Salvation Sunday: Clean Those Dirty Diapers!

Have you ever noticed your toddler likes to walk around in dirty diapers? Mine does.

In fact if I ask him if he has a dirty diaper (and I know he does because I can smell it), he shakes his head "no." Then I end up chasing him around the house trying to catch him to change his diaper. When I finally get him, the delight of chasing him turns into Mr. Hyde as he throws himself into a unruly fit.

I think if I let him he would just run around in his dirty diaper for a while. He ignores the stench (that we all seem to smell), just continuing to play with his toys or read his books. Some kids even pretend to be sneaky about their business.

This sounds all too familiar in our Christian life, doesn't it? We sneak around God as we fall to sin. The stench permeates everything around us in life. We like to remain in our own filth of dirt, wearing it on us. We even run from God as He chases us.

And the sad thing of it all is that all we have to do is let God change us. He wipes away the guilt and shame, replacing our black "dirty diaper" with a clean, white heart. And finally at last as we surrender to His chasing, He takes away the stench.

I started reading from the Bible book of Isaiah for my daily devotions. The first chapter addresses this very subject, addressing Israel's continuous sin of idolatry and immorality. Isaiah 1:5, says "Why do you continue to invite punishment? Must you rebel forever? Your head is injured, and your heart is sick." I can just hear God saying not only to the Israelites but to us today, "Why do continue to wallow in your dirty diaper?"

The answer (almost with a bit of humor) is found later in the chapter,
Isaiah 1: 18, ""Come now, let's settle this," says the LORD. "Though your sins are like scarlet, I will make them as white as snow. Though they are red like crimson, I will make them as white as wool." The solution is so simple but we still choose to continue down our own filthy path.

My prayer today is to let God clean me of my sin. I am tired of wearing this dirty diaper. Lord, make me clean again. I hope that is your prayer as well.

Shuffle Saturday: Pick Your Battles

Ah, parenting. I understood the phrase "pick your battles" before I had children but I didn't really have to LIVE it--until I had kids.

As a kid, I hated wearing shoes...and socks. I would go barefoot all summer if I could. I practically lived at the swimming pool, that was right across the street from my childhood home. The only time I would wear shoes is when they would rock and tar the street.

I ran barefoot, rode my bike barefoot...did everything barefoot. And apparently I passed it on to my children. My middle son, Sean, HATES to wear shoes and socks. It doesn't matter if it is 90 degrees or 9 degrees outside. He is constantly kicking his shoes and socks off in the car, which usually adds a few more minutes to the trip time as we have to first find, then re dress his bare feet.

Last week, Emma and I got together for a play date. As is his fashion, Sean kicked his shoes and socks off in the van. When I got to Emma's house, I thought, 'I could put them back on him, only to take off his shoes as soon as we get in the door, or I could just carry him into the house and bring the shoes/socks in with me.' And that's what I did. Emma inquired as to why I was carrying him into the house and I explained it to her. Emma laughed and said, "Pick your battles."

I could have fought him to get his shoes and socks on...but it wasn't that big of a deal. Going to bed at bedtime? Yes. But shoes and socks? No.

Food Friday: Salmon Patties for the Kids!

I have a toddler which means PICKY! You probably have been there and done that. I have been trying new recipes with my toddler in mind, hoping that I can find something he will eat and will provide him the nutrition he needs.

Salmon patties is a old family recipe that I rediscovered. In fact, the recipe comes from my Grandma and one that my mom grew up on. Sometimes I wonder if it is an idea off of the Great Depression. It is cheap, easy, healthy, and yes (drum roll) my toddler ate it, even saying YUMMY! So I thought I would pass on this traditional recipe from one family to another.

Serve it with some rice, green vegetables, or even cooked carrots for a complete meal.

Salmon Patties

1 can of pink salmon
2 eggs
1 lunch baggie of crushed saltine crackers
Bacon bits (optional)
Parsley

Open a can of pink salmon. Drain the juice and discard the bones and skin (although you can technically eat it as my Grandma leaves them in...just your preference). Meanwhile crush up a lunch bag full of saltine crackers. Stir fish, crackers, and eggs together until you get a sticky consistency. On top of stove, heat some olive oil. Take a spoonful of mixture and brown flat ball in pan. Add fresh parsley to top. Add bacon for additional smokey flavor. This recipe serves 3-4 people.

Enjoy! And hopefully your toddler eats for you!

Toy Thursday: Church Toys

While I think it is important for kids to pay attention in Church, I know it's not always a reality. We're Catholic so Mass usually lasts an hour...holy days and weddings are longer. And with three boys under the age of 5, we're usually playing zone defense trying to stop them from getting out of the pew.

Our oldest is usually good about Church. We actually refer to him as "Father Liam" because he makes sure we pray (sometimes twice) before meals. He's very spiritual and has a consoling spirit. It's the 9 month old and two year old that we have to worry about.

We always try to make sure we have puffs and biter biscuits for the baby and fruit snacks and cheerios for the toddler to keep them happy and occupied. I have no trouble nursing the baby during Mass (Jesus was breastfed, after all) and a mom has to do what she has to do to keep kids quiet.

We have a special "Church bag" of books and QUIET toys that the kids only see on Sunday. That way it is special. The books are hard pages (so no ripping) and don't make noise. The toys are also quiet toys (cars and such) as to not interrupt the other worshipers.

When it comes to the snacks though, be sure to check the bag before Church. On more than one occasion we've had snacks in a Ziploc baggie that had a hole in it. Whoops. Most of Mass was spent picking up and hiding the treats that fell on the floor (so the boys wouldn't eat them) and trying to stop them from eating food off of the floor.

Good luck. Before you know it they'll be surly teens who are too cool for Church. But for now they're just children. And as Jesus said, "Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these."

Wash Wednesday: Tis the Season for Shedding!

I am so happy that spring is finally here. I have the windows open letting in fresh air and the sounds of birds chirping. The spring flowers are up and starting to bloom in daffodil yellows and hyacinth purples. The bright blues skies overhead shine down with the spring sunshine as we walk and play outside.

As you can see there are not too many down sides to spring, especially after a long winter except maybe tornadoes and storms, allergies, and shedding. Yes, if you have a pet, tis the season for shedding.

With the warm breezes of spring comes shedding season. My long-haired, orange cat is the perfect example of accumulating a thick coat of hair over the winter followed by dispersing it when the weather turns at the tiniest hint of spring. I have learned over the years how to cope with all the extra hair and fur bunnies that float around the house.

Perhaps the best way to cope with the extra hair removal is combing my pet on regular basis during this season. In fact, often times I take him outside to the porch and hold him down while I use my FURminator comb. This comb is excellent at taking off loose hair by the gallons. The mess of combing is contained to outdoors as I usually let the hair just float away in the breeze for the birds.

Shampooing your cat enhances the combing, limiting hair removal and eventually hairballs. My own cat does not like baths though so we wipe him down with cleaning wipes you can find in the pet store. We use these wipes after combing so that he does not rub off the loose hair onto the furniture.

Inside, I do extra vacuuming on the carpet to keep up with the hair. I wipe down the couch and chair cushions with the added task of a lint roller to collect any remaining hair. And it seems like I cycle through more laundry to control the extra fur.

I am anxious to hear what you do to combat this side effect of spring? In the meantime, enjoy the nice weather.