- ½ bagel with cream cheese
- cookies
- frozen grapes
- banana muffins (or other muffins)
- jello (w/ pineapple?)
- hot chocolate with marshmallows
- caramel popcorn
- plain popcorn
- meat and cheese roll ups
- apple sauce
- fruit kabobs
- english muffin pizzas
- frozen pizza (cut in strips)
- graham crackers with nutella (or frosting)
- graham crackers dipped in apple sauce
- rice crispy treats
- cracker with melted cheese dipped in salsa
- string cheese
- easy mac-n-cheese
- apple slices dipped in peanut butter (or caramel)
- nachos (make a cheese sauce or sprinkle cheese and micro)
- veggies with ranch or hummus
- cereal with milk
- cheese cubes with fruit
- wheat toast w/ ham or cinnamon/sugar
- pickles
- olives
- microwave quesadilla (cheese, beans or refried beans)
- chips and salsa or guacamole
- yogurt (with granola and/or fruit)
- rice cake with nutella and/or peanut butter
- toast with mix of cream cheese/jam
- grilled peanut butter/banana sandwich or grilled pb&j
- smoothies
- deviled eggs
- pretzels with chocolate dip
- celery with cream cheese or peanut butter
- tuna melt on a ritz cracker
- ramen soup
- instant oatmeal packets
- cottage cheese with Lawry’s seasoning salt
- pudding
- cheese/pepperoni crackers
- broiled cheese bread
- waffle or pancake with peanut butter/banana
- frozen fish sticks
- french fries or tator tots
- biscuit (pillsbury or biscuik) with butter/honey
Friday, October 4, 2013
After School Snack Ideas
Tuesday, October 16, 2012
From Smart to Dumb Which is Probably Smart
I am not quite sure how to title this entry. I have several choices:
1. Confessions of a Newly Recovering iPhone User
2. A Penny Saved is a Penny Earned
3. I've Done the Unthinkable
4. Untethered
I went into the the AT&T store today and did what very few people have ever done before. I switched my phone service from my handy-dandy, beloved iPhone 4 to a "dumb phone," a mobile phone that is just that- a phone. I can text from it or make and receive phone calls. That's it. Texts and calls.
The nice man who helped me at the store introduced himself and asked if he could help me. I laughed and said, "Yes, you can, but I am going to need a little emotional support. Are you up to it?" He gave a nervous laugh, asked if I was sure about my decision, and then proceded to say he understood and would try to make the transaction as painless as possible. I'm sure he was thinking in the back of his mind that he would see me in a week or two, ready to re-tether myself to my smart phone.
I know I have made a good decision for several reasons. First, the $30/mo extra (along with several other expenses that we are working to cut) is excessive spending for a big family on a fixed, ministry income, committed to keeping me home as much as possible. Second, I am so tied to my phone. Every spare minute, I slide that lock screen open to check my email or Facebook, text someone, peruse Pinterest, or find out what the weather is going to be for the weekend. So many choices for how to spend those spare seconds. When I am anxious or stressed, I feel suddenly soothed by the glowing screen with all my favorite escapes.
When the deal was done, I felt strangely disoriented, unsure of how life goes on without constant, everywhere access to the internet, google maps, to Facebook, to amazon.com, and to my newest addiction, Pinterest. No texting a cool picture at a moments notice. No instant access to my e-mail. Had I jumped off a cliff? It felt like it.
It was only when I had my new dumb phone in hand, paid for with contacts transfered, that I allowed myself to walk across the room to gaze at and stroke the iPhone 5 which I hadn't seen in person yet. To my amazement, it didn't have much charm. Looked pretty much just like mine, and I was already feeling so free of my $30/month commitment to being tethered to a glowing little box, that I was able to happily walk away.
1. Confessions of a Newly Recovering iPhone User
2. A Penny Saved is a Penny Earned
3. I've Done the Unthinkable
4. Untethered
I went into the the AT&T store today and did what very few people have ever done before. I switched my phone service from my handy-dandy, beloved iPhone 4 to a "dumb phone," a mobile phone that is just that- a phone. I can text from it or make and receive phone calls. That's it. Texts and calls.
The nice man who helped me at the store introduced himself and asked if he could help me. I laughed and said, "Yes, you can, but I am going to need a little emotional support. Are you up to it?" He gave a nervous laugh, asked if I was sure about my decision, and then proceded to say he understood and would try to make the transaction as painless as possible. I'm sure he was thinking in the back of his mind that he would see me in a week or two, ready to re-tether myself to my smart phone.
I know I have made a good decision for several reasons. First, the $30/mo extra (along with several other expenses that we are working to cut) is excessive spending for a big family on a fixed, ministry income, committed to keeping me home as much as possible. Second, I am so tied to my phone. Every spare minute, I slide that lock screen open to check my email or Facebook, text someone, peruse Pinterest, or find out what the weather is going to be for the weekend. So many choices for how to spend those spare seconds. When I am anxious or stressed, I feel suddenly soothed by the glowing screen with all my favorite escapes.
When the deal was done, I felt strangely disoriented, unsure of how life goes on without constant, everywhere access to the internet, google maps, to Facebook, to amazon.com, and to my newest addiction, Pinterest. No texting a cool picture at a moments notice. No instant access to my e-mail. Had I jumped off a cliff? It felt like it.
It was only when I had my new dumb phone in hand, paid for with contacts transfered, that I allowed myself to walk across the room to gaze at and stroke the iPhone 5 which I hadn't seen in person yet. To my amazement, it didn't have much charm. Looked pretty much just like mine, and I was already feeling so free of my $30/month commitment to being tethered to a glowing little box, that I was able to happily walk away.
Tuesday, December 6, 2011
Words to Share at the Celebration Service of My Mother, Susan Burdick December 1, 2011
“When I grow up, I want to be just like my mom.” That is what I wrote as a journal entry back in 1st grade. I found it years ago when I went home from college and my mom told me to go thru some of my old things that were nearly forgotten in the basement. I’ve obviously grown up since then. I’m my own person, and have taken different roads than she took. For instance, I am the black sheep of the family in the sense that I don’t have the athletic prowess of my sister, my mom, or my dad, and I have had a few more children than she did! But, I’m realizing that my early wish has come true in many other ways.
Ironically, as women grow older they often become like their mother in many ways. This has been true for me, as my husband can testify--sometimes happily, sometimes not!
As my mom displayed a strong marriage, I hope to be just like her.
We can’t talk about my mom without talking about the love relationship that she shared with my dad. We all think BIKES when we think of them. It’s a perfect picture of their life together. Sometimes they rode together on the tandem. My dad leading and my mom eagerly adding her strength as the stoker. Other times, they rode separate bikes, different speeds, but always meeting up at the end with stories to share.
But, as we all know, it was not about the bike! It was their love for one another that shined. It was their commitment to love life, their friends, and their family that kept them together and that fueled my dad’s patient care for her over the past several years. He has set the bar high for all you men out there...if your wife gets sick, just ask my dad what to do. He could probably write a book.
She adored him, trusted him, enjoyed him.
I want to be like my mother in her selfless interest in the lives of others.
I think I saw in my mom, even at an early age, a joy and love for others that I wanted to adopt...she could talk to anyone. I know I was mortified more than once as I was growing up, as she started up a conversation with a perfect stranger. But now, guess what...I embarrass my own children all the time in the same way. I love to chat with the person standing in line in front of me or just about anyone that walks past. Here is another way I have become like my mother. It is a quality that has made me well suited to being a pastor’s wife.
I want to be like my mom in that she made her family a high priority.
She certainly valued dinners together as a family. In recent years, studies have come out that say that the family meal with interesting conversation is essential to building healthy family relations. Old news to my mom...she had been pushing for that for ages. In my family, I emphasize the family meal as well. As a matter of fact, at my house, I even have my mother’s dining table that my dad made for her when I was three. Many of you have actually eaten at that table.
We continued her family dinner tradition last week at Thanksgiving with my dad at my sister’s house in NH. Julia had said several times that we needed to set 15 place settings. 15. Ironically, that was one too many and we didn’t realize it until we all sat down. After an awkward moment of silence, we all laughed, poured an extra glass of wine, and sat Phil and Nathan on either side of the empty chair thinking she would have wanted to give her sons-in-law one more tongue lashing. I couldn’t help but want to call her--she would have gotten a fabulous laugh out of that one.
A few days after she died, I felt a sense of panic. I was afraid I didn’t know my mother well enough, that I didn’t have enough memories, that my memory of her was already fading. I think that is one reason we have these celebration services: we all get a chance to share stories of the loved one that has died. These stories get passed from generation to generation. I think that I speak for Julia as well as for myself, we would love for you to share those stories with us this week or give us a call when you think of something that you want to share.
In the Bible, in the book of Ecclesiastes, there is a verse that goes like this:
For everything there is a season and a time for every matter under heaven, a time to be born, and a time to die...a time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance.
I like to think that my mom would have wanted us to weep by laughing and mourn by dancing. May all of our lives be a song to which we and others can dance. The song that my mother danced to beats in my sister and I. Her chorus, while not perfect, was one of humor and of opinion and of love. That same chorus plays in our lives. Julia and I have written different verses, but the chorus is the same as hers.
Mom, I will miss you. I will miss hearing your voice on the other end of the phone. I hate to say it, but in recent years, I always knew you’d be home when I called, and I loved that. You would answer and listen and ask for more...more stories about my kids, more news, and then you would always say, “I love you, Honey” before hanging up. Thank you for loving me. Julia and I and your beautiful 9 grandchildren are your legacy--the mark you have left in the world.
Ironically, as women grow older they often become like their mother in many ways. This has been true for me, as my husband can testify--sometimes happily, sometimes not!
As my mom displayed a strong marriage, I hope to be just like her.
We can’t talk about my mom without talking about the love relationship that she shared with my dad. We all think BIKES when we think of them. It’s a perfect picture of their life together. Sometimes they rode together on the tandem. My dad leading and my mom eagerly adding her strength as the stoker. Other times, they rode separate bikes, different speeds, but always meeting up at the end with stories to share.
But, as we all know, it was not about the bike! It was their love for one another that shined. It was their commitment to love life, their friends, and their family that kept them together and that fueled my dad’s patient care for her over the past several years. He has set the bar high for all you men out there...if your wife gets sick, just ask my dad what to do. He could probably write a book.
She adored him, trusted him, enjoyed him.
I want to be like my mother in her selfless interest in the lives of others.
I think I saw in my mom, even at an early age, a joy and love for others that I wanted to adopt...she could talk to anyone. I know I was mortified more than once as I was growing up, as she started up a conversation with a perfect stranger. But now, guess what...I embarrass my own children all the time in the same way. I love to chat with the person standing in line in front of me or just about anyone that walks past. Here is another way I have become like my mother. It is a quality that has made me well suited to being a pastor’s wife.
I want to be like my mom in that she made her family a high priority.
She certainly valued dinners together as a family. In recent years, studies have come out that say that the family meal with interesting conversation is essential to building healthy family relations. Old news to my mom...she had been pushing for that for ages. In my family, I emphasize the family meal as well. As a matter of fact, at my house, I even have my mother’s dining table that my dad made for her when I was three. Many of you have actually eaten at that table.
We continued her family dinner tradition last week at Thanksgiving with my dad at my sister’s house in NH. Julia had said several times that we needed to set 15 place settings. 15. Ironically, that was one too many and we didn’t realize it until we all sat down. After an awkward moment of silence, we all laughed, poured an extra glass of wine, and sat Phil and Nathan on either side of the empty chair thinking she would have wanted to give her sons-in-law one more tongue lashing. I couldn’t help but want to call her--she would have gotten a fabulous laugh out of that one.
A few days after she died, I felt a sense of panic. I was afraid I didn’t know my mother well enough, that I didn’t have enough memories, that my memory of her was already fading. I think that is one reason we have these celebration services: we all get a chance to share stories of the loved one that has died. These stories get passed from generation to generation. I think that I speak for Julia as well as for myself, we would love for you to share those stories with us this week or give us a call when you think of something that you want to share.
In the Bible, in the book of Ecclesiastes, there is a verse that goes like this:
For everything there is a season and a time for every matter under heaven, a time to be born, and a time to die...a time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance.
I like to think that my mom would have wanted us to weep by laughing and mourn by dancing. May all of our lives be a song to which we and others can dance. The song that my mother danced to beats in my sister and I. Her chorus, while not perfect, was one of humor and of opinion and of love. That same chorus plays in our lives. Julia and I have written different verses, but the chorus is the same as hers.
Mom, I will miss you. I will miss hearing your voice on the other end of the phone. I hate to say it, but in recent years, I always knew you’d be home when I called, and I loved that. You would answer and listen and ask for more...more stories about my kids, more news, and then you would always say, “I love you, Honey” before hanging up. Thank you for loving me. Julia and I and your beautiful 9 grandchildren are your legacy--the mark you have left in the world.
Wednesday, September 28, 2011
Planter's Wife Perspecitve
Phil is going to a church planters meeting next week where they are going to talk about pastors' wives and what they struggle with most. He asked me to write down some of my thoughts from our experience thus far so that he will be prepared to participate in the discussion. I thought it would be nice to post my thoughts here on my blog as well!
Things that make my life different than the average woman on my block: (these are just observations....not necessarily complaints or struggles)
1. My husband works weird hours.
2. Many of my friends think my husband really doesn't work at all except on Sundays.
3. My house often has extra people at all hours of the day and night. I have to get rid of all notions that my house should be tidy for guests!
4. Having company for dinner is not a big event- it just happens without a big fanfare. Often!
5. My immediate family is not around.
6. For other ladies, their kids are the center of their world. All energies go into their kids. In a church planters' family, those energies are divided differently.
7. I am uniquely tied into my husband's work while they send their husbands off in the morning and have no part in his work. Seems like that would be a bit boring and hard on a marriage to have such a separation.
8. Our kids are part of my husband's work. What other family on the block has that dynamic going???
Good things:
1. My kids love having people over. They love knowing all sorts of people and having their world expanded beyond the confines of school.
2. I get to have lots of friends. A variety of friends. On the other hand, I have to have lots of friends and I can't discriminate like other ladies on who I like and who I don't like. I kind of have to like or extend myself for just about anyone regardless of whether I like them or not. :) (I generally like people tho unless they are extra needy- those people are really hard for me)
3. My husband has a flexible schedule and can help me.
4. My husband is forced to invest in our marriage. His livelihood depends on it. (not sure if that is a good way to put it, but...)
5. Working on a "project" together strengthens our relationship.
6. Our home/lifestyle is centered on something that is a bit risky (church planting) so we are "forced" to live by faith in a unique way...stimulating growth and maturity. I might not do that on my own if we were living a "normal" life.
7. I get to hear bits of the sermon all week long.
8. I have a say-so in church matters!
9. We get to be a part of people's stories! We get to hear what is going on in their lives and be used by God to help them grow. How exciting is that? To be a tool in God's hand is pretty darn exciting!!!
10. I have to listen well to the sermons because I have to give my husband feedback.
Struggles:
See all of the above because things that are good also have a bad side!
1. I am not near my extended family so I don't have the help that other people do...but then again, I dont have to deal with some of the headaches/drama that come with extended family.
2. It takes work to get "fed" spiritually and I often don't have the energy to do that work.
3. I am increasingly aware that people can see it on my face when I am stressed. Ex. Elena is acutely aware when I am flustered. Another one- Seth commented once when I was sitting down how odd it was to see me do that.
4. I feel like I am stretched really thin lately.
5. My house, to me seems like it is a mess because there is always something going on. I sometimes feel jealous of other women whose houses are so neat and tidy and under control.
6. Money is tight.
I keep trying to think of struggles...but sort of see the struggles as good things as well- so, it is a hard list to make.
Things that make my life different than the average woman on my block: (these are just observations....not necessarily complaints or struggles)
1. My husband works weird hours.
2. Many of my friends think my husband really doesn't work at all except on Sundays.
3. My house often has extra people at all hours of the day and night. I have to get rid of all notions that my house should be tidy for guests!
4. Having company for dinner is not a big event- it just happens without a big fanfare. Often!
5. My immediate family is not around.
6. For other ladies, their kids are the center of their world. All energies go into their kids. In a church planters' family, those energies are divided differently.
7. I am uniquely tied into my husband's work while they send their husbands off in the morning and have no part in his work. Seems like that would be a bit boring and hard on a marriage to have such a separation.
8. Our kids are part of my husband's work. What other family on the block has that dynamic going???
Good things:
1. My kids love having people over. They love knowing all sorts of people and having their world expanded beyond the confines of school.
2. I get to have lots of friends. A variety of friends. On the other hand, I have to have lots of friends and I can't discriminate like other ladies on who I like and who I don't like. I kind of have to like or extend myself for just about anyone regardless of whether I like them or not. :) (I generally like people tho unless they are extra needy- those people are really hard for me)
3. My husband has a flexible schedule and can help me.
4. My husband is forced to invest in our marriage. His livelihood depends on it. (not sure if that is a good way to put it, but...)
5. Working on a "project" together strengthens our relationship.
6. Our home/lifestyle is centered on something that is a bit risky (church planting) so we are "forced" to live by faith in a unique way...stimulating growth and maturity. I might not do that on my own if we were living a "normal" life.
7. I get to hear bits of the sermon all week long.
8. I have a say-so in church matters!
9. We get to be a part of people's stories! We get to hear what is going on in their lives and be used by God to help them grow. How exciting is that? To be a tool in God's hand is pretty darn exciting!!!
10. I have to listen well to the sermons because I have to give my husband feedback.
Struggles:
See all of the above because things that are good also have a bad side!
1. I am not near my extended family so I don't have the help that other people do...but then again, I dont have to deal with some of the headaches/drama that come with extended family.
2. It takes work to get "fed" spiritually and I often don't have the energy to do that work.
3. I am increasingly aware that people can see it on my face when I am stressed. Ex. Elena is acutely aware when I am flustered. Another one- Seth commented once when I was sitting down how odd it was to see me do that.
4. I feel like I am stretched really thin lately.
5. My house, to me seems like it is a mess because there is always something going on. I sometimes feel jealous of other women whose houses are so neat and tidy and under control.
6. Money is tight.
I keep trying to think of struggles...but sort of see the struggles as good things as well- so, it is a hard list to make.
Friday, February 11, 2011
We are No Longer Cute and other Revelations
We just celebrated our "baby's" 5th birthday. It is still hard to believe that she has been around for 5 years. Yes, she walks, talks, eats and dresses on her own. Even buckles herself into her own car seat. Such new "freedoms" I am experiencing as a mom. I am no longer wiping bottoms, no longer making baby food, or buying darling onesies and sippy cups. Our household has moved on to "personal bests" in winter track, "for-profit" snow shoveling, and after school tutoring. As busy as I thought I was when I was measuring my day in terms of baby feedings and naps, I now find that I long for those simple, simple days!
I have been in the airport several times in the past year visiting my mom in Tucson. I love to watch the movement of traveling people. The couples with small children are especially cute to watch. They have their fancy stroller loaded down with toys and diapers. Dad is patiently walking behind the toddling little one. Mom is checking to make sure she has everything set to entertain a confined baby for a few hours en route to where ever they are going. As frazzled as those parents seem, they look so young and cute, in an odd way, fresh. I always identify with those young parents like I am part of their club, The Alliance of Cute Young Parents.
This past trip though, I had a jolting revelation. I am no longer a part of that Club! I have started giving talks- lectures even- to those young, hip newbies. I hear myself thinking, "Been there. Done that," when I pass by. I threw out my old unsexy stroller. I don't have a stylish diaper bag. And I don't travel with a bundle of toys and snacks. We are no longer members of the ACYP.
What are we now as we traipse thru an airport with our entourage of walking, talking, bag carrying children- some of which are on the verge of adulthood? My husband has passed the forty year mark and I can see it from my seat. I was shocked this past trip to realize that we could be grandparents- when hell freezes over, mind you, but it is possible!
The other revelation, that is not such a jolt is that I love the stage of life in which we find ourselves. What a thrill to sit around our big kitchen table and hear about the childrens' days, to hear them question and dream. To rejoice with them over their successes and press them forward when they mess up. Even the mess of back packs, books, and shoes, shoes, shoes is exciting- a real pain sometimes, but exciting none the less. (Ever wonder how many pairs of shoes a family of 8 owns? I'll give you a buck if you come over and count them all!)
One final revelation: (and I know that for many, this is not new stuff) I have had to come to grips with fact that the "staff job complete" principle doesn't really apply to mothering or running a household. Can I be free from the tyranny of thinking I need to check everything off of my list and close up shop at the end of the day? My job will never be "complete" until Jesus calls me home, so why do I frustrate myself by constantly telling myself that I am "behind" in my work, that I have to catch up, that there are too many things left undone? I need to accept the on-going nature of my job as a homemaker and not get "my panties in a wad" over a pile of laundry, a week of unplanned meals, or my third grader's report card full of B's. When I hit the gates of Heaven, I will hear those blessed words, "Staff job complete, my faithful daughter." But until then, I have the comforting arm of my Savior strengthening me, leading me, and caring for me as I face the "unfinishable" business of being a wife, mother, and home manager.
I mentioned that 40 is in my near future. People always told me that your 40's is a time of new freedoms and less cares. Well, I am noticing that they are right! I want to dress wild, paint wild colors throughout my house and even spend a fortune to buy a dog. Watch out world!
I have been in the airport several times in the past year visiting my mom in Tucson. I love to watch the movement of traveling people. The couples with small children are especially cute to watch. They have their fancy stroller loaded down with toys and diapers. Dad is patiently walking behind the toddling little one. Mom is checking to make sure she has everything set to entertain a confined baby for a few hours en route to where ever they are going. As frazzled as those parents seem, they look so young and cute, in an odd way, fresh. I always identify with those young parents like I am part of their club, The Alliance of Cute Young Parents.
This past trip though, I had a jolting revelation. I am no longer a part of that Club! I have started giving talks- lectures even- to those young, hip newbies. I hear myself thinking, "Been there. Done that," when I pass by. I threw out my old unsexy stroller. I don't have a stylish diaper bag. And I don't travel with a bundle of toys and snacks. We are no longer members of the ACYP.
What are we now as we traipse thru an airport with our entourage of walking, talking, bag carrying children- some of which are on the verge of adulthood? My husband has passed the forty year mark and I can see it from my seat. I was shocked this past trip to realize that we could be grandparents- when hell freezes over, mind you, but it is possible!
The other revelation, that is not such a jolt is that I love the stage of life in which we find ourselves. What a thrill to sit around our big kitchen table and hear about the childrens' days, to hear them question and dream. To rejoice with them over their successes and press them forward when they mess up. Even the mess of back packs, books, and shoes, shoes, shoes is exciting- a real pain sometimes, but exciting none the less. (Ever wonder how many pairs of shoes a family of 8 owns? I'll give you a buck if you come over and count them all!)
One final revelation: (and I know that for many, this is not new stuff) I have had to come to grips with fact that the "staff job complete" principle doesn't really apply to mothering or running a household. Can I be free from the tyranny of thinking I need to check everything off of my list and close up shop at the end of the day? My job will never be "complete" until Jesus calls me home, so why do I frustrate myself by constantly telling myself that I am "behind" in my work, that I have to catch up, that there are too many things left undone? I need to accept the on-going nature of my job as a homemaker and not get "my panties in a wad" over a pile of laundry, a week of unplanned meals, or my third grader's report card full of B's. When I hit the gates of Heaven, I will hear those blessed words, "Staff job complete, my faithful daughter." But until then, I have the comforting arm of my Savior strengthening me, leading me, and caring for me as I face the "unfinishable" business of being a wife, mother, and home manager.
I mentioned that 40 is in my near future. People always told me that your 40's is a time of new freedoms and less cares. Well, I am noticing that they are right! I want to dress wild, paint wild colors throughout my house and even spend a fortune to buy a dog. Watch out world!
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