I (don't) Want Candy

Yikes! Halloween is just a few days away and it's time for my annual "what are we going to give out this year" dilemma.  I seem to remember (back in the old days--my old days at least) that we used to get 1 piece of candy at each house. If you received 2 pieces--that was a "good house" that we remembered to return to the next year.  We had to cover a lot of ground to fill up the plastic pumpkins (and later pillowcases) that we toted around our neighborhood.

Where I live now, folks can afford the hefty bag of fun size candies and they seem to be extravagantly generous. My kids have been known to return home to dump their stash after only completing half of our street.

I suspect the problem lies in the in the easy purchase of megasize bags of candy (thank you, Target) coupled with the fear that one will be stuck with all this candy on November 1st.  Hence the practice of handing out not 1 or 2, but 3 or 4 treats per tot.

My kids can't wait.

My problem is that, having thus dispensed with my chosen crate o'treats at my doorstep (and feeling pretty good about myself), my kids return home with approximately 3 times as much candy as I've just given out.

It's the devil's math!

After lifting and stowing the mountain of candy from last year's haul, I decided something had to be done.  I let my kids keep a portion and bought the rest off of them to donate to Treats for Troops at my church.  Cash for candy--how's that for a treat?

Each day I'd let my kids eat some, but all evening the remaining candy would whisper my name from the cupboard.  It became a battle of will and when it comes to Twizzlers, Tootsie Rolls, and anything with chocolate and coconut I cave like a sandcastle at high tide.

This year I waited until the final week to make my purchase. What could I buy that won't tempt me over the next few days? Was there something substantial that I could give out 1 at a time (and not seem cheap)? Something that I can put in my kids' lunchboxes in the event that I have leftovers? 

Halloween themed fruit snacks. Hooray!

Weathering the Storm

O Lord my God, When I in awesome wonder,
Consider all the worlds Thy Hands have made;
I see the stars, I hear the rolling thunder,
Thy power throughout the universe displayed. 

We’re into Day 3 of Tropical Storm Debby and still stuck in our neighborhood due to high water. Day 1 (Sunday) was a rainy, restful break from a busy week.  Day 2 (Monday) was a disappointing day of cancelled plans--but with guarded hope that conditions would improve.

Day 3 is a day for taking stock:  how are our food supplies?  how are our neighbors doing?  will our patience run out? 

When I looked out the window this morning at the scudding clouds, wind-whipped trees, and whitecaps in the canal, it brought to mind the hymn I quoted above.  Debby’s center is far away and yet we feel it’s power, and that’s just a fraction of God’s power displayed in creation.

The weather forecast does not look promising. Debby’s stationary position in the Gulf of Mexico means that we’re due for SW winds for at least another day.  Those strong SW winds push water into Tampa Bay, which means higher than normal tides in our part of town. The water backs up the drains into the streets and, as the drains are full, rainwater collects on top.  So it might be Wednesday night or Thursday morning before we can safely drive anywhere. And that’s assuming that TS Debby moves ashore and the winds shift.

At least one more day with no trips to town, no Vacation Bible School, no morning paper delivery, no US Mail. But these are, at best, inconveniences that remind us of all that we take for granted. The waters will recede (eventually) and we’ll resume our regular schedule. We just need to be patient.

Mom sent me a quote today that was shared at a cancer survivor’s meeting, but it’s particularly appropriate as our current situation challenges our attitudes and patience. 

“It’s not about waiting for the storm to pass--its about learning to dance in the rain.”

Shalom, y’all.

Royal Wedding

Videotaped the ceremony.  Didn't want to wake the kids up.  I'm sure glad the ceremony went a little better than this.  Very funny.

Did Jonah Have a Six-Pack?

I was browsing the children's department at my local Christian bookstore when I saw something that took me by surprise. It was Jonah, clearly visible through the plastic shield of a boxed set, which included both a big fish and a tiny boat.  But it wasn't Jonah that surprised me, it was the size of his bulging biceps.


That's not all.  I found Noah, looking all buff and very young.  David appeared clad in a purple jumpsuit that showed off his bulging muscles.  Moses sported an Egyptian headdress, sword and shield. Samson, with his mane of blond hair, looked like Thor, the Norse God of Thunder.  


"What's going on here?" I wondered.


Turns out, the "Almighty Heroes" are the brainchild of Don Levine, the creator of G. I. Joe.  He developed them a few years ago with the hope that children would develop an interest in the characters and message of scripture.  


I'm all for that.  It's admirable that this toy making legend would put so much work into a toy that brings scripture to life.  And little boys do like to play heroes. However, I'm bothered by the visual message that the muscles make the man.  Didn't our heroes, of all ages and (I assume) body types, draw their strength from the Lord?


Sure gives new meaning to Deuteronomy 6:5:  
Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.


Shalom y'all.

Y? Because we like you

Instead of a Wii, we joined the Y this summer. I needed to get us out of the sun for swim lessons and try to get our toddler into the pool as well. Little did I know how much I'd enjoy it.

They ran a sale on coupons to work with a personal trainer. So I bought a series and enrolled myself in my own "fitness camp."

Boy was I out of shape. You'd think with all the chasing, dressing, and playing with my boys that I'd be down a dress size.

They started a "Stars and Stripes Challenge" in early July. I signed up and received a paper flag, which is posted on the fitness center windows. For each 1/2 hour of cardio I receive a star. For each hour of strength training I receive a stripe. The goal is to fill in the flag by mid-August--50 stars and 13 stripes. You do the math.

So I've been trying some different classes this summer--finding ways to earn stars and stripes. Here's a tour.

Strength training with my trainer:

Good--I can lift heavier weights after a month; I look like I know what I'm doing (more or less)

Bad--She won't let me cheat

Cardio machines:

Good--I can go 20 minutes on the Arc Trainer; I can run on a treadmill for 2 minutes (that's 2 minutes more than last month)

Bad--Sweat; gallons of sweat; buckets of sweat

Light and Lively

Good--Aerobic exercise to oldies while burning lots of calories

Bad--Trying to keep up with women 20 years older than I am

Zumba

Good--Tons of fun exercising to Latin music; dancing out all my stress

Bad--I have a serious craving for Cuban food when we're done

NIA (nee-ah)

Good--What's not to love? Non-Impact aerobics (nia) with a combination of dance, martial arts, and Yoga. It's the most fun of all the classes.

Bad--Getting over the "I look ridiculous" feeling while swimming around the room in kind of a modern dance/Isadora Duncan way. They put mats over the windows- otherwise we'd attract quite an audience

Best of all? While I'm doing this, my kids get 2 hours in the playroom, playing games and climbing through the tunnels. Maybe someday I'll be able to keep up.

Vive le Tour

As temperatures begin to soar and the reality of summer sets in, my husband and I anticipate a three week celebration of cycling's premier event. We're talkin' Tour de France.

Several years ago (was it 7 or 8?) we tuned into a cycling race to see this fellow named Lance Armstrong compete with the US Postal team. Neither one of us are cyclists, but he likes racing and I like scenery. Within a few nights we were hooked. Maybe even a little nuts.

We haven't missed a year since then. For three weeks, we're couch potatoes, recording it on our DVR so we don't miss a thing. We even watch it on vacation. When he was a baby, we actually set DW's bedtime so that we could watch the Tour. I used to keep it on all day--Paul Sherwin and Phil Liggett's British accents providing a soothing backdrop to my fussy babies. We even experience a post-race letdown. After the excitement of July, August seems long, hot and boring.

So excuse me for a few weeks, I hear the road calling.

Acting on Impulse

Vacation Bible School ran its high energy course through our church last week. It’s a big production with over 100 volunteers (including those who set up and take down). Attendance hovered around 250 singing, dancing, chattering children from age 3 through 5th grade. This year’s theme, Crocodile Dock, somehow combined down home Southern swamp fun with Moses and the Passover story.

We five crew leaders led our combined group of 27 primary grade children through the daily stations of Bible, snack, video lesson with Chadder Chipmunk, crafts, and games. Our main tasks: guide the way, answer questions, and keep the group together.

My crew included one child with, um, well let’s just call them problems with impulse control. Loose communion cup holder in the pew? Kick that baby right off there. Feel like wrestling? Take down in the chapel. See something you want? Go after it. He agonized over waiting even one minute for something he wanted right now. Since this is my 2nd year shepherding this particular child I knew that somewhere in the midst of his chaotic mind, the gospel was taking root. Praise God.

Throughout the Exodus story we see Moses and the Israelites acting on impulse. Lose your temper? Kill the Egyptian overseer. (Ex. 2:12) Lose patience? Make a golden calf. (Ex. 32) Angry with the people? Can’t wait for God? Strike the rock at Meribah. Twice for good measure. (Num. 20) Our curriculum didn’t cover these stories, but I was reminded of them as the week wore on. Our sinful human nature doesn’t want to wait. We want it and we want it now.

This week I’m reading through the book of Proverbs. It’s a 31-chapter book on controlling our impulsive nature.

Watch your temper.

Hold your tongue.

Seek wisdom.

Wait on God.

Be patient.

Be still.

Listen.

True in Moses’ time. True in Solomon’s time. True today.

Shalom, y’all.

High Temperatures

I looked at the month of June with some trepidation. How would we fill the time vacated by school and library and all our usual activities?

No problem.

Our new YMCA membership keeps us on the go with swim lessons and workouts for mommy--something to do nearly every weekday.

Then we caught The Virus.

Seems this nasty bug was going all around town. I was the first casualty. Then my DH. Then #1 son. Sore throat and a general achy feeling. I was down one weekend but nobody seemed to mind watching a little more TV and playing indoors. A few days respite then my son had it and ran a fever for many unnerving days.

By the end it all we had grown tired of endless viewings of "Go, Diego, Go!" The train set was getting a little boring (except for some excitement when an engine was hurled at my face by a bored 2-year-old). We hadn't been cooped up for that long since.....the last time someone ran a long fever.

Outside, we were having an unusually hot mid-June with a heat wave that took the breath out of even the most hardy Floridians. Cabin fever coupled with the threat of heat stroke while going out to get the morning paper. What fun!

We're all better now--and after a terrific week of Vacation Bible School--thankful to get back into our old routine.

Pro Tree Published

Exciting news in the household this week--my husband's iPhone/iTouch application was released for sale on Thursday at the Apple App Store.  For months we've been sharing time on the computer: some nights I write and edit my stuff, some nights he programs and edits his projects.

Finally, the fruit of his labors went to Apple and his app was approved.

It's called Pro Tree and it's a reaction time game that simulates the "Christmas Tree" that drag racers use at the start of a race. Racers want to hit the gas pedal at the same time as the lights go green. Leave the starting line too early and you get a red foul light. Leave too late and you get left behind.

Pro Tree measures reaction time using fingers instead of a gas pedal. So we've been tapping (or shaking) our iTouches, testing his game for months.  I finally got to where I could beat him--causing all manner of testosterone-fueled disbelief. (Due to 2 very active boys, I have a fast reaction time--and excellent peripheral vision.)

My contribution was to help write the description and directions, which I treated like a job. I researched drag racing competition rules and categories. I struggled with editing my husband's notes so that even a novice (me) could follow the directions. I tweaked the final product with a smattering of alliteration, deliberate hard consonants, and a touch of psychology. 

This was a fascinating process, frustrating for him at times, but I'm so proud of him for persevering.

Like Hot Fudge on a Cool Day

And I thought yesterday couldn't get any better. 

I got to exercise.  My children calmly entertained themselves and let me get a little housework done. And we visited the most delightful playground I've ever seen. (Honestly, it would take days to go on all the slides and climbers, not to mention the new "splash pad" with motion-activated water jets. I love this town.)

To top it all off--Pat, from Pat's Porch--gave me the "Your Blog is Fabulous" award.  Many thanks, Pat.

What a wonderful way to kick off the summer!