Wednesday, July 25

The Natural Mommy Bids Farewell to Blogger

Oh, I just couldn't wait to tell you this:

I have my very own, professionally designed, personal spot on the web!

www.thenaturalmommy.com

It's not completely set up. I am writing a novel to explain myself and the name I chose for my domain. Hopefully it will be done by Friday. It's not like I have unlimited amounts of time during the day to sit on the computer and spill my heart! (At least not in novel form).

I have officially transferred all my Blogger blogs to the new site. This will be *sniff* my last Blogger post. It's been an incredible three-year journey; I am so excited to be taking this next step! I have lots of fun plans and goals for my new site.

My very first post tomorrow on my new site (that wasn't transferred) will be a hilarious Olivia Story, so be sure to add www.thenaturalmommy.com to your bookmarks and readers! You don't want to miss it!

And be especially sure to check the site on Friday, when I will announce the winner of the Car-Back-Massager-Thingy Giveaway!

Tuesday, July 24

Overcoming Demons

I recently started reading Screwtape Letters by C.S. Lewis and it has opened my eyes to the spiritual world around me. The Bible and pastors may speak of demons in this world, but somehow it didn't sink in until I picked up this book (and I'm only on chapter three!).

In this book, Lewis tells of a correspondance between two demons (a junior and a senior officer, if it could be compared to M*A*S*H terms (of which we are currently in the middle of a marathon)). The senior demon is giving advice to the junior demon (his nephew) on how to successfully turn his subject away from the Enemy (God). These demonic tips so far seem to center on controlling the subject's thoughts and keeping certain thoughts from him.

And here I thought I controlled my own thoughts.

Did you ever get the idea you should do something; a strong conviction, perhaps from the Holy Spirit? But then another voice inside your head offers all the possible negative results - the awkwardness, the inconvenience, the possible rejection. And so you end up dismissing the original idea because, well, it was just a thought, right? And "it's the thought that counts."

Recently, I have met a Chinese mother here at the apartment complex. She has a little boy, just a few months older than Benjamin, and an older girl in second grade. She lives right across from the playground, so she tends to come visit us when she sees us there playing. Up until recently, it's been a nice, shallow relationship. I couldn't even remember her name.

Then came the Voices.

"You should invite her over."
"You should invite her to MOPS."
"You should invite her to the library on Tuesdays (Story Time)."

"Oh, but you can hardly understand what she's saying through her accent."
"Would she even fit in the car with all the carseats?"
"You're really too busy, what with two small children, all those dishes and loads of laundry."
"The apartment is a mess! It would be too embarrassing to have her over."

So I idled in my indecision. Until she forced me to choose a side. She invited me over "sometime" and told me which apartment she lived in.

So I made up my mind at that point, right?

Nope.

"Sure! Sometime..."

And left it at that.

That night, I decided I would go visit her. The very next morning. I would dress the children, feed Olivia her breakfast, wash and hang the laundry, and head out the door! Yes, I was nervous. Yes, I still heard those voices. The demon voices seemed to come in a bit clearer than the heavenly ones. Why is that?

And then morning came. With screaming. Lots of screaming. Olivia was upset at the world. I was getting more and more irritated with every whine and whimper. I couldn't put Benjamin down. I couldn't get anything accomplished. The children were naked. The laundry was done, but wet in a basket. Hanging it would require kicking a toddler off my shin and putting Fussy Baby down so he could morph into Screaming Baby.

Wow, were my demons working overtime! I wavered back and forth. Should I go? Is it worth it? It's getting so late! Finally, it was noon. The sun was shining; it was a beautiful day. The children were clothed, fed, dry-diapered. Still not happy, but maybe, just maybe that sunshine will do the trick...

And we left the apartment.

The scales started to tip. The demon voices faded away. The screaming stopped. We were on our way.

It wasn't awkward. I understood her. She understood me. She seemed to happy to see us. I enjoyed seeing her. Olivia loved being there. Benjamin... well, he was indifferent, but what did you expect?

We're going to the park on Tuesday.

I overcame my demons.

And then, on Sunday, I heard a sermon on the good Samaritan. Have you ever wondered about the priest and the Levite who crossed on the other side of the road? Have you spent much time at all pondering their circumstances? For the first time, I pictured the road as a bustling Michigan Avenue. And I heard the demons inside their heads.

"You really don't have time for him."
"Look at all these other people; let them help him."
"You can help him on your way back, if you have time."
"He'll just use your money to buy drugs and alcohol."

What are your demons telling you?

Can you overcome them?

*Hint* Prayer helps. A lot.

Car-Back-Massager-Thingy Giveaway!! *EDITED* *AGAIN*

SO SORRY ABOUT NOT POSTING THIS YESTERDAY! My internet was down for 24 HOURS. I was so sad.

So here it is:


Your very own car-back-massager-thingy!

All you have to do to be entered in the contest is to tell me in the comments that you want my car-back-massager-thingy! Only one comment per person, duplicates will be deleted. The drawing will be this Friday at (around) 3pm (right in the middle of naptime) AT MY NEW SITE www.thenaturalmommy.com (it will be up and running (crosses fingers)). International comments also welcome! I'll spring for the extra in shipping because it's that cool that you're commenting on my blog!

For more freebies, check out this site!

*Whew!* I got online three minutes ago, saw that the entries for the bloggy giveaways would be closed at 9 CST and my heart skipped a couple beats! But then I realized that wasn't my time zone and I had exactly three minutes to get this up and running!
*Heavy Sigh*

EDIT: Those reading this on Facebook must comment at the actual blog site: bethibaby.blogspot.com.

*Note the change in the site name. On Friday, make sure you go www.thenaturalmommy.com to find the winning commenter!

Sunday, July 22

Last Minute Decision

'Cause that's the way I operate.

I have decided to participate in the Dog Days of Summer Bloggy Giveaway! Friday, July 27, I will be giving away something. Something very exciting! Something that has only been used a handful of times! Something that I was planning on FreeCycling, but this is a way cooler way to get rid of it!

What is it, you ask?

Come back tomorrow to find out.

Bwa-ha-ha.

Friday, July 20

Two New Words

I can now say "no" and "boog".

Translation: "Nose" and "booger".

Frugal Fridays: Free CD

Prior to yesterday, I had never heard of Monk & Neagle. And when I did for the first time, I thought maybe they were a children's group, like The Wiggles. But the blog said "Free CD" so I clicked the link anyway, because I have children, and they like free stuff, too. To my surprise and pleasure, they are a pretty good-sounding Christian duo (not a children's group, but good for children, too!).

But the point of this post isn't to necessarily advertise their abilities (because I don't know enough about music to do so). It is because I wanted to share with you today this frugal tip:

FREE STUFF ROCKS.

So go here and get your free CD.

Hmm... come to think of it, the last CD I got was free, too. Man, I'm good at this frugal stuff. And my music collection is stale.

Go here for more frugal tips!

Thursday, July 19

Guess What I Just Did!


I rolled over. Yup, all by myself! I AM THE MAN! So proud... Must brag... So excited! What's next? Crawling? SO ready for that.

That's what I would say if I end up with The Mommy's personality. Let's try The Daddy's...

Finally! I have accomplished my goal! 360 degrees of mobility at my fingertips! I worked so hard on this project, and almost didn't make it on time. I'm pretty sure all the other babies my age have already rolled over. This is embarrassing. Let's not talk about it... Besides, now I have to study for my next big test... crawling.

New Domain Name Options

Click here for the original post and options presented there and in the comments that follow.

In response to Paul's comment that dashes don't tend to work well in website names, I give you these new options:
  1. BethAndBabies.com
    This one comes from Ashley and is a play off the original "Bethibaby."
    Downside: Josh feels excluded. I tried to convince him he's one of the babies...

  2. CrazyPinecones.com
    This originates from some person who told me my last name means "Pinecone" in German. They were wrong. But it's fun to pretend!
Let me know which you think will make it in the Blogging world - or if you have some more ideas!

Sidenote: Paul, I think saughccher.com might be even harder for a person to remember than here-we-are.com. Points for almost spelling it right yourself, though!

Wipe Your Feet

So I was playing outside on the balcony with my new tea set and water (my favoritest toy of all because of its mess potential). The balcony floor boards were all wet - I don't know how that happened. I came inside to get a refill (somehow my water disappeared the more I poured it). Mommy said to wipe my feet. Then, as if I didn't understand, she went over to the mat by the door and wiped her feet off.

But I understood exactly what she meant.

So I took off my shoes, wiped my feet, put my shoes back on, and then went to the kitchen for my water refill.

Wednesday, July 18

Input Requested: My Own Domain

I think I've outgrown "Bethibaby". And, personally, I'm sick of the look of this template and nothing else Blogger offers makes me happy.

So I'm looking into buying (leasing, renting, whatever) my own domain name and using WordPress and Ashley to make my blog more personalized, original, and attractive.

Bethibaby.com is not an option. Like I said, I've outgrown it.

HereIAm.everything is taken. So is Here-I-Am and HereWeAre.

The only option I can find is Here-We-Are.net.

Is that memorable enough? Will I lose anyone in the transfer? Any other creative suggestions for domain names?

Works For Me: Grilled Cheese


Now, grilled cheese is usually one of the quicker and easier lunch meals, but it's just not quick or easy enough for me.

So this is what I do:

I grill it in advance. My toddler only eats half a sandwich at a time. So I make two full sandwiches (as much as my griddle will hold). I put one and a half sandwiches in the fridge and they will be the easiest, literally 15-second lunches for the next three days. No cooking, no cutting, no slicing, no cleaning griddles. Just put her half sandwich on a plate and nuke it for 15 seconds. Older children might object because it just isn't the same as a fresh-off-the-stove crispy grilled cheese. But my toddler doesn't mind, so it works for me!

Two Year Check-Up *Edited*

Olivia had her two year check-up last week. She's 28 pounds (rough guestimate; she was jumping on the scale) and 33 inches tall (again, not exact; hard to measure a moving object). According to those measurements, she is in the 50th percentile - as she has been all her life.

Then the doctor asked me how her vocabulary is coming along. "Is she talking a lot?"

Umm...

The doctor rephrases, "Does she have at least a 20 word vocabulary?"

Uhh... Sure!

Josh says I should have been more honest with the doctor.

However, I maintain I told the truth. Let's count: diddy (kitty), turtle, baby, bye-bye, hi, more, ter (water), ver (covers), derse (nurse), doo (two), dwee (three), dez (dessert), der-tis (there it is (does that count as three?)), piwoah (pillow), tee (tree), daddy, geen (green), boo (blue), buh (bug), toe (toad), bee (berry)...

Hey! That's 21! Surely she didn't mean 20 words that just anybody could understand without a translator. How unrealistic.

Then the doctor asked how Olivia was at following directions.

Well... she doesn't always obey... Oh! You mean *can* she follow directions? Oh, yes, when she wants to.

And can she follow two-step instructions? For example, "Go get the stool, and then stand on it."

At this, I had to laugh. "If we tell her to, she'll go get the stool, stand on it, get the turtle food, open it, and feed the turtle, then put the lid back on."

And does she imitate okay?

Obviously, the doctor didn't read my Onion story!

**Picture courtesy of Joanna

Tuesday, July 17

You Know What Hurts?

Teeth. Teeth hurt. Well, technically, the gums hurt. Specifically, when the teeth are puncturing the gums as they push their way up.

I can't sleep. I can't be put down. Eating is my only comfort, so I must do it constantly. If I can't eat, then I must suffice by chewing on my own fist.

Growing up is hard!

Monday, July 16

Lost Puppy *Edited*

I know I don't have near enough readers to warrant this, but I just can't NOT do it.

If any of you are in or near Franklin, TN, be on the lookout for this adorable female beagle puppy. Her owners are really good friends of mine. They were passing through Tennessee on their way to Atlanta, where they live, when Jera (the puppy) ran off. This dog is like their baby and I can't imagine what they are going through.

If you don't live near Franklin, then just pray with me that Jera finds her way home!

**Picture courtesy of Joanna

Friday, July 13

Note To Self

After a toddler gets a shot...

It is not the actual wound that hurts.

It is not the memory of the needle piercing her flesh.

It is the Band-Aid.

She will continue to whimper, cry, and extract pity and remorse from all around her (especially the Cruelest of Cruel One who held her firm while the Ugly, Mean Nurse Lady made her bleed) until the Band-Aid is removed. Then she will look down at her finger, look up at you, smile, and run off to play.

Thursday, July 12

Onion

Olivia came into the kitchen while I was cutting up an onion in preparation for dinner. She pointed and made a noise that sounded an awful lot like "onion". I said, "Yes, it's an onion. I'm cutting the onion for dinner."

She disappeared for a bit and came back into the kitchen. This time she had her plastic onion with her. She held it up to me and made the "onion" noise again. "Yes!" I said, a little more enthusiastically this time. "Onion! Mommy is cutting an onion for dinner."

She disappeared again and came back a third time. In her hands, she held her plastic onion and her blue plastic knife. Making the "onion" noise, she drew the knife back and forth against the onion.

These are the moments that melt a mommy's heart.

Wednesday, July 11

Why?

I found her watching Veggie Tales this way the other day. Why...?

Tuesday, July 10

God Provides

In my Budget post, I told the world we were surviving on $13,000 a year (before taxes).

That is no longer true.

*Can hardly contain the excitement of the upcoming announcement*

Josh won a $15,000 scholarship! Part will go to pay tuition bills at the start of each upcoming semester. The other (much larger) part will increase our monthly income from $1300 to $2050!

But all that extra money is merely an optical illusion. Don't let it fool you. Observe the following new additions and adjustments to our budget which suck up our money.
  1. Rent increases - $40 more every month
  2. We can now afford to get health insurance for myself - $200 every month
  3. We may no longer be eligible for foodstamps - $250 every month for groceries
  4. Our tithe increases - $75 more every month.
So of our additional $750, our monthly income will really only increase $185.

AND scholarships do not get taxed, BUT the part that we use as income must be called such on tax forms and thus will be taxed all at once in April.

*Ouch*

HOWEVER, when I think what we would have done without this money; when I think of how we signed our lease renewal months ago knowing rent would go up and having absolutely no clue how were were going to afford an extra $40 every month, I realize that God provides.

And in His infinite wisdom, He knew it would take an extra $750 in our paycheck to give us that $40.

Monday, July 9

How to Write a Title When Blogger Doesn't Want You To

You could do as Joanna suggested and fix it in Preview mode (but I haven't tried this yet).

OR

You could hover your cursor in the top half area of the Title text box until the mouse arrow turns into the insert cursor.

Don't thank me; thank him.

Big Smiles

Benjamin has the most beautiful smile - and he smiles so easily! I could wake him up at midnight to change his diaper and he just looks up and me and grins!

Sunday, July 8

What If...

(Yep, Internet/computer still broken... no title)

So today I read a forwarded email that warned me that microwaving food in plastic containers will give me cancer. Not wanting cancer, I checked its validity on snopes.com. *Whew* I'm safe. Snopes has declared this email "Urban legend" material.

Which got me thinking...

What if I started an email rumor that Snopes.com was a sham and we can't trust anything they say?

Saturday, July 7

Is anyone else in Blogger world unable to type in the Title box? Is my computer virus-ridden or is my internet that broken? So, anyway, the title of this post was supposed to be:

Speaking of Freedom...

(Happy 4th, by the way)

I've received many inquiries for an update on the laundry situation. (See the original post, management's reply, and my rebuttal if such things amuse you. There's also Matthew's take on it and my letters to the Anonymouseses if you're really bored.)

I am happy to announce that I have heard nothing from Management since my Rebuttal. I have also noticed a significant increase in the amount of laundry my neighbors hang out to dry.

I am their inspiration. (Ignore the verses... it was the chorus I was going for there).

Tuesday, July 3

Hard To Believe I've Only Known Her Two Years

Yesterday was Olivia's second birthday! It was a day filled with smiles and frosting and playgrounds. Observe the photographic evidence that my little girl is growing up entirely too fast:

To start the day, Olivia and I made a Golden Birthday Girl crown for her to wear so that everyone would know it was her birthday. She even wore it in Wal-Mart and was quite popular.


After dinner we ate special birthday cupcakes (a mommy first!). We were running short on time, so Olivia frosted her own. Yeah, see that finger? It's going straight to the mouth. And once she realized what frosting was, there was no turning back.


After cupcakes, we went to the park and Olivia enjoyed the slide.


And she swung on the swing like a big girl.


And she tried to climb up the slide.


And she loved on her little brother.


And little brother went down the slide.


It was a beautiful, yummy, exhausting celebration of the miracle of life.

Monday, July 2

In Anticipation of Things That Have Already Come and Gone

Watch tomorrow for pictures of the glorious celebration of my firstborn's second anniversary here on earth.

(Don't think too big; there were no clowns and no pony rides)

Saturday, June 30

$10.48 of Unbudgeted Toddler Expense



She broke Larry Boy and the Rumor Weed.

One of the ways we get by without much money is to rent all our movies from the library. We rent three Veggie Tales every week.

It doesn't save much money, however, when she breaks one of said Veggie Tales in half. So I went to Amazon.com and ordered a "Like New" replacement.

Shhh... don't tell the library. I figure this way is cheaper than the replacement fee.

Friday, June 29

Milestone

He grabs things! Usually just his shirt. He's rather proud of his belly and likes to show it off.

To My Amish Playmates

To those of you who have expressed your desire to play my Frugal Amish Game by making your own laundry detergent, I present to you this recent post by the inventor of said detergent.

I have not noticed the buildup on anything except the diapers (it made them waterproof - not a good quality in diapers!). So I am now exclusively using regular detergent on them, but still using the homemade detergent on my clothes. This is what I think I will do: When I start to notice the buildup, I will start alternating, one wash with regular detergent, the next with homemade. Both clean the clothes fine; one just happens to leave soap residue behind due to the hardness of the water and the kind of soap used. I figure the regular detergent will wash away the homemade degergent's residue.

I wish I could find a kind of soap that doesn't cause buildup. What do the Tide manufacturers use?

So I will still be saving money, just not as much.

P.S. Supposedly, if you have soft water, you're fine. Anybody out there use homemade detergent with soft water?

Wednesday, June 27

A Powerful, Accidental Prayer


This morning, for the first time in weeks, I devoted some time to the Word. As I was finishing, I closed my Bible and something fell out. When I reached down to pick it up, I recognized it as the bookmark given to me on Mother's Day by my church. On it was a list of ways to pray for my children and for myself as their mother. One prayer hit me particularly hard:
And today, Lord, remind me to take the time to understand my children's perspectives before I speak. Remind me to be more playful with them.
You see, I call myself a Stay At Home Mom (SAHM), but in reality, recently, I've been more of a Stay At Home Housekeeper (SAH...H?). I do the laundry and dishes; I make and then clean up lunch; I cart the kids to and from different activities. But I don't play with them.

So that was my prayer this morning. Completely by accident, too. If that bookmark hadn't fallen out of my Bible, I would have merely prayed for the ability to accomplish more today than I did yesterday - to get the laundry off the couch!

And, apparently, the Lord had been waiting for this. Let me first explain that the past week and a half has been a very exhausting, frustrating time as Olivia and I adjust from vacation back into normalcy. In many ways, I feel as though we are starting from scratch with discipline and obedience. We have had more fights than smiles. However, today I had a fantastic time with Olivia. We played with blocks, she fed me dinner (over, and over, and over again, too), we counted, we colored, and she hugged me. Those who know Olivia know that she doesn't give those out freely.

And so I was blessed through a powerful, accidental prayer.

Monday, June 25

How to Survive on a Grad Student's Stipend

It seems a lot of the mommy blogs have this theme in common: living frugally. Typically, when I get into a conversation on saving money, the same solutions are offered to me. They are:
  1. Stop eating out.
  2. Stop going out.
And then the person who gives me these tips exclaims something along the lines of: "I have saved so much money by avoiding Starbucks!"

*Giggle*

No offense to anyone who has saved money this way; please, understand I am glad you have conquered your addiction and see a new priority in your budget. However... we don't eat out and we don't go out. The last movie we saw in the theater was The Da Vinci Code and my in-laws paid for it! When we eat out, it's either because my mom is here or it's ice cream at Ollie's (and that's once a month if we're lucky!). So I had to get creative when we moved and decided I would not get a job and thus would have to survive on a $13,000 graduate student stipend.

So without further ado, here is my own personal survival story:

Step One: Come to peace with the fact that your husband is still a student. After voicing your opinion and your desire, let him make the final decision. Then be still and know that God will provide.

Step Two: Make it a game before you lose your mind entirely. I call it the Frugal Amish Game. The point of the game is to survive on less than you ever thought possible through creative solutions. And I'm winning!

Here are some things I've discovered that help me play my Game:
  1. We use cloth diapers. The average cost to use disposable diapers for three years is $2000. And then another $2000 for the next child. The average cost to use cloth diapers for three years is $700. And the next child is free. Since I am a mother of two, that's $3300 I'm saving every year. And then, of course, add in the environmental reasons, and I'm completely convinced. We also use cloth wipes and make our own wipe solution. I love going right past the diaper aisle in Wal-Mart and thumbing my nose at The Man. When you only have $170 each month to spend on household cleaners, toiletries, gas, and emergencies, being able to skip this aisle gives me great satisfaction and I get to move ahead two spaces in my Game.

  2. We don't use a dryer. We live in an apartment that does not have washer and dryer hookups. This used to cost us over $10/week in quarters just on the washing machine downstairs alone. I just couldn't afford to double that for the luxury of a dryer. I have two wooden clothes racks permanently set up in our living room with a fan blowing on them at all times. Recently, I also purchased some clothesline and affixed it to the railing of our balcony because sunny days are here again and that means softer and faster drying clothes! To save us over $50/month more, my husband also (possibly illegally) hooked up our own washing machine in our apartment to the plumbing beneath our kitchen sink. I kept waiting for the water bill to go up, but guess what? It went down. I don't understand it either, but hey, I'll accept it. I was also afraid that the maintenance men would tell on us, but so far they have only expressed how impressed they are with my husband's ingenuity.

  3. While on the topic of diapers and laundry, the next logical play in my Game would have to be.... Make your own laundry detergent. This idea and recipe was completely stolen from this site. It's easy and it's ridiculously cheap and it's extremely effective, and it's even good for cloth diapers (and just about every store bought detergent contains something that shouldn't be used in washing cloth diapers). The cost comparison here follows as this: If you use Tide, you are spending approximately $0.50 per load. With this recipe, I spend less than $0.01 per load. And it lasts forever! I only have to use one tablespoon per load. My original batch has lasted me about two weeks so far (doing 1-2 loads per day) and it's still half-full. And it was only 2 1/2 cups of powder to begin with! I still have an almost full box of washing soda and borax in my closet! *Sigh* Another aisle I get to walk right by in Wal-Mart. *Moves ahead two spaces* (Confession: I still use Downy fabric softener. It's a smell from my childhood that I'm not sure I'll be able to give up! Plus, you use so little of it and my great big bottle will last so long... We'll see how the budget works and if it gets to stay.)

  4. Speaking of budgets - Must have one! Not just one in your mind where you know you shouldn't spend "too much". I tried this method and failed miserably. Then I learned to use Excel. Oh, this was exciting! This program actually adds up your expenses for you, if you program it right! Then my rocket scientist husband comes home and I exclaim to him my recent discoveries about Excel and he gives a very bemused smile as he comes over to see what I've accomplished. Here is a copy of our budget for your perusal. The non-bill section is what we have to work on the most. The "Other" expenses so far have gone towards parking tickets and library fees, and has been reserved for an oil change in the month to come. The "Eating Out" fund is there just in case we actually behave ourselves (financially) all month and then we get to treat ourselves to ice cream! More times than not, it goes to the Wal-Mart fund. Keeping Wal-Mart expenses under $80 is the most difficult thing I have ever done. You might be tempted to quit at this point, but this budget is actually the highlight of my Frugal Amish Game. In a culture where you rarely see actual money, I desperately needed a tangible way of knowing if I was keeping our family afloat. Seeing the "Accumulation" category grow each month gives me an intense feeling of satisfaction I never felt back in my pre-budget days. Two more notes: The "Extra Income" category is for any Pampered Chef work I've done and the "Savings" goes towards Josh's tuition fees this May, August, and December. Just in case you thought we were going on a cruise.

  5. Here's where it got hard for me. You may have noticed on our budget that there is no section for groceries. Not long after we moved here and started receiving our new paychecks, we realized we didn't have the money for food. One day I was at the local Medicaid office to see if Olivia qualified. The caseworker then told me that we not only qualified for Olivia, but myself as well (because I was pregnant), and we also qualified for over $300 a month in foodstamps. I took the paper home to show Josh and we discussed our possibilities. Let me interject here that this was during time when Josh was deciding whether to continue his schooling at Purdue or to apply for the job in Alabama. For me, the choice was easy: Foodstamps or an engineer's salary? Why take money from the government when you are perfectly capable of making it yourself? However, this is when I learned Step One (see above). My husband has a wonderful view of the future for our family, while I only see the here and now. He decided to pursue his dream job, which requires a PhD. We both agreed that getting his schooling over quickly was better than drawing it out over a decade while also working full-time. This way, he has more time with his family and his grades will be better, hopefully enabling him to get that dream job in the future. And so, we signed on the dotted line.

    But I was determined not to take advantage of this opportunity. My cart would not contain merely pop, chips, and Ho-Ho's. I will take the money, but I will spend it on healthful produce. I will bake my desserts instead of buying them. I will make my food from scratch whenever possible. I will save the government as much money as I possibly can so that when we get off foodstamps, they can take the money we didn't spend and give it to others who need it. To date, we have accumulated over $900 of unspent foodstamp money.


  6. Lastly, in playing my Frugal Amish Game, the most important rule of all is to never take off your Kingdom Goggles. This is a phrase I picked up from our old Bible study leader in Indianapolis. One night, he passed around a pair of colorful swimming goggles and told us that we must see the world through God's eyes if we are to resist the worldly temptations that surround us. We must see what will pass away and what will remain of our efforts here on earth. When I put on my Kingdom Goggles in Wal-Mart, I am able to walk past the Little Debbie aisle. I am able to resist the gadgets I never knew I needed until I saw them on display. I am able to see what is needed for nourishment and resist everything else. Yes, we have desserts, but the homemade kind that are cheaper, healthier, and I value them more when I realize the effort that goes into making them! When I put on my Kingdom Goggles, I see the materialism of the culture around me as a trial I must overcome that will test my faith, develop perseverance, and ultimately lead to maturity and completeness, not lacking anything. My Kingdom Goggles also help me to see what James means when he says,
    "The brother in humble circumstances ought to take pride in his high position. But the one who is rich should take pride in his low position, because he will pass away like a wild flower. For the sun rises with scorching heat and withers the plant; its blossom falls and its beauty is destroyed. In the same way, the rich man will fade away even while he goes about his business." (Chapter 1:9-11)
    When I feel ashamed at not having the material possessions that this world values so much (a house! a dryer! a bigger "Eating Out" budget! a puppy!), I meditate on this scripture and realize my high position. I rely on God for everything. I know where my blessings come from. I am not fooled into thinking I can provide for myself. I just do what I can with what God gives me. If I were a rich man (Ya ha deedle deedle, bubba bubba deedle deedle dum) I would have to realize everything I thought I possessed in this world, including my proud, self-made attitude, could disappear at any moment and I would be left with nothing but God's grace and provision. I would first have to realize the low position I truly held, where nothing is my own, but God's; then I could take pride in that. Maybe someday I will have to deal with that half of the verse. Right now I just focus on the first half.
So there you go. I've just bared my financial soul to you. What do you say? Do you want to play my Frugal Amish Game? Being married to a graduate student is not a prerequisite. You don't even have to be struggling financially. Just think what you could do for God's Kingdom with the money you save!

Thursday, June 21

Vacation Pictures

Okay, so I officially dropped off the face of the earth a couple weeks ago. I went to Missouri. (Teehee).

But I didn't really take any pictures until we left for Colorado. Yes, we were practically world travelers. We drove to O'Hare, flew to Missouri, relaxed for a week, drove to Colorado, relaxed for a week, flew back to O'Hare, spent four days with my family, drove back to Indiana.

And the in-flight movie was always Veggie Tales.

So here is our very own sequential image, stereophonic, multimedia event:

Olivia amused herself during the long drive by trying to figure out sunglasses.


I amused myself with lotion. (Not my leg, by the way)


Ah, hotel rooms.


We're in Denver! We celebrate at the City Park.


Weeeeeeeeeeeee!

But we didn't stay in Denver - oh no. That would be cheating.
Our cabin was out in the middle of nowhere


But this isn't it. This is an old abandoned ski lodge - er, I mean mining building.
We thought it was a ski lodge at first and made up some pretty fantastic stories about its untimely demise due to a tragic avalanche.


Here's our cabin. Can you find it?


So what does one do for fun out in the middle of nowhere? One takes the rental Sport Utility Vehicle out for a spin to see what it can do!


It couldn't do this. (Ignore Noah... he's just acting out to get attention.)


But it could do this!

And what does a toddler do in Colorado?


She climbs mountains!


She struts her stuff down the streets of Breckinridge.


She expirements with different... styles... in the Garden of the Gods.


She rides an Olympic bobsled.


And what does an infant do in Colorado?

He climbs mountains... via the Maya Wrap.


He spends a lot of time in a carseat.


He poses for pictures.


He sleeps.


And what do the parents do in Colorado?


They enjoy the peace of quiet of wide open spaces (while the children sleep in their carseats).


But mostly, they take pictures.

Friday, June 15

Another Cell Pic

Olivia's sleeping in the room where the computer is; so ironically, I'm not able to Blog during the time when I would be most free to do so. Luckily for you, I just happen to have this adorable picture of Olivia driving the rental car on the cell phone. Enjoy and continue to wait eagerly for more!

Multimedia message

We have thumb-sucker!

Thursday, June 14

Why the Multimedia Messages?

So on the trip back from Colorado, I was bored and noticed we had cell phone reception for the first time in a week. So I figured out how to blog pictures from my cell phone. Hence the last two Benjamin pictures. Oh, and the reason I never blogged pictures before I left for Missouri and Colorado (where I've been the past two weeks) was because as we were heading out the door, my pictures were still uploading onto my photo hosting site. Yep, that's DAYS we're talkin' 'bout. Not the "hours" my previous post promised. *Trying really hard not to hate my internet*

Well, I'm in Illinois at my mom's now, who has a really good internet connection, so maybe if I think about it, I'll upload our vacation pictures here and blog some about it.

Let me just wet your appetite for these awesome pictures:
They include white water rafting (but I have to wait for Josh's dad to burn the CD and mail it to us), mountains, hiking, hiking up mountains, fording rivers Oregon-Trail-style, and marmots.

Multimedia message

So big!

Tuesday, May 29

Biiiiiiiiiiiig Baby, Big Baby, Big Baby

Oh yeah, Big Baby! (Big Baby #1, #1 Big Baby!)

I apologize. Only the Zapfs will laugh at that. But I had to put it in!

Benjamin had his two month appointment today and he is in the 90th percentile in all three categories! (Head, height, and weight). His head is 16", up 2" since birth. His height is 24 1/2", up 4 1/4" since birth. His weight is 13lb 10oz, up 6lb 13oz since birth! The doctor said it is very rare to have a baby be so perfectly proportionate. My big, perfect baby!

He also got three shots today. I suffered a minor broken heart. But we will survive.

Pictures to come! I just have to upload them online first, since Picasa refuses to work with me, as does the picture upload tool on Blogger. So it may be a few hours. I took lots of pictures this month.

Thursday, May 24

Dear Anonymi

First of all, I haven't taken the time to make sure, but I think the Noah-flattering comment came from Michigan. :-)

Second, Anonymi (for that is the plural of anonymous, I'm pretty sure…), ya'll are making my head hurt. And yes, I'm breaking out the southern accent I earned when I spent the summer in Atlanta five years ago. Can you at least call yourselves Anon 1, Anon 2, etc? Also, I'm curious, do I know you? Are you keeping anonymous so that you can speak more freely because you are afraid our friendship might be affected? Or are you a guest to my site from some other means. I would like to know how many of my readers only know me through my blog.

Third, I've been wondering the same thing as Anonymous as to how Noah's interpretation applies to me and how I should respond. How have I been sinned against? Is forcing me to take down my clothesline (of which my lease says nothing) a sin? It would make my life a lot more inconvenient. Is making my life more inconvenient so that others can have their overly anal preferences concerning apartment "sightliness" catered to?

One thing is for sure. I have not been approached by any neighbor concerning my clothesline. I have not been approached by any management concerning my clothesline. A letter was left on my doorstep - a letter that was addressed, "Dear All Residents." And that letter did not clearly state that anyone was offended. "It has been brought to our attention that you have been hanging inappropriate items such as laundry." And that line alone makes it more a matter of rule-breaking than neighborly complaining. My husband and I were discussing this last night and were wondering – how do we show the love of Christ by non-resistance when we have yet to be approached? No one would see His example through our surrendering of our rights. So far everyone involved in this discussion (save "Theological Crap Guy") has at least agreed that the Matthew 5 passage should have the end effect of us showing love to our enemies. My "enemy" won't see the love of Christ because there was never a confrontation between us. Should I go to the office and ask if anyone was offended and if so, could I have their name so we could discuss this further? Or, since the correspondence concerning laundry seems to have dropped after my last letter, should I not press the issue?

We (my husband and I) also want to know, how far do you take Matthew 5? If an enemy asks for your child, do you say, "Sure, and take the other one, too!" And while I have had days where I would be tempted, it would break me completely to do this! What if an enemy asks for your kidney? Do you say, "Absolutely; take both! And the liver!" How far are we supposed to go to live out those words? And I'd like to hear from you not only theologically, but personally. How far would you go to live out Matthew 5?

As for my opinion on Noah vs. Joanna/Jeremy/Anon1, I honestly think you all have your points. I do believe that Jesus' overall message was to show love. But what I think Noah is getting at is very similar to Romans 12:20 which says, "On the contrary: "If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head." And this verse comes after many others which urge us not take revenge. So what I think Noah might be saying is not to seek the end result of "heap[ing] burning coals" on anyone's head, but that in walking the extra mile and giving all the clothes on your back, you cannot avoid the guilt that your enemy will feel in knowing they have robbed you and treated you wrongly. And that uneasy, guilty feeling you have given your enemy will hopefully be enough for them to realize they are not living as they should be (thus Noah's point on giving them the chance to make a choice to live right).

But how does this apply to my clothesline? There never was and most likely never will be a face-to-face confrontation where I could use Jesus' strategy of showing love to an overly anal neighbor (if there even is one) which would lead to the guilt that is necessary for change.

Put yourself in my shoes. You have no money for a dryer. You have four people dirtying clothes, towels, diapers (yes, we use cloth diapers), and more each and every day. If you hang the laundry inside, it takes 24 or more hours to dry, which restricts you to a mere one load a day, leading to a serious back-up – especially if you are, for whatever reason, unable to do a load one day. Not to mention if anyone spits up or has a diaper leak during naptime and sheets have to be washed as well! Hanging laundry inside also leads to other inconveniences such as toddlers taking socks off the rack and hiding them various places, and the missing half of our living room the racks take up. Hanging laundry outside dries faster, takes stains out of diapers, and gives us back our living room.

What would you do?

(And if this sounds disjointed, blame the toddler who was climbing on my lap and keyboard during the writing of this post!)

Tuesday, May 22

Matthew 5 on Laundry

My brother-in-law, Noah, has a very interesting response to Joanna's comment on Dear Anonymous. In that comment Joanna suggested that as a follower of Jesus Christ, I should be willing to turn the other cheek, walk the extra mile, and take down my unsightly laundry from where I am storing it on my balcony. So enjoy this twist on an old classic and let me know what you think!

A little background on Noah: He is a youth pastor from Ohio, so I think he deserves a little credibility on scripture interpretation.


Perhaps a little better understanding of the Matthew 5 passage is in order. To really understand what Jesus is trying to tell us, we need to know a little cultural background. When this was written, a slap on the face was meant to be degrading. It was something that a master would do to his slave, not to hurt him, but rather to say "I'm better than you." Also, the "slap" is most likely referring to a back hand slap. So, if you can visualize it, if someone backhand slaps you with their right hand, on your right cheek, and you then turn your other cheek to them, it is no longer possible for them to slap you again Or at the very least it would have to be a very awkward slap if you think about it. So really, by turning your cheek you're not inviting them to slap you again.but you are forcing them to make a decision. They can either punch you, or just walk away.and again, if you remember what a slap back then meant, most likely they will walk away because the original intent wasn't to hurt you, but to humiliate you.

Also, during the time of Jesus, typical clothing included a tunic and a robe. Other than that they were pretty much naked. So if someone tries to take your tunic, and you give them your cloak as well, you will then be naked. In our society, if we are naked, we feel shame, but during the time of Jesus, the one who saw someone else naked felt the shame because they were seeing what they shouldn't see. So really, instead of just giving up your cloak, you are pointing out to them the shame they are bringing upon themselves by their actions, and most likely, their response will be to not take anything from you.

Finally, during this time a Roman soldier could force a Jewish citizen to walk and carry their belongings for 1 mile, but no more. If you decide to walk with them an extra mile, they are the ones who begin to feel uneasy because if their superior officer sees them having you walk more than one mile with them, they could be disciplined and the result will probably be that they won't ever ask you to carry their belongings again for fear that you'll try to walk that extra mile with them again.

So I believe, when we understand all of that, Jesus isn't telling us that we need to be push-over Christians. What He is doing is showing us ways in which we can creatively stand up for ourselves in the face of injustices, without turning to violence or sin.

Tuesday, May 15

Dear Anonymous

Since there is a bit of a pause between the correspondence of the apartment management and myself (it's been busy - I haven't given them my latest letter yet), I decided to post my reply to an anonymous commenter from the last post. In order to fully understand this reply, please see his/her comment here.

And, Anonymous, please know that I did enjoy your comment and coming up with this post. If we all agreed with each other, the concept of blogs would never have gotten off the ground. So with that in mind, please don't take offense to the following:

Anonymous –

Thank you for adding some dimension to this little discussion. You've made my day, or at least my children's naptime, at little more interesting.

Yes, someone must have a problem with my laundry, be it a neighbor or management themselves. And yes, that is the origin of this whole ordeal. And yes, I might have lost sight of that amidst the fun I have had with my letters.

However...

I would like to think I have more of a right as to how I do my laundry than a passerby with overly strong opinions. And if they cannot prove to me that I signed a lease restricting my laundry rights, then I see no reason to stop.

I agree whole-heartedly with Jes and would like to you take a deep breath and realize that you own your lawn and your house. Your neighbors own theirs. You are responsible for yours; and they for theirs. You cannot make the whole world align with your preferences, so rather than to keep trying and end up with an ulcer, I'd like you to just let go, relax, and understand that others have their own lives, their own reasons, and their own preferences. One neighbor parking a company truck in his own driveway and another using his ingenuity to fix his own car in his own yard is no reason to be irritated. Yards were not invented to merely look pretty. They serve whatever purpose the owner of the land chooses for them. And believe it or not, driveways were invented to park cars, vans, and even company trucks.

So please don't be disturbed by my "blatant disregard for the feelings of [my] neighbors". I care for my neighbors and I respect their opinions. But I will not bend over backwards to satisfy them. I have my own preferences, too, you know. I would rather they not store propane tanks so close to me and my family. And I would prefer they not smoke so close to said propane tanks. Especially on windy days when their secondhand smoke flows downwind onto my balcony, into my apartment, and yes, even onto my freshly laundered clothes on the line.

Friday, May 11

Nuh Uh (In the Mature Voice of a 7th Grader)

May 11, 2007

Dear [Community Manager],

I appreciate the time you took to research those quotes from my lease. However, I must say that though I honestly do not want to be seen as difficult, I do not see how the points you laid out in your last letter apply to me.

Your first point, from The Good Neighbor Commitment, stated that I am not allowed to use my balcony for storage. Hanging laundry out to dry for a few hours hardly constitutes storage. I hope that if this truly is your concern, you have also addressed fellow residents that are keeping bikes and grills on their balcony. [Surely propane tanks are more hazardous than laundry.]*

Your second point, from my lease, informed me that I am to keep my balcony in a "clean and sanitary condition." I assure you; I am. I sweep the floorboards when bird seed accumulates from the birdfeeder on the balcony above mine. I do not let unused items sit on my balcony for long periods of time. I have even been known to Windex the sliding glass door from time to time. If you are concerned that the laundry I hang out to dry is not clean or sanitary, allow me to put your mind at ease – it is.

As for the laundry room in my apartment building, I did not mean to suggest I was unhappy with its location. It is conveniently close and I am grateful that you provide it. I thank you for addressing the unsatisfactory nature of the dryer and the cleanliness of the room so quickly and, in the future, I will notify you of such requests more promptly. Your swift attention to my needs is what makes this apartment so enjoyable for my family.

Thank you for your reconsideration.

Sincerely,

Elizabeth Zapf

* I so badly wanted to replace that sentence with this:

[On the matter of grills, I am sure you are familiar with the Indiana law that protects apartment residents from the dangers of propane tanks. It states that all propane tanks must be stored ten feet from the apartment complex. Surely you are addressing that matter separately, so I will get back to the topic at hand.]

But I was strong and I resisted. I need to withhold something for a Plan C, after all.

Thursday, May 10

"Storing" My Dirty, Unsanitary Laundry on the Balcony

May 10, 2007

Dear Elizabeth Zapf,

Thank you for your letter regarding hanging laundry on your balcony. I appreciate that you took the time to respond.

Attached, please find copies of all applicable pages in your lease and addenda where it mentions balcony decor. On The Good Neighbor Commitment: "I will not use common areas or patios/balconies for storage." On your lease: pg 2, number 6, letter B: "Resident shall keep the Apartment Home, including all balconies, patios, and other areas reserved for Resident's private use, in a clean and sanitary condition."

In regards to your building's dryer not working, we have called for service on the dryer and Jetz laundry will be up to fix it within the next few days. As far as the placement of the washer/dryer provided, there is not another significant space in any building throughout the community where these can be located. Please feel free to use our community laundry facility located by the pool as it does have more light. I apologize that the light has been out and the floor has been dirty. Our maintenance team does the best they can for such a large community - so we appreciate it when residents let us know if they have a service request. We also have a cleaning team that comes through once a week to clean our community. We called them today and informed them that we have a resident complaints about the cleanliness of the laundry rooms. In the future, please call us if there is a service request or complaint.

Again, thank you for taking the time to respond to my notice. If you should have any other questions or concerns or would like to speak with me further, please call the office. Thanks!

Thank you for your continued residency!

[Community Manager]

Tuesday, May 8

Our "Unsightly" Attempts to Save Money

May 8, 2007

Dear [Community Manager],

I received your note concerning the "unsightly" appearance of my clothesline and I have a few questions, comments, and suggestions. Thank you for your time in considering the following.

First of all, while I appreciate and respect your aesthetic opinion of my balcony, I cannot find in my lease where my balcony décor is restricted. If you could show me where that is located I would gladly have a more in-depth conversation with you about what is and is not considered "unsightly". I do understand that nobody wants to see our socks. I have always taken pains to make sure larger objects such as towels or sheets are on the line closest to the courtyard so as to block the view of smaller more personal items.

Second, in response to the washer and dryer you have provided for my use, I have several comments and even some complaints. We live on a very tight budget where every penny counts. Spending $1.25 to dry a load of laundry would cost us over $60 every month. That is 6,000 more pennies that we can afford on a dryer. The ironic part is that even if we did spend the money on the provided dryer, the clothes would not be dry. Even after 60 minutes on the hottest cycle, they would still need to be hung out to finish drying. My biggest complaint about the provided washer and dryer, though, is actually the room in which they are kept. In my ten months of enjoying this apartment, I have never once seen that floor swept. It is the equivalent to an unkempt basement. In fact, the last time I went down there, the light bulb had burnt out and I had to operate in the dark. Most times when I visit the laundry room I have to take my toddler with me as she can not be left unattended. I have to make her either stand outside the laundry room or sit on top of the dryer to avoid her picking up something unsafe or simply becoming dirty from being in that room.

I recognize that there is an in-between option of hanging my clothes on drying racks inside my apartment. I have been doing this all winter, while eagerly anticipating the arrival of the spring sun for many reasons. Drying laundry outside decreases a drying time of over 24 hours down to 3 hours. The wind and sun soften the laundry. The sun bleaches out stains (and I have a toddler; I have stains!). But also, the drying racks take up a good portion of our living room. Hanging the laundry outside helps us appreciate our spacious floorplan.

Lastly, I have a question about the "hazard" you mentioned a clothesline could be in your note. My husband and I have tried and we cannot come up with an example to prove your point. If my clothesline is, indeed, a hazard, then we would like to work with you to come up with a solution that would allow us to safely continue to dry our clothes. I do not wish to put others or ourselves at risk – not even for softer, drier, cleaner laundry.

Thank you again for considering the above. I look forward to hearing a response from you.

Sincerely,

Elizabeth Zapf

Thursday, May 3

Can Forwards Really Bring Down Gas Prices?

If you've gotten the forward that states boycotting all gas stations on May 15th will cost the oil companies $3 billion, then hopefully you scratched your head like I did and went, "Wait, no?".

This blog sums up my reaction perfectly. I don't know the author. I just googled "No gas on May 15th" and it was the first to come up. I especially liked the response of the 6th commentor. Let's all boycott Shell. They seem to be the most expensive around here, anyway.

What are your reactions to this forward? Do you plan on boycotting all gas stations on the 15th of May? Or do you plan on not driving at all on the 15th of May? What can we, the pitiful blue-collar working people of this country do to prevent gas prices from reaching $4/gallon (which I heard is in our near future)?

Tuesday, May 1

Again With the Downy Ball...

Yep. That's chex. Not any easier than popcorn to remove, either.

Thursday, April 26

Quick Pics

Must... post... pictures... before children wake up and I slump over in an exhausted, unconscious heap of ponytailed hair and unbrushed teeth...

This was Olivia after waking up from her nap and while watching Veggie Tales.
I have no clue why she preferred to watch Veggies like this.


Benjamin will sleep anywhere. Actually, he's a lot more alert now and doesn't sleep as much. He's learned to prefer human contact to his bouncy seat. Part of me is sad because this means much less productivity. Part of me is glad because this means I'm forced to hold my baby boy more.


I walked into our bedroom one day and found Olivia like this. She had used her step stool to climb up on the changing table, get a diaper, and then change her baby doll.


Benjamin has a belly button! And it's an innie. We've got one of each now.
And that's Olivia's foot.


I didn't do it. Olivia has a slight obsession with socks. I'm just impressed that they match.


Just a cute Benjamin picture.
And that's Olivia's foot.


Cuteness in a diaper.


Cuteness in a bouncer.
I apologize for the crick in your neck.
I must have missed this one when I was rotating the original batch and I don't have the time to go back, rotate, re-upload, then re-post.

Maybe you could turn your monitor?


And why don't I have time? Because of messes like this.
All around the apartment.

Well, at least she's well-read.

But, then, how do you explain the coasters she likes to throw around the living room like Frisbees?

I can explain it alright...

Josh taught her that.


Awww... I wonder what he's thinking about?


"Mommy, wow! I'm a big girl now!"

Yes... that's great, dear... now potty train already.


Because seriously... this is the reason for the ponytailed hair and unbrushed teeth.