Medicating Babies

Last night, Julia threw up after I nursed her. It was all over me and all over the floor. When the body is detoxing in any way (that's the nicest way to say it), my go-to is Bentonite. It acts like a sponge and absorbs all the toxins that the body is trying to get rid of, so you don't have to be dehydrated in the process. So that was my first thought for Julia.

But how in the world to get it in her? It has no flavor, but that's not to say that it's exactly pleasant to take.

I added two drops of real maple syrup to a teaspoon of Bentonite liquid (worth it's weight in gold because you'll kill yourself trying to get the powder to dissolve in water-- trust me on this). I sucked up the sweet Bentonite in a medicine syringe and slowly but surely got it into my unhappy camper.

I'm happy to report she is fine. Bentonite to the rescue!

I Tried to Make Chicken Broth

I have lately ventured into making my own chicken broth. Who knew it was so easy?! I dump some leg quarters in the crock-pot, cover them with water, add salt & pepper, crush some garlic in and get on with my life. Come back later; debone the chicken & drop the bones back in the crock-pot. Get on with living for another 4-6 hours. Drain it and you've got some really delicious broth!

So, the other day I deboned my chicken and dropped the bones back in (and by "I" I mean Maya). Then, as my recipe suggests, I got on with life (and by that I mean "take a nap"). When I woke up, I remembered the broth and went to check on it. Something didn't look right. Too thin and watery. I stirred it around and only found 2 bones in it. What in the world?!

Maaaaaayyyyyyyaaaaaaa, where are the rest of the chicken bones?

{guilty look from her and from Isaac who happened to be nearby}

{confused look from Mama} Where are the other bones?

"We ate them."

What Are They Preaching at Your Family Integrated Church?

I just read this timely article, written by Scott Brown, the director of the National Center for Family- Integrated Churches:

Family integrated churches are simultaneously popping up all over the country without any one individual leading the movement. I believe that this is a providential moving of the Holy Spirit. He is igniting a desire to reform the church by recovering the biblical order for both the church and the home. He is actually moving to reverse the family-destroying elements that have grown up in the church.

This is wonderful.

All wonderfulness aside, my greatest concern for family integrated churches is that they are God-centered, Word-saturated, Christ-exalting churches. If the family becomes the center of the church, we might as well close up shop now and cut our losses, because if we do not fill the church with the Word of the Head of the church, we will have not only wasted our time, we will have marred the bride of Christ. This is why it bothers me when I hear people say, “We are looking for a family centered church,” or ask, “Is there a family based church in my area?” These questions reveal a misunderstanding of the church and the Christian life.

It is critical, therefore, that family integrated churches have a big focus on preaching the Word of God.

Read the rest here.

The Pendulum is Swinging Too Far

Almost two years ago when we were looking for a new church home, we found two extremes: churches with children's classes with fun and games that rivaled Chuck E Cheese, with church bulletins that made it clear that children were unwelcome in the service; and churches whose entire focus was family driven. On the one extreme, the church mirrors the world's view of children- that they are a burden and adults shouldn't have to be bothered with wiping their child's nose when they are worshiping the Lord in song. Church for children is all about fun.

Biblically, we see no examples of segregating families to worship. But in our attempt to solve this problem and agree in action that our children are a blessing and a gift of God, many churches have eclipsed the gospel with family. Family is important. My children are one of the most valuable tools of my sanctification, but the family unit is not more important than Christ. Our focus should be Christ, not simply family.

The pendulum is swinging too far.

Thumb Sucker

Julia sucks her thumb and I love it. When I'm not quick enough to nurse her when she's hungry, she pops in the thumb instead of wailing in protest. When I put her in bed awake, she pops in her thumb, closes her eyes, and puts herself to sleep. And besides all that, it's just so cute!

Elena and Chloe were also thumb-suckers. Chloe sucked her thumb the entire time we were in the herb bath after her birth. Lydia, on the other hand, was a tongue-sucker. No pacifier covered in floor crud, no pruney thumb, all she needed was her own tongue. Too funny.

Which side of the fence are you on? Pacifier or thumb? Do tell.

Discouraged

Although I know what does and does not work in schooling my adoptees, I still get discouraged every so often by the slowness of their progress. I frequently say, "Let's take a break and come back to this in a little while," then I lock myself in my bathroom and call Kyle crying. She's still sounding out words. Is she ever going to be able to read fluently? What if she doesn't? What if it's always this hard for her? He read a whole list of short /a/ words, but suddenly in the middle of them, he read "ran" as "run"? Why do they do that? Why don't they see the pattern? What if they are still having trap door days when they're adults?

Some days I have perspective and I look at all they've accomplished and how far they've come. But other days, I only see how far we still have to go and I get discouraged. It's overwhelming on those days. Kyle said it's like that man who was swimming the English channel on a foggy day. He couldn't see the coast and he gave up when he was just a few yards from land. He's so right. It feels like that. I only know that I'm plugging away, but I don't know where we'll end up. Maybe one day, reading will just click and they'll take off. But it might not. And I have to be prepared for that.

Earlier this week, Maya was having a lot of trouble with place value in her math lesson. I figured out a different way to teach it to her and I was so proud. It worked! She understood! She completed her math sheet with ease. Then she did the same thing yesterday and was so proud of herself. Then today she forgot all about the new method and got half of the problems wrong.
Today is one of my discouraged days.

If I Could Do It Over

I realized the other day that we've been debt-free for almost 2 years now. A year ago, we paid cash for our first vehicle. It got me thinking about the dumb financial decisions Kyle and I made early on in our marriage. I started thinking about what I would do differently if I could rewind and start over, financially wiser. I realized I'd have to go all the way back to high school.

I would not have gotten student loans in order to get a college degree. I would have worked to pay for classes in photography and sign language. I wouldn't have bothered with a degree at all. I would have printed a business card and become a photographer and then registered as an interpreter for the deaf. Both jobs make good money, but both can be done as little or as much as wanted.

Then when Kyle and I got engaged, I would have insisted on a wedding ring from James Avery, not some fancy shmancy jewelry store. Spending hundreds, not thousands would have been my goal.

Then, looking forward to our first house, we would not have gotten a mortgage based on two incomes. Not wise. Ever heard the term "house poor"? Well we were. Our second home was smaller than our first. We wised up.

Our children are so blessed. They'll already know this stuff!