30 Minutes with Rachael Ray...

MW has declared that she is "all growed up and a grown-up now!" She has begun doing several things that amaze me, terrify me, and in many respects, greatly simplify my life. For instance, a few days ago she asked for something to drink. We were busy unloading the car and told her we'd get her something in a few minutes. Evidently that wasn't fast enough! She pushed a chair from the breakfast room into the kitchen, used it to climb onto the cabinets, got a glass, and got her own water. Last night she was begging for something to eat. I had warmed up a little chicken pot pie in the microwave. The timer went off, but I couldn't get to it that instant. Litttle Miss MW pulled the chair thing again! I found her trying to pry open the microwave...

Along with this new found sense of being "all growed up," MW is becoming quite the little chef! She is adamant about helping me "cook" every meal. (This includes turkey sandwiches for lunch!) One of her favorite meals is Rachael Ray's lettuce wraps. MW had asked to help "cook them." I obliged. Mind you, this recipe is from one of her "thirty minutes" cookbooks. I've made it several times before and it took me more like forty or forty-five minutes...not with MW's help. It took us an entire hour and a half! T was due home around 6:45pm. We started cooking at about 6. With MW's help, we had it on the table a little after 7:30! Thank goodness T is so relaxed about that kind of thing! And FYI, as usual, MW ate every bite. These lettuce wraps are delicious, but they include mushrooms and peppers. At first, MW picked all the peppers out and said she didn't like them, but we made her take one bite (she's eaten them before) and she smiled and said, "they are good." Don't you just LOVE kids! She's still at that tender age where she's willing to admit, without reserve! I read a quote once that said, "Children are just little people who haven't been jaded by life." SO TRUE!

"Do you hear what these are saying?" Jesus said to them, "Yes. Did you never read, 'Out of the mouth of babes and nursing babies you have perfected praise?'" Matthew 21:6

Where am I headed with this? The fact that MW isn't "jaded" at her tender young age of 3.5 makes for some amazing moments. When I was pregnant with T3, MW and I had lunch with a woman who had had a rough run of things. Life had dealt some hard blows and she had made some unwise decisions. She was living in a cramped section of a run down rental home, without power. She was jobless. She was bitter with God and life. Her body language radiated hopelessness and despair. As we sat in this little sandwich shop talking with her, MW climbed up in her lap and leaned against her. As soon as MW snuggled against that woman, her entire body language changed. I think it had been a long time since someone had shown her that kind of love. So, there we sat, with MW curled up in the lap of this poor woman. I promise that woman's heart melted just a little bit. The walls of defense dropped ever so slightly. I think God shares His love in powerful ways through children. "Out of the mouths of babes and nursing babies..."

T has had a rough run of things this morning. We slept through the alarm. I woke at 5:24am and panicked when I realized what time it was. I rushed to pack his lunch while he took a fast shower. He ran out the door, knowing he'd be a few minutes late, which stinks when you're relieving someone else on shift work! At about 6:30 I heard his car fly down the driveway...he'd forgotten his badge! Poor thing. As he ran back out the door I said something about it being a rough start to the day and he commented back something about it may have started rough, but it can end well. Oh, how I NEED to learn from that! Just because the day doesn't start as planned doesn't meant the whole day is shot!

T3 continues to try to push that sixth tooth through. I posted several weeks ago that he had six teeth, but the sixth one won't come through the gum! I can see it, but it won't break through. He's been SO fussy! He's intense. I put him in the high chair and if I don't have food sitting on the tray the second I put him in there, he SCREAMS! I've started ignoring him when he does this. I don't understand how some people can say that we aren't born with a sin nature! Come to my house! Hee, hee!