to fill you in on all of the details, just give him a day or so more to soak in his new baby and to bring Erika and Scottie home from the hospital. I am just so filled with gratitude that baby Scottie is here and has joined our family. A new baby is such a miracle, and especially through those harrowing hours of labor you imagine all the things that could go dreadfully wrong and pray that none of them will.
Now Tyler and Erika have so many wonderful things to look forward to. I'm not talking about the sleepless nights and the two-year-old tantrums and the teenage rebellions. I'm talking about the tightening in your chest when you think of anything being less than perfect in this child's life. I'm talking about the lightness in your heart when you hear your baby laugh, or when you see his eyes light up at the sight of your face. I'm talking about the sweetness of seeing your child gently kiss a new baby brother or sister, sensing that even as toddlers, they feel the miracle of a new baby. I'm talking about watching your child accomplish something that was hard for them and seeing the pride on their faces as they look to you to celebrate with them.
Welcome to parenthood, Erika and Tyler. Enjoy the journey. It may be the hardest thing you ever attempt, but it will also be more rewarding than any job, any educational achievement, any thing you can create. It will make you hurt like nothing has hurt before and love like you've never loved before. It is a blessing from God to be a parent, and it is His plan for us. And welcome to the world, baby Scottie!