All posts by Only Hsuman

I'm wife to a fabulous husband Ryan, mom of three sweeties, Ella Kate, Joseph and Davis, worship leader at Reynolda Church, and follower of Jesus. Shine on.
food, holidays, home, NaBloPoMo, random thoughts

‘Tis the Season – of Indulging Your Taste Buds!

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During the month of November, I’m participating in NaBloPoMo, where I try to write and publish each day.

I don’t know what it is about this time of year that makes me abandon any sort of diet or food regulations I might normally have going for me. Perhaps it begins with Halloween and the amount of candy that enters the house. Or it might have to do with being inside more often… which typically leads me to baking a lot. Or maybe it’s just that the holidays are full of sugary treats and fatty, sharable sides. Who knows. But what I DO know is that I LOVE food that tastes good.

Now, for me, saying “food that tastes good” covers a multitude of sins. I love fancy meals. I love farm-fresh eggs and meats. I love organic fruits and veggies. I love cuisine from all over the world (here’s looking specifically at you, Italy and Thailand). BUT! I also love a good slamburger (the term coined by my husband for a greasy burger from a no-name burger joint). I love a late-night hotdog from a street cart. Coldstone ice cream creations can cheer me up any day. My kids don’t have to beg to get me to eat at Chick-fil-A. To me, they taste good. And that’s what matters.

But this time of year, I lean in to those home-baked cookies, the cinnamon-sprinkled drinks, and the heavily-buttered breads or potatoes. I want large cuts of fatty meats (hey there, prime rib!) and richly-flavored, creamy soups (butternut squash soup, anyone?). And who can blame me?! It’s getting dark at 5:00pm and I’d like to have some compensation for the stealing of my daylight.

So today, I celebrate the pumpkin muffins with maple-pecan drizzle, the eggnog spiked with bourbon, and ramen from the Bahtmobile (our local Asian food truck). I celebrate shortbread cookies, King’s Hawaiian rolls (why are they so good?!) and 18-pound hunks of prime rib – if you’re having Thanksgiving lunch at our house, anyway. I celebrate good ol’ GBC (if you’re from around here, you should know that’s green bean casserole) and mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce and Honeybaked Ham. It’s going to be a good couple of months, y’all, in the world of flavors. Indulge. ‘Tis the season!

food, food, home, mommyhood

8 Ways to Survive Cooking with Kids

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This article originally appeared on Perfection Pending.

In my experience, kids love to help cook. They love to help measure, they like to stir, and they can’t wait to see the finished product that they can claim as their own. But also based on my own experience, cooking with kids might need a little preparation. Here’s what I have to do before I get started cooking with my kiddos:

Lower the bar. I mean this in a nice way, but I’m serious. Whatever beautiful product you have in mind, you might want to, uh, let go of that image. However quick and painless you think that recipe might be, just let that go, too. Whatever you do with your kids will take longer, be more messy, and likely less attractive than you thought. That doesn’t mean it won’t taste delicious, though!

Tell them the plan. Kids always do better when they know what’s coming. They can stay on task better when they have an idea of what the task is. They need to know the first part is the fun part where they do all the helping, and the second part you might need to do on your own. Or that those muffins have to bake for ONE ENTIRE EPISODE of Octonauts, then cool for several MORE minutes before they can eat them.

Be flexible. Got a cloud of flour all over yourself? It’ll wash out! Did you lose half the bag of chocolate chips to the floor? Worse spills have happened! I try to take off my “in charge” hat before I get started. I’m often getting frustrated with whoever is “helping” if I don’t already have it in my head that all bets are off. If I’ve committed to making a mess and having fun, then it goes MUCH better!

Choose a simple recipe. Even if you think you’ll be able to control the proportions of the ingredients going into the dish, you may be surprised how sneaky the kids are at adding extra things in. If the recipe is something you know needs to be exact, then it might not be a good one to use.

Be careful. If your kids are still short, they’ll either be standing on a chair or stool, or sitting on the counter with you. Make sure they’re being safe – or else they can’t be good helpers!

Get everything out and close by before you start. This one goes with “be careful” because the more you have at an arm’s reach, the less likely you are to have a kid get loose, or dump something extra into the mix! Whatever your ingredients, tools, etc. are, have them close by before you are running around the kitchen while your kid is dumping the olive oil on the counter.

Divide the labor. If you’ve got more than one helper, make sure they know they’ve got to take turns. There are only so many steps to the recipe – either half it, and switch the helpers out, or go back and forth with pouring, measuring, and stirring. My kiddos can get frustrated when they’re standing around for too long, watching their sibling have all the fun.

Let your inner germaphobe take a back seat. Of course you had the kids wash their hands before you got started… but that doesn’t mean someone won’t sneeze a little too close to the bowl, lick the spoon, or reach in there with their sticky, contaminated fingers to be a taste-tester. You’ve just gotta let that one go.

Cooking is definitely something you want your kids to learn, and learn to enjoy. A bit of preparation can make the process of cooking alongside your littles less stressful and more successful. Relax, don’t worry about the mess, and have fun!

books, mommyhood, random thoughts, teaching

20 Reasons to Read to Your Kids Every Single Day

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This post originally appeared on Perfection Pending.

Sometimes, I’m trying to do 100 things at once. I’m cleaning, cooking, reading, giving advice, trying to keep myself healthy, saving my children from disaster… you know, just the regular stuff. But every once in a while, one of my kids wanders up to me with a book in his hand, or interrupts me while I’m getting some work done to ask if I’ll read to her. If I possibly can, I say yes. I drop almost anything to read to my kids. Why? Why is it so important to me that I would read to my kids any time they ask?

Because I love reading.

Because they love reading.

Because reading is for every age.

Because reading makes them smarter.

Because reading means you have to slow down.

Because reading to them won’t last forever.

Because reading is a pleasure that can transport them to another world.

Because reading is a way to connect with them.

Because reading opens their eyes to new experiences, ideas, and points of view.

Because reading is a joy that begins early.

Because reading is fun.

Because reading to them means getting a snuggle, too.

Because reading is something I can do with all of my kids at the same time.

Because reading creates time together.

Because reading makes them laugh.

Because reading makes me laugh.

Because reading makes me cry.

Because reading helps them learn about emotions.

Because reading to them turns into reading with them.

Because reading with them turns into them reading to me.

I’ll drop anything to pick up a book and read with my children. That time with them is special, and fleeting. I know from my years of teaching that almost any age of children love to be read to, but I also know that when they get older and busier, that time becomes harder to carve out. So right now, while they’re little, while they bring me books while I’m folding laundry, I’ll read to them. I’ll gladly let the laundry wait to have a snuggle and a book with my kids.

Research has shown that reading to children for at least 20 minutes every day can increase their reading abilities early on, increase their exposure to language and larger vocabularies, improve their attitudes towards reading for school, and increase their likelihood to graduate from high school on time, and go on to receive a higher education degree. Those reasons should be enough for parents to spend the time with their kids reading each day, but when you couple that with extra snuggles, quality time, and getting to hear their cute (or let’s be honest: hilarious!) thoughts on the stories and characters? I’m sold. My kids have the best questions and silliest ideas after we read books together. I would never want to miss out on that. I get to peek inside their minds for a minute when we discuss what the books are about. I get such good opportunities to talk with them about things we would never think of to say. Reading with your kids is a great way to get to know them a little bit better. Don’t miss out on it. It makes a difference for all of you.

Everyday Exiles, faith, mommyhood

My little people aren’t to blame. 

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This post originally appeared on Everyday Exiles.

I’ve written again and again about losing my patience. Again and again, people comment… “Me too,” they say. “I know what you mean.” and “It gets easier.” are other common responses. I get texts, private messages, and comments right on my blog or my Facebook page telling me what I already know is true: “Every parent loses their patience sometimes. Kids can be totally frustrating. You aren’t to blame.”

Well, my little people aren’t to blame, either.

What is our culture’s obsession with blame? We need someone to be in the wrong in every unfavorable situation. Our president or the government is to blame. My boss is to blame. Our spouses, our parents, our kids. Well, what about the recent hurricanes? Who is to blame for that? No one. We’d love to pin down who caused all the destruction, who could be held responsible for the damage done, the property lost, or the money that will be spent on rebuilding instead of vacations and Christmas presents.

So when I get upset, annoyed, frustrated, or just plain angry, my little people aren’t to blame. I might need reminding of this fact, but they simply aren’t to blame for their tendencies toward mess-making, misunderstandings, or sleep-deprived moodiness. My little ones aren’t to blame for the fact that scrambled eggs aren’t their favorite breakfast, or that they have to wear pants today, or even the fact that they can’t survive off of fruit snacks.

But you know what, I do agree that I’m not to blame either.

You see, the kids and I, we are human. We are broken. We are prone to mistakes and sins. The only thing that can redeem us of those things is the grace of God. It’s by the grace of God we love each other through and in spite of messes (literal and figurative) and it is by His grace we can sometimes rise above the little things that often get under our skin. It’s by the grace of God that I even have these perfect little people in my life, and I wouldn’t dare say that my frustration outweighs the daily joy they bring to my life.

home, NaBloPoMo, random thoughts, travel

I finally know my way around.

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During the month of November, I’m participating in NaBloPoMo, where I try to write and publish each day. Often, I’ll be writing to a prompt – like today. 

My husband is great at finding his way around. We can be in a neighborhood he’s never been in, winding through stop signs, turns, and houses that all look the same, and he can find his way out without any problem. He’s got a great sense of direction, and often looks at the car’s compass (in his car, it’s just a lit-up letter on the rearview mirror) to decide whether to go left or right. Me? Not so much.

It took me several years of living in my town to start knowing my way around. When I moved here, for college, there weren’t phones with GPS, and so I had to rely on friends’ directions just to get to the nearest grocery store, the movie theatre, or a restaurant. I was using the highway to get around town almost exclusively for years, not knowing other ways, whether they were shorter or easier, or not.

But somewhere amid moving into the house we live in now, and attending work trainings at different schools in the area (back in my teaching days) I finally got to know some new neighborhoods, lots of good shortcuts, and the best way to use our main thoroughfares. I can cut through my neighborhood on any single street and get to where I’m going – and that is quite an accomplishment for me!

You see, this city felt like home even before I knew how to navigate it. I loved my college campus. I had, and still have, great friends, including many who grew up here, and some who, like me, came here for school and decided to stay. It’s a warm and welcoming town, lots of opportunities to meet new people, join local organizations, or find cool events that are happening all the time. It’s not too big, in case you get overwhelmed in huge cities full of skyscrapers. But it’s not too small, either, for those of us that think that tiny towns have a little too much familiarity. It’s a good size, particularly when you need to run an errand on one side of town, and one on the other… you can do it within a reasonable amount of time.

Finally learning my way around – well – seemed like the final piece of the puzzle toward becoming a “local”. Now that I’ve been here for 13 years, I definitely consider myself an expert navigator, directions-giver, or even shortcut creator. And when I go back to the town I grew up in, a smaller town with less big highways, I feel like the newcomer. I’ve forgotten the shortest distance between two points, or I can’t remember street names that I have aways known. It seems I’ve only got memory space enough for one town’s road map.

mommyhood

Here’s why I love having a girly girl.

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This post first appeared on Perfection Pending.

My firstborn is a girly girl. These days, some people think that’s a bad thing. But my girly girl isn’t a damsel in distress, or kept in an ivory tower. She’s the reigning princess over her two little brothers, and she knows it. She’s large, in charge, independent, brave, and does what she has to to get what she wants. In addition to those things, she is also known for her twirly skirts and the bows in her hair. My girly girl brings me endless joy… and entertainment. Here’s why:

1. We can get pampered together. We love going to get our nails done, or just doing them together at home. It’s wonderful to be able to share a girly, unnecessary but fun activity with my daughter. She loves going on “special dates” with me to the nail salon… even more so because there’s an ice cream shop next door. It’s not the only way I bond with her, of course, but it’s one of our favorites.

2. She shares my love of bright colors. The girl could be a Lilly Pulitzer model. Pinks, purples, orange, turquoise… she has bright colors in her wardrobe, and her decor.

3. She is well-groomed. She’s only five, but my girly girl knows that part of looking nice is brushing her teeth and her hair, put on clothes that match (at least in her mind) and have shoes to complete the outfit.

4. She is great at imaginative play. She is often nurturing babies, having tea with fellow princesses, and occasionally saving the world – because she also loves Wonder Woman. Who says just because Wonder Woman is tough and strong, that she isn’t a girly girl, too? Her eyeliner is pretty perfect.

5. She has an eye for beautiful things. Flowers in a lovely vase, picturesque sunsets, bridal photos, and beautiful dresses are some of her favorite things to see. She can find beauty in almost anything.

6. Girls’ clothes are just so darn cute! I could spend way more money on cute dresses and multicolored sandals for my daughter than I could ever spend on myself. It’s definitely a blessing and a curse that she outgrows things so quickly right now – more cute stuff to shop for! And more money I’ve accidentally dropped on dresses that are too fancy to wear, well, anywhere. Speaking of dresses…

7. She loves dressing up. She’s not always pretending to be a princess, but she sure does love all those dresses with glitter and tulle. She also loves it when she walks  into a room full of people in a fancy princess dress, tiara, necklaces, and gloves, awaiting their “Ooh!” and “Ahh!” over her attire.

Some might say we shouldn’t encourage our girls to be princesses in the world we live in these days. But as long as the princesses are kind and brave, compassionate and courageous, they’re okay in my book. My princess loves to wear her dresses and jewelry while she plays outside, digs in the dirt, and roughhouses with her brothers. If she wanted to wear overalls or camouflage pants and boots while she painted those lovely pictures of flowers, I’d encourage it just as much. I’m encouraging things she already likes, and allowing her to be true to herself, and that’s the most important.

faith, NaBloPoMo, random thoughts, women

Worthwhile Relationships

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During the month of November, I’ll be participating in National Blog Post Month, where I’ll publish a post every single day. Sometimes, like today, I’ll use prompts. This one I wrote in about five minutes.

Today’s prompt: What are the most meaningful relationships in your life?

As a woman, I’m very relational. I have a LOT of relationships that I’m in, weaving in and out of closeness, but always talking, calling, texting, getting together with someone. I love feeling close to people, laughing, crying, sharing stories or hard things, just loving on and being with people. (Can you say extrovert?)

If you truly ask me to choose a most meaningful relationship, or the top 5, perhaps… I don’t think I could honestly do it. My no-brainer answer seems to be my husband. He’s the one that I know I’m stuck with (HAPPILY!) for the rest of my life, and come what may, he’ll be my person until we cross over into heaven – for which I am so grateful. He is amazing; he’s good to me, knows me well and loves me anyway. What more can I ask for?

But when thinking of other relationships that I’d put up there with my marriage, it starts to blur. I have three kids. I can’t very well prioritize one of those relationships with my other kids, right? I also have a Savior, who, admittedly, should’ve been the first relationship I mentioned, since that’s what He calls us to: relationship with Him. Reliance on Him. Love for Him. That should be my most meaningful… and it is, truly. It’s through my relationship with Him that I am given the ability to love, and the very love that I freely give to everyone else with whom I’m in relationship.

But after my familial unit relationships, I put great importance on my relationship with my original family unit: my parents and my brother. And grandparents, aunts and uncles with whom I grew up being close with my entire life, until I did “leave and cleave” to another family unit – whose relationships I also greatly value! And don’t even get me started on our close friends, their kids, our pastors, community group, co-workers at church, co-heirs and co-laborers in Christ’s Church! They are all of great importance to me. There are things to share with each other (not least of which is just sharing life together!) that I could just miss out on if I wasn’t willing and able to put myself in relationship with so many wonderful people.

So I suppose my real answer for the prompt is, well, all of them. All of my relationships are meaningful. Even if they don’t seem overly meaningful to me at this exact moment, they could be to the other person. And just that fact makes me value them a little more. Those people close to me, whom I see and talk to and do life with, those are my most meaningful relationships. Those are the relationships, all 30 or 40 of them, that I value the most, that I make the effort to develop, and that I would be horribly sad to see ended.

mommyhood

13 Things My Kids Do When They Should Be Sleeping

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This article originally appeared on Perfection Pending.

My kids love their sleep – usually. Sometimes, they come up with a myriad of excuses why they aren’t tired, they don’t need to go to bed, and they can just hang out with me instead. When I ask them to please rest anyway, they find a wealth of other activities that are more fun. Or at least less sleep-inducing. Here’s a list of the inexhaustible opportunities my kids take advantage of when I think they’re sleeping…

1. Pooping. This is the most-used excuse for not napping I’ve ever heard of, in my house or other parents’. “Go to sleep!” “Nope, gotta poop.” I’d say that there’s a safe three times a week or more that I think all is quiet, and then I find someone on the toilet.
2. Playing dress up. Costumes are more imaginative than pajamas. Especially when your pajamas are Batman themed, and you have a mask and a cape that you just have to put with them!
3. Doing puzzles. Apparently it calms their minds. Or puts off the nap. Or something.
4. Meeting up with siblings. In the bathroom. Like 12-year-old girls skipping math class, they have somehow planned to meet up in 20 minutes without a clock to tell them it’s time.
5. Reading. I’m not usually upset at this one, but still. Reading isn’t sleeping. Put down Brown Bear, Brown Bear and get to sleep.
6. Blowing their noses. Or using annoying amounts of tissues for whatever other purpose they see fit (read: a pile on the floor). They must go through a box a week! 
7. Shining flashlights. Or any other toy that has flashing lights. Or a random fiber optic wand that was a wedding favor.
8. Staging a coup. My son has a knack for pretending his “snuggle buddies” are saving the world. He has to act out a play where he is the superhero, and his “buddies” are either sidekicks, villains, or doggies in distress. 
9. Singing. Loudly. Confidently.And I don’t mean lullabies. They’re typically blasting out the latest Disney ballad at the top of their lungs, complete with dance moves. I have dreams of Broadway.
10. Thinking deeply. I can always count on a profound statement or existential concern when I ask the kids what they’re thinking about when they aren’t sleeping. “Did you know that babies don’t have teeth when they’re born, Mama?”
11. Changing clothes. Their pajama pants were itchy or the tag in their shirt was scratchy. Or else they needed fresh underpants, and won’t tell me why.
12. Eating. They’ve either hoarded some fruit snacks, or pilfered some candy from the last holiday. I’ve found Starburst wrappers under their beds and pretzel crumbs crushed in their sheets. 
13. Making messes. To be fair, the kids make messes all day, every day. But it’s that particular time frame where they’re in their rooms and I’m nowhere in sight that they perform the epic toy box explosions.

So if your kids are doing any (or all) these things instead of getting their recommended 14 hours during a 24-hour period, know you’re not alone. You’re in a good, sleepless company.

mommyhood, siblings, things toddlers say

Things Toddlers Say

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Happy Tuesday, y’all! I hope you’re enjoying your fall and your Halloween candy! I have only stolen the Reese’s Pieces and Snickers. See, I’m a good mom! Anyway, here are the funnies from our week. Enjoy!


D: *hums Twinkle Twinkle* I singing a song!

D walking in the yard: Mom! Iss cwunchy leabs! (Crunchy leaves)

EK early in the day: Are witches real?
Me: Nope. No witches.
EK later in the day: Mom, are fairies the only ones who can make magic?
Me, apparently crushing dreams: Well, fairies aren’t really real. And magic is more the feeling we have when something is beautiful or unbelievable, or seems unrealistic.
EK: Well, how does the tooth fairy get to you?
Me:
Hubby:
Me:
Hubby:
Me: Magic!
Hubby: *dies laughing*
EK: *dies laughing*
Me: I thought you meant witches’ magic! (Trying not to dig the hole deeper…)

EK, during breakfast: When people are talking, it’s destroying me so I can’t eat.
Me: I think you mean distracting.

EK: I would love it if a rainy Saturday happened. I would sleep all day.
Me: *plots how to make it rain on Saturday*

EK: I was thinking on, um,
J: Wednesday?
EK: On, um,
J: Christmas?
EK: On, um, Turkey Day. Could we have a big feast?

J: I wish I had a TV on my ceiling on my room so I could watch Neckflix.
Me: *not going to correct him*

In the car…
D, chanting: Abocado book. Abocado book. Abocado book. (It was a dinosaur book.)

J, speaking of words that start with “h”: How about hole? Like there was a little hole and a snail fell in there?

J, talking to a store clerk: Well, I belong to someone else.
Me: Who do you belong to?
J: *points to me*

Hope you found a giggle or two reading these! What silly things are your kids saying these days?

Everyday Exiles, faith, home, mommyhood, random thoughts, women

Growing Pains

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This post originally appeared on Everyday Exiles.

The past couple of weeks have been a little tough on my family. We’re facing some growing pains of a particular kind. Our schedules have all changed, due to having our two younger children at one (pre)school, and our eldest child at elementary school. Our toddler is potty-training and teething. Our family is an integral part of a church launch, which is taking much of our emotional and spiritual efforts, if not those in the physical sense. Our jobs are more demanding, somehow, in addition to these other things, and I would be remiss if I didn’t admit we’re suffering a little for it all.

Thankfully, these growing pains are all for good reason. They’re happening because we’re involved in sowing seeds, we are in the business of nurturing life, and we are experiencing a fine harvest. And yes, those things can all be happening at the same time.

Life is full of seasons, but within a family, there can be sowing and reaping simultaneously. We are sowing seeds of learning and a love for education in our daughter as she begins kindergarten. My husband and I are sowing as well into our professional lives, putting in extra hours, collaborating with our colleagues, and making more plans. We are nurturing our toddler as his body grows and changes. We are experiencing a beautiful harvest with our church family as we expand our congregation and launch a new campus, welcoming a new community to become a part of the Lord’s work as a part of our century-old church.

Growing pains are a sign that you are living life fully and well. You cannot experience growing pains by remaining stagnant, lying dormant, or settling. Sitting and waiting on something to happen to you isn’t the way to grow. Of course, there are seasons for rest, but we were created to be workers, to toil the land, and to rule over and take care of the earth. That’s literally the reason God created Adam (Genesis 1:28, 2:15) and it’s in our very design! Toiling as builders, as growers, as shepherds, as healers, as parents… these things are in our DNA, and they’re what our Creator divined for us. Great things that happen are almost always preceded by work – whether we worked for it, or God has done the work for us.