come one. come all.

and buy our puppies.

they are 7 weeks old today,

which means we need to have fun, loving homes for  them in

one week. eeekkk.

we have: cleo (short for cleopatra)

nella (short for vanilla wafer)

enna

shadow

sammy (short for samantha~of course)

coffey

sweet pea

cocoa

and sparra.

i know the names are totally original.

i just couldn't tell my 3 and 5 year olds,

no...we can't name a puppy that...

besides...surely they will get new names

from the happy boys and girls who will take them home. :)

~okay...so calli doesn't really care for the puppies. she doesn't like
being tackled...but isn't it cute?~

this is kaden and enna.

this is kaycee with cleo...

~she has always been one of my favorites...she is the biggest of them all.

she is also pretty rare, because her

 nose has stayed pink, as well as her

eyes...she should be more expensive because of this...

but we're giving you a deal... :) you can tell the difference

if you compare her picture with her sister enna, above.

a "dudley" from my research.  ~

did i mention that our puppies LOVE kids...i mean...love them!

they love to be held and toted around...they tolerate it all. :)

and this is shadow...he's a boy. :) my sister says she doesn't even know me

anymore, by the way i take care of these puppies, holding them and all.

who would know i am not an animal lover...but hey...after taking care of

these cuties for 7 weeks thru bottle feedings, and mush feedings, hmmmm.

did i mention they are AKC registered

have their first shots and are wormed

and can leave in 7 days...just 7 days...

how about an early Christmas present?

with a big red bow wrapped around him?

awww. come on.

:)

our motorcycle trip- part III

okay...so i am a bit behind. surprise, surprise. ;)

 but doing it this way just helps me remember back to... june 22nd, 2010...we departed from Tuba City, AZ @ 8am and arrived in Las Vegas, NV at around 5 pm...granted we gained another hour after passing thru the Hoover Dam.

highlights and downers:

*full sun riding today...sported a strapless shirt...to rid me of some tan lines. :)

          ~this means 110-115 degrees~

*sat in hours of traffic to get thru Hoover Dam construction

          ~was worth the wait...amazing things going on there...and refreshing

             slushies when we made it to the other side. :)

*Grand Canyon was another highlight. God's majesty is screaming from

             those peaks and valley's...pretty amazing for a country girl to see.
*it was not uncommon for us to be traveling on the motorcycle 8-10 hours a
             day...did you know my husband doesn't like to sleep? ;)

*we were completely overwhelmed with Vegas. completely disappointed

          as well. it's no wonder the women and daugthers of our country are  struggling with eating disorders

          and having corrective surgeries after spending less than 24 hours there...

          i was pretty sickened by the things i saw...  :( but we were there,

          and it was an experience...i don't think i ever have to go back.

                       there were plenty of tourists here at the Grand Canyon to take our pic.

                                

                              and, what a sign...they were everywhere...



On june 23rd we departed from Las Vegas, NV and arrived at my aunt and uncle's in LA, CA,  at 7 pm...we stayed with them for 2 nights...which we weren't really planning on, but...this was what had sparked the trip to begin with...My uncle has always lived in California, and so...i have always wanted to
go and visit, and just never had...and they twisted our arms a wee little bit...or
made us feel guilty, one or the other. ;) it was SO worth the extra time. glad we stayed.

highlights and downers:

*drove thru a massively beautiful part of the country. we took some very, very

         windey, mountain roads...like i am telling you that when i looked down i

         was almost sick, we were "that" high. wow.  it was wild, driving down

         below in 90 degree weather, and on the tip top of the mountains we were

        playing in the snow. i kid you not. :)

*got some fun texts from friends...it's so nice to be missed.

*got some very sad messages from kaden...we didn't always have cell service,

          so he would leave these messages before he went to bed, just crying...

          oh, it made me cry...i think matt was TOTALLY blown away by how

          hard that was for all of us. but, it's nice to be missed. :)

*this country girl got her eyes "opened" at Venice Beach- where Baywatch was

          filmed, that was kinda neat. Visited Hollywood, Beverly Hills.

*realized our "rush hour" traffic at home  is nothing. it is from 4:30-7:30 pm

          in LA...SOLID...the only thing that saved us was we were on the cycle

          of course, and you are allowed, by law, to "split" traffic. that means

          that on the packed 6 lane highway (one direction) we are driving up the

          middle lines...it was the scariest thing ever...i was sure we were going

          to be in an accident. cars actually tried to get out of your way to give you

          more room...and our bike isn't little may i remind you...that would

          NEVER happen here...there would be honkers, and fingers flying

          everywhere, don't you think?

*i am *really* missing the kids by now. i spend my time on the motorcycle

          relaxing and praying...

*we had fun relaxing and sinking into Galen and Deborah's life for a quick

          milli-second. thanks guys. xoxo.

                             [ my uncle, Galen, and his wife, Deborah and Matt and I.]

                               their home...totally renovated and gorgeous.

        just a palm tree...i have a thing for them ;) and matt and i in vegas...

                                                 ready to hit "the strip".



mom * time

taken straight from the latest issue of parenting magazine, i found this to feed my soul. ;)

so long, worry!

with the holidays full speed ahead, you have enough on your plate without sweating the small stuff. what not to stress about this month:

     * showering daily.  (ha.ha. this still never happens)
              ~seriously. the air is drier in the winter, which means you need
                your skin's natural lubricants.
     *spending more time with your kids.
              ~it's good for your children to see their mom as someone who
                takes care of herself, whether that's heading to spin class or reading
                a book. now you can say "do as i do" and not feel guilty about that!
     * cooking from scratch.
              ~you know why your great-grandmother made everything by hand?
                because she had to! duncan hines cake mix didn't hit the market
                until 1940s. considering her particular streak, she'd applaud your use
                of premade piecrust, grocery delivery, and boxed soup. (so, i don't
                agree here, but it's still funny) ;)
     *a spotless house.
              ~yes, there is such a thing as being too clean. a little bacteria doesn't
                necessarily hurt, especially for kids, whose immune systems need
                some exposure to germs in order to build up resistance. if you wipe
                down floors, sinks, and toilets-and change sheets every week or two-
                you're golden. (ha.ha.ha.)

"A while back, I looked at my to-do list and noticed something terribly wrong.

It wasn't so much what was on my list. The problem was what wasn't on my list:  time for me."

 i have several "pockets" should i call them? of friends. these are some of my Sunday School, church friends, and we try to go out every so often...it should happen much more than it does, but you know how it goes. :)

our evening consisted of eating at bucca di beppos, sneaking over to old navy, (where i got a t-shirt for kaden for $0.97 and 2 pair of infant shorts for $.47 each) and getting coffee at wawa's and standing there talking for at least an hour. it's so good to get away and relate together as women...and in our case, moms too. thanks guys for the fun get-away night...here's to next month's idea. cheers. ;)

~and...thanks to those who were praying for Good News Club. it went so well, and we had 23 kids there from kindergarten to second grade. yay.~

okay...so...

i'm not famous.

like. not. at. all. famous.

not even in Cochranville.

oh well.

hope you didn't tape it, on my account. :)

did see one of my babysitters...

miss kristy king.

shout out to kristy...

i saw you...on tv. go girl. go! ;)

(extreme makeover-home edition...from berks county-

aired on tv last night...it's kind of a long story-but they taped a bit

at the cochranville carnival- our town carnival- and there was a thought...well.

they told me infact...

that maybe i would hit it b.i.g. and make it to the big screen.

didn't happen.)

maybe matt was right. the boots were ugly.

ha.ha.ha. just kidding. they weren't THAT ugly. ;)

on a much BRIGHTER note...

Good News Club starts TODAY

at the Octorara Primary Learning Center.

grades 1 and 2.

Yea! Pray for me and my team as we creatively

teach our children about Jesus!

the bait of satan.

so...we are in a "community" small group. by that i mean, that we are not all the same age or stage, nor do we all attend the same church. it's kinda neat. we meet once a week. our kids play in the basement. we just started a series called the bait of satan. it really intrigued me last night. this pastor told me that complaining is rebellion against God.

hmmmm. really?

i don't know that i agree. or maybe i just don't want to agree. i am not sure yet.

but...thought i should at least set a few things straight.

those of you that really know me, know that i have a heart for young moms. that i strive to encourage you, and help you, and be real with you. not that i have it right, but it's just my heart. that's all. so for this man to speak, thru the tv, to me, and tell me that when i complain, it's rebellion against God...i kind of got stuck there...

i think i might do a lot of complaining on my blog. sorry about that. i hope i am not leading anyone astray. i am at this point believing in faith that God knows my heart.  and when i complain about having to get up 3x in the pitch dark of night, to console a scared child, or clean up throw up for the tenth time that day, it's surely not because i am rebelling against God...it's not even that i am mad at God...i might think it sucks for the moment...wouldn't you? but that's a whole nother issue.

i am hoping to be real with you...and let you know that i don't have it right either. and ya know...i strive not to yell at my kids...but you know what...it happens...maybe even daily. then what?

i don't think there is enough people in the christian church today willing to put their thoughts and feelings on the line. we are hiding. we are scared of what people will think of us, or what will they say to me? i am kinda tired of it...how can we help people if we don't know who to help? why do we try to show the world "we" have it altogether, when statistically speaking, we are doing no better then "they"?

so...that post went somewhere i wasn't anticipating. regardless...i am still thinking about his statement. maybe i will have to apologize again next week for what i learn then...  ;)

have a great weekend. mk.

you.can't.make.me

so...what did i take from the book

you can't make me [but i can be persuaded]

by cynthia ulrich tobias

God's servant must not be argumentative,

but a gentle listener and a teacher

who keeps cool, working firmly

but patiently with those who refuse to obey.

You never know how or when God might

sober them up with a change of heart

and a turning to the truth.

2 Timothy 2:24-25

A Last Word

Remember,

You Can't Make Me.

So don't:

*back me into a corner and leave me no choice,

* tell me what I will or will not do,

*insist that something can't be done,

*demand I obey without question.

But I Can Be Persuaded!

So do:

*value my ability to see the world from a unique perspective,

*find ways to inspire me to change the world,

*ask me for my input,

*recognize my uniqueness even if it bothers you.

a challenging perspective for me i would say...

but love to tuck things away as i try my best at mothering

these four kiddos...

~the project~

so...surprise, surprise...

the project of kaden's i was complaining about

a few posts ago...

turned out to be really fun.

just a teensy weensy bit of help from me. ;)

we went on a nature walk...

{which my sister does with her kids on a daily basis...}

i am here to tell ya, that that MIGHT have been the 2nd or 3rd

nature walk i have ever been on with kaden...

regardless...check it out...

we found so much cool stuff in the woods.

it's supposed to be a "nature mobile".

{we were supposed to find a Y shaped stick, and weave yarn around it

to make a web, and then put things of nature in the web.}

the highlights were: walnuts, bittersweet,

a corn cob...with corn still on it, a corn stalk...

he is so very proud of it.

he is sure he will get an A+.

maybe i could homeschool afterall...

ha. ha. ha. TOTALLY KIDDING.

;)

and...a friend made me some homemade bread the other week...

and i totally made fun of her for it.

like who has time to make homemade bread???

but...i made some today.

i know right.

i am sinking in a sea of everything,

and i made bread.

i don't make a lick of sense i know...

but it was a recipe in the new family fun magazine...

supposed to be pretty goof proof...

and...i think it was.

it is so yummy.

thanks Kim! i am glad i lived in the right part of town. 

you were a great inspirtation. 

;)

coming. up. for. air.

i am trying to come up for air.

i really am.

i just feel like i am still sinking. that's all.

have you ever felt like you are doing too much?

and because you are doing so much, you can't do anything right?

i don't know if i mean right.

i mean you are just getting by.

nothing you do is great.

it's just okay...because you have so much to do,

it all can't get your "best".

part of that is life, i know.

but the other part is me.

and the other part of that is my perfectionistic side...i know that too.

i feel like because i am a stay at home mom that people think i don't do anything. {don't get too alarmed, i know this isn't totally true...

it's just how i feel sometimes...} 

that i have all the time in the world.

and part of that is true. i do have a lot more time~to start with~

than say a mom who works outside of the home.

so...because of this, people just keep asking me to do things.

and. i do it. all.

and now...i feel like i am running as hard as all the moms who work full time outside of the home.

i mean it.

i really am spinning circles here.

the sad and honest thing about it is...it's no one's fault but my own.

bummer.

for me.

i am once again trying to sort out the difference in me being

"called" to do something, versus "wanting" too, versus "needing" too.

and i love to serve.

i *really* love to serve.

part of my calling as a woman of God...is serving.

i know that.

but then why am i getting so tired?

it's so hard for me to know where to draw the line.

and how do you say no anyway?

all that to say...

Good News Club is coming to Octorara Primary Learning Center.

YEEEE.HAAAA.

i am very, very excited.

this has been on my heart for a very long time, and it's finally coming to fruition.

and that feels good. really, really good.

we feel called to the public school system.

we do.

that's all.

and we want to make a difference.

we want people to know us.

to know our kids.

to see Jesus in us. thru us. on us.

we all mess up.

i do. matt does. our kids do.

and i expect we are going to continue to really mess up.

like in really B*I*G ways...

that's okay.

who doesn't anyway?

our first club is monday...the 25th...

from 3:30 pm until 5 pm.

you can pray for me, and all my helpers.

for the kids who will come.

for a fun. fun. time.

~i am completely weeded from a bunch of training that being involved

with this club means. pray that this club would be a fun get-away

for kids who need one. that they could see Jesus here. that God

will work in a mighty way in the hearts and minds of our kids...

that i wouldn't be stressed about the club looking or running

a certain way...~

i am off to work on my Beth Moore bible study.

because. i. am. behind. i mean WAY behind.

oops.

thanks for listening. and maybe even relating.

cheers.

and p.s.   KNOW that i am passionate about the things that i do.
i think they are all important.
YOU are all important.
my life is fun.
most of the time. :)
i just need some help delineating...is that spelled right?
what i should be doing,
and what i should LET someone else do...
ha.ha.ha.

*cherry crest farm*

i got to go along on kaden's field trip yesterday to cherry crest farm.

this is kaden and i, and the other little man, john, i was in charge of too.

i had always anticipated being in charge of at least 4 kids when i go along to chaperone, and so far, i only get kaden, and one other child...both last year, and this year too. it's great. yay for small class sizes and lots of mommies and daddies to help out. :)

thanks moppy for watching the girls...i love being able to be very hands on at school...without my husband, and parents to watch the girls...i couldn't do it...you are very much appreciated!

it was a beautiful day to be there! much fun. we were one of 6 schools there. lots of city kids around... who never saw corn before. how wild is that? just really hard for me to grasp that.

and kind of a gold mine, eigh? a 16 oz. soda was $2.75.

yikes.

maybe matt and i can get rid of the chickens, and start a corn maize business,

and petting zoo, and jumpy things...we'd be a little closer to philly for all those busses. :) i guess we'll stick to chickens for now.

happy rainy thursday.

calli. turned. two.

can't believe it.

just. really. can't.

 

okay....so we just brought the cupcakes into the living room...and i promptly dropped 2 on the floor. meg had the camera, and thought , "now THAT is a picture for the blog..." especially beside matt's chicken house boots. he was able to join us in from the barn for a few minutes...it was a busy day combining beans and what not, but we squeezed it all in.

so..it looks like i didn't get very many good pics of calli on her birthday...but at two...she likes too:

be a big girl. drink out of a big girl cup and eat with a big plate, spoon and fork. sit on the potty and even wipe...even though it's rare that anything MAKES it in the potty. play babies. ride tricycle. sing and dance. talk on the phone. snuggle with her nuk and blankee. take baths. put on lotion. all over.

put new words together. carry around the puppies. help mommy cook...if i do it fast enough :) color. paint. play pollies. and she cleans up toys...
even better than her older brother and sisters.

we love you calli ann.

 i don't forget for a minute that your life was a miracle... (there was a knot in calli's cord...which makes it unusual that she didn't die in utero...and even got food when she was growing inside...another miracle...she was the largest of my babies at 9 lbs. 3 oz) and i thank God for your life each night that i tuck you in.

i love your spunk. i love it when you run.

i can't wait to see how God uses your life...

that scares me of course, but i trust in His plan for you.

i am blessed to be your mommy.

a post full of random-ness.

okay. so i got a lot skinnier than i was, in the last year...but still have some work to do. this is a "quiz" i took this morning, and failed miserably. surprise. surprise. :) thought it was interesting enough to share. see how ya do.

Calorie Quiz at MyFoodDiary.com

on another morning note...this is what we got to watch at 8 o'clock this morning...it was kinda cool to be so close and watch it transpire...

before you get TOO excited...this isn't the baseball field in our front yard...but, our "side" yard to the right. :) still pretty exciting for the kids...
                    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

a farmer's work is never done...isn't that right? still hard at it combining at 9 o'clock last night. i get frustrated sometimes, when they CAN'T come in to take a break for dinner...but i really am thankful for the hard working provider of a husband the Lord has BLESSED me with. we have a great life. and for that, and a million other things, I am so thankful...even if the wrong words come out in expressing that to him sometimes...

looks like this is kind of going to be a crappy video...but maybe you can get the jist of what's going on here? maybe not. for the non-farmers of my audience:
the combine goes thru the bean field, "gathering" the beans, they then travel up and out a shoot, out the side of the combine into a wagon...which is driven by another tractor...when that wagon is full, the tractor and wagon travel to the 18 wheeler tractor trailer that is waiting for them to be loaded into it...and off to the grain bin they go...where they have already been sold...and it starts over again. quite the process.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~`

and lastly...i think i forgot to blog about kaden and i's special time at dutch wonderland 2 weekends ago. he got a free ticket for doing a spectacular job reading this summer, for the summer library reading program...and we could only use it on this "special" weekend. so...we left church after sunday school, had lunch at friendly's, and spent the rest of the day there until it closed. he was in his glory...and it was fun. i had given him the opportunity to take kaycee along if he wanted too, but he didn't...just he and i. me and him. and we even ran into his cousins at the end of the day...very funny. his favorite part: the roller coasters. mine...the flume. it takes so much extra time to make these special one on one's happen, but it really was worth it...to give him some extra lovin', especially as he's adjusting to first grade. he is loving it...but it is a lot. i was reminded...as i looked at his spelling test yesterday. he got a 94% because he used a period at the end of the sentence instead of a question mark. really? already. come on.

didn't we learn about question marks in 2nd grade?
                  ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
we will be off to kaden's soccer game shortly, and then it's quick to clean the house and get ready for calli's 2nd birthday party...here we come cousins! let's party b.i.g...even though i heard most of our cousins are in north carolina for the weekend. oh well. party on all. cupcakes are beeping...

                                               happy saturday!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Happy Fall...

okay. so. since i can't have summer year round. this will have to do.

***Skinny Pumpkin Spiced Latte***

 a friend passed on this "Gina's Skinny Recipes" blog to me...to help keep me skinny ;), and this is what i found on there a couple days ago. i am NOT kidding you when i tell you that i have made one of these for myself for the past 2 mornings. they are so.so.so. yummy. it's quite frankly my new *fall* addiction...

Adapted from The Kitchen:

1 1/2 cups fat free milk

2 tbsp pumpkin butter- you need to make this too...very easy...my kids love it.

2 tsp vanilla extract

1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice

2 tsp sugar or sugar substitute (to taste)

1/4 cup of espresso (or 1/2 cup strong brewed coffee works)

fat free whipped topping

pumpkin pie spice for topping

In a small pan combine milk, pumpkin butter and sugar and cook on medium heat, stirring, until boiling. Remove from heat, stir in vanilla. Using an immersion blender, blend until smooth (or whisk well with a wire whisk)

Pour into two mugs, add the hot espresso and top with fat free whipped cream and a dash of pumpkin pie spice on top.




i am not going to lie to you. i do not really follow the above directions...i throw EVERYTHING into the pan, stir until it boils...and waaaa-laaaaa. it is fan-tab-u-lous. i kid you not. and saves ya $5 from starbucks and a LOAD of fat. now THAT is yummy.

oh yea...now...for that pumpkin butter recipe...so you can actually make one...

Pumpkin Butter
Pumpkin lovers will love this simple pumpkin butter recipe which is so versatile to use, and deliciously good for you. Your kitchen will be filled with pumpkin spice aromas while making this. A few ideas that come to mind with what you can do with pumpkin butter; serve it on toast or scones, add it to your latte for a pumpkin latte, make pumpkin oatmeal, pumpkin cheesecake, add it to yogurt with granola for a pumpkin yogurt parfait... have I enticed you yet? I cooked a pumpkin in my crock pot and pureed it in the blender, but canned pumpkin would work just as good. I love using real cinnamon sticks for this, but ground cinnamon would work in place of them.


Pumpkin Butter



3 1/2 cups pumpkin puree, or 1 (29 ounce) can (not pumpkin pie filling)

2 tsp vanilla extract

3/4 cup apple cider or juice

1 cup packed brown sugar

2-3 cinnamon sticks

1-2 tsp pumpkin pie spice (to taste)

Combine pureed pumpkin, vanilla, apple juice, spices, cinnamon sticks and sugar in a large saucepan; stir well. Bring mixture to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer for 30 - 40 minutes or until thickened. Stir frequently. Adjust spices to your taste.



okay. so i cheated on this one too, but it's still totally delicious. i used canned pumpkin of course, and ground cinnamon...

thanks to my new favorite blog: http://www.skinnytaste.com/ for letting me "feature" my 2 new favorite recipes...

***************and now onto the rest of fall******************

 

~  just wanted to mention

that it's not too early

to be thinking about

Christmas puppies...

presents...

i mean.  ;)  ~

they are growing.

growing. growing.

we are thinking about naming

them, but are still getting them a little bit mixed up...

a project.

hey teacher friends...

can you tell me why we have projects in 1st grade?

i know we like to teach responsibility early, but isn't this about me, the mommy, keeping track of time, and making sure it's done in time?

cause kaden...he can't even really tell time yet, let alone that a project is due in 2 1/2 weeks.

hmmmm. just wonderin'. ;)

extreme. home. makeover. update.

this was taken back in august. i am HOPING to be on tv on the 24th of oct...this lady isn't kidding about learning things about reality tv...surely i will be amoung the millions CUT OUT. :)

letters to God.

what a great movie to put a tired mom's life in perspective. wow. kaden, kaycee and i just cried and cried at the end. pause my music, and listen to this most A.W.E.S.O.M.E song i fell in love with.

another book.

okay. so one of the 10 books that i am in the middle of reading is:

"you can't make me"[but i can be persuaded]

strategies for bringing out the best in your strong-willed child.  

by cynthia ulrich tobias

it is grand. do you guys know that i love my husband?

like. for real. with all that i am. he rocks.

when i complain about him on here, it's just for the health of our marriage.
to encourage you all. and be real, of course. ;)

no married couple sees eye to eye, right?

opposites certainly attract, right, again...right?

i say this because there is a "how strong willed are you test"

in this book...and he scored the highest possible 11-12...which says, "you don't leave home without it-and it's almost impossible to not use it.

compared to me, who scored a 0-3...which says, you've got it, but you don't use it much.

ha. ha. ha.

for those of you who really KNOW us...you are laughing.

so.right.on.

the really right on paragraph in this book for me thus far

(i am only on pg. 29) is:

"you know, i always just thought my children were being disobedient if they didn't do everything my way. i've already figured out what works best and what methods are most efficient. i assumed that if they do it any other way it's just pure and simple insubordination!"

this fits my man to a T.
he holds me to the same high standards he sets

for our four children.

this is unfortunate for everyone involved :)

bottom line is that this paragraph is causing me to research my kids a little deeper.

trying to really see...what makes them tick.

why do they react that way? i know they are each different...

but it's kinda fun to FOCUS on it.

just trying to become a better mommy that's all.

and help my man along the way. ;)

we are working on meshing our different ideas on:

 parenting. disiplining. responsibility.

just to name a few. maybe we will agree by the time we get grandkids.

maybe not. ;)

and here's my next aaa-haaa moment (on pg. 29)

~a few years ago, i spoke to a group of parents at a conservative private school. afterward, one mother waited quite awhile for her turn to talk to me.
she was agitated and upset.
"listen," she said, "i have a strong~willed daughter. i admit i have been
very strict, and i am at times inflexible. but i've kept my thumb on
my daughter, and she knows who's boss around our house."
she paused and pointed to the doorway of the gymnasium.
standing there was a sullen, angry-looking twelve year old,
smacking her gum and impatiently tapping her foot. her mom turned
back to me, her eye brimmed with tears.
"that's my daughter. she hates me. she'd sell me down the river for a nickel.
do you have anything that would get her to love me again?"
here was a mom who had demanded unquestioned obedience,
who had ruled with an iron hand. had she forced her daughter to obey?
yes, to a certain extent. but this mother did not realize until that day what price
she had paid for her daughter's compliance. her adolescent girl
couldn't wait to leave home, couldn't wait to turn from everything her mother held dear. their relationship was broken. was that kind of obedience worth it?~

~some of you reading this are nodding your heads, agreeing with me.
but you're thinking about your spouse, who may not understand this
point at all. it's common for one parent to appear to be more
tolerant and understanding of a stong willed child than the other, even
though both parents care very much about their child.~

and this is the kinda thing that terrifies me.
like we should learn how to parent before we have some kids,
don't ya think?
and people wonder why i just want my babies to stay babies forever. :)