Correcting Your Children

This is one of the Biblical Parenting Tips that are emailed to me. If you're interested in receiving them, too, sign up at www.biblicalparenting.org.
.
When you need to correct your child, start with calm words, avoiding threats or harshness. If children can respond to words then no further consequence is necessary. After all, that’s the mature way to handle conflict and mistakes. When a boss sees an employee doing something wrong, the best thing is to start with words of correction. If that doesn’t work, the boss may have to bring in some other kind of consequence.
.
You're teaching your child something very important when you start the correction process with words. You might even say to your child, "If words work, then that’s all we need. If you don’t respond to my words, then we’ll have to go to the next step.” Whether you’re working with a preschooler jumping on the couch or a sixteen-year-old coming in past curfew, the principle is the same—start with words of correction.
.
We’re not suggesting that every time there’s an offense, you have a dialogue. If your son hits and you’ve already talked about hitting, then you can just proceed to the next step. What you’re trying to do, however, is train your children to eventually receive correction through words without needing a further consequence.
.
Although your kids may need more than words at first, over time you’re moving them in the direction they should go in order to listen to God. It’s always best to respond to the whispers of the Holy Spirit in our hearts. But when we don’t listen, he’ll use other ways to get our attention. As parents, we don’t like to go further, but we will if we have to. Children need to see that their responsiveness or resistance determines the extent of the correction.
.
For more on how to build a good Correction Routine with your children, consider the book, Good and Angry, Exchanging Frustration for Character in You and Your Kids, by Dr. Scott Turansky and Joanne Miller, RN, BSN.

You Wanna Be Humbled?

Our church hosted an incredible speaker last weekend, Nick Vujicic. He's a young man from Australia who was born without arms or legs and has an amazing attitude that will leave you motivated and in awe. If you're like me, you will feel so silly for getting sucked into the petty woes of your daily life.
.
The video is 45 minutes long but SO worth it. He packed out four services with lines wrapped around the building to get in.
.
I don't know where you are on your spiritual journey, but please make time this weekend to sit down and listen to his incredible story; to absorb his optimism and his passion. Click here to watch the video or to listen to the audio. (Though it's so amazing to see him walking around and flipping through his Bible...I encourage you to watch the video!)
.
Or you can watch it right here (if your computer will let you...)

Oh My Gosh, I'm Pregnant?!?!

I kid you not...I was getting dressed in front of the mirror the other day and caught a glance at my bare belly and realized: I am PREGNANT. I'm totally going to have a baby in a few weeks. No, it didn't take me 35 weeks to realize this, but you know how sometimes things just hit you like a freight train all of a sudden?
.
The baby counter on my sidebar has reminded me of this daily since then. As of today, I have 31 days until my due date. 31 days. Do you know what I was doing 31 days ago? Actively planning and packing for our California trip. That was not that long ago, people!
.
I don't even remember what it's like NOT to be pregnant anymore. When I put out our fall decorations, there was a picture of Ryan and I decorating a pumpkin from a couple of years back and Mike took one look at it and said, "Wow - I forgot what you looked like skinny!" Um, yeah...ME TOO.
.
I've forgotten what it's like not to huff and puff up the stairs. What it's like to sleep soundly through the night without getting up to pee 2...4...7 times. Or to take a deep breath before attempting to roll over in bed. Or what it's like NOT to have sciatic pain and have my leg buckle out from underneath me while walking across the kitchen. I can't remember using the hand-over-hand motion to turn the steering wheel in the car because my belly isn't in the way. It's hard to remember the days before I'd pat my temples with a napkin at the kitchen table because I'm SO hot after standing over the stove making dinner.
.
And soon I won't have strangers smiling or whispering, "Awwww, look at her tummy..." in public. It won't be long before I yearn for the feelings of this baby flipping around inside of me. In a few short weeks, the fact that there's been a human being growing in my belly will finally be made tangible for my kids.
.
Dude. I'm having a baby soon. I need to come to grips with this...fast!!!

Meal Plan - 9/28/09

I'm dragging with my meal plan this week. I have exactly one meal idea in my head as I type this. Time to look through my recipes for inspiration! Let's just tackle dinners for now, okay?
.
Monday - Leftovers (sorry, Honey!)
Tuesday - Shepherd's Pie
Wednesday - White Chicken Chili
Thursday - Garlic Chicken Farfalle
Friday - Crust-less Quiche
Saturday - Eat out
Sunday - Lasagna Roll Ups

Dessert - Mint Chocolate Chip Cookies and Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins

Maternity Pics

A few weeks ago, my photographer friend, Jolie, took some beautiful maternity pictures of me. She needed some outdoor shots for her website and I was a willing model! (Sidenote: she prefers to do maternity shoots at 32 weeks and I was 31 at the time. I guess that's the ideal time when expecting moms are round and cute before getting completely swollen and lumpy???) It was extremely hot and I felt fat and disgusting, but I am shocked thrilled that Jolie was able to capture some decent photos of me and the baby bump.
.
Here are a few that are edited with some fun textures over them. And I'm no cowgirl, but how cool do I look in this hat???





In this last picture, you can't even see my roadmap blue veins all over my belly! Now that's the power of Photoshop, people. There's a slide show with a few more of the pictures here.

19 pound newborn

Okay, I seriously feel like I'll be making these kinds of headlines on October 20-something. Watch out America! I won't be able to beat the current record of a 24 pound baby, but this boy's going to be big, I can feel it.
.
Woman gives birth to 19 pound baby...read for yourself! Can you say, "Gestational Diabetes" - ??? If you click on the 3 slides of the baby, in the last picture, the poor boy looks like he's going to eat the kid next to him as he wails away.

PF Chang's Lettuce Wraps

If you've never been to PF Chang's restaurant and tasted their lettuce wraps, you're missing out. And you might be a little confused by this concept! You place the filling inside of an individual lettuce leaf, top it with sauce, wrap it up and enjoy. It's intended to be an appetizer, but can be eaten as a meal.
.
I modified this recipe based off of a friend's suggestion and it turned out really good...easy ingredients with a little less sugar. I'm thinking bibb lettuce might work better than iceberg next time. The kids had a huge problem keeping their wraps wrapped!
.
Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons oil (canola or vegetable work best)
• 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts
• 1 cup water chestnuts (one small can)
• 1 cup mushrooms
• 3 tablespoons chopped onions
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic
• 6-8 whole leaves iceberg or bibb lettuce

Special Sauce

• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1/2 cup water
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
• 1 tablespoon ketchup
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1/8 teaspoon sesame oil (or canola if you don't hae sesame)
• 1 tablespoon hot mustard
• 2 teaspoons water
• 1-2 teaspoon garlic and red chile paste

Stir Fry Sauce

• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon rice wine vinegar

Directions

You can make the following sauces ahead to save time. Should last at least 1-2 days:

1. Make the special sauce by dissolving the sugar in water in a small bowl.
2. Add soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, ketchup, lemon juice and sesame oil.
3. Mix well and refrigerate this sauce until you're ready to serve.
4. Combine the hot water with the hot mustard and set this aside as well.
5. Eventually add your desired measurement of mustard and garlic chili sauce to the special sauce mixture to pour over the wraps.

To make the actual lettuce wraps:

1. Bring oil to high heat in a wok or large frying pan.
2. Saute chicken breasts for 4 to 5 minutes per side or done.
3. Remove chicken from the pan and cool.
4. Keep oil in the pan, keep hot.
5. As chicken cools mince water chestnuts and mushrooms to about the size of small peas.
6. Prepare the stir fry sauce by mixing the soy sauce, brown sugar, and rice vinegar together in a small bowl.
7. When chicken is cool, mince it as the mushrooms and water chestnuts are.
8. With the pan still on high heat, add another Tbsp of vegetable oil.
9. Add chicken, garlic, onions, water chestnuts and mushrooms to the pan.
10. Add the stir fry sauce to the pan and saute the mixture for a couple minutes then serve it in the lettuce leaves and wrap up into individual cups.
11. Top with "special sauce".

Next time I serve this to my kids, I may just chop up the lettuce, top it with the "filling" and drizzle the "special sauce" on like salad dressing. We practically had to feed the wraps to both of our kids, which was a pain, but they LOVED them.

Meal Plan - 9/21/09

Breakfast
{Melt-in-Your-Mouth} Apple Coffee Cake
Whole Grain Waffles
Oatmeal
Cold cereal
.
Lunch
Turkey sandwiches
Cheese and crackers
Crockpot Applesauce
Carrots
.
Dinner
Monday - Baked Potato Bar with leftover chili, cheese, broccoli and sour cream
Tuesday - Quesadillas
Wednesday - Tuna Casserole
Thursday - {Frugal} Bean Stew with Olive Oil Bread
Friday - Taco Salad
Saturday - PF Chang's Lettuce Wraps and Veggie Fried Rice
Sunday - {Healthy} Chicken Pot Pie
.
Dessert
Rice Krispie Treats
Chocolate Pudding made with avocados (You have to try this now that avocados are cheap and in season! It's so good...very rich...kind of like the center of a chocolate molten lava cake.)