Flashback Tuesday!

Noel's 4th birthday is right around the corner, and as I was going out to get the mail this afternoon, I had a flashback of an incident that occurred when he was a teeny tiny baby.  I think after you read this you will understand why I might not be getting the mother of the year award. 

When Noel was really little, probably 2 or 3 months old, he cried.  A lot.  I'm sure all babies do, but he was my first one, and I had no idea what I was doing, much less understood that sometimes babies just cry.  He wouldn't sleep.  He wouldn't take a pacifier.  He just cried.  And cried.  And cried.

One afternoon, I was at the end of my rope.  I needed a break from the crying, so I put him in his little baby swing and ran out to get the mail, slamming the front door behind me.  As soon as I slammed the door shut, I realized I had locked myself out of the house.  Which wouldn't have been such a huge deal, because we keep a spare key hidden (of course I won't tell you where. . .duh!).

Except that just a few days earlier I had locked myself out then, used the spare key to get in, and proceeded to leave the spare key on the kitchen table.

Huge deal.

So the scenario so far is:  screaming baby inside, crying mom outside.  What to do?

I take the walk of shame.

Now the walk of shame might mean something different to you, but for me that day, it meant going to my neighbors' house and asking to use their phone BECAUSE I HAD LOCKED MY BABY IN OUR HOUSE AND ME OUT OF IT.  Which in itself might not be too embarassing, except that I had probably given these neighbors some of the most condescending looks ever.  I won't go into details, but let's just say there were lots of various people living there, coming and going quite frequently, and the police drove by at least twice a week.  I once watched an entire squad team surround the house and arrest a guy.  We never saw him again.  Suffice it to say we were not what you would call great friends.

So as I knocked on the door, I realized that nobody has there stuff together.  We've all got issues, and I have no right to judge. 

In the end, I used their phone to call a friend who had an extra key, and she saved the day.  Noel was still fine in the swing.  I can't even remember if he was still crying.  For some reason (!) it didn't seem to matter much anymore.  And months later when one of those neighbors came to our door asking to use the phone, I was a lot more understanding than I would have been.  God definitely has a sense of humor!

Happenings Around Here

Happy Fall, Everyone!!

Lots of fun, exciting things going on around here.  We're putting some stuff together to celebrate Noel's 4th birthday this weekend.  Hard to believe.  I know lots of people say, "Where did the time go?" But I have really enjoyed watching him grow up.  Being here with him and seeing him change from a baby to a toddler to a kid has been such a neat experience.  Yesterday we went to the park, and I was checking to make sure Elise could get up the stairs at the playground.  Noel says, "You don't have to come up here, Mom." It immediately took me back to when he was 2 and wouldn't go on the playground without me. 

How things change.

Other upcoming fall activities I'm looking forward to:
high school fall retreat
football games
trip to Florida in November
running a 5K in the near future (I'm halfway through the Couch to 5K program)
teaching Sunday School for the high schoolers

What are your fall plans?

Crock Pot Applesauce

Just wanted to share an easy recipe for making applesauce

1 bag (2-3 lb.) apples, peeled and coarsely chopped (can be cut into large pieces)
4-6 T. brown sugar (to your taste)
1 t. vanilla
1 t. cinnamon

Put everything in the crock pot and cook on low for 4 hours.  Mash with potato masher.  Add more brown sugar if the sauce is too thin.

The original recipe I used called for 1/3 c. apple juice, but I didn't use any (didn't have any on hand) and it was fine without it.

Enjoy!!

Do you KNOW who my grandpa is?

Continuing in our onslaught of fun activities for Noel over the past few days, on Tuesday, Noel's preschool took a field trip to . . .

(wait for it)

Farlow's Orchard!

If you aren't from Kokomo, or maybe even if you are from Kokomo but don't travel to Russiaville much, you don't know about Farlow's Orchard.  According to Mr. Taylor, the tour guide, Farlow's Orchard is the oldest orchard in Indiana that has been run by the same family.  It's a cute, 15-acre orchard a few miles west of town.  Students and any interested parents (and siblings) met up at the orchard to see how the bees make honey, how a cider press works, how they sort the apples for selling or cider-making, and the highlight:  going on a wagon ride where the kids got to pick an apple and take it home.

A fun time was had by all.

Of course, the trip was a little underwhelming for a little boy whose grandpa was apple person of the year, and whose uncle runs a 300+ acre orchard in Michigan.  Noel immediately walks up to the tractor and wants a ride.  He has a hard time understanding that he doesn't get to ride on the actual tractor, just the wagon.  Then he is upset when Mr. Taylor tells us not to eat the apples we picked because they haven't been washed.

To which Noel replies, "We can just wipe them off with our shirts!"

Then he was disappointed when they didn't have any Paula Reds. 

Who is this kid?

The highlight for me was just getting to see Noel in action in preschool and to see who his classmates are.  He can't remember anyone's names, and I don't get much info about how school went beyond the snack of the day, so it was an interesting peek into a part of his life that I'm not a part of. 

And so it begins.

All of the preschoolers who went to the orchard.  Notice their little apple name tags.  Adorable.

Noel's class and his teacher in front of the pumpkins.  Hard to wrangle them all up.

Noel and Grandpa Ed at Wittenbach Orchard last summer

Put Me In the Zoo

To continue the fun times, we took a family trip to the Fort Wayne Zoo.  It was a wonderful time.  The weather was perfect, the new African exhibit was amazing, and the company was, of course, my favorite!  This was the first time that Elise really enjoyed seeing the animals.  It was so fun to see her discover some of God's creation that she had never seen before.

By the way, if you have never studied the giraffe, you should.  Once you learn about how God created the giraffe so uniquely, you'll never question creation again.

Elise taking charge.  Her expressions are priceless!

The merry-go-round with Grant

Noel and I rode on the chair lift over the African Exhibit

We could reach out and touch the giraffes--so cool!

Up and Away

We have had some really action-packed days, especially considering that we are usually pretty low key in the Wittenbach house.

On Saturday, David took Noel to the local airport for Family Fun Days, where he got to see different kinds of airplanes and play on bouncy fun-ness.  The highlight of the trip was that he and David got to ride in a 4-seater airplane over Kokomo.  They had just the best time.  It was all of Noel's favorite things in one place:

bouncy things
airplanes
mac 'n cheese
popcorn
lemonade
being with David
Russ Taff playing on the radio (Okay, Noel doesn't even know Russ Taff, and if you don't, then consider it a blessing--ha!)

Posing by the worm he crawled through over and over and over and. . .you get the idea.

Bouncy goodness.  This shot is great because Noel is in mid-air.  Neither of his feet is touching.

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Looking out the window during the plane ride.  Love the look on his face!

Standing on the wing of the plane he got to ride in

Back to Work

For the past three years I have been a mentor/tutor at elementary schools here in Kokomo for children who need a little extra one-on-one time.  It's been a great experience, and I have really enjoyed getting to work with students in younger grades, which is something I've never done before.

But it's time for me to get back in the saddle.

This year I'm back with middle schoolers.  I am volunteering on Thursdays to help at an after school program for 6th, 7th, and 8th graders called Bridges.  Yesterday was my first day.

About 45 students came.  We meet in the cafeteria for snacks, life lessons, homework time, games, and free-time.

It's chaotic, it's loud, it's a room full of strong personalities and stubborness and poverty and possibility.

I loved it.

Did everything go smoothly?  Of course not.  Kenesha walked out before the end.  Shyann said she was never coming back.  Not much homework was done.

But there's hope.

The hope of building relationships.  Of kids seeing their potential.  Of a parent getting a little bit of help raising a child alone.

I'm so honored I get to be a part of someone's hope.

There are programs like this all over.  If you have the opportunity, please do something to support your local public schools.

Questions I have

These are some questions I have rolling around in my head.  Some serious, some not-so-serious.  Does anyone have any answers?

*What is the deal with Naomi and Wynona Judd?  Seriously.  Someone explain it to me.

*Who is Oprah's fashion consustant, and who is going to fire them?

(Can you tell from these first two questions that I just turned the tv on?)

*Why are there shows called Hoarders, where the people need intervention, and American Pickers, where their houses are gold mines?  Aren't these the same kinds of people?

*Does anyone else spend as much time as I do watching their neighbors through their front window?

*Why is our country obsessed with shopping?  Can't we find something better to do with our time and money?

*Why does every person from the age of 13-30 say there is nothing to do in their town?

*Who thinks Jay Leno is funny?  I don't get it.  At all.

*Why am I always dead tired until it's time for bed, and then I'm wide awake?

*Why is it so hard to lose one pound, and so easy to gain one?

*Why are fart jokes ALWAYS funny?

*Is there an easier way to put a crib sheet on my daughter's bed?  I cannot do it without sweating and coming darn near close to cursing.

*Why didn't Dairy Queen come up with the mini-sized blizzard years ago?  Genius!!

*How many of those mini-sized blizzards does it take to gain a pound? 

I think I'll find that one out myself. :)

Dear Blog,

Dear Blog,
I'm sorry I haven't taken very good care of you over the past few weeks.  My kiddos have been taking turns being sick.  I promise when they are both better I will pay better attention to you. 

Sincerely,
Me

Things that make me smile

. . .in no particular order

*the moments right after both children go to bed and right before they wake up.  The house is so quiet.  I love them and enjoy my time with them, but I love time to myself, and it is rare.

*fall weather, unless I remind myself that winter is coming.

*celebrity Jeopardy.  I can answer almost every question, and that's not saying much

*on Saturday morning, David and I have a tradition of guessing all of the local football scores.  It's a running competition all season.

*Rebo coffee (straight from Haiti)

*free stuff.  Have you seen this website?  Full of fun free stuff

*the fresh salsa David has been making all summer from our garden.  It was so hot this week we were sweating.

*anything in the mail that is personally addressed to me.  Makes me feel special.

*being barefoot

*knowing that a new season of shows is about to start, including my faves:  The Mentalist, Parks & Recreation, Castle, The Big Bang Theory, and The Office

*knowing that there is so much more to this life than all of these little things, and yet God lets me enjoy these little things makes me smile, too!

Have a blessed weekend!

She says it better than I ever could

I'm going to do a little cheating today.  I've been reading some blogs from a group of people who are in Guatamala on a trip with Compassion, International.  If you don't know about Compassion, you definitely need to check them out.  They serve thousands and thousands of children all over the world by connecting them with people who support them financially, spiritually, and educationally.

Anyway, this blog post made me cry.  It's about how our riches make us callous to the needs around us.  Instead of reading a blog post from me today, read it.  Please.

Keep it movin'

So, I read on a blog yesterday (can't remember which one) some tips about how to keep your marriage "alive".  They were good tips, but there was one statement that really stuck with me.  She said that the marriage relationship is in a constant state of movement.  Your marriage never stays the same; you're either getting closer together or getting further apart.

And then I got to thinking.

The same is true with all of our relationships.  Nothing stays the same, as much as we want it to (or maybe not).  Our friendships.  Our family.  Our relationship with God.

Either we're getting closer or moving further apart.

And I'm guessing that if I don't know which way I'm moving, it's probably not closer.

I need to make a conscious effort to develop the relationships I have with those around me.  My family.  My Savior. 

Time.  Communication.  Trust.  Sharing.  Giving.  Secrets.  Tears.  Laughter. 

All of these need to be given, and received, to build relationships. 

God never meant for us to do this life alone.  Look around you and see how you can build the relationships you have today.

Since When?

It's been quite the weekend. If I wanted excitement on my birthday weekend, I sure got it. Friday I got to go out with my hubby and eat at Martino's, which is an old, locally owned restaurant in Kokomo. It's nothing fancy, but it was fun just to be together and not have to wipe anyone's mouth but my own. Then I got to get a new phone, which was free, thanks to David's work. You have to wait for a long time in the Verizon store, but it was like free entertainment, watching all of the people come in with their phone problems. Love. it.

Then Saturday was excitement of a whole different nature. Noel got sick. He had some sort of fever, sore throat, throw up bug that was pretty gross. It was a long, hard day, and I was reminded of two things:
1. I am so thankful for my children's health
2. I hate--absolutely hate--seeing my children in pain
On a lighter note, I did slip away with Elise for a little while and enjoy dinner with my side of the family.

Sunday we stayed home from church just in case anyone was contagious. And then we went on a 5 mile bike ride on the Nickel Plate Trail, which is a few miles north of Kokomo. It's a paved bike trail that takes you through the country. Call me Lesley Knopp from Parks and Recreation, (best show on tv, by the way), but I loved it! I think more people should definitely take advantage of it.

And today we relaxed. We got our annual family picture taken, ate at Wendy's, and played outside for hours. Not sure exactly why we have Labor Day, but I was very thankful for another day with David home after all of our "excitement" this weekend.

But I do have an important question that I've been throwing around in my mind for the last three days?

What is the etiquette for taking your pet around if it is a snake?

On Friday, I took the kids to a local park to play.  As they are playing, another 2 couples (with one child for the four of them) came to the park.  As they start to get closer, I realize the man has something around his neck. 

Surely that's not what I think it is.

It is.

Oh my goodness.

A snake.  Wrapped around his neck.

I tried to not freak out, but I'm sure my body language gave me away, not to mention my high-pitched question, "IS THAT A SNAKE??"

The guy's girlfriend/wife/baby mama/lady friend said, "Get that out of here."  So what does he do?  He carries it over to the yard next to the playground, just lays it in the grass, and comes back over towards his friends.

And this is where I officially freak out.  "Did you just leave that snake alone AND LOOSE in the grass over there?"  So the guy went and got the snake, put it back around his neck, and stayed far enough from the playground (and me and my kids) so I could breathe normally.

But all of this leads me to think--did this man ever think that carrying an animal that most people find creepy, if not downright scary might not be the best idea?

Since when is this okay?????

Is this a Kokomo thing, or am I behind?

Someone help me!!  And please, if you come to help me, let the only thing around your neck be one of those cute really long scarves!

35

35 doesn't sound like a lot in some contexts:

"I only have 35 cents."

"This drive is about 35 minutes."

"Can you eat 35 Hershey kisses?"

But being 35 years old feels, well, like a lot. I'm not even in my early thirties anymore. I'm halfway to 70. Yikes!

I don't want to be afraid to get old. I want to embrace every year, cherish the things that happen. I want to make a difference, and to do that, time has to march on. So if I'm getting older, let it ride! But I want to make every day count. I don't want to look back when I'm 40 and think, "Where did the time go?" Instead, I want to look back and have a mountain of memories. Of ways that I showed God's love to others, helped them to see how special they are.

Welcome, 35! Have a nice year!

Give it a Rest (Thoughts on the Sabbath)

Why is it that most of us think some of the 10 commandments are more important than others? Stealing? Don’t do it. Murder? Of course not! Adultery? No way.
What about honoring the Sabbath?
Hmmmm. . .
Over the course of the past few years I have really been convicted about this commandment. It seems like our society places so much importance on what we can accomplish, that this commandment has been all but forgotten. Now I’m not saying we turn into legalists and demand that nothing of any nature occurs during Sunday, I am saying that we need to be much more aware of how God made us and what is best for us.
Sabbath was originated by God to remind us to rest. I don’t think it necessarily has to be a specific day, but I try and choose one day (usually either Saturday or Sunday) and make it a point to spend time resting. I don’t mean sleeping all day. I mean not doing a million things.
This might look different for different people, but for us it means we don’t do household chores on that day. We don’t spend the whole day running around and trying to get as many errands run as possible. We try and spend extra time together as a family just being together. The other stuff can wait.
If you’re reading this, I’d like to encourage you to start recognizing the Sabbath in some way or another. God commanded it. He wants us to rest in Him and not run ourselves ragged. Don’t believe the lie our society tells us that we have to do, do, do all day. Just be. God will take care of the rest.

All Mine

My daughter is my mini-me. I just can't say this enough. I look at her and see so much of myself that it's frightening.



Case(s) in point:

*She can make you laugh one minute, and then turn around and throw a temper tantrum in the next.

*She loves to watch people, and is not ashamed to open-mouth stare if necessary.



*She knows exactly how to push Noel's buttons. It's frustrating and hilarious at the same time.

*If nobody is listening to her, she just talks louder!

*She is messy. Whenever Noel and I play house and use pretend names, we always call her "Sloppy Jo" because she usually has a stain of some sort going on, just like her mom.

*She is stubborn and independent. She will only do things if she can do them herself. All summer she has tolerated going to pools, but not loved it. But when we were camping and we went to the beach, she had a ball because she could walk out as far as she wanted without any help from anyone.

*She loves to eat.



I think if you put Noel in a line-up with other kids, you might not guess he was even mine, but there's no denying my girl, Sloppy Jo.

For the record, she loved camping. Loved the outdoors, the dirt, the beach, riding in a backpack, eating marshmallows, everything!

I have a lot to learn about kids. I don't think I'll ever figure mine out. But every day I find out something new about who they are and what makes them tick. One of the reasons I loved our camping trip was because it made me slow down and see some of the great traits my kids have.

Take our trip to the lighthouse for example. The first full day we were there we loaded up the kids in the Burley (bike carrier) and rode about 2 miles to a beautiful lighthouse right on Lake Michigan. It was about 120 feet tall, and for $2 you could walk up to the lookout at the top. Noel said he wanted to do it. I was a little hesitant to let him, thinking he would want to quit halfway up, but since it was so cheap we went for it. We couldn't take Elise (you have to be 36 in.tall--Noel is 38), so David stayed at the bottom with her while we went.

And he loved it. Every bit of it.

He looked out every window we passed. He thought the super-steep curling stairway was fun (while I was a nervous wreck for him), and he was really proud of himself when he got to the top.



And when we got to the bottom, do you know what he said?


"Now I want to do it with Daddy."


And that's exactly what he did.





The next day we went for a walk past a river and a dam. We wanted Noel to try out hiking to see if he liked it. Along the way there was a huge staircase that led to the top of some sand dunes overlooking the lake. Without a thought about it, Noel started trekking up those stairs, and I think there were about 1,000 of them. He loved it. We had the best time.







The third day, we thought we'd take him for another hike. All of a sudden, he didn't want to do it. He complained the whole way, said he was tired and wanted to be carried. He ended up riding part of the way on David's shoulders. Why the change in attitude? He knew when we were done we were going to the beach, and that's what he really wanted to do that day.


So through all of this, I learned about my son:


*If he really wants to do something, nothing is going to deter him.

*Almost 4-year-olds have very little fear about things like tall buildings and how much work something is going to take.

*If there is something he is not excited about, there isn't any talking him into it. Something has to be his idea, or he's not gung ho about it. He has his mother's stubborn streak :)

Parenthood is challenging and rewarding, frustrating and hilarious, but most of all, it is as much of a learning expererience for the parents as it is for the child.

What can you learn today?

Lessons from Camping, part I

I have a lot to learn about kids. I don't think I'll ever figure mine out. But every day I find out something new about who they are and what makes them tick. One of the reasons I loved our camping trip was because it made me slow down and see some of the great traits my kids have.

Take our trip to the lighthouse for example. The first full day we were there we loaded up the kids in the Burley (bike carrier) and rode about 2 miles to a beautiful lighthouse right on Lake Michigan. It was about 120 feet tall, and for $2 you could walk up to the lookout at the top. Noel said he wanted to do it. I was a little hesitant to let him, thinking he would want to quit halfway up, but since it was so cheap we went for it. We couldn't take Elise (you have to be 36 in.tall--Noel is 38), so David stayed at the bottom with her while we went.

And he loved it. Every bit of it.

He looked out every window we passed. He thought the super-steep curling stairway was fun (while I was a nervous wreck for him), and he was really proud of himself when he got to the top.



And when we got to the bottom, do you know what he said?


"Now I want to do it with Daddy."


And that's exactly what he did.





The next day we went for a walk past a river and a dam. We wanted Noel to try out hiking to see if he liked it. Along the way there was a huge staircase that led to the top of some sand dunes overlooking the lake. Without a thought about it, Noel started trekking up those stairs, and I think there were about 1,000 of them. He loved it. We had the best time.







The third day, we thought we'd take him for another hike. All of a sudden, he didn't want to do it. He complained the whole way, said he was tired and wanted to be carried. He ended up riding part of the way on David's shoulders. Why the change in attitude? He knew when we were done we were going to the beach, and that's what he really wanted to do that day.


So through all of this, I learned about my son:


*If he really wants to do something, nothing is going to deter him.

*Almost 4-year-olds have very little fear about things like tall buildings and how much work something is going to take.

*If there is something he is not excited about, there isn't any talking him into it. Something has to be his idea, or he's not gung ho about it. He has his mother's stubborn streak :)

Parenthood is challenging and rewarding, frustrating and hilarious, but most of all, it is as much of a learning expererience for the parents as it is for the child.

What can you learn today?

Into the Wild

In case you've been wondering what happened to me, I just got back from our family vacation. We loaded up the kids, as much stuff you can fit into a van, and headed to Michigan. Along the way we borrowed a camper, accumulated more stuff, and then headed to Ludington State Park to camp for 4 days.

For some of you that sounds like torture. It wasn't.

It was the best vacation the four of us have had. We had such a good time being together. Sure, there was crying and some bumps and bruises. I think I gained about 4 pounds from s'mores alone. And we were beyond exhausted when we got home last night. But it was great. This week I will share some of my funny pictures and lessons I learned while camping. (If you call staying in a 30 ft. fully loade camper really camping. Ha!)

So stay posted!

Community

Oddly enough, the last challenge from David Platt's book "Radical" just might be the one I struggle with the most. His challenge is: Commit your life to a multiplying community.

In other words: join a church that believes in this radical movement and serve with them.

I love my church. I really do. I've known some of the people there since I was a kid. There are many people there who walk with God, who serve, and who share His love.

I just have a hard time finding where I fit in.

I'm kind of an odd person, not really fitting a specific mold, so I've always had a hard time finding a "group" of people with whom I identify. I'm not a "soccer mom", I'm not a "working woman", and I'm definitely not hip, cool, or trendy by any stretch of the imagination (case in point: I just used the words hip, cool, and trendy).

But I think sometimes I make that into an excuse. I know in my heart that there are tons of like-minded people at church whom I can serve with, grow with, learn with, love with, but I'm too comfortable in my circle to break out. So this challenge is going to be a tough one for me.

We were never meant to be alone. Even in Genesis, God created woman because man wasn't meant to be alone. Not just for procreating and marriage, but for relationships and service. We cannot make a radical move for God if we "rogue it", as my friend Ginny would say. We need community. You need community. I need community.

May you search for it and find it today.