Claim to fame

Jodi Benson, the voice of Ariel in the Little Mermaid, spoke at Perimeter today and she was awesome! She surprised us by singing "Part of your world" for us - in fact, she sang it specifically for and to a couple of young girls in the audience.

It was a "coffee talk" - an intimate brunch for ladies in the church, and she was the speaker. She gave her personal story, from her rather bizarrely difficult childhood to her Broadway success and beyond, marriage, marital problems, miscarriages, her story of how God pursued her through it all, and gave her a husband who wouldn't stop trying. It was a beautiful story. And she closed with 2 breathtaking songs.

Her story touched a lot of people, and it was refreshing to see how vulnerable she allowed herself to be in front of 150 strangers! It was a great God story. I love those!

Cleopatra Stratan - Ghita

This is a 3 year old in Moldova, singing in Romanian. For those of you who don't speak Romanian (and why wouldn't you?) :), let me translate. She's singing to and looking for the boy she has a crush on, Ghita, with gems like, "I know you like me too," "Show me another girl would love you this much", or "I waited for you at the door of the preschool," and "Come, but not with empty hands like usual!". Really, adorable.

Super Bowl Fare

The challenge: to make a last minute tasty appetizer to bring along to a last minute Super Bowl party without having to make the dreaded trip to the grocery store in sub-freezing temperatures. It took some creativity, but I was successful! I did pizzetta triangles from the Pampered Chef Season's Best cookbook, and created my own pizza dip to go along with it. Here are the recipes:

Pizzetta Triangles
Based on what I remember from the Pampered Chef Season's Best cookbook

Ingredients
1 package refrigerated pizza crust
1 TBS olive oil
1 TBS pizza seasoning
handful of Italian cheese of some sort (parmesan, mozzarella, asiago - something like that)

Roll out the pizza crust, spread with olive oil, sprinkle the seasoning and cheese over the top. Cut into triangles with a pizza cutter, then bake at 375 for 10 minutes or until golden.

Pepperoni Pizza Dip
my very own creation

Ingredients
Whole head of roasted garlic
1 can condensed cream of tomato soup (I used Campbell's Healthy Request)
1 can diced tomatoes with green chilies
1 cup prepared mashed potatoes (I used instant, prepared with water)
1/4 c. Parmesan cheese
handful of turkey pepperoni slices, diced
1 TBS pizza seasoning
1 tsp seasoned salt

Roast head of garlic (cut off the end of the head but leave cloves unpeeled, drizzle with olive oil, wrap in aluminum foil, and roast in 400 degree oven for 35-45 minutes, then squeeze the garlic out of the cloves). Mix all ingredients together (with roasted garlic), bake at 350 for 15-20 minutes or until warm.

Yum! My disclaimer - I don't measure anything, so all measurements are estimations.

I can't wait to show up at the Super Bowl Party with my yummy pizza appetizer!

The War on Terror and other such things

After a 2 week blog hiatus here I am writing 3 posts in one day. I feel the need to comment though on this whole war thing though. It hits home. The day after the state of the union address I found an unwelcome message in my inbox. My brother (who I always welcome emails from) was notifying us that his deployment to Afghanistan (he's in his 11th month there with the 10th Mtn., and he already served a year in Iraq with the 101st when troops first went in) had been extended until June-ish.

Now, his unit is doing some amazing things that no one else in the army is doing, or has ever done to my knowledge. They're out, not on a base, living in a river valley doing some really inventive stuff - from winning the hearts and minds of Afghani civilians by building schools and giving them protection, to searching for Taliban forces and providing security to contractors in the region. What he and his soldiers are doing is pretty amazing, but also highly dangerous.

We were told weeks ago not to send any more mail - he'd be coming home soon. Then wham, a week later, we get this email from him that he's there longer. My first instinct was to lash out at our Commander In Chief. Thank you, El Presidente, for deciding to further risk my brother's life. But, after actually using my head and looking into the issues a bit further, and after hearing Rob's take on it, I think we need to stay the course. Yes, our troops are stretched. Yes, they're underpaid and undersupported. But pulling them out of the hot zones will not make our country or the world a safer place to live. Here's an excerpt from Rob's email:

I just want to say up front that we all believe this to be the right decision on the part of the President and the SECDEF. We have known for awhile that this was being considered, and in an effort to hold on to the peace that we have been fighting for over the past 11 months this is the right choice. We know the area, we will stay in place while our follow on unit, the 82nd, will move somewhere else. So for now, things will stay as they are.

In the mean time, keep all of our soldiers in your prayers. This will be a difficult time for our soldiers, but their strength of will and sense of duty is truly an amazing thing to behold on a daily basis. At the end of the day, we will be fine. As a matter fact, we will do very well over here and the company will continue to bond and get stronger through our continued deployment.

Thanks to all of you for your support up to this point and I look forward to it continuing over the next few months! Take care.

While most of us here stateside have varied opinions about the war and how soon our troops should come home, support for the war is decreasing. There are so many people who give monologues on what we should do. But talk to the troops. Talk to the ones who have come home or the ones who are still on the ground, and see what they have to say about the situation. Every soldier I've talked to who's served in Iraq says that sending more troops is 100% the right thing to do. They're not talking out of selfish motives. More troops in Iraq (or Afghanistan) means more time away from their families, more missed birthdays and Christmases, more missed births, and frankly they put their lives on the line every day they spend in combat. And they're the ones saying, yes, let us do our jobs.

In our day to day lives, that means a couple things. One, perhaps we (we consisting of those of us who have not been to Iraq or Afghanistan in recent months) should stop pretending we know what to do. And two, let's show a little more support for the men and women who put their lives on the line daily and sacrifice time with their families for our greater safety.

I Am...

I am the carrot top baby born by the cherry trees to a former cheerleader mom and a career-ladder-climbing dad
Who watched her big brother morning, noon, and night and had crater-sized dimples when she smiled.

I am the child who played with legos and barbies and was mortally afraid of dragon-flies and jungle gyms,
Who loved spaghetti and cheerios and especially anything of big brother's
Who stored all his toys in my treasure box
Who dreamed of all things far away and make believe, and never thought she would be big enough to wear makeup.

I am the teenager who sought meaning in music
Who wore nothing fashionable or fun, and loved her comfy running clothes and hated the freckles she couldn't get rid of
Who wrecked her knee playing a sport she only pretended to like and then feigned disappointment she couldn't play it anymore,
Who dreamed of saxophones and flutes and knew someday she would play at Carnegie Hall.

I am the woman who crossed oceans to find meaning and spread the Hope
Whose highest priorities are Faith and Family
I am the mother who loves to sing and dance and goes crazy if I have to draw one more picture of a truck
and whose moments of perfect bliss come when child sized arms need a snuggle and baby's breath is warm against my chest
I am the Mom who loves cooking and avoids swingsets because of an irrational fear and who can drown a day's stress in a warm bubble bath with duckies.

I am the woman who always finds the bright side and looks for the best in everyone and is hardest on herself
I am the person who knows beyond doubt that it'll all work out in the end and then somehow it always does
I am the woman who still loves cheerios and spaghetti, but could do without the barbies
Who still longs to have the Scripture written on my heart, only without the time spent learning it
I am the person who dreams of leaving a legacy and influencing change and is grateful for a husband who keeps my feet on the ground
and who hopes to achieve something whose meaning will endure for generations.

Edited 2/3/07: Oops! I got so into writing this I forgot to give an intro! This is my "I Am...", based on a format found at Owl Haven's blog. It's similar to the Where I'm From post I did last month, but different.

Can spanking really be made a crime?

I must admit, I've been a blog slacker lately. Honestly, 2 weeks and no posts! Shame on me... On the other hand, in the last 2 weeks I've accomplished quite a bit outside of the blog world (coincidence? I think not...) The good news is that my house is cleaner and more organized than it's been in many many months. My kids have had lots and lots of 'mommy time,' and I've managed to get my 'mompreneur' business idea rolling. Yippee! But I'm back. I missed blogging - really, I did. It may be a somewhat dysfunctional excuse for community, but that's okay.

Since I've been 'away,' a bill has been put forward in California to outlaw spanking. The idea behind the bill is nice - curb child abuse by making it illegal to ever hit a child. And for the sake of our children, perhaps child abuse laws should be re-evaluated and social workers be given a little more resources to do their jobs. However, banning corporal punishment isn't the answer.

My position on spanking... as a last resort, when other means of correction have been exhausted, a child who is able to discern right from wrong in a given situation may need something as harsh as a spanking to teach and correct behavior. I'm well aware that the American Academy of Pediatrics and virtually every psychologist on the planet advise against it. But let's face it, as parents we have to teach our children right from wrong. We have to teach them to avoid things that are harmful to themselves or others. Never in a million years would I have thought I'd ever need to spank the Bean. But I was wrong. I've only officially spanked her once. But she has gotten a mild pop on the well-diapered rear twice. And it killed me to do it! I've been told by moms with older kids that the key to avoiding spanking is being creative with discipline. Perhaps I'm not creative enough. Please, share your creative discipline tips with me. For the sake of wisdom and for my kids' wellbeing.

If you are going to spank, I think the following is pretty well accepted as guidelines: Don't spank out of anger or emotion. Examine the child's motives for their behavior. Examine your own role in your child's behavior (if your kid is hungry and you skipped naps today, you can't expect him to be an angel). Use loving words and assure your unconditional love for the child before and after spanking. Be more liberal with hugs and cuddles than you are with spanking. Vary your discipline techniques - there's more to discipline than time outs and spanking.

Let's go back to that bill in California. What would happen if the bill was passed? Potentially, neighbors, store clerks, etc. would start reporting well-meaning parents for any possible infringement of the law, adding enormous work loads for already overworked social workers and police officers. Spanking, already a taboo topic among all but very close friends, would become even more taboo, leaving many parents without the much needed counsel and wisdom of friends. Would that really help the situation? Honestly, the parents who fret and worry about whether or not it's okay to spank are worlds different than the parents who abuse their children without batting an eye. Changing the law will not hinder them in the least. It would only deepen the stigma we feel when our children's behavior is dangerous enough to necessitate some sort of discipline that will get their attention.

Here's a link to a news story about the bill, and one to NPR's radio coverage of it. All Things Considered had commentary from a woman who was a meditative Eastern Orthodox Christian, saying that though she has spanked her son once and won't apologize for it, she is inherently against spanking. She claimed that anyone who believes in seeking God should be focused on the inner life - the life of the spirit - and that spanking is the opposite of this and teaches our kids the opposite. While I won't call her a meditative fruitcake, I do think her theology is a bit skewed. God isn't concerned only with the spiritual side of life - He's very much involved with, sovereign over, and concerned about our physical lives. He deeply loves our children, perhaps more than we as parents do. And just as He chastens His followers and requires us to feel the consequences of our actions, He expects us as parents to do the same for our children. The Bible actually says "Don't fail to correct your children. They won't die if you spank them. Physical discipline may well save them from death." (Proverbs 23: 13-14, NLT) The rod mentioned throughout Proverbs is the same as the one mentioned in the oft-quoted Psalm 23 "Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death ... Your rod and your staff, they comfort me..." The idea behind it is that we are comforted by knowing that God is just and He is in control. His rod is a symbol of authority, and knowing that the authority you're under is consistent, just, and loving is incredibly freeing and comforting. And so it is for our children. We must discipline, and that discipline must be fitting and appropriate to both the situation and the child.

Again, I'll restate my plea from above. Moms and dads, share some ideas of creative discipline you use. Anything goes, as long as it doesn't involve inflicting physical pain. Tell me what you do, and what offenses merit it.

Toxins at home

You know that wheezy feeling you get when you inhale the fumes from your tile cleaner? Or that little headache that comes if you spend too much time with household cleaners? Or how about that greasy feeling on your fingertips that won't wash off after you use all purpose cleaner? I'm finding out that all of those things are caused by the chemicals in the products. And those chemicals don't just give you a minor headache or mildly irritate your lungs or skin. They actually have the potential to cause serious damage over time.

Things like phosphorous, phthalates and parabens that are added to all sorts of things (including shampoos and moisturizing lotions!), ammonia, and bleach all have ties to serious health problems. They're suspected to have ties to different types of cancers and tumors, respiratory problems, reproductive health, kidney function... the list goes on. And look at what you have under your kitchen sink. Most likely, none of the ingredients are listed. In fact, even if you go to the trouble of getting the MSDS the complete set of ingredients won't be listed there either! Household cleaners are not required to list ingredients. There are some words that can alert us to the severity of the threat though:

• Caution: An ounce to a pint may be fatal if swallowed, inhaled, or absorbed through the skin by an adult.
  
• Warning: A teaspoonful may be fatal if swallowed, inhaled, or absorbed through the skin by an adult.
  
• Danger: A taste to 1 teaspoonful may be fatal if swallowed, inhaled, or absorbed through the skin by an adult.
  

What does that mean for our kids? I've just gone through my house and made sure that I don't have anything that says "warning" or "danger". Eek. And what's surprising is that the worry isn't just about swallowing - a lot of the toxins I named above can be inhaled (at which point they stay in your body) or absorbed through the skin. I always wondered after I cleaned a surface how long the residue would stay there, and how harmful it could be to my kids.

I think the answer is to not risk it. There are enough natural cleaning agents out there that I don't need to expose my family to increased risk. Another surprising statistic (from the EPA): Indoor air is 2-5 times more toxic that outdoor air. I don't know about you, but I was always more concerned with the quality of air outside, worried about pollution and smog. But the air inside is more toxic! (Do you think maybe this is part of the explanation to why newborns get so cranky after being at home all day? Both my kids did it every afternoon around 4-ish, and they were both calmed down by going outside.) Anyhow, we have an immediate impact on the air quality in our homes, and we want, we can change it! The outdoor air depends on many more factors, but why not start with our own homes?