• 10.29.2010 How Not To Gag On Vegetables
    How Not To Gag On Vegetables
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    There is only one picky eater in our family. It’s astounding the things this child believes he doesn’t like: any dried fruit, all berries, all vegetables except for carrots, asparagus, and broccoli. Considering how often kale, bok choy, cabbage, salad, tomatoes, eggplant, bell peppers, and any and all dried fruits and berries make it into our regular menu lineup, lack of exposure is not at the root of Number 2′s food fetishes. However, because we’ve held firmly to the rule that all things served at the table must be consumed at some quantity, our picky 6 yr. old has developed the art of embracing the vegetables before him, and consuming them without visible displeasure. Amazing, I know. I recently asked him how he learned not to gag while eating vegetables. We compared notes, and thought we’d share our lists with you: Number 2′s Guide to Not Gagging: 1. Eat the […]

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  • 10.27.2010 Home is Where the Hot Pot Is
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    Anyone who’s lived overseas for a time is familiar with the longing that one feels upon return: for the corner cafe, the market down the street, or the hole-in-the wall that serves up amazing local eats for the cost of a burger here in the States. I experienced the most nostalgia of this kind upon return from China years ago, though there are still times I think about the chicken makhani in India, the fresh avocados in Chile, or the kimchi chi’gae on a rainy day in Korea. We have new friends at church who have recently returned to the States after serving two years in the Northern Mongolia region of China, where Hot Pot was ubiquitous, memorable, and ridiculously affordable. It was my privilege and delight, therefore, to put on a Hot Pot dinner (the first one of the season!) for them, knowing that memories warm the heart like […]

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  • 10.25.2010 Sola Fide or Trick or Treat
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    Doug Wilson gives a thoughtful historical and insightful response to the celebration of Halloween: As another Halloween approaches, and as many of us are working on building alternatives, I wanted to take the opportunity to offer a few thoughts and pastoral suggestions. Here is the background. First, November 1 is All Saints Day. The All Saints festival was first established during the times of persecution in the early church when the number of martyrs accumulated to the point where it was no longer possible to commemorate them all. In the time of John Chrysostom, all the martyrs were remembered on the first Sunday after Pentecost. In 608 A.D., the Pantheon, a former pagan temple to all the gods, was dedicated in Rome as a Christian church. The date of that dedication (May 13) became the day of “all saints.” The day was moved to November 1 in 741 A.D. with […]

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  • 10.22.2010 Harvesting and Carving Punkins
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    When it comes to Halloween, we are one of the most unenthusiastic families I know. Any costumes that may be worn for a harvest festival or party usually come in the form of something found already in the dress-up bin, or a fluffy hand-me-down of some cuddly creature. You won’t find any spider webs, black cats, or any witches hanging around our house. My kids joke that trick-or-treaters who ring our doorbell will likely receive leftover Easter candies, as we’re not real good about doing the Easter bunny thing either. If there is one thing we do enjoy in late October, it is the chill in the air that accompanies a family outing to the pumpkin patch. There’s not much arguing with hay rides, kettle corn, and “picking” just the right pumpkin straight from the field. Most years, our pumpkins serve as ornamental decorations for the undeniable onset of Fall […]

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  • 10.20.2010 For The Record
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    When it comes to the safety and comfort of my children and home, I can, and will destroy all perpetrators… …er…and save the evidence to prove my heroism. I apologize if I’ve ruined your morning cup of coffee. Speaking of coffee, I’m so thankful for my husband who met his discouraged wife this morning with an omelette, a perfect cup of coffee, and a sermon by John MacArthur on The Purpose of Trials. Breakfast of champions, I do believe. Even heros need a pick-me-up.

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  • 10.18.2010 Reserved
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    Reserved Adjective: kept specially for a particular purpose or person. It’s a funny thing…to prepare and make room for a person you’ve never met. A person you’ve known only through conversations with the Maker, through longings with your spouse, through the imagination of your children, and most recently–through blurry, but fascinating little portraits. Sometimes we forget, and think our house could not be any noisier, any busier, any more full of love. But a few daily occurrences and challenges of the last twelve weeks have served to remind me, that we indeed anticipate more laughter, more energy, and an even greater ability to love, in the days to come.  The capacity is there; God is providing for it. We are making room for the baby. We’ve not spruced up the nursery yet, nor added an extra seat at the dinner table. We haven’t figure out how to fit five kids in […]

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  • 10.15.2010 Sandwiches Optional
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    Every other day is a home day for school. Lunch is unanimously our favorite time of day, and as it is enjoyed out under the arbor, it seems a fitting reward for work well-done all morning. The boys are so easy to please. A few key things in combination make lunch under the arbor all together “the best lunch ever.” “The only thing missing is Baba,” they said, sitting back to enjoy their nearly-perfect lunch break. And I thought it was all about the pickles.

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  • 10.13.2010 Self-Portraits with No. 3
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    With two boys at school and one down for a nap two afternoons a week, Number 3 and I have dedicated, productive “Mama Time”…most of the time: “Engage the warp drive!” And, by the way, I’m 11 weeks along now. Fifth time around, it feels and looks like I’m at least 6 months preggers!

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