Day 16 of Love

And looking at them Jesus said to them,
“ With people this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”
~Matthew 19:26

Today's Challenge:

Take a few minutes to consider what "weeds" may be choking out the unity in your marriage (selfishness, busyness, inattention, laziness, pride, anger, lack of forgiveness, specific sins).
Ask God to help you start pulling weeds this very day.

Think of one practical way that you can plant a seed in the right direction:
Do you need to ask for your husband's forgiveness?
~ Write him a note or call him today.
Is life too busy to devote time and energy to your marriage?
~ Ask your husband if together, you can find a way to make your marriage a priority.
Would your marriage benefit from biblical counseling or other biblical resources?
~ With your husband's blessing, take steps to seek out the help you need.
Have you been faithless when it comes to praying for your husband?
~ Take a few moments and start praying now.
Does your husband need to know how much you care for and value him?~ Follow through with one specific action today that will communicate your love.

Liza Jane says...

After years of marriage you tend to start getting cobwebs in your dancing shoes. Google and I always have "date night" once a week, but it has really turned a bit routine (dinner/movie) and wasn't exciting the way it was meant to be. If you know us, you know that we had a very rocky year in 2009 and were separated for 7 months with me in Hawaii and him in Thailand. Thank you Love Dare for helping us fireproof our marriage! Being apart and the fear of losing our marriage really helped us to realize that the time we have together is a gift and should not be wasted.

So we started talking and came up with a new plan. First, we decided that instead off celebrating our anniversary just one time a year we were going to celebrate it every month with little mini monthaversary. To help us with ideas on things to do I came up with the idea of working through the alphabet (I'm such a teacher!) so each month we will do one or two things starting with the letter we are currently on.

Google thought this was a great idea and started going through the alphabet of restaurants we could eat at! NOT the idea! The things we do needed to be stuff that we wouldn't normally do. For example, we have just started all over at A,  so this month we are taking Archery Lessons together.( May sound lame but it is something we both enjoy.) For "B" we are going to Bangkok and for "C" we are taking an Indian Cooking Class together.

  Google doesn't know it yet, but next month I am dragging him to dance lessons to try to erase some of his white boy rhythm. For "E" maybe the elephant reserve, (of course he is going to say "eat"). The idea is to #1 spend time together doing things that we don't normally do and #2 get out and see more of Chiang Mai. We have so many awesome things here in this little town that tourist come to see, but as locals we never take the time for.  I can't wait to find out all the crazy adventures we might get into this year, and I look forward to spending time with my love! Any ideas for us???

DAy 15 of Love

Today's Challenge:

In what areas are your expectations for your husband unrealistic and possibly smothering him? Ask God to reveal them to you, then surrender those expectations to Him. This week, I challenge you to look for the good things in your husband – then tell him about them! And when he falls short? Extend grace.

Wow! Me smother???? Never!  I have NO IDEA why my grown-up kids call me "Smother", really I don't! 
OK, so getting real with the Lord. there might be a possibility that I, maybe, might smother my husband. But I have an excuse, really I do, and it's a good one! You see, 2 weeks after we were married Google and I moved to China all on our own. We were the only westerners around and the only native English speakers. Not only that but we worked together at the same school. so basically we spent All our time together for the first 3 years of our marriage.


Now Google has his own company he spends alot of time in business meetings and weeks on end in Africa. HATE IT! It is so lonely for me at times. I have really no friends here in Thailand because people tend to come for one or two years then leave. So my husband is the only other adult I have to converse with,  I know I am so demanding of his attention and he is so good about it, but I really need to change.  
I realize that after losing so many friends, I have a problem with meeting people, so today I am taking it to the Lord. Jehovah I pray that you can help me to open up and starting making friends again so that my poor husband is no longer burdened with trying to be my constant companion, and being dragged to chick flicks all the time!

Day 14 of Love

Today's Challenge:

Think back to when you met your husband. Remember what it was about him that made him the man of your dreams. Tell him at least one thing that makes him still that man.

Have I told you that my husband is a nerd?  Really, I am not even joking. The first road trip we took together we had no car radio, so he sang to me. 4 hours of "YA YA YA Yoda"  and every other star wars song he could think of . I knew all the words.
The first time I went to his apartment I was looking for tissue in the linen closet and there at the top was a Klingon mask. I guess I should have know right there that life with this man was  NOT going to be typical.  Google is 100% the opposite of any guy that I would have considered "my type"  but obviously God knows me way better than I know my self, because in this silly geeky guy I have found my true love. No, he may not be able to dance, and lordy, he don't even own a pair of wranglers. But he looks pretty cute to me is that big ol' Klingon head.
God has gifted me a guy who is probably just as weird as I am, and balances me out perfectly. It's easy to get annoyed with his ramblings about things I have no idea or interest in, but maybe I need to cut the guys some slack and remember that it was that weird, nerdy big brain that attracted me to him!

Day 7 of Love

Today's Challenge:

Make the time to nurture your marriage relationship, no matter how old your children are and no matter how old YOU are! Satan would love to see cracks form so that he can get in there and create division and steal glory from God! What a testimony for Christ, to have fought hard to nurture a relationship and to see God turn it into something that He uses for His glory!

Day 6 of Love

I have come into my garden, my bride;
I have gathered my myrrh along with mybalsam.
I have eaten my honeycomb and my honey;
I have drunk my wine and my milk.
~ Song of Solomon 5:1

there are two main ways a woman can pursue their husband:

1. Affirmation - You should be your husband's biggest fan! Tell him you love him, tell him he looks nice, tell him he's a good dad, tell him you appreciate his hard work, tell him he's a hunk! Your husband shouldn't have to live on a compliment you gave him two weeks ago. Make affirming him a primary way you pursue him. It is a lie and a myth that men don't care about feelings or emotions. They want to know you still have feelings and emotions for them! Affirming your husband is a great way to show him your love and desire to pursue him.
   
2. Affection - Your husband wants to know he is desired. It's not true that all he cares about is s*x. He certainly cares about it, but he also wants to be wanted. Be a wife who initiates physical contact.

Today's Challenge:

Think of one or two ways that you can pursue your husband, and put that plan into action today!

All I can say is WOW!

6 Months have RUSHED  by and my like Pickles in now half a year old.  Many things have changed, but one thing is always constant, that sweet, smile and giddiness that she always displays. I can't wait to see what the next 6 months bring!

Day 4 Of Love

May you rejoice in the wife of your youth. A loving doe, a graceful deer – may her breasts satisfy you always, may you ever be captivated by her love. ~ Proverbs 5:18,19Today's Challenge:

Purpose this week to do something that reminds your husband of the youthful wife you once were – maybe it’s wearing something you know he loves on you (remember we dressed to please back in those dating days!), go somewhere you both used to enjoy going together – alone!, look at photos together of the “good ol’days”, watch a favorite movie, or just simply sit together talking, listening, dreaming, holding hands, rubbing his back, and simply paying attention to the amazing husband of your youth! Treasure him this week!

Has it really been 9 yrs??? It is impossible to look back and remember that person who married that man. We had a whirl-wind romance to say the least. I was a free spirited cowgirl running a ranch in Colorado and Google was a nerdy, dungeons and Dragons playing city boy.  I guess I roped him good, because we were married 6 months to the day after we met!! Two weeks after we got married we were off to China to begin our crazy international journey. 
Having MS has really aged me. I try to stay young mentally, but physically I am aging double time. I look like my mom now, and I'm not talking my mom at 40, I'm talking my mom at 60!  I look at myself and think, "Why would my good looking 35 year old husband want to be married to this??"  Depressing huh? 
I have been wracking my brain I and I think that for this challenge I need to have my husband help find me. This week he is away in Africa, but when he gets back I think it will be good to sit and hatch out a road map back to myself. 
Google has some board line- autistic tendencies when it comes to telling the truth. I may hear things I don't really want to hear, but I think that to love him (and HIM) I need to love my self and maybe a shot of truth juice might give me that little kick I need to get there!

Worship Wendesday

This is just one of those songs that sticks to your brain like peanut butter sticks to the roof of your mouth!

Day 3 of Love

For the month of October Time Warp Wife is hosting the 31 Days of Love. Twenty-seven different women will be offering us encouragement and a biblical perspective on marriage. Each daily challenge is designed to encourage us to love the way that God intended according to His wisdom as outlined in scripture.Today's Challenge:

Look for ONE new way today to show your husband that you LIKE being married to him! This will look different for each of you because each of our husbands are different. With a little bit of creativity and prayer, you can rekindle any lost feeling in the friendship area. Also, you may need to put some of your other relationships on hold until your friendship with your husband is real and vibrant!

Everyone gets home about the same time, kids from school & husband from work, so our hello's are a very quick kiss .. starting tomorrow I am going to surprise him with a 15 second kiss when he gets home from work each day! 

 What is one thing that you can do to show your husband that you like him?

It's funny you should bring this up..... This weekend at the Chiang Mai Woman's Retreat I got the great book Love and Respect by Dr. Emerson Eggirichs (that name makes me giggle, immature I know, but hey, I teach 4th grade!) 

Anyway, Dr. E (I call him that) said that he asked some men at one of his seminars if they knew their wives loved them. the men all said a hardy "Yes". then he went on to ask, 'Does you wife LIKE you?' And of course they all said, "NO!"  

Sometimes I can be a bit hateful bitchy when I talk to Google. It's not my fault really, if he would just at least TRY to read my mind and do everything exactly how I want it I wouldn't have to yell at him right????  OK, so maybe I need to really start watching the way I talk to him so the poor guy doesn't go to the next men's retreat and tell everyone how his wife doesn't like him. 

So, what can I do to show my darling that I love him??? This one's a no brainier.  First I have a confession to make. Google LOVES to be the first one up in the morning so he can be the first one Pickles sees when she wakes up. I have to agree that it is so awesome to see that smile, but he's the bad part, ready??? OK (hiding my face in shame) sometimes everyday I pretend to be sleeping so my darling will make me a cup of coffee. My love even quietly sneaks in and puts it by my bed with a lid so it will be hot when I get my lazy butt up. 

Was I NOT the one who just wrote about how I wanted to be a good wife???? The real shame of it is how truly grateful Google is when I get up and make HIM coffee. So the one thing that I am going to do from now on is get out of bed and make my man some coffee EVERYDAY. I promise!

31 Days of Love

For the month of October Time Warp Wife is hosting the 31 Days of Love. Twenty-seven different women will be offering us encouragement and a biblical perspective on marriage. Each daily challenge is designed to encourage us to love the way that God intended according to His wisdom as outlined in scripture.

Day 2~ Welcome Home Daddy

Today's Challenge:

1. Memorize:

Psalm 19:14 May these words of my mouth and this meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, LORD, my Rock and my Redeemer.

Psalm 139:23-24 Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting. 

2. Find one thing in today's post Welcome Home Daddy that you are not doing and do it this week to honor Christ, your First Love, so you can joyfully serve your Second.


This Past year things have gone topsy turvy in our little household.  For starters we decided that I should stay at home and not work. For the most part I miss my classroom am really enjoying being a SAHM. but the other big change is the Google (my DH) is now working for the most part at home. I try to leave him alone while he is work and respect his office space, but being home alone with a 6 month old can be a bit quiet. I often find myself asking him dumb questions just to talk to someone.  While I would love to talk to him about his day and so on, I already know it is pretty uneventful. and rubbing his feet, well, that's kinda creepy and he sits on his bum all day. Maybe I should rub his bum??
I think for us the biggest thing I can do for him is bring him his lunch everyday ( so times I really blow him off) and I think I need to stop bugging him if he is working.  UGH! I hope this baby starts talking soon so I can ask HER where the hammer is!

31 Days of Love

For the month of October Time Warp Wife is hosting the 31 Days of Love. Twenty-seven different women will be offering us encouragement and a biblical perspective on marriage. Each daily challenge is designed to encourage us to love the way that God intended according to His wisdom as outlined in scripture.

Day 1- Bringing a Gift of Love

Two Years ago my marriage was hanging by a string. I was in Hawaii and my husband was in Thailand not wanting to be married to me anymore. I had given up and was ready to wash my hands of everything, when I had an epiphany. There I was in the tub, praying, crying the "ugly cry" (you know the one) pleading to God, "why can't I just find the perfect man???" Suddenly in the mixt of all the crying I was filled with a complete calm. The Lord spoke to me as I sobbed in my suds. He told me, "I gave you the perfect man, he's right there. He may not be perfect, but he's perfect for you."

I realized then and there that I had been blaming everything on my husband and it was time for me to start taking responsibility for MY actions. I finally understood that I needed to figure out what was wrong and I needed to do my darndest to fix it.  

Believe me it was not an easy road to where we are today. My husband was not the easiest to get on board. After years of feeling disrespected he just didn't have the heart to try again. I didn't give up though. Instead of trying to change him, I learned that I needed to change ME. 

I still have a lot of learning to do, but I can wholeheartedly say that It is no longer a burden but a joy to work on being a Proverbs 31 wife and mother. So, along that note, I have joined
Time Warp Wife and the many others who will take the 31 day love Challenge. I hope that through out the next 31 days, the words of my sisters will continue to help me on my path.

 Here is Today's Challenge:

Read 1 Corinthians 13 (the love chapter) and jot down some of the thoughts that come to mind such as:

• What is God's definition of love?
• What are the characteristics of love?
• In what areas of "loving" do I stumble the most?
• What are a few of the steps I can take toward changing?

If you are joining me in this journey, please leave a comment and let me know how you are facing this challenge!

Worship Wendesday

Time for a Tune Up!

"The rabbit-hole went straight on like a tunnel for some way, and then dipped suddenly down, so suddenly that Alice had not a moment to think about stopping herself before she found herself falling down a very deep well" Lewis Carroll 

 Do you ever feel like Alice in Wonderland tumbling down the rabbit hole?? Some days I feel like everything is just wooshing(yes that's a word) by me as I grasp for a moment of sanity, while others days I feel like I've done nothing of use to myself or anyone eles.  Learning to balance time and energy sure is a job all in it's self!

I am slowly getting use to this SAHM thing, but I find that I am starting to get a bit depressed by it. Maybe it's that idea that school starts in a few weeks and for the first time in 25 years, I am not setting up a classroom. I am beginning to realize that I have identified my existence as 'Teacher". I never thought I would be lost without 20 small humans to care for each day!  I am now really trying to  focus on being wife and mom, but with my stupid sucky illness (MS) I know that I also need to take the time to care for myself and not get lost in the shuffle.

I came upon this great blog  from Roxanne at Haven of Home awhile back and I think it hits the nail right on the head.  Here's how she sums it up....

I realized something the other day. I take better care of my car than I do of myself.

Case in point:

If the Car gets new tires when they begin to be too weather-worn,
Then I should keep my finger and toenails up-to-date.

If the Car gets to go to the car wash regularly to keep in shiny,
Then my daily shower takes on a newer purpose.

If the Car gets its oil changed,
Then I should moisturize, moisturize, moisturize.

If the Car has an outward appearance that is sleek and smooth,
Then my legs, underarms, and eyebrow area deserve the same.

If the Car's color begins to fade or (gasp) peel, showing the sheet metal beneath warranting a new paint job,
Then I should make sure my gray stays covered on a regular basis.
(Note: Others embrace their gray. Mine will be held at bay for many years to come.)

If the Car gets its fluids topped off routinely,
Then those 8 glasses of water each day are critical for me.

If the Car gets decluttered and neatened on the inside,
Then I should declutter the fat.

If the Car gets to have high-priced gas,
Then I should buy organic when possible.

If the Car gets its upholstery and rugs vacuumed,
Then I should keep my clothes in great condition.

If I want my chassis to last a lifetime, I need to pay it better attention.


Pretty good huh?  I am totally  guilty of this. I actually have a service that comes to my house every week to wash my car, but half the time I don't even brush my rat's nest hair!  Looking back on those awesome 50's wives, they may have been totally devoted to their Dear Husbands, but they always took the time to care for themselves.  My MaMaw died at 78 years old with a full set of make up on. she would NEVER have dreamed of stepping out of the house without being done up!

So to keep my engine running smooth here is what I am commiting too:

• Dry brushing before every bath/shower to remove the rust


• Moisturizing everyday to keep the "Dents" out.


• toping up my fluids by drinking water everyday (I really hate water)


• getting a monthly wax (the all over kind not just the brows!)


• mani/pedi twice a month


• weekly massage (don't hate me cuz your jealous!)


• Facial every two weeks


• Weekly shampoo/set at the salon


• Dye my hair ever 4-6 weeks (if my hair wasn't naturally this lovely auburn of course)


• start my engine everyday and by that I mean get my lazy butt outside for a walk every morning!


• use premium fuel instead of filling p with the fast food low grade crap


• get better tires (stop wearing $2 flip flops and get something better on my feet!)


• take her out for a spin (go out and have fun more often!)

Sounds like a lot of pampering tome.... HHMMMM maybe I am starting to like this SAHM stuff!

PS.  If it seems a bit over endulgent to you please remember I am in Thailand where I can get a massage, mani/ped, facial and shampoo for about $20.00 (for all)  Ahhh I love Thailand, even without Taco Bell!

A Simple Woman's Daybook

FOR TODAY
Outside my window... is a super cute little orange and white scooter that I am longing to ride!

I am thinking... that I am not sure how much longer I can take being immobilized.
I am thankful... that I have help in caring for my little Pickles

From the learning rooms... My lesson plans book is dusty

In the kitchen... Chicken cookin in the crockpot! Yum yum
I am wearing... a skirt and 
I am creating... a sign language book for the baby

I am going... to get on that scooter when no one is lookin!

I am wondering... what religion are the Duggars?? and with 20 acres of land, why aren't they farming and teaching their 19 kids to be producers instead of consumers?

I am reading... an awesome book called "The Book of Negros"
I am hoping... That by next week my MS relapse will be done and I can get on with my life
I am looking forward to... spending the next month learning to be a good wife
I am hearing...the water in my front fountain trickling

Around the house... lazy dogs are lying everywhere!

I am pondering... how I can get my hubby to go buy me paint for the living room...(I've changed the color twice in three months)
One of my favorite things...

A few plans for the rest of the week:

Here is picture for thought I am sharing...

(add your picture here)

Old School Baby

Before Pickles was born I made a pledge to use only cloth diapers. since they don't have any of the fancy AIO here in Thailand, I spent a ton of time sewing diapers.  OM goodness they are soooo cute!  Unfortunately the whole thing has been a bust. We tried many different patterns and Google even designed his own before we could get a good fit, but we still have major problems. Basically we can't get the right fabric here to make the diapers waterproof and so wearing cloth means changing bedding or pads continuously!  Good Lordy the laundry that makes. Well,our motto around here is "Try, Try, Again" so, we instead of giving up on the whole cloth diaper bit we are going to give up the prefolds, and go old school.

So here is the new plan....

Back in May Dirty Diaper Laundry placed a flat diaper challenge.

Here are the rules:

• You MUST use Flats.Ok, no problem you can get them here.


• You MUST handwash them.  How is up to you.  (bathtub, sink, large wash tub, portable non electronic washing machine, or camp style washer (bucket and plunger- think churning butter) Again, no problem, we hand wash the majority of our clothes.


• You MUST air dry them.  (indoors or outdoors, makes no difference) Is there any other way??? (I haven't had a dryer in 10 years)


• You MUST limit your number of covers in rotation to 5 or less. Yikes, now I need to makecovers!


• You can use any detergent you want.  (Keep in mind that you still want cloth safe detergents)


• You can still use your nighttime diapers but I ask that you try to make flats work.  Maybe try a prefold wrapped in a flat.


• You can use disposable liners. Yeah helps for poop!


• You CAN’T use a diaper sprayer.  I thought long and hard about this one, but at an average cost of 40.00 this is one diaper accessory that is out of range for many families.  Dunk, swish, flush, or scrape! Sorry Not giving up my sprayer It's Thai culture


• You MUST start the morning of May 23 and end the evening of May 30. OPPS I'm a day late and a dollar short!


• You MUST fill out a completion survey about your experience.  Results will be published here and can be republished on your own blog. 

Can you believe that 400 moms took this challenge?? Holy Guacamole!

So, I am to late to do the formal challenge, but I figure it's never too late. Google and I have been contemplating this for months.  Prefolds are cool, but what ever happened to good 'ol diapers and rubber pants?? I used them for the Grown Ups and never had a problem, so why not use them now?  So in traditional 50's housewife style I am going to start my own little vintage baby challenge. Starting September 1st our little jungle home is going retro and using flat cloth diapers from now on.

Sorry if I don't blog for a while, I might be busy washing diapers!

The Good Wife~ To Be or Not To Be

Can I just say, I WANT to be a "Good Wife"?  I have read so many posts about this article originally ran in the 1955 Housekeeping Monthly. It goes like this......


* Have dinner ready. Plan ahead, even the night before, to have a delicious meal ready, on time for his return. This is a way of letting him know that you have been thinking about him and are concerned about his needs. Most men are hungry when they come home and the prospect of a good meal (especially his favorite dish) is part of the warm welcome needed.
* Prepare yourself. Take fifteen minutes to rest so you'll be refreshed when he arrives. Touch up your make up, put a ribbon in your hair and be fresh-looking. He has just been with a lot of work-weary people.
* Be a little gay and a little more interesting for him. His boring day may need a lift and one of your duties is to provide it.
* Clear away the clutter. Make one last trip through the main part of the house just before your husband arrives.
* Over the cooler months of the year you should prepare and light a fire for him to unwind by. Your husband will feel he has reached a haven of rest and order, and it will give you a lift too. After all, catering to his personal comfort will provide you with immense personal satisfaction.
* Be happy to see him.
* Greet him with a warm smile and show sincerity in your desire to please him.
* Listen to him. You may have a dozen important things to tell him, but the moment of his arrival is not one of them. Let him talk first - remember, his topics of conversation are more important than yours.
* Make the evening his. Never complain if he comes home late or goes out to dinner or other places of entertainment without you. Instead, try to understand his world of strain and pressure and his very real need to be at home and relax.
* Your goal: Try to make sure your home is a place of peace, order and tranquility where your husband can renew himself body and spirit.
* Don't complain if he's late home for dinner or even if he stays out all night. Count this as minor compared to what he might have gone through that day.
* Make him comfortable. Have him lean back in a comfortable chair or have him lie down in the bedroom. Have a cool or warm drink ready for him.
* Don't ask him questions about his actions or question his judgment or integrity. Remember, he is the master of the house and as such will always exercise his will with fairness and truthfulness. You have no right to question him.
* A good wife always knows her place.


You HAVE to read all the controversy!  Good Golly Miss Molly, have we become an uptight , outspoken society or what???  Ladies PLEASE, is it really so bad that  they say a good wife knows her place? If you are a Christian girl, there is no arguing! God said it, we gotta do it.  Now, don't get me wrong there are things I am just not EVER going to do cut his nasty toe nails. But, my husband knows HIS place and would never ask me to do these things if he knows what's good for him..  But I do honestly want to be the wife that Housekeeping Monthly suggest we be.  And YO SHOULD TOO. At 43 35 years old I have been through a lot of relationships and have a lot of experience so I can tell you ladies, Christian or not, that the  key to a good marriage is learning to take a step back and try to acknowledge YOUR part in the relationship.  According to the book The Truth About Cheating:

"Ninety-two percent of men said it wasn't primarily about the sex. "The majority said it was an emotional disconnection, specifically a sense of feeling under appreciated. A lack of thoughtful gestures," Gary says. "Men are very emotional beings. They just don't look like that. Or they don't seem like that. Or they don't tell you that."

Read more: http://www.oprah.com/relationships/Why-Men-Cheat_2/2#ixzz1UWIOMLMp

We have been raise as strong, independent bullheaded woman, which is good, but girls we need to understand that sometimes we imasculate our men.  Now Please, don't be a hater and yell at me because I am NOT saying to kiss your husbands a** or be a doormat. What I AM saying is that if you LOVE someone, you WANT to please them and to make them happy.  There is a balance, we just have to learn it.  Being a single mom for 12 years, I can be a bit of an over powering, know it all bitch. I am learn day by day to step down and let my husband take the lead as the head of the household. It's not always easy, not always fun. So sorry critics, by I am using The Good Wife as a reminder so I don't have to take the "Is your husband cheating" test.

For more fun Check out Roxanne and Haven of Home for her SUPER take on this too!

Time for a Tune-up!

"The rabbit-hole went straight on like a tunnel for some way, and then dipped suddenly down, so suddenly that Alice had not a moment to think about stopping herself before she found herself falling down a very deep well" Lewis Carroll 

 Do you ever feel like Alice in Wonderland tumbling down the rabbit hole?? Some days I feel like everything is just wooshing(yes that's a word) by me as I grasp for a moment of sanity, while others days I feel like I've done nothing of use to myself or anyone eles.  Learning to balance time and energy sure is a job all in it's self!

I am slowly getting use to this SAHM thing, but I find that I am starting to get a bit depressed by it. Maybe it's that idea that school starts in a few weeks and for the first time in 25 years, I am not setting up a classroom. I am beginning to realize that I have identified my existence as 'Teacher". I never thought I would be lost without 20 small humans to care for each day!  I am now really trying to  focus on being wife and mom, but with my stupid sucky illness (MS) I know that I also need to take the time to care for myself and not get lost in the shuffle.

I came upon this great blog  from Roxanne at Haven of Home awhile back and I think it hits the nail right on the head.  Here's how she sums it up....

I realized something the other day. I take better care of my car than I do of myself.

Case in point:

If the Car gets new tires when they begin to be too weather-worn,
Then I should keep my finger and toenails up-to-date.

If the Car gets to go to the car wash regularly to keep in shiny,
Then my daily shower takes on a newer purpose.

If the Car gets its oil changed,
Then I should moisturize, moisturize, moisturize.

If the Car has an outward appearance that is sleek and smooth,
Then my legs, underarms, and eyebrow area deserve the same.

If the Car's color begins to fade or (gasp) peel, showing the sheet metal beneath warranting a new paint job,
Then I should make sure my gray stays covered on a regular basis.
(Note: Others embrace their gray. Mine will be held at bay for many years to come.)

If the Car gets its fluids topped off routinely,
Then those 8 glasses of water each day are critical for me.

If the Car gets decluttered and neatened on the inside,
Then I should declutter the fat.

If the Car gets to have high-priced gas,
Then I should buy organic when possible.

If the Car gets its upholstery and rugs vacuumed,
Then I should keep my clothes in great condition.

If I want my chassis to last a lifetime, I need to pay it better attention.


Pretty good huh?  I am totally  guilty of this. I actually have a service that comes to my house every week to wash my car, but half the time I don't even brush my rat's nest hair!  Looking back on those awesome 50's wives, they may have been totally devoted to their Dear Husbands, but they always took the time to care for themselves.  My MaMaw died at 78 years old with a full set of make up on. she would NEVER have dreamed of stepping out of the house without being done up!

So to keep my engine running smooth here is what I am commiting too:

• Dry brushing before every bath/shower to remove the rust


• Moisturizing everyday to keep the "Dents" out.


• toping up my fluids by drinking water everyday (I really hate water)


• getting a monthly wax (the all over kind not just the brows!)


• mani/pedi twice a month


• weekly massage (don't hate me cuz your jealous!)


• Facial every two weeks


• Weekly shampoo/set at the salon


• Dye my hair ever 4-6 weeks (if my hair wasn't naturally this lovely auburn of course)


• start my engine everyday and by that I mean get my lazy butt outside for a walk every morning!


• use premium fuel instead of filling p with the fast food low grade crap


• get better tires (stop wearing $2 flip flops and get something better on my feet!)


• take her out for a spin (go out and have fun more often!)

Sounds like a lot of pampering tome.... HHMMMM maybe I am starting to like this SAHM stuff!

PS.  If it seems a bit over endulgent to you please remember I am in Thailand where I can get a massage, mani/ped, facial and shampoo for about $20.00 (for all)  Ahhh I love Thailand, even without Taco Bell!

The Good Wife~ To Be or Not To Be

Can I just say, I WANT to be a "Good Wife"?  I have read so many posts about this article originally ran in the 1955 Housekeeping Monthly. It goes like this......


* Have dinner ready. Plan ahead, even the night before, to have a delicious meal ready, on time for his return. This is a way of letting him know that you have been thinking about him and are concerned about his needs. Most men are hungry when they come home and the prospect of a good meal (especially his favorite dish) is part of the warm welcome needed.
* Prepare yourself. Take fifteen minutes to rest so you'll be refreshed when he arrives. Touch up your make up, put a ribbon in your hair and be fresh-looking. He has just been with a lot of work-weary people.
* Be a little gay and a little more interesting for him. His boring day may need a lift and one of your duties is to provide it.
* Clear away the clutter. Make one last trip through the main part of the house just before your husband arrives.
* Over the cooler months of the year you should prepare and light a fire for him to unwind by. Your husband will feel he has reached a haven of rest and order, and it will give you a lift too. After all, catering to his personal comfort will provide you with immense personal satisfaction.
* Be happy to see him.
* Greet him with a warm smile and show sincerity in your desire to please him.
* Listen to him. You may have a dozen important things to tell him, but the moment of his arrival is not one of them. Let him talk first - remember, his topics of conversation are more important than yours.
* Make the evening his. Never complain if he comes home late or goes out to dinner or other places of entertainment without you. Instead, try to understand his world of strain and pressure and his very real need to be at home and relax.
* Your goal: Try to make sure your home is a place of peace, order and tranquility where your husband can renew himself body and spirit.
* Don't complain if he's late home for dinner or even if he stays out all night. Count this as minor compared to what he might have gone through that day.
* Make him comfortable. Have him lean back in a comfortable chair or have him lie down in the bedroom. Have a cool or warm drink ready for him.
* Don't ask him questions about his actions or question his judgment or integrity. Remember, he is the master of the house and as such will always exercise his will with fairness and truthfulness. You have no right to question him.
* A good wife always knows her place.


You HAVE to read all the controversy!  Good Golly Miss Molly, have we become an uptight , outspoken society or what???  Ladies PLEASE, is it really so bad that  they say a good wife knows her place? If you are a Christian girl, there is no arguing! God said it, we gotta do it.  Now, don't get me wrong there are things I am just not EVER going to do cut his nasty toe nails. But, my husband knows HIS place and would never ask me to do these things if he knows what's good for him..  But I do honestly want to be the wife that Housekeeping Monthly suggest we be.  And YO SHOULD TOO. At 43 35 years old I have been through a lot of relationships and have a lot of experience so I can tell you ladies, Christian or not, that the  key to a good marriage is learning to take a step back and try to acknowledge YOUR part in the relationship.  According to the book The Truth About Cheating:

"Ninety-two percent of men said it wasn't primarily about the sex. "The majority said it was an emotional disconnection, specifically a sense of feeling under appreciated. A lack of thoughtful gestures," Gary says. "Men are very emotional beings. They just don't look like that. Or they don't seem like that. Or they don't tell you that."

Read more: http://www.oprah.com/relationships/Why-Men-Cheat_2/2#ixzz1UWIOMLMp

We have been raise as strong, independent bullheaded woman, which is good, but girls we need to understand that sometimes we imasculate our men.  Now Please, don't be a hater and yell at me because I am NOT saying to kiss your husbands a** or be a doormat. What I AM saying is that if you LOVE someone, you WANT to please them and to make them happy.  There is a balance, we just have to learn it.  Being a single mom for 12 years, I can be a bit of an over powering, know it all bitch. I am learn day by day to step down and let my husband take the lead as the head of the household. It's not always easy, not always fun. So sorry critics, by I am using The Good Wife as a reminder so I don't have to take the "Is your husband cheating" test.

For more fun Check out Roxanne and Haven of Home for her SUPER take on this too!

Thankful Thursday July 21, 2011 Thankful for Groovy Chicks!

“Enter his gates with thanksgiving,
and his courts with praise!
Give thanks to him; bless his name!”
~ Psalm 100:4 (ESV)

Often, when you live in a New Baby jungle, you find your days meshing together in the tangled vines of diaper changing, feedings, and doing the walk and rock. "grown up" time goes on the back burner and even the basic daily things (like brushing your hair) get over looked.  One major part of my life that I have let slip is my gratitude journal. After reading the lovely postings over at Grace Alone I have decided to dedicate time every Thursday to really contemplate all the blessings in my life.

Today I am grateful to all the wonderful women who inspire me with their beautiful blogs. I have been a mama for 23 years, and a teacher for 25 years, but I find each day that I learn something new. Amanda at Soulemama, Sara  Mincy at Sara's Art House and the wonderful Mamas at Earth Boys and Earth Mama 101 you all inspire me and give me the encouragement  that I need each day to continue on my journey raising my funky, fun, free range family. Thank You!

Word Less Wednesday July 20,2011

Don't Wake the Baby!!!

Three months! I have been a new mommy for three months, and I haven't had a spare moment in THREE MONTHS!  Our bouncing baby girl came into this world unexpectedly April 6th. We had Taken Baby Momma to the hospital for her monthly check up thinking we had three more weeks to go. To our surprise she was in labor and dilated to 5cm. The girl never said a word. It completely baffles me. I have birth three babies and believe me I KNEW when I was in labor. three hours later we had our beautiful little girl Rosalin Olivia.

How had I forgotten how tiring babies are?? Maybe it's just because I'm no spring chicken any more. How did I ever take care of three little ones at one time, when this 8 pound ball on chubby single-handedly runs me into the ground every day?????  Oye vay!!!!

So for the past 9 weeks Pickles has been sleeping through the night from 8pm-6am. Yeah right? Well, it would be a yeah if she slept at least a little during the day.  Our little princess never sleeps longer than 20 mins during the day, and to top is off, if someone isn't holding her... she screams.  We are talking BLOODY MURDER SCREAM!  It is so hard to understand how such a smiley happy little thing can turn into Linda Blair in the matter of seconds.  Honestly it began to scare me.  Is there something wrong with my poor baby?  I even began to question Baby Momma's actions. What if she had been using drugs or drinking and we never knew????  I couldn't even imagine!  after 6 weeks of having to be held 15 hours a day, I am seriously thinking that Attachment Parenting folks are a bit crazy!  I mean, I love my baby, but my arms hurt, my back aches and I am going slowly insaine.

So.... I broke down.  First, I got cable TV installed. Now I can actually sit and watch something while holding Pickles and not feel like I am going to lose my mind.   And, as much as I hate to admit it, I hired a live in nanny/housekeeper. So now, I don't have to feel so quilty that my house is a mess and I haven't got ANT THING accomplished all day.  In my defence, my husband has been away in Africa for the past month and I was all alone trying to deal with screaming Mimi.

Now, at three months she is finally starting to give me a bit more time. Yesterday I actually finished painting my living room after three weeks! Pickles is finally calming down as we try to settle into a rhythm here in our jungle home and all the monkeys are happy...for now

Baby Carbon Steps Monthly Missions, Month 2 (April)

When I found out we where getting a baby the first thing we did was run off to the mall. 23 years ago when I started giving birth to “the Grown Ups” I was young and dirt poor. I had to work two jobs just to buy diapers. This time, I’m all grown up can basically afford to buy anything and everything little Pickles could need. My first thoughts where all the stuff cool new stuff they have out for babies and how we needed them ALL!

Then I got to thinking, “Why?” Why is it so important that Pickles has everything brand new? She’s not going to care if someone else already wore her onsie, so why should I?  Is it more important for the baby to have a $500 stroller from America or for us to send the money on a plane ticket for Beans to come see her baby sister?

February’s goal for us is to refrain from buying new baby stuff. We are working to beg, borrow or buy, used baby clothes and any baby items we might need.

We have some awesome friends who dug through their storage and found some great things like this Cherry wood Basset Crib from the states, tons of clothes, and a cool Graco stroller/ car seat.

The stroller and car seat where a little faded, but other wise in great shape,  so my DH Google, dug down to his Indian roots and pulled out his alter ego “the little seamstress” and totally remodeled both stroller and car seat in a great cherry fabric. It turned out so awesome and only cost us about $30 instead of the $500 I had planned on spending. (and Beans gets to see her baby sis!)

So far we have got everything second hand  or made it ourselves. The only thing that I am going to buy is some new glass baby bottles, and  maybe a binky or two.  That cutie, over priced baby dress will just have to stay on the rack. 

February Baby Carbon Steps

When I found out we where getting a baby the first thing we did was run off to the mall. 23 years ago when I started giving birth to “the Grown Ups” I was young and dirt poor. I had to work two jobs just to buy diapers. This time, I’m all grown up can basically afford to buy anything and everything little Pickles could need. My first thoughts where all the stuff cool new stuff they have out for babies and how we needed them ALL!

Then I got to thinking, “Why?” Why is it so important that Pickles has everything brand new? She’s not going to care if someone else already wore her onsie, so why should I?  Is it more important for the baby to have a $500 stroller from America or for us to send the money on a plane ticket for Beans to come see her baby sister?

February’s goal for us is to refrain from buying new baby stuff. We are working to beg, borrow or buy, used baby clothes and any baby items we might need.

We have some awesome friends who dug through their storage and found some great things like this Cherry wood Basset Crib from the states, tons of clothes, and a cool Graco stroller/ car seat.

The stroller and car seat where a little faded, but other wise in great shape,  so my DH Google, dug down to his Indian roots and pulled out his alter ego “the little seamstress” and totally remodeled both stroller and car seat in a great cherry fabric. It turned out so awesome and only cost us about $30 instead of the $500 I had planned on spending. (and Beans gets to see her baby sis!)

So far we have got everything second hand  or made it ourselves. The only thing that I am going to buy is some new glass baby bottles, and  maybe a binky or two.  That cutie, over priced baby dress will just have to stay on the rack.  

Baby Carbon Steps Monthly Missions, Month 1 (March)

This month our focus has been on reducing the paper waste in our house. If you take a look around, I am sure that you will find many paper products that could very easily be replaced with reusable items or eliminated all together.  I love paper towels. And even though we compost them, I know that the idea isn’t really to recycle, but to try to reduce what we use so that it doesn’t have to be recycled in the first place. So, paper towels must go. In there place I bought a bundle or micro terry rags and put them in a basket on the counter for quick pick ups.

Next item on the list is sanitary napkins. Seems really gross at first, but if you install a handy dandy butt squirter like we have here in Thailand, it’s not too bad.  My DH Google actually designed the pads and I sewed them out of left-over pvc material, flannel and old towels.  I even have a little travel wet bag for when I am away from home. Takes a bit to get use to, but not too bad in the end. I am also making nursing pads right now because I tend to need them A LOT.

Oh the baby front, I have spent the month sewing cloth diapers for Pickles. Twenty of each size (nb, s,m.l) and about 20 liners. I also will be using handmade diaper wipes once again using  some really cheap baby washcloths and a lovely Jungle Baby Bottom Spray I made.

To add to potty time fun, say goodbye to the TP! I figure if we can use reusable wipes for the baby (EWWWW) why not for our little ( or not so little) bottoms?  We have the butt squirter, (so the yuck gets washed off) and here in Thailand we don’t flush the TP anyway, so why the heck not??? I got some lovely, soft, super cheap baby washcloths, cut them in half and put them in a nice little basket on the back of the potty. Add a nice covered can by the Boy is Baby Beans gonna love this when she gets here from the states in a few days!

If you have a baby and are already doing cloth diapers, this isn’t really any worse.

Check out Bonzi Aphrodite's Mission Last year to change to cloth TP too.

 Some other things I am working on are home made cloth dinner napkins and placemats, reusable sandwich bags, Bento box lunches,  and switching to small containers for condiments(instead of things like sugar packets.)

It took a little work, but what an easy change it was to make and I figure it will save us about 1200 baht ($40) a month. Yipee Ki Yah!!!!

February Baby Carbon Steps

When I found out we where getting a baby the first thing we did was run off to the mall. 23 years ago when I started giving birth to “the Grown Ups” I was young and dirt poor. I had to work two jobs just to buy diapers. This time, I’m all grown up can basically afford to buy anything and everything little Pickles could need. My first thoughts where all the stuff cool new stuff they have out for babies and how we needed them ALL!

Then I got to thinking, “Why?” Why is it so important that Pickles has everything brand new? She’s not going to care if someone else already wore her onsie, so why should I?  Is it more important for the baby to have a $500 stroller from America or for us to send the money on a plane ticket for Beans to come see her baby sister?

February’s goal for us is to refrain from buying new baby stuff. We are working to beg, borrow or buy, used baby clothes and any baby items we might need.

We have some awesome friends who dug through their storage and found some great things like this Cherry wood Basset Crib from the states, tons of clothes, and a cool Graco stroller/ car seat.

The stroller and car seat where a little faded, but other wise in great shape,  so my DH Google, dug down to his Indian roots and pulled out his alter ego “the little seamstress” and totally remodeled both stroller and car seat in a great cherry fabric. It turned out so awesome and only cost us about $30 instead of the $500 I had planned on spending. (and Beans gets to see her baby sis!)

So far we have got everything second hand  or made it ourselves. The only thing that I am going to buy is some new glass baby bottles, and  maybe a binky or two.  That cutie, over priced baby dress will just have to stay on the rack.  

Baby Carbon Steps Monthly Missions

Sometimes I feel like I am fighting an up hill battle trying to be green in this plastic jungle.  There are so many things in our home here in Thailand that I want to change to improve our carbon foot print. Every year we try, but just get so frustrated and over whelmed that we give up on many things.  This year we agreed to try something new.After reading this article I decided that we needed a family mission statement.  I am a total 7 Habits person, and I feel that it is important to begin with the end in mind. So, family meeting time! It's not easy to sum up your life in a paragraph, but I recommended to keep it simple and don't try to over think it. Simply look at what you think is most important and what your family hopes to represent. In other words, when poeple look at you, what do you want them to see?

In order to really live this mission statement,we have decided to concentrate on changing one thing a month that we feel needs changing in our lives. It may be something to move towards lowering our carbon foot print, to a health change or maybe even a spiritual change. Heaven knows we got issues and 12 months ain't gonna change them all, but by taking them one baby step at a time, maybe we will really make important changes..  

I challenge you to join us in the baby steps to change our lives. Each moth choose one thing that you would like to change in your home or life style.  It might be using only reusable grocery bags, changing to chemical free cleaners, changing to cloth diapers or giving up meat.  You make the choices on what you feel are the most important  things that you what to change. Through out the month work on your goal and then blog about it, and send me a link to you blog. Or add your comments here.  I look forward to hearing what you would like to change and how you do it.

Although it is almost April, I am adding my journals for the past few months so you can see how we have fared.

Baking Soda Betty

I love baking soda. Next to Windex (don't get me started on the Windex) and coconut oil, baking soda is one of my all time favorite household secrets. The ladies in my family are Queens of Clean and have taught me well.  We don't need no fancy cleaning products. Oh no! We just need a few simple normal house hold items and we can make your house sparkle.  Infact, my Mamo, she invinted oxy clean (not that Billy Mays guy) but back in her day, they called it dundundah..... baking soda!

So here's Mamo's Cleaner before there was the Oxy:
1.Take a box of baking soda
2. pour it in a pan
3.  bake it at 400 F or 204 C
4. keep it in an air tight container (keep it tight or air will get back in)
5. Use the same way you would the oxy stuff, as a stain soak (over night) or as a laundry booster. OR>>> for stubborn stains pour a little baking soda on the stain, add some soda water and rub.

Whaaalaaaa! There you have it. the secrete to keeping your jungle brights, bright and your whites, white!

Tell them you heard it from Baking Soda Betty =)

Queen of the Diaper Pail!

My baby's not even here yet and I can't believe how many diapers I have washed. Thank goodness my DH,Google, bought me a beautiful new washing machine! For the past two years I washed clothes buy hand or with a laundry service.  Now I have a lovely washer and can do it on my own. (Can you feel the excitement?)
I thought I would share some Jungle Baby washing that you can do in your own home (even in the big city)

Washing diperliners:
 No more toilet swirling for me!  Her is my #1 Tip from Thailand. YOU NEED THIS!
Let me introduce you to what we lovingly call the "Butt Squirt"

Please ignore the nasty floor, this is my outside bathroom!

So this little guy can be found in almost every bathroom in Thailand. We don't have a very good sewer system here, so you aren't suppose to flush TP. So the creative Thais installed these lovely things to there toilets. Think poor man's Bidet!   My dear friend told me when her Thai husband first went to Canada he asked why they had a but squirter in the kitchen sink!  ROTFLMAO!!!! I wonder if he envisioned us crazy white people with our bottoms over the sink????!!!!!

These are the greatest thing with diapers (or mommy's  monthly). It's so easy to install, even I can do it!  Her is a great easy tutorial for you folks over therefrom 3Strands

To clean your diapers, you just hold the poopy diaper or liner over the potty and give it a good squirt. for my diaper liners and cloth wipes, I keep a big bowl next to the toilet that I have added one small scoop of homemade oxi-like cleaner, you just toss the liner in there and let them soak over night. The diaper covers I Velcro closed and toss in the laundry basket if they aren't soiled, or simply add them to the soak bucket. 

The next morning while I am still in the shower, I dump the bucket in the shower and rinse them all out, (scrubbing if needed). Another thing we do is dump them in the bathtub water after I've taken a bath and use the water (earth friendly). After a nice rinse the liners hang out in the glorious Thai sun to  naturally bleach them and leave them smelling April fresh! Not that's not so hard!

How it all Began

So this whole Jungle Baby thing started with a simple diaper.  Or maybe lack of diapers. I knew right away that I didn't want to use disposables. Landfills, chemicals, not to mention the cost!  When "the Grown Ups" where babies Seattle (where they were born) was on this "No Disposables" kick. Which was OK, but not easy. My Dear Auntie Vi, taught me to fold the diapers, pin them one, swirl them in the toilet, then send them off to diaper service. Not fun!

Fast forward to 2011.  Now we have these fancy newfangled all-in-one cloth diapers that take away all that hassle. Woopie! this is going to be so cool! Google and I set out to buy little pickles her own cutie poototie AIO just like on the internet.  That where the problem started. guess what? the don't sell AIO here. I did manage to find on brand in Rimping Supermarket, but they were so crappy and cost 300 baht. (about 10$). AND Amazon won't ship to Thailand! (Are you feeling my pain now?)

So, our cloth diaper making journey has began. After about 20 tries and five different  patterns, Goggle made our own lovely pattern, (he's quite the seamstress) and we have decided that we should open a little store and sell them so that others don't have to run around Thailand looking for a good diaper the way we did.

Jungle Baby Natural

Going "baby natural" was something I knew we had to do the moment I learned we were getting a baby. You see, we live in a jungle. Yes it's tropical and there are trees and monkeys and elephants, but it's not just a green jungle, it's a PLASTIC jungle. Everything here is made-from or wrapped in plastic. Sometimes three or four layers of plastic. Not only is it a jungle, but It's a chemical jungle. Everything is loaded down with what ever companies feel like putting in their products.

To make things worse, I don't speak the language. Everything is written is swirly-whirlly Thai and I have no idea what ingredients is in anything! Even familiar things may have an English name, like "Frosted Flakes". but unless it is imported, the ingredients and Thai.  We are able to get alot of imported stuff, like Seventh Generation, but it's three times what I'd pay back home. Just not in the budget, but there is no way I'm putting anything on Pickles that I don't know what it is.

Am I being crazy? Too Granola? Ober concerned?  I don't think so.  Last time I did this baby thing with "the Grown Ups" I used all the quick and easy stuff. Johnson's& Johnson's  was my pal. But I had babies with chronic ear infections, enema, asthma, colic, diaper rash, and a number of other illnesses. I'm not twenty years old now and I know, that even though I love the small of a J&J baby, I am not putting that stuff on Pickles tiny hiney!

You see three years ago I spent 16 days in the hospital here in beautiful Chiang Mai, with pesticide poisoning. My body got to the point where it just couldn't take any more of the crap that was being pumped in, spattered on, or inhaled. As beautiful as it it here, the fact of the matter is, there really are no "regulations". Just like the traffic lights, food regulations are a suggestion.  I am leary of everything now. If I can't read it, I'm not buying it.
So the need to create  my own Jungle Baby care has arisen. I am hoping here, through this blog to share, with others the lovely natural products that you can make yourself. Or, if you live in Thailand, direct you to things that have worked for me and that I trust. Hope you enjoy and use them.  Please let me know if you try my ideas and what you think!