Parenting from our Fears

From Raising Responsive Children by Judy Rossi

"Dr. Tim Kimmel says (in Grace-based Parenting), "Our fears determine our strategy for parenting." Therefore, we hover, we rescue, we prevent, we permit, we enable - in essence, we control - not only because we don't want our children to fail, but we don't want to be perceived as failures by others or as bad moms by our kids. When we parent from our fears, we choose to ignore, the real issues for the following reasons: our kids intimidate us; what others think intimidates us; the circumstances intimidate us; or the process associated with doing the right thing intimidates us. As a result, we parent dishonestly. Parenting toward resolution of pressing issues allows God to shape all involved. It takes courage to make hard decisions our children won't like (such as how much television they may watch in a week, or drawing a hard line on teen attire). Even if we dread a potential scenario with our children, when we choose to parent out of our faith, we don't have to be fearful of the outcome, because God will be in it."

PROVERBS 3:5-6 (AMPLIFIED BIBLE)

5Lean on, trust in, and be confident in the Lord with all your heart and mind and do not rely on your own insight or understanding.
6In all your ways know, recognize, and acknowledge Him, and He will direct and make straight and plain your paths.

Mississippi Woman, Louisiana Man

Drew and I met at the University of Southern Mississippi my freshman year. He introduced me to crawfish in college. When we lived in Baton Rouge, we loved to go to the Chimes just off the campus of LSU to eat shrimp & corn bisque, crawfish etoufee, shrimp poboys, boudin balls, and fried alligator (him, not me). So now that we've been married 5 1/2 years, I am going to try cooking shrimp etoufee "from scratch." My friend, Cajun cooking sensation, Christa (Bruises & Bows) gave me this yummy recipe. Nothing's exact, just make it work for you.

SHRIMP ETOUFEE

1 lb shrimp (raw peeled frozen work fine)

1/4 cup parsley

1 stick butter

2 stalks celery

3 cloves garlic

1 medium onion

1 bunch green onions

1/2 green bell pepper

1/4 cup flour

~ 3 TBSP Tony's Instant Roux

1 can of diced tomatoes

2 cups chicken broth

Seasoning to taste (I used Tony's, Emeril's Bayou Blast, and black pepper)

Saute bell pepper, celery, white onion, 1/2 green onion, & garlic in butter until soft.

Add flour, instant roux & some seasoning

Stir in some broth to thin

Add tomatoes, parsley and remaining broth (to your desired thickness)

Add shrimp

Cook medium heat until shrimp are done.

Throw on remaining green onions

Serve over rice with french toast

Thanks, Christa, for helping me take my sweet husband "back home."

Katy Rodeo Parade

We went to our first Texas parade today in Old Town Katy. Andrew enjoyed watching the horses, tractors, bands, and trailers. After several minutes in Drew's lap, Andrew began venturing out for the candy being thrown in his direction. He loves "Smarties."

Andrew is pictured here (thanks Suzanne) with his Dad and his breakfast burrito.

Shipwreck Dinner

If you like ground beef and macaroni & cheese, you can't go wrong with this easy Kraft dinner.

Click on picture to get recipe.

Blue Eyes

For those of you counting, Lila is now 3 months old & still has blue eyes.

I am blessed...

...to be on the receiving end of God's saving grace & protection
...with a God-seeking husband who is my best friend and a devoted father
...to have 2 healthy children
...to be home to feed my children meals, play with them, encourage them, put them down for naps, change diapers, laugh with them, offer correction to them, hold them
...to have been born in a Christian home in the US
...with an amazing support system of friends who are also seeking God's plan for their lives and encourage me daily
...to be a part of a church where I am taught God's word each week
...to have all the "stuff" I don't need and all the "stuff" I do

Pottery Barn Price Adjustment

I have been shopping around since before Lila was born for a shelf for her room. I have been dragging my feet, but finally ordered one last week. The shelf arrived yesterday afternoon.

Last night I received an email from PBK saying "Over 500 New Sale Items." My heart skipped a beat. "This will be good!" As I scrolled through this amazing sale I thought, "better not be the shelf that arrived TODAY." And there it was...reduced by $40!

I dialed the number to PBK and I spoke with the most logical customer service rep I believe I have ever encountered. Before I could even ask, she offered me a price adjustment (including shipping costs & tax).

This wonderful new friend of mine informed me that PBK will issue a price adjustment within 30 days of purchase (most places are only 14). YEA Pottery Barn Kids!

I left the box out this morning so Andrew could play. He had a blast!

Happy Valentine's Day!

Andrew 21 months

Andrew has spent most of the last 3 days outside playing. He only wants to come inside when it is time to eat.

"Cheese"

Putting together his sandbox

Bible Presentation

Lila was presented an engraved New Testament Bible this morning at our church, Second Baptist, by Pastor Keith Carmichael. We will participate in the Parent Child Commitment service on April 20, 2008, to confirm our commitment to raising Lila in a Christ centered home.

An ear piercing experience

Lila got her ears pierced today by Andrew's ENT, Dr. Jakob. We arrived 1 hour before our appointment so she could apply 2 doses of numbing cream. Lila did not like being held still, but didn't seem to notice when she got the stick.

breakfast & bumbo

Andrew is not what I would call a picky eater. He is a fickle eater however. For weeks he had yogurt & oatmeal for breakfast. The last few days the yogurt has been met with a "no, no, no, no, no" as he shakes his head. This "no" doesn't seem to be a proclamation "I will not eat it" but more a "please don't make me have that again." Today Andrew enjoyed a new breakfast menu (which was what he ate everyday before he started the yogurt again) of a waffle with maple syrup and a "cutie" madarin. Lila was introduced to the Bumbo today. She enjoyed it for a few minutes then began her own "no, no, no, no, no."

my big kiddos

Andrew is a few days shy of 21 months. I cannot believe how fast time flies. His favorite activity is climbing - on stools, chairs, tables, changing tables, pantry shelves, you name it. He loves to talk. Today his Nana gave him sweet tea from her cup and he proclaimed, "It's tea!" with the biggest grin...he's found pure gold! It is unseasonably warm here in Texas so he's enjoyed playing in the backyard alot lately. Andrew weighs 32 pounds and is almost 3 feet tall!

Lila is 2 1/2 months old (isn't it funny how important the 1/2's are at this stage?). She loves her bouncer, bath time and being held. She coos and gurgles and smiles with her whole face (especially at her daddy's voice). She sleeps through the night most nights which is truly a blessing! Her growth is similar to Andrew's at this age. At 2 months she was 22 3/4" (Andrew was 23") and she weighed 13 pounds (Andrew weighed 13 pounds, 13 ounces).

It all began when...

It all began when a young girl who moved away from her family and friends to start a family of her own. For a hand full of years, her family back home was satisfied with the occassional phone calls and emails. Then came baby #1. The girl was very diligent and sent pictures and email updates of baby #1 at least once a month.

Although the out of towners would have loved more frequent pictures, they, again, were satisfied. But as the boy began to crawl then walk, the new mother found herself falling behind.

A friend recommended mySpace. She opened an account and posted pictures, but it didn't fill the need because all the moms, sisters, and grandmoms didn't have mySpace accounts to view her entries.

The mommy had a friend that started a blog. She thought, "Maybe I should do that." But she didn't take action. She met another inspriational friend with 3 lovely children that often blogged pearls of wisdom, but still, no action. And on it went as everyone around her began to blog.

Baby #2 arrived (18 months after baby#1) and the young mom slacked even more. A few more of her friends joined the blogging world. And, finally, she did, too.