Whoopee! Cati is 3!

I am convinced that Cati believes she has the never-ending birthday. Two sets of grandparents came into town and she already had her big bash. Before her actual birthday. Each night when she prays she thanks God that her birthday is coming. This has been for weeks, now. Sadly, this Groundhog Birthday of hers has ended. But we had a blast today on her official birthday. We started our morning at the zoo...

We saw birds...

Got a little wet...

Saw more birds and fed the budgies...

who kinda attacked my hubby and started grooming him...too funny

Fed a giraffe...

Rode a pony...twice

Made some goat friends...who taught us how to clean up the pen...

Got really hot...then rained on...then hot again...

Rode a plastic giraffe...then a plastic horse because plastic giraffe did not go up and down...of course this can also be done at the mall and came after the real live pony but its Cati's day...

Opened some gifts...

digging it...

went out for a birthday dinner...pizza, of course...

and it was yummy...

...and finally for ice cream where Cati opted out of having a small cake to have Smurf ice cream. A neon, blue color with little marshmallows in it that tastes like the bubble gum flavored toothpaste at the dentist office (blech!)

Happy Birthday Cati!

Blinky & Pink. Oh Yes.

These are Cati's new shoes. Are they not the epitome of girly? I should put this as my picture for this blog. It's so perfect! They are two shades of pink, completely girly, and I LOVE THEM!

Cati's grandparents bought these for her after her Daddy and I were ready to leave the store because nothing came in a wide for her size. I figured the search was over and we would try it another day. Then we turn around to Cati trying on the display set of these shoes. They fit her and she wants to wear them home. They have those blinky lights that I do not have the heart to tell her will not last and she is doing her best to figure out their blink capacity. She kicks her heels like she's trying to find her way out of Oz. She kicks the back of the seat in the car (my particular favorite). She jumps up and down, runs, smacks the bottom with her hand. She wants to sleep with them, puts them on with her pj's at night and puts them on first thing int he morning. This is the first thing I have ever seen her do this with and I am just astounded that it would be with pink, girly shoes. Where does she get this fetish from?

Okay. Me.

I love shoes. A little too much. Heels, flip flops, running shoes, wedges, boots (ohhhh, boots), flats, you name it. I love them. They make you feel like a gazillion bucks when you wear them, especially when you know you got them at Nordstrom during their half yearly sale for a crazy steal. So my love of shoes has become a heritage passed down to my oldest. Clearly, I must work on the spiritual emphasis of this heritage but it does this mommy proud to see a love of shoes passed on. Pray for me to have sharper focus of this completely superficial obsession. Pray for me more that I am proud to see it manifested in my child.

So I watch this dance of Cati's where she is thinking constantly of these shoes, needing them on her feet, and focused throughout her day on what they do, how they look, and how much she loves them.

You so know where I am going. I am transparent like cling wrap.

Yes. It's a God lesson. Why, oh why does my focus on God not look just like this? Why don't I wake up each morning prepared to embrace the day with the God of my life? Why is that not my first thought? It used to be. Why don't I see him in every aspect of my life? How I parent, how I nurture my marriage, the way I serve the body of Christ, the way I witness my faith to all I encounter? Why is the bible like an errand that has to get done instead of a delight? Why have I forgotten my first love?

I really believe if I loved Jesus like Cati loves those shoes, my spiritual walk would look significantly different.

I think I would would start each day with God (at this moment I hear the CHRRRRIIIIIIIIIIIPPPP of the Velcro as she puts them on...again), delight in the way I see him work in different ways within my daily life, I would pray without ceasing, I would draw him close to me until I laid down my head to sleep and wait for a new day.

Who knew a devotional type post would come from blinky, pink shoes? Not me. I know that Cati is just being a sweet little girl who delights in something that she loves. Pure and simple. But I am a woman. A woman saved by grave who needs to live her life in thankfulness to her Savior. And this verse keeps echoing in my head as I type...

"Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." Matthew 6:19-21

I do not believe my love of shoes is an idol. I am actually making fun of myself here. But I do believe I put my focus and hope on everything but my King. Often. Maybe daily.

I confess to you that there days I feel close to despair as I see marriages crumbling, Christians being frighteningly unlawful; becoming ensnared by such depravity it takes my breath away. I see it and I say, "Why is this happening? Is the body being attacked this much?"

Yes, I think it is. And a still small voice speaks to the inner most parts of my soul with this chilling question...

"How are you any different or any less susceptible, Beloved?"

The answer feels like a kick in the gut. I am not any different. I can fall prey just like anyone else. Fellowship with God, true fellowship is where I begin. Lately, I have been living off a relationship with God that is maintained by God. Fellowship with God is maintained by me. I am to draw near, to pray, to study His precepts, and dig deep into the spiritual trenches of His Word in order to fight what I see is a losing battle for so many.

I have a quote written on the title page of my bible...

"The scriptures were not given to increase our knowledge but to change our lives."

-D.L. Moody

May I take this to heart. So my prayer is that I fellowship with God like Cati enjoys her pink, blinky shoes. Maybe, just maybe I can experience a new pair of shoes for me while drinking deep of the living water...can I have both? But I know what is temporal and what is eternal.

Two Tips Tuesday

TIP #1 Rainy Day Ideas (or any other day)

This has got to be the rainiest (is that a word?) summer I have encountered since moving to Florida. Rain is common in the summer but usually for only a few hours per day. This summer, we have been hit with monsoon marathons. Not really. But a cute label, right? So being a Mommy, I have had to come up with some creative ideas to stimulate the girls. Plus, its fun to see what works and what does not.

This list was initially devised for a friend of mine who's sweet son had a bit of a stomach bug which caused many bathroom trips. Poor guy was not feeling too hot for a number of days. So I came up with this list, told her about it, but never sent it. Now she is one of my loyal 6 followers so I know she will read this and be so excited that it is published on my very famous blog. A girl can hope.

I titled her list, "Fun Things To Do When You Are Not in the Loo." But of course, I have rephrased it for this post...

1. Take a photo or cut out a picture, glue it to a piece of cardboard and cut it out to make a homemade puzzle.
2. Make a fort under your dining room table (remove chairs) using bed sheets and pillows. Bring snacks, flash lights, books, and favorite stuffed animals for more fun!
3. Blow up a balloon, draw a picture or write a message, deflate it and mail one to a friend (or a few). You could even do this as birthday invites.
4. Fill up 10 empty water bottles with water, (tighten those caps WELL) use food coloring to make different colors and roll a heavy ball for indoor bowling.
5. Color coffee filters with washable markers, put them out in the rain or spray them with a water bottle to see what cool designs they make.
6. Make rice krispie treats and put them on bamboo skewers. Then use leftover marshmallows, cut up fruit and graham crackers, heat up some chocolate chips in the microwave and have a fun fondue!
7. Make a placemat out of scrap paper (or even fabric or ribbon), stickers, or draw on the paper (fabric markers for fabric) and put it between 2 pieces of contact paper.
8. Bake cookies and if you have ice cream, make homemade ice cream sandwiches. YUM!
9. Do a scavenger hunt in your house or backyard (if it isn't raining). Time yourself. Use themes like a photo scavenger hunt (take pictures of objects or people) or work on things like colors, numbers, etc.
10. Have a pretend party. Examples are a pizza party (cut out paper pizzas, fixins' and decorate a bunch), tea party (use iced tea and play dress up), music party (Use instruments or make them to jam) and get creative.

TIP #2 Easy Gift Tags or Post Cards

I have this major pet peeve with how expensive the little things are these days...especially greeting cards. Now I don't know about you but I feel like there are too many occasions for greeting cards. Holidays, birthdays, Tuesdays. Makes me crazy. And I have enough people in my family to create it's own zip code. I am half Italian and half Irish. They tend to do a lot of people making. So it just gets rather overwhelming. Here is a good way to put all that money to good use a second time around and use those cards again...

Use greeting cards and cut up the front to make a pretty gift tag on a gift or cut the card in half and use the front of the card as a post card. (This goes without saying but I will say it...do not send it back to the original sender of the card...so tacky. But in my family, it would probably make everyone laugh. Other uses are photo mats in scrapbooks, make them into bookmarks, or even tags for organization. There are some really cute cards that can be recycled into another use.

Enjoy another Tuesday with new and exciting wisdom from a tip guru such as myself. Next Tuesday...how to encourage friends to remain humble and meek.

He is Forever Faithful

Rita Springer - I Have To Believe lyrics LyricsMode.com

The above link has lyrics that are the cry of my heart on this night, at this moment. My family and I just returned from church after a prayer meeting, praying for our friends eight year old son who has been diagnosed with leukemia.

I have been sort of in shock over this news and all I can think about is what this little boy must be going through and how his parents are possibly feeling helpless or discouraged at times. But I rejoice in knowing God is their only hope, their only help, their only strength, their only refuge.

It also makes me think of my girls, my miracle girls...

My Cati who asks me too many questions until I get frustrated and ask her to stop. How loud would the silence be if she was not here to ask any questions at all?

My Ella who can sometimes hurt my feelings when she would rather be held by Daddy. How about if there was no Ella to ever hold?

My Cati who prays at the dinner table and begins to talk gibberish which may be the Holy Spirit's groanings audibly heard because I have no clue what she is saying and I want her to stop so I can eat. How incredibly precious that My Cati delights in thanking God for her food, friends and family?

My Ella who can be so feisty and cry at the least provocation. I get annoyed and want to check out because she seems so high strung and demanding. Why don't I think of the fact that she needs to know I am there to love her and protect her no matter what she does or how she behaves?

I think about these things that pale in comparison to one of my girls not being here at all or going through a sickness or disease and wondering what is happening and why.

So tonight by heart feels so full of gratitude to a God who loves this little boy and this family more than we can fathom. That this family gives glory to the God of the universe who can heal, perform miracles, do the impossible. I am also grateful that if He decides not to heal this little boy, our God is still worthy of all honor and praise. That He knows what's best, that our thoughts are not His thoughts; our ways are not His ways, that He works all things together for good, according to His perfect will and purpose.

And most of all...that this little boy knows Jesus Christ as his Lord and Savior. He knows where His help comes from. His help comes from the Lord.

May the Lord God almighty show His glorious works and completely heal this little boy.

And if He does not...yet I will still praise Him.

Two Tips Tuesday

I have shocked myself that I have adhered to this weekly post for the second time. Folks, this may stick. But when I run out of tips I might start making some pretty weak excuses. But I will do my best until I hit a blog block.

Tip #1 VISUAL DAILY SCHEDULE
Sadly, I feel like a hypocrite sharing this tip because I have not adhered to this like I have wanted. But my goal is to get back in the swing of things by using this schedule. Here is what I did. I used printable post cards, clip art, and contact paper to make the cards. I put magnets on the back to put them on the fridge. I, of course, got caught up in the process trying to choose the precise placing of the picture and wording until it became a 3 day project. Plus, I do not have a color printer as I have mentioned and I did not have a lamination machine. Can you say tedious? But again, my perfectionism sickness is caused me to grow weary of the whole thing by the time I was done. Here's your visual:

Awful picture! But this is my fridge where I have posted all the activities for the day in the order in which I want it to happen. I have not printed out the times yet but I did make them. I just got lazy and I think it is the reason I am not doing well with this because I am a slave to the clock. Everything revolves around time for me and it helps me to stay focused during my day. So from top to bottom, the activities are lined up from breakfast to bedtime.

Here are some examples close up of some of the activities I have on the cards. This is my full list:

Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner, Snack, Exercise, Free Time, Outside, Quiet Play, Nap, Bedtime, Errands, Playdate, Learning Time, Devotional/Bible Study, Prayer, Crafts, Coloring, TV, Movie, Family Time, Chores, Bedtime, Brush Teeth, Library, Playground.

This enables my kids to understand how to plan their day, recognize a word because there is a picture image, and a way for me to stay on task to balance activities such as TV time or remembering to include important activities like devotionals. This actually all began when I found I was letting Cati watch 4 hours of TV a day. We do not have cable so it was literally me just letting one DVD play over and over or me mindlessly changing the DVD. She had been acting out and I realized I was not giving her the attention she needed and cleaned up my act. It improved things a quite a bit. I realized I was really focusing on me and just trying to get through the day instead of focusing on the girls. I also found if I put the cards up each day I was more likely to do the activity like walk to the playground or run those errands I keep putting it off until I HAVE to do it.
If this seems far fetched, maybe just planning out a weekly schedule will help. This has worked for me becasue it is a scheule that is in my face. I find that I am overwhelmed at the responsibility of being a mom and all that goes with it. The least I can do is put forth a little planning and effort to give the girls predictability and some fun learning.
Tip # 2 RECIPE: Summer Berry Bake

I really should not give away this recipe but it is so easy and so yummy that I have to share the wealth. I came across this recipe in Cooks Country Magazine and I have used it for brunches to potlucks. It is something perfect for a picnic, a classy lunch, or even a dessert to bring when attending a dinner party. Last year, I made it for a baby shower and even brought it to Disney World when meeting my family there. My nieces and nephews gobbled it up and loved it! So for either super casual or a dinner party, this one is perfect. Plus, it takes literally 10 minutes or less.
It is best during the summer season when the berries are the sweetest and in season...

4 oz. (1/2 package) cream cheese at room temperature
1/4 cup lemon curd
1/4 cup sour cream
2 cups fresh raspberries and strawberries
1 cup blueberries
1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
1. Adjust oven rack to sit 7 inches below broiler element and heat broiler.
2. Whisk cream cheese, lemon curd, and sour cream in medium bowl until smooth ( I use my kitchenaid or hand mixer here)
3. Scatter berries in the bottom of a broiler safe gratin dish or tart pan (I use a pie plate). Spoon cream mixture over berries and gently spread the mixture until it covers berries completely. Sprinkle brown sugar evenly over surface, place in oven, and broil until sugar is bubbly and caramelized, 2 to 4 minutes. Serve warm. (Although I like it best cold!)

Hope you like this Tuesday's tips!

Do My Eyes Deceive Me?

It's a perfect evening out for dinner with my family. My parents are in town this week and tonight is their last night here before they fly home tomorrow. So we had a full day going to Great Explorations Children's Museum, swimming at the hotel pool, and then going out to dinner downtown. I live in this quaint little historic town in walking distance from shops, boutiques, restaurants, and the water. Sadly, a little too touristy but really a sweet place to live. My parents had a hotel room in walking distance to both town and our house. We planned to meet at the Mexican place tonight and everything was just peachy when the oddest thing happens after ordering our food.

We are in the restaurant just plowing through chips and salsa when all of a sudden the lights start flashing and someones cranks up the volume of this pretty awesome Latin number. I mean, LOUD! Then, we see this woman in this tight little get up taking this "O" shaped ring from the ceiling and is fiddling with the ropes that tie it up. Now I, being the innocent patron that I am, completely assume that this is some sort of funny toss game where someone gets a free dessert for getting three burritos through the hoop or something. I mean, what do you do with this ring that hangs from the ceiling? Light a fire to it?

Nope.

Leotard clad lady is going to hang from it in positions that God never intended for our bodies to do. Especially in front of people shoveling in chips and salsa or the fajita I am waiting on. Um, hello? Family atmosphere people! My children are now mesmerized by the woman swinging from this hoop and quite frankly I am appalled that this is our dining entertainment. Am I alone in this thinking? Well, apparently, since thunderous applause erupts at the close of her routine.

Now call me a prude but wouldn't some jammin' maracas be more appropriate then mid air splits while hanging upside down? But just as I am breathing a sigh of relief, a sweet little girl who is the mini me of this woman begins climbing two, long panels of fabric like a fireman pole, then splitting the panels apart at the top while hanging to them. I kid you not. She then twists them around her ankles and then suddenly is hanging in a split from midair with only this fabric wrapped around her for support. Now I have kicked in to Mom gear and wondering if anyone else is concerned that this little baby is hanging by a literal thread from the ceiling. A picture of my future flashed before my eyes where my Cati aspires to doing dangerous circus acts in family restaurants while people throw chips at her.

How good are those chips by the way? Too good to throw in my opinion.

Alarm is the best word to describe how I feel but now I can't take my eyes off this precious little girl who really can bend in ways that should not be possible. Then Leotard gets back up there to finish off the routine and at one point gets rolled up in these fabric panels like a cocoon and then unravels herself almost to the floor before catching herself. All without a net!!! Seriously, there should be rules against this type of thing. The music from Sesame Street where you look at four things and one of them just doesn't belong? This is the tune playing in my head as I look at the rest of the diners who either see this as utterly normal or seem oblivious to this display.

The best part? They pass out pamphlets at the end to promote the dance studio that teaches this gift of entertainment and I can not tell a lie. The pamphlet is in my purse.

THE PARTY!

I was honestly surprised at how fun this party was! I feared that the activities would kind of be over their heads but they were all for it! They played hard and used their creative minds for some adorable creations! Cati & Ella had a blast too though Ella kind of melted down towards the end. Not shocking for a one year old with no nap. But the pictures will probably explain themselves but I will put comments here and there for fun.

I wish I had more to say today. It has been a draining week but God is continually reminding me of His goodness. So until another day of blogging...here are the pictures from today's hoopla!

This is Ella's smash cake. Obviously, it is her initial "e" with polka dots. I just used a boxed cake and icing. I am not very good at decorating cakes but I still think it's fun.

This is Ella eating her smash cake.



This is Cati's birthday cake which was a Hot Fudge Sundae Cake. I cut ice cream sandwiches for the edge, filled it with chocolate ice cream (In a spring form pan), froze it and then poured hot fudge, whipped cream and a cherry on top.

Daddy & Ella before the party.

I was actually in panic mode the night before because I realized I made a bib but nothing special for Cati. I am really losing my brain cells planning this party. So I am making this little 3 pin with ribbons (that matches the bib for Ella) the night before at 12 :08 am but knowing with each stitch that my precious Cati is worth all the fatigue. She looks so precious in this picture. Sometimes my heart aches when I look at her beautiful face.

Look at my Ella's smile!! Oh yeah! In the background are black & white pictures of the girls from infancy until their ages now. They turned out so cute hanging from string from the ceiling.

Here is the Sweet Bling station where we made edible bracelets with gummy life savers, fruity cheerios, and little candies on twizzler pull aways. Mmmm mmmmm.

Making the aprons. I set out fabric markers and foamie stickers.

Decorating cookies & cupcakes. Just incredibly fun!

So there's me with the pink icing decorating a tulip cookie.

Me again with Cati cheesing for the camera.

Group Picture! Could these kiddos be any more scrumptious and cute? They look so cute in their aprons! Good times, good times. And um, how funny is my Cati looking like a celebrity in the middle with her groupies?