Ages. It has been eons.

I know it and have written about 20 posts and hit publish onthem all – sadly just in my head. Nary-a-one has made that magical transitionfrom brain waves to characters on a word doc to blog.

So…a la tv drama style…previously (not) seen on Actual Mom….

Several holidays and birthdays (mine, Gwen’s & Ben’s)have flown by. Drama from finding myself laid off a few weeks before endingmaternity leave has died down. Lives reshuffled. Harry is now beinghomeschooled – no lie. Love it. LOVE IT. Christmas was lovely; so low key andsweet and a wonderful way to celebrate the birth of our Lord. 2012 has beenflying by. I can’t believe tomorrow is the last day of March. Not to mention Easter is less than a week away. I have more grays. Someone asked if I’d be covering them.Nope. Too much work, I’m ok with my age and I’m kind of digging the streak they are concentrating in. My kids are shedding teeth. Its freaky. If I didn’t knowbetter, I might think they were knocking them lose. Thankfully our tooth fairy is cheap, so they are not bankrupting us. Jane talks. All the time. And sings. And wants to be “like a pwin-cess.” She is the bestower of kisses and smiles. We’ve transitioned her to a toddler bed, which she adores and will not get out of – thank goodness – and is eager to get into every night. Can I get a “woot?” Maisie, our little mouse, is crawling like crazy. She’ll sing with you. Hand clapping is a favorite and she loves pretty much everyone and adores all foods. Seriously. I think she is part hobbit. Gwen and Ben have been given scholarships to one of the best music schools in our area. I’m a little in shock. All three bigs are in Irish dance lessons and get a real kick out of it. Harry fights going and then has a blast. My brother is looking at residence programs. He’s really going to be a doctor one day. Something I find hilarious considering the amountof panic he displayed when Maisie recently spit up on him. So funny.

Ed is an awesome husband. I am the luckiest of women in the husband department.

Much like I’ve “written” blog posts the last few months, I’ve gone to the gym. Which is to say, not at all. Which is to say, I’m seriously considering going. Eventually. Really. Um….Spring came early. So the dog and boys have been buzzed. Life has been absorbing, but I aim to be back a bit more often.

Thanks for your patience and, if you could, leave a comment saying hi –its nice to know someone is out there.

Yours,

S

Absent from cyber space because, I’ve been

Busy with kids, interviewing, decision making and

Clarifying what we need as a family to function, what I need as me (Christian, wife, mother) to thrive.

Happily, shockingly, those two needs are not as dissimilar as I have often suspected.

I’m happy folks. Happiness is good.

I’m blessed. That’s a more permanent state and even better.

I’ll be back soon. For reals. I have photos and stories  - and funny stuff to share.

Hugs to you all!

S

In case you were wondering (I know I was) Harry got through the rest of the week without a Red Card, so there will be birthday party madness tomorrow.
Thank goodness.

Peace, peeps.

Have a great weekend I’ll try to pull my act together and upload some party pics on Monday.

S.

Photo cred: Narcie Jeter

I’m not sure where to start this post. So I’m going to dive in and ask that you excuse any randomness.

Recently Harry has taken the Lord’s name in vain. As in the big “JC.” As in yelling it when he was upset. Once at home and once at school. My kids attend a parochial school and that really didn’t go over well at school or, for that matter, at home.

The weird part is, I was surprised how incredibly upset this made me feel. I love Jesus. I do. I came to Him and was baptized at 21. But I didn’t I realized how hearing His name spoken in anger by an almost 7 year old would feel like a sucker punch.

I’ve heard Anglicans referred to as the “frozen chosen” and I can see why. And before I go and speak for every other Anglican in the world, in my parish or in my house, I’m going to own the following as how I behave, speak and feel. M’kay?

So I love God, I worship, but I don’t talk God talk all the time.

Things I don’t often say:

“I feel so Blessed…”

“The Lord put it in my heart…”

“I felt moved…”

“Let’s pray about …”

“What would Jesus do…” I may have laughed a little as I typed this and envisioned the WWJD branded bracelets/t-shirts. Just being honest, and rather irreverent. Bad, Sierra, bad.

I am absolutely not saying that these phrases aren’t part of my (non-stop) inner monologue, but they sure don’t come out of my mouth often.

Socially, it is more acceptable to curse using the Lord’s name, than to praise him. Maybe I’m hanging out with the wrong crowd? Maybe (most probably) I am not doing my work as an evangelist in my community, let alone my home.

I’ve been thinking and I’ve been praying about Harry, about my own Christian example. I never thought I was ashamed of my faith, but if I truly believe that Jesus is my Lord, that I was saved from eternal death by his sacrifice why is it so hard to live and speak that truth, the same way I live and speak being a mom, a wife, a woman. It is part of who I am; its the best part of who I am.

Three things came to mind:

1. I don’t want to be one of those annoying Christians who turn people away from God because they are too busy preaching to be a good and true friend.
2. I didn’t grow up Christian and don’t want to be an annoying happy clappy convert and for my old friends to think I’m nuts
3. I’m embarrassed by how colleagues and non-Christian friends will react if I talk about or refer to my faith.

So it comes down to pride and shame. Gee, too bad neither is addressed anywhere in the Bible, right?

Um, yeah. Moving forward there will be more “Jesus talk” in our home. Look out, peeps. Because I am not ashamed of my faith and I will live joyously and fully within it.

As a mother, my kids should be my primary focus to share the gift of God, his Son and the great love that He has for us. My children should be learning about the great responsibility we have in this world to be living examples of His love. Not cursing. Not trying to take our Lord’s name and akin to profanities so common and accepted within our society.

So I’m going to make an effort to re-populate my own vocabulary with the love, hope and example God sets for us, in the hope that my son will transform how he uses his own.

I hope my loving Jesus won’t create a division between us. I hope we can still be friends.

Being a statistic is not a joke.

I am a statistic, people!

I’m part of that something point something of  unemployed and underemployed the news parrots keep squawking about.

Regarding jobs and being gainfully employed.

I’m interviewing around and have some great possibilities on the fire for freelance work and more trad jobby type work. Interviewing is fun. Especially when I really click with the other person.

I had a second interview with a company and did not click with interviewer number two, after hitting it off with #1. That was not a fun 45 minutes. Interviewer #1 then called back two days later. Interviewer #1 is the big boss. #2 is a cog. I’m feeling good about this one.

In other related news, I’m excited. I’m excited about the options that are out there. There are jobs to be had and I seem to have a hybrid skill set that is in demand. Its a good feeling.

Randomness: When I went online to file for UC, my knee jerk response was to try and find a real human I could email and offer to connect them with a good web designer. But considering the record traffic they are experiencing, I guess they have it all figured out. Joke. Get it? No? You must be one of those employed people.

Tune in tomorrow to hear how our heroine, again, that’s me, is keeping busy and changing the world. One shoe box at a time.

Frequent Doctor Miles

Jane practicing her flu mist sniff.

I will have visited the pediatrician’s office 3x this week as of Thursday.
-Gwen and Jane got flu mist on Monday
- Maisie had her four (how’d that go by so fast?) month old visit Tuesday.
- Harry and Jane have their 7 year old and two year old visits on Thursday.
I asked the nurse if I get a prize for 10 visits in one month. She pointed at the lollipop basket.

I chose lime.

Cancer is contagious

Gwen & I (and Maisie) ran a stand for Alex’s Lemonade this past Saturday. It was at Philly Parent Circle’s Celebration of Play event held at Smith Memorial Playground in Philly. If you’ve never been to Smith, um, go. It is a kid’s wonderland of fun-ness. We raised a not embarrassing amount of money for pediatric cancer research and I learned that Gwen thinks cancer is contagious. I have video proof and will post it.

I may be forced to replay it at her med school graduation.

If she goes to med school.

Which is looking doubtful.

Carded in 1st Grade

At home he is so sweet...

Harry came home with a red card. Which is not too different from a red card in soccer; if they gave red cards for HITTING other kids? Three times. In one day. He’s been really bad in school this year. Let me save time and make a list- called his teacher a liar
- taken the Lord’s name in vain
-hidden from the gym teacher
-thrown a ball at and hurt another kid in music class
-hit other kids

RE: the red card. If Harry gets another red card this week we are cancelling his birthday party this weekend and putting a moratorium on gifts.

If he gets one between now and Halloween, no trick or treating. Harsh, but I am am looking to nip this in the bud.

When asked why he’s doing these things, Harry says he doesn’t like doing school work or homework and wants to play more in school.

He’s in first grade.

I may not make it through the next 11 years.

Denying the Check-Mate

Ben, dressed "fancy"

Ben is in Chess Club. The coach happens to be the Sexton at our church, Mr. AJ. Ben is excited to be in Mr. AJ’s Chess Club. He is not excited to be “bossed around” by his chess partner, a boy in 1st grade.

Ben complained the other boy kept telling him how to move his men.

Ben does not know how to play chess.

He thinks that is beside the point.

Tune in tomorrow to hear how our heroine, that would be me, handles unemployment and the great job search…..

Photo cred: Tandoori Store

Daal is my latest indian obsession. Not really my latest, it was one of my favorites when I was little. BUT I’ve rediscovered it. Its buttery, flavorful, lentily goodness that is cooked slow and fills the house with an aroma that wraps around you the moment you walk in the door. Steam some rice and warm up some (Trader Joe’s) naan and you have a meal. A real rib-sticking, delicious meal.

Here is my Daal recipe.

Use freely, share frequently and enjoy – oh – and this doubles and freezes really well.

Indian Daal

3 cups of yellow daal lentils (I use red lentils when I can’t find the yellow ones)
2 onions – finely chopped
4 tsp salt.
3 tsp turmeric
4 tsp garam masala
4 tsp ground coriander
3 tsp ground cumin
1” of fresh ginger peeled and sliced into strips
3 cloves of garlic quarterd
1 jalapeño pepper seeded and chopped
1 can of crushed tomatoes (14.5 oz)
4 TBS butter!
2 TBS freshly chopped (or frozen chopped) cilantro

Pour the lentils in a thick bottomed pot. I love my dutch oven for soups like this.
Now, cover the lentils with water. You want a good 2” of water over the lentils.
Next?
Dump in all the ingredients except the butter.
Bring to a boil, turn down the heat and let it simmer for 1.5 to 2 hours.
When your house smells like a spice shop and the lentils are fork tender, turn of the heat, stir in the butter and enjoy over some steamed rice and hot naan.
Nom nom nom.

Two years ago today, it was my due date. I was incredibly annoyed to still be pregnant. I mentioned here how the drs said they would induce me a week early.

All my babies have been induced for one reason or another, so feel free not to tell me how terrible it is. What I hadn’t considered was how many New Years/Post holiday babies are born in September. Count on your fingers, peeps. There are a looooot of babies. And the maternity ward was full. Day. After day. After day.

Jane was born on her due date. Induced (because of low fluid). She was my tiniest baby – just 6.4 pounds. A peanut.

Today Jane is two! I really can’t believe its been two years. She is a joy and a delight and I’m so grateful we have Jane in our lives.

Happy Birthday, Janie-bird!

I’m feeling Fall-ish. That means flavor – full dishes, soups, roasted veggies. Nom nom nom.

It also mean kids who wine, I mean whiiiiiiine about dinner. Thus the wine. Hearty reds. In our house (in my mind, anyway) red wine goes with everything.

The. End.

Monday: Spinach chickpea curry with saffron rice
Tuesday: Sausage & Peppers
Wednesday: Baked Ziti
Thursday: Roasted Chicken and Veggies
Friday: Tilapia and roasted veggies
Saturday: Dinner at Moms
Sunday: Dinner at friends for Ed’s 41^st Birthday!

I excel at sentence fragments.

One of my many super powers.

See?

1. I have been laid off. Yup. Found out just a few weeks before my maternity leave ends. I’m bummed. Love my (old) company. I will miss my job like I miss brownies after unknowingly eating the last one. That much. Que sera. Just pray for us, m’kay?

2. I have a new au pair. She rocks.From the aforementioned company. They have the best au pairs, people. The. Best.

3. Kids are back in school – Gwen, Harry and Ben are doing some learnin’ from 8 am till 3 pm. My house is much quieter. Very very strange.

4. My resume. My, but its challenging to write about ones self when one is not doing it on a blog. Here? I can go on and on about me, me, me without any trouble ;0) Any resume geniuses out there? Want a new BFF?

5. Job hunting. Fortunately I lurve talking to people and brain storming and problem solving and getting them excited about what I can do to drive business. Aaaand, apparently I’m fairly marketable. Who knew?

6. So unemployment is good for the waist line. I dropped a few more “el bees.” That’s LBS, if you were wondering.

7. Back to school night...Ben’s teacher and I may or may not have had an entire conversation imitating his lack of “r”s. My boy talks like a Bostonian from Southie. Do I need to say I love his teacher?

8. Back to school night.…Harry has NOT yet hid from his teacher to avoid doing classwork. He has, however, smuggled his pillow pet to school for moral support (to support him on his journaling strike). Said pillow pet is no longer (nor was ever) welcome to attend first grade.

9. Back to school night….Gwen has geography this year. We’ve officially crossed the point where I can help her with homework. Calculus yes, geography…no.

10. I love my husband.  Well, that’s not new. But I especially extra love him for how he’s handled the whole job thing. As in he’s oohed and aaaahed and sighed and shook his head at all the right times.  And called to see how I was feeling. And told me I rock. Well, those are my words, but that is what he meant. Love. That. Man.

11. Maisie has teeth. TEETH. Two of them.They are sharp. I am still nursing. One more bit of evidence for reasons why “God makes babies so cute.”

Aaaaand, that’s all I’ve got for now!