Oh Rats!

Enough serious posts about first birthday milestones, religion in politics and world food consumption.  Today let's talk about rat sandwiches.

You may remember how I love rat sandwiches.  In case you don't, I'll remind you.  This summer Morgan dreamed that I ate a rat sandwich, and he was very upset over my poor choice in food.  He lectured me for days about eating good foods, and rats and mice were not good food.

Apparently, my love of rat sandwiches has caused me to feed them to others.  This week Morgan had an upset stomach and when his grandma asked him why he explained just what I had done. 

We were driving and I spotted a dead rat in the road.  Naturally being the good mother I am, I stopped and picked up the dead rat, took it home and made Morgan a rat sandwich.  I even made him eat it.  And that is why he had a tummy ache. 

Hungry Planet

My grandma forwarded an email that had photos and information from the book Hungry Planet.  I'm amazed at what we eat, and am also inspired by what can feed a large family.  There is definitely a middle ground where families are eating well, and inexpensively.  There is also the extravagant, and the sparse.  I've placed a hold on the book from my library, and I've been enjoying the photos at Time.com.
What the World Eats

Identity Crisis

Please bear with me, but I can take it no longer, and must let all this spill out here.  I am a christian, because I believe that Jesus died for our sins, and I have repented, been baptized and follow Him.  Lately though, the word "christian" has taken on such an ugly meaning, even in my mind.  The behavior of several proclaimed christians has been so unlike the behavior of Christ that I hear a lot of people trash-talking christians as a whole, and I can't blame them.  I know exactly why they feel that way, because I feel that way toward those people as well.

I'll start from the beginning, so that you may understand why my heart is so heavy.  What once was anger has turned to despair.  How can followers of Christ behave this way?  Well over a year ago, Norm Johnson ran for a legislative office at the State level.  In his campaign he was clear, he believed marriage was between a man and a woman, but felt that same-sex couples should be afforded the same legal rights as heterosexual couples.  Legal rights that I believe most heterosexual couples take for granted.  He was elected, and voted for a bill that would allow same-sex couples, and heterosexual couples over the age of 65 that were unmarried legal rights. Last year, the issue ended up in the hands of voters.  The majority of the State chose to uphold those rights, but the majority (around 60%) in our area voted to withdraw them.   Enter Michele Strobel.  The wife of a Selah pastor.  She vowed to run against Johnson and bring morals back to our State.

As a christian, she had every opportunity, and I expected her to, run a clean campaign.  A campaign that would show everyone how believers in Christ behave.  She and her team have failed.  Her supporters include the owner of the local christian broadcasting, and many leaders of churches throughout our town.  At first her platform was all about that one issue of granting rights to same-sex couples.  Soon she added being a small business advocate.  Soon her campaign became all about how Johnson is wrong, that he's owned by gay lobbyists.  Emails went out from her supporters calling prominent people on Johnson's campaign team homosexuals.  Except they weren't using nice words.  No, they chose to use the derogatory terms "fag" and "dyke."  Many of you may see a lawsuit in the making, but they were careful only to name another elected official (who cannot sue) and generalize that it was everyone else. 

Then came the advertisement in the paper.  A sketch of Johnson, as a king, with little gnomes at his feet wearing the label gay lobbyist.  In the sea near him were 2 gay men being married by a Catholic priest.  The sun and the birds were all visibly upset at this "unnatural" union.  The story below told of King Canute and his attempt to go against nature, and compared Johnson to him.  Attacks have continued, against Johnson's family (he has 2 sons that are gay) and claims that he is in office with his homosexual agenda.  A term which I fail to understand. 

I've attempted to fight back through a Facebook page, dedicated to letting people know that Strobel will not represent all of her constituents, only those that are heterosexual.  I firmly believe that Jesus taught us to treat everyone well, to love everyone.  He didn't come to this earth and walk among the saints.  He came to this earth and dined with prostitutes and tax collectors.  He came to help all of us, and we are all sinners.  I'm not attempting to argue whether or not homosexuality is a sin or not, because I honestly am undecided on that fact.  There are many things in the Bible that are prohibited that we do not apply today, and many that we do.  So I leave that between you and God to decide for yourself. So my argument is based on what Strobel and her supporters believe.

If Strobel's group believes that homosexuals don't deserve the same rights as the rest of us because homosexuality is a sin, then should we also withdraw rights from adulterers because adultery is a sin?  Should alcoholics be treated differently because they struggle with sin?  Maybe anyone that has ever cursed, lied or gossiped should have some right withheld from them as punishment for that sin?  Where does it end?  The Bible doesn't have a rating scale of sin.  Sin is sin.  And every last one of us walking on this earth today has sinned.

I am ready for this campaign to be over.  But that will not end the way I feel.  I've been asked, "Why don't more christians behave like you?"  For that my only answer is, "They are forgetting to act like Christ."

Happy First Birthday

Dear Bryce and Brendon (or in photo order; Brendon and Bryce),
It is hard to believe that one year has gone by since we first met you boys in person!  You boys are one of the greatest gifts our family could have ever been given.  Your smiles, your laughs, and your distinct personalities make Daddy, Sissy, Big Brother and I so happy.

While you are "identical twins" it doesn't go much further than your DNA.  Bryce, you have become quite the little ham.  You love to laugh out loud, and try to make us laugh as well.  You have the greatest laugh.  You also have the loudest cry, and can really throw yourself down when you want to have a dramatic fit over something.  You remind Daddy and Me of your sister when she was little.  You love to eat paper, chew on cats, and crawl around on the coffee table making loud noises.  You have also managed to escape over and under the baby gate, and Grammy caught you sitting on top of the dining room table.

Brendon, you are always the first to look at a stranger and give them a grin and flirt.  You have a great giggle, but aren't a big talker yet.  You love to crawl up into Daddy's lap and just hang out.  You are so easy going and love to play with the toys.  You are quite the walker, and are working hard to perfect that skill.  You have learned to clap, and will applaud your walking efforts while waiting for everyone else to join you.  You've done almost everything first.  You watched Bryce attempt a crawl, and then got up and started doing it weeks before he figured it out.

Both of you love Kaia and Morgan, and both sets of grandparents, but you each have your favorite people.  Brendon, you have taken a particular liking to your Auntie Kristin, cousin Nina, and Bob one of the elders at church.  Bryce, you are drawn to Nana, Uncle Ian and Auntie Francis.

You both seem to eat the same foods, and love every food we've given you.  You both seem to relish peaches and watermelon.  Grilled cheese sandwiches and peanut butter sandwiches are both popular.  You both surprised me the evening I gave you lamb and green beans with rice.  I wondered if you'd even try the lamb, but you ate it as quickly as you could.  Cheese omelet is your favorite breakfast, but you like scrambled eggs with cheese as well.

As for favorite toys, you both love to play with the kitty cats, cars, and Big Brother's monster trucks.  Often you will both stand at the Fisher Price piano and make music for the rest of us.  And your favorite thing on tv: The Lifewise Washington commercial.  I don't know why, but you both love it.

In closing, Happy Birthday boys!  You have completed our family and been a joy to us all.  We love you!

Love,
Mom, Dad, Kaia and Morgan

Jumbalaya My Way

This recipe originated in an Emeril Lagasse book. I of course want to use all of the ingredients, so I tweaked it and made it my own. The result is an inexpensive, quick and easy recipe, perfect for a busy evening. At one time the whole family loved this. Now everyone, but Morgan will eat it.

Jumbalaya
2-3 links of andouille or spicy smoked sausage
1 stalk of celery
1 green pepper
1/2 of a medium onion
1 cup of rice
bay leaf (optional)
salt and pepper
cayenne pepper to taste (or use a Cajun seasoning mix)

Chop the first 4 ingredients. First in just a small amount of oil, cook the sausage in a pot at Medium-High heat. As it starts to lightly brown add the veggies. Cook all of it for another 5 minutes. Then add the rice, and stir it in so that it browns a bit, and be sure to scrape up any bits of sausage.

Add 2 cups of water, salt and pepper and a bay leaf. Add a very tiny amount of cayenne or a bit more of the Cajun seasoning. You can always add more later to make it spicier, or leave out the cayenne altogether and let the spiciness of the sausage flavor the rice. Bring to a boil, turn heat to low, put a lid on the pot and in 20 minutes you have a fantastic meal!

A Day at the Fair

I think they all had a great time, don't you?

Looking Good for Less

Friday night was our annual Pillars Party for United Way. I didn't attend last year, due to the fact that I was nearly due with the boys.  This year, I was happy to go and work as a greeter, but was getting frustrated that my nice dresses (that are appropriate for an October event) were not fitting well with the twin pouch I still carry.

I was pretty discouraged Friday morning, and grabbed two dresses that are ill fitting.  I left for work in a horrible mood, and only smiled when Mo said to me, "Kaia is going to turn 8, the babies are going to turn 1, I'm going to turn 5 and you'll be 18."  I of course agreed with him.

My friend and co-worker Kate brought me a surprise back from lunch.  A black tube dress that has lots of drapey fabric.  She has the same dress in pink, and loves it because when her Crohn's is acting up it helps cover up her tummy.  She gave me the black dress as she had never worn it.  Then on my lunch break, I made a quick run to Target.  I added a blue scarf ($3.24), a bracelet set ($4.39), and a nice set of earrings ($3.48).  I already had a pair of hand me down black heels and some Spanx to help with the twin pouch (both from Kate as well).

I think it was a fabulous look for under $12.  I felt amazing, and that's what really counts.