It's the most wonderful time...{record needle screeching}...WAIT ONE SECOND!  What has happened to my children?  

Over stimulation + excessive excess + constant sugar + festivities + distracted parents = MONSTER KIDS

While I admit that 99.99% of the time, my kids are sweet and 95% of the time they are well-behaved, they are certainly testing their boundaries lately!

Fortunately, I have a wealth of childhood development knowledge (well, I'm sure how much knowledge I have, but I sure put a lot of wealth into it) and know how appropriate it is for my kids to test the waters.  I also know how crucial it is to give them clear boundaries.

So yesterday, when Hazel and I were spending time with my father-in-law, she attempted to give me a sassy attitude.  She was right on, my first impulse was to put on a"ever-so-sweet-and-mild-natured" hat in front of my father-in-law.  That impulse lasted .2 seconds and I immediately addressed her behavior.  I seriously doubt my firm reaction surprised him ;)

Correcting her IN FRONT of her beloved PapPap embarrassed her which caused her to act out again (a classic "NO I WILL NOT APOLOGIZE!"), which led to a time-out, which led to a crying maniac standing on the steps to the basement (the light was on and the door to me was cracked...since basements are creepy...hey, she chose the location, I just had to use it while minimizing the basement-creepy factors). 

Like most tantrums, this one quickly ended with hugs and "I love you even when you're mad at me".  

The weekend also included some parent-free time where it sounds like my children BOTH decided to test the waters with their Grandparents at a restaurant (see above pic.  Their Grammy is a child whisperer and though she will hate that I posted this cell phone pic, I LOVE what it is showing... my wild kids about to find out that Grammy can set limits too!).

Such important life lessons.  While I don't like to upset my kids, I'd surely much rather take away a shopping trip with Daddy (their consequence from their parents in response to their behavior at the restaurant) then to see their civil rights revoked when the feel the need to test limits in adulthood.

Yes, I will raise responsible, polite citizens.  Yes, sometimes they will yell "I HATE YOU" and I will simply smile at my husband knowing that we're doing something right (my canned response to that is "I will always love you"... I don't change my sentence or the sincerity behind it until their personal attack ends.  And now we're back to the Love & Logic philosophies I shared previously.)

This parenthood thing is hard!  Which part do you find most challenging (at this phase in your life)?

When we want to be fancy, our go-to cookbook is:  Pacific Northwest:  The Beautiful Cookbook, edited by Kathy Casey.  I don't recall where or when we received it, but we did live in the Pacific NW for about 2 delicious years and leafing through this cookbook not only brings back wonderful culinary adventures, but many fond memories of meals shared with friends.

If we've had this cookbook out while cooking for you, you should know that we think incredibly highly of you and want to entertain to the best of our abilities.  This is not a cookbook for the faint of heart, or for woman who claim to be {lazy}.  Nope, this cookbook is full of complex recipes that take commitment and time and consistently produce amazing results.

You may have already guessed that this is my HUSBAND's COOKBOOK.  I never ever feel inspired enough to use it.  HOWEVER, last week while he was making the spicy squash bisque with root vegetables (which he served in small hollowed out pumpkins...and grew 90% of the ingredients himself), I followed their suggestion to serve this dish with a salad topped with spicy walnuts, apples & cranberry vinaigrette.

LET IT BE SAID...this might very well be the ONLY dressing that will pass my lips from hence forth.

When my dad was first diagnosed with Acute Myeloid Luekemia (AML), I sat in his hospital room, scouring the web for SOMETHING that I could wear that reflected/honored his journey...our journey.  It seems that people who are affected by Leukemia aren't as fashion conscientious as others...there was NOTHING!  Well, almost nothing...

I discovered Bravelets.  Bravelets are beautifully designed, inspirational pieces of jewelry and the best part is: $10 from every sale goes to the cause of your choice (in my case, the the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society.  I've seen what they do folks, it's awesome!).  My family & church family have purchased dozens of these...each time I see a loved one wearing an orange Bravelet, my eyes well up and I am deeply touched.

Last month I was asked to become an Independent Fundraiser for this amazing grassroots company.  I said YES!  As a fundraiser, I can give you 10% off and I can help you raise funds for your own cause that requires huge amounts of bravery (and money).

I don't know about you, but receiving a meaningful charitable gift is at the top of my wish list each year... a charitable gift that moonlights as fashionable jewelry is simply AWESOME!  

Be Brave,






p.s. one Bravelet is never enough (hint hint Mr. Claus)