Apr 11, 2010

Complaining

The weekend has been lovely...full of sunshine, cool breezes and apple blossoms. Zac had to coach a game yesterday in Knoxville (meaning I would need to stay home for ANOTHER day) so I decided to brave the trip, pack the kids up and take them to the soccer fields all day long. It turned out to be a wonderful time - the kids behave wonderfully and even let me do a little Target shopping. :) I bought my NEW sewing machine...pictures to come soon but I actually haven't even opened the box yet. I was able to get it just in time too since my friend Havala (she's been loaning me hers) needs hers back on Tuesday and I have lots of projects cooking up in my brain. Fun Fun FUN.
Tristan's necklace came in the mail and can we all say "precious!" together?! I'm loving the little yellow and orangy stones and he's loving his mouth not hurting! Since he's been wearing it I haven't seen him scratch at his face or chew and he didn't ONCE try to chew my arm off yesterday (he had been trying to bite me when I was holding him before.) So, I'm super pleased and recommend them to everyone. I got ours at Inspired by Finn.

I had to include this picture....what are daddy's for? Apparently they're for holding your babies, pot and play food and feeding chips too...handful after handful. What a man...



So, another Sunday has come and we are at home again. Zac is working for someone today so here we are...doing the same old things. Laundry, baking, playing...
I was a little discouraged last night. We came home after a long day of fun and our house was knee deep in clothes and toys, every drawer in my dresser cluttered....all of my cabinets disorganized. There were 3 loads of laundry heaped all over the floor in the laundry room (making it almost impossible to get to Tristan's pack and play) and I needed to bake bread and Wal Mart was OUT OF YEAST! How in the world?! I guess that just proves how little time people spend in their kitchens these days because a store like Wal Mart usually keeps in stock what people want. There was not a shortage however on potato chips and ice cream - frozen pizza was fully stocked...but there wasn't one jar, bag, or pack of yeast to be had. Pitiful.
Back to my *discouragement.* There are days when I get tired of doing the same things that never get finished. Like starting the dishes but them STILL being there in the morning. Washing the diapers and having a nice clean stack of them all folded...but two dirty ones already in the pail. One child happy and content...one whining and complaining. Speaking of complaining....that's exactly what I did to poor Zac...rather loudly I dare say.
On top of all of this, we watched the documentary Sicko. So very enlightening and I came away feeling repulsed by America's greed. The documentary is about our health care in the US and the high prices we pay for insurance but then the poor treatment we receive as far as being declined because of fabricated "pre -existing conditions" and then the fact that millions in the US don't have health care coverage. Did you know that America is ranked 36th in the entire world - as in 35 other countries have better health care then we do. It was so sad to see people that worked at Ground Zero for weeks during 9/11 having lung problems due to all of the smoke inhalation. What was even sadder is that so many of them now can't afford their medications. One lady was actually so sick that she had to stop working and start pulling social security ( only $1,000.00 a month) and some of her medications cost hundreds of dollars. She went down to Cuba and found her medication at a pharmacy (normally cost her $120.00 a month) and they gave it to her for about .50 cents. She cried - she cried because she felt betrayed and taken advantage of by the health care in the US. Watch it if you can sometime, you'll be changed.
It bothers me so greatly when there is so much waste, the rich owning 5 cars and 3 houses....so many pairs of shoes they aren't even able to wear them ALL in one year - then there are some without shoes. It's made me reflect a little....what do I have too much of that I could actually share with someone else? It's good to look at it practically - do I really need 20 coffee cups or 5 coats? Could I possible give that money to someone else or buy a family milk and bread for a week instead of treating myself to coffee and a pastry?



Whew. That was a lot of "the pit of despair" wasn't it? I'm happy to tell you that I woke up to a clean kitchen (thank you *my sweet*) and it energized me so much that I washed all of the laundry by 9 am, made oatmeal for breakfast, started another crock pot full of yogurt....and I'm making cream cheese!!! Funny how something like a clean kitchen can make me feel like my whole life is in order. Oh another little complaint (you thought I was done huh?) One thing that they offer in France -for a few months, after a mother has had a baby, they send a lady to her home twice a week for 4 hours just to *help out* paid by the government. I laughed out loud because part of my rant to Zac was " I SERIOUSLY would PAY someone to just come and help me for a couple of hours a couple times a week just so I could stay on top of things." It also made me laugh that the family was going to have pureed carrots for dinner - now we all know why they're so skinny. :)




See the whey dripping out of the cloth? That's all cream cheese is....yogurt drained of it's whey so that it becomes a solid. This is an extremely good way to get some healthy enzymes and probiotics pumped into your body...tasty too.





We enjoyed walking down to our strawberry patch and checking out progress. The kids just love running barefoot in the grass, digging their hands in dirt. I'm so glad that they aren't totally cityfied (I think i made that up?) It makes me skip.





This is the kids flexing telling me about how all the veggies from our garden are going to make them so big and strong.








The Dogwood Tree
Through the dark green curtains, The snowbright dogwood floats, As a cloud of butterflies, Above the damp sunlit slope.
-Heather Hanna
Zac left me the verse Philippians 4:6 this morning for encouragement.
Don't worry about anything; instead, pray and thank him for all he has done.
The verse goes on to say that when you do this you will experience peace...a peace that you can't understand. I feel it today - and I don't understand it....I'm just glad it's there. So, no complaining today for me...except my neck hurts and I'm hungry.








6 comments:

Toplovs said...

I say you should be proud of the chaotic state your home was in. It means that your kids can actually play and explore; it means your kids are alive and well, getting their shirts and pants dirty. It means you were busy cooking them good, healthy foods, instead freezer food served on a tray. :)And I'm saying this all for MY benefit too. I totally can relate to the way you feel like the mess will never end and when one thing is done, there are 10 more things to do. :(

Rockin' Robin said...

Ok...this is meant to be an encouragement...however, WARNING!...it is a "backhanded" encouragement...

You see, just yesterday I was moaning and groaning that I get so TIRED of cleaning up the kitchen and just refused to do it and left it like that for 3 days. The only problem? My brain doesn't want to FUNTCTION if the kitchen is a mess! And I'm almost 56 years old :>D

So never fear, Lovely One, it doesn't change much as you get older. However, isn't that something to actually LIKE about life? That there are familiar things even as we age...even if it IS wrecked kitchens making us manic??!! ;>D

Love you!

Larissa said...

Great post! You're not complaining - you're just telling it like it is! And congratulations on your new sewing machine! Isn't it amazing how a clean kitchen encourages cooking - so glad that your husband knows that.

MOM said...

Did you know the Dogwood tree was my mama's favorite...it is a beauty. What a lovely one you have pictured here. I should send you a picture of my fig tree...it has lots of fruit on it!

Unknown said...

Way to go with the cream cheese! I just made butter from raw milk yesterday. You've inspired me to try yogurt, and cream cheese. :)

Heidi said...

Loved your post, and no you're not complaining. We all go through it, I know I do & then I find myself whining to myself. :) Keep up the good work my dear!

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