hello there

It has been a week already.  Missed ya'll.  No, the organizing and purging project is not yet complete.  My baby has awakened numerous times this week, making my evening progress slow.  Who knew molars took so much time to fully come in?  Apparently, her problem is that every time she teethes, it's several teeth at once.

That Water Thing
Should you ever get the lofty idea that your kids should only drink water, think again.  Please.  I gave this no-juice, no Country-Time Lemonade thing serious discipline.  Any pediatrician would be proud of me.

And yet, for two nights I have been in heart-wrenching mommy pain watching my three-year-old battle constipation.  I hope we've seen the last of it.  Our family doesn't suffer from this, as a rule.  It was the decreased liquid she was taking in.  What an unpleasant experience!

I'm defeated.  It just isn't worth it.  Remembering that I didn't become an avid water drinker until my thirties, I'm realizing that this isn't something worth pursuing with young persnickety kids.

Whole Food Journey
Other aspects of our whole food journey are going well.  (Yes, Jess, I would like the granola recipe.  Thank you!)  I'm actually enjoying all the extra cooking, and I'm learning a ton!  We no longer buy anything boxed or jarred that's pre-made or pre-mixed (like pancake mix or cake mix--we make our own), and the only cans we buy are primarily those needed to whip up our own spaghetti sauce (I don't own canning supplies).

I've encountered a few problem areas, requiring more investigating at other stores:
- ketchup (most have high fructose corn syrup, and/or other additives)

- jelly (most have high fructose corn syrup, and/or other additives--paying more doesn't change this.  I need to learn to make my own.)

- peanut butter (high fructose corn syrup, and/or other additives)

- 100% whole wheat bread (I am paying more money for less bread, to get rid of additives!  Hoping to find a bread machine when garage sales start up.)

We'll see how it goes at a fancier grocery store, like Giant Eagle.  Maybe I'll find some healthier alternatives without breaking the bank.  It's no wonder that poverty and obesity are linked, by the way.  Healthy food can be expensive!

Culinary Lessons
I tried a new recipe the other day--scrumptious sweet potato soup.  If you click on the link, you'll notice that it calls for 1.5 cups of cooked sweet potatoes.  Folks, that isn't enough potato for a soup.  I knew it when I read it, so I slightly more than doubled the amount of potatoes.  Still, it came out watery and lacking flavor.  So, I kept putting another potato in the microwave to puree for the soup--three more times.  Finally, I came up with scrumptious soup, after also tweaking the spices and sugar amounts.

The thing is, I didn't get upset!   Something didn't work out initially in the kitchen, and I didn't get upset!  I used to feel like crying, or actually cry, when a recipe didn't work out.  For me it was confirmation that I'm lousy in the domesticity department.  This time, I blamed the recipe.  Poorly written recipes are not uncommon; it isn't always my failings.  In my humble, non-culinary-artist opinion, a recipe should never use cups to specify how much of a fruit or vegetable is needed.  Better to specify 6 medium sweet potatoes, or 5 medium apples.

A Good Read
I wanted to share a piece I read today from the Pursuing Titus 2 blog.  It's about this: to be an effective parent who leaves a powerful legacy, we have to be nice to our kids.  Simple.  Many other things are important too, but how often do we discount the importance of just being nice?  How often do we get annoyed about a muddy floor, or about another pair of dirty socks left lying around.......and then take out the irritation on our kids--lecturing them yet again?  I found her post to be very convicting on many levels.  It's worth reading.

Weighty Unemployment News
It's been a year since my husband first applied for unemployment compensation.  The weekly amount is based on the prior 15 months' earnings (two highest earning months are used).  When he reapplied this March, we found out that he'll be getting a much reduced amount, putting the house payment in serious jeopardy.  Because he works part-time, most weeks he won't get any unemployment.  The amount is small anyway and they subtract some when you work part-time.

We should have known this was coming, but didn't.  So many are in the same predicament.  In a normal economy, most people find something within the standard, 26-week unemployment period.  Now, more and more people are into their second year of financial trouble, with all safeguards gone.

The government can't extend unemployment much longer, regardless of the economy.  Our country just doesn't have the money!

Upon learning the somber income news, we just had to look at each other and wonder--what's next God?  There are only very low paying jobs, and sometimes hundreds of people apply for the same ones--many of whom are over-qualified.  I'm sure it will all work out, but we're awfully weary.  He saw a job the other day for a computer tech, paying only $7.00/hr! Very discouraging for us, since that's what he hopes to become, at an entry level.

I strongly suspect that companies are taking advantage of the economy by offering lower wages.  I guess some of them could be genuinely hurting themselves, but much of it is on purpose, since so many desperate people have to take any wage.

Anyhow, I won't be blogging daily anymore.  Too much praying to do!

Take care, and enjoy the beautiful spring weather!  There are always blessings, and plenty of them!  I'm counting them daily.