What To Do About Night Time Fears?

The minute the light turns out, my two year has suddenly started being terrified by anything and everything.  It started with a need for a night light (which we got her), but now she's still afraid of the dark plus her "scary bed", the "bug that wants to eat her", the "dinosaur that bites her", and the "other side of the room that has a monster in it".  I've tried 'Monster Spray' (to spray at those monsters so they'll disappear), stuffed guardian angel doll, stuffed Mary doll to cuddle, plus all her other comfort pillows, blankets, toys, books and water.   There's hardly room in that bed for her!

I've always thought if you just let your child know that their guardian angel is there to protect them and that God is always with them, that's enough to give them a good night's sleep in their own bed.  Not this girl.  She won't be convinced by any of that.  I've told her so many times that God is bigger than anything bad, but she still screams the minute I turn to leave her room at night. 

It's escalated so bad in the past week that if she can't sleep in my bed, she'll scream bloody murder until her voice gives out.  She will not give up!  I don't mind her sleeping in my bed, but my husband does.   He says he is a magnet for little feet.  If the kids sleep in our bed, they always end up kicking him all night.  Poor guy.   Plus, I don't want this to become a habit.

Anyone got any advice on things to try? Should I just let sleep in my bed until she grows out of it?  I'm sure there are plenty of people who have been through this...right??

A Little Girl Says to Me...

"Mommy, I love cutting!"

 

As she sits on top a chair with paper scraps covering the floor around her.  The joy of learning a new skill! Just so she keeps that scissors away from hair...her brother already took a chunk out of her head of hair a couple months ago and it still hasn't starting looking normal.  You can see it on the left side of her head.

The Best Decision is Often the Hardest One

I heard a friend say this recently and right now, I know this is true for me.  I would love to pick up my clay and make a beautiful Madonna, a new St. Andrew bead, some new symbols and string a dozen more rosaries.  But what I really need to do is reply to another email to say, "No, I can't fulfill your request. Here's a link to a friend or another person who makes rosaries."  *sigh*

How to say no to a person handing you money to do something you love to do:
Quickly say the words as fast you can while simultaneously running in the opposite direction before you change your mind.

So now I go back to what I have been doing and what I need to continue doing (which is also very enjoyable and fun, just in a different way!)

Homeschooling, cleaning, cooking, taking care of kids, a baby and loving a husband too.  I do love doing these things and I need to focus on them right now.

Thank you for your understanding!

Pondering in my Heart Mondays

I'm joining my friend, Heidi, again this week for Pondering in My Heart Heart Monday. 

This week I was struck by Sunday's Gospel. I just love these "Kingdom of Heaven" Gospels. The more I learn about what is meant by them, the more I can appreciate the message Jesus is trying to send through them.  I used to think this one was about not putting on the right clothes for Mass!

Father explained this week's Gospel, Mathew 22: 1-14 as a call for gratitude.  The one thing he said that really struck me was that ingratitude is the hinge for many more sins.  So often we get focused on the gift that we forget the Giver.  How true is that in our world and especially in my own life!  For me to be thankful, sometimes I have to imagine what life would be like without that gift. For instance, what would life be like if I didn't have food every day to eat or decent clothes to wear, or children or a wonderful husband or even the love of God.  We don't know what life would be like without the love of God because God's love is everywhere.  Even people who don't believe in God or who are terrible sinners don't know what it's like to be truly without God's love. They won't know until they die and then it's too late. That's what Hell is.  The complete absence of God's love.  The very thought makes me grateful for His love and mercy.

In my Magnificat this week, they also laid out what each line of the Gospel meant.  It was very enriching. Here's what I got from it- The guests of the wedding refuse to come to the banquet.  All that is asked of us, his guests, is that we be with him. How many times have I refused to be with God just by refusing to give my presence to Him in prayer and through my those I am called to give my presence to.   Also, it makes me think of how just the simple act of accepting God's love is sometimes the hardest to do.   Just stopping and allowing myself to be loved should be the easiest thing since I'm not really doing anything.  But I guess receiving a gift especially the gift of love is doing something- it's being humble.  Humble enough to acknowledge need for it and be truly thankful. 

Lastly, the refusal to put on the wedding garment is a refusal of the accepting the grace of God in my life.  I also see it as a refusal to put on Christ. How many times have I refused to put on Christ, and followed the wide path of the world instead by not practicing patience, humility, and charity. 

Scrapped Plans

Don't you love those days when you get nothing you had planned done, yet it turned out to be so much better than you could have planned? Today was one of those.

So thankful for a delightful days of family and friends.  Open minds and caring hearts.  Laughter and joy coming from hearts full of love.  Today I am reminded that we are all one family and caring for my neighbor is the same as caring for my sister or brother.  There are no strangers in God's family.

Foto Friday

We've been super busy around here still trying to figure out our homeschool day, painting the house and trying to keep people healthy, but I have to post these pictures of my son who has a new found love of shooting his bow and arrow.

The happy dance for hitting the target.  Finally, a sport that this boy enjoys!

A Cake for the Fall Season

I made this cake for Liam's 5th birthday this past week and it was so delicious. It was only the second time I had made my own cake from scratch. The first was a total flop.  The recipe used so much heavy cream, butter and sugar that it gave us all a stomach ache.   This one turned out beautifully moist and rich with chocolate and no stomach ache!  The frosting and chocolate glaze made this one restaurant quality in my book. Sooooo much better than a box or store bought!

Chocolate Pumpkin Cake

From Country Living

by Charles Schiller

Serves: 14 (or about 5 chocolate lovers)

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Total Time: 55 min

Oven Temp: 375

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cup(s) flour
• 2/3 cup(s) cocoa
• 2 teaspoon(s) baking powder (I used Ghirardelli only because I thought if I'm going to go through all this work to bake a cake, it better be good.)
• 1 teaspoon(s) baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon(s) salt
• 1/2 cup(s) buttermilk (I accidentally added more, but I think it was a good accident)
• 1 cup(s) canned pumpkin
• 2 teaspoon(s) vanilla extract
• 3/4 cup(s) butter, softened
• 1 cup(s) dark brown sugar
• 1 cup(s) granulated sugar
• 3 large eggs
• 1  egg yolk

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Directions

1. Line the bottoms of two 8-inch cake pans with parchment paper and lightly butter.
2. Sift the flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together. Stir the buttermilk, pumpkin, and vanilla extract together in a small bowl. Beat the butter and sugars together using an electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs and yolk, one at a time. Reduce mixer speed to low and alternately beat in the flour and buttermilk mixtures in thirds.
3. Pour the batter into the prepared pans. Bake until a tester, inserted in the center, comes out clean--about 35 minutes. Cool layers completely before icing.
4. Step 1: Frost Beat 6 ounces softened cream cheese using a mixer set on medium-high speed until fluffy. Add 1 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar, 2 1/4 teaspoons cocoa, 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon, and 3/4 teaspoon vanilla and beat on low speed until well combined. In a separate bowl, beat 1 1/2 cups heavy cream with 3/4 cup confectioners' sugar and a scant 1/4 teaspoon orange food coloring on medium-high to soft peaks. Gently fold the whipped cream into the cream cheese mixture until well combined. Spread 1 cup frosting between the two layers and use the remaining frosting to ice the top and sides of the cake. Chill 30 minutes and proceed to step 2. Makes 3 cups.
5. Step 2: Glaze Place 4 ounces of chopped bittersweet chocolate (again, I used the Ghirardelli bitter sweet chocolate bar), 1 tablespoon cold unsalted butter, and 3 tablespoons corn syrup in a medium heatproof bowl. Bring 1/2 cup heavy cream to a boil, pour it over the chocolate, and let sit for 3 minutes. Gently stir, using a whisk, until smooth. Let sit for 3 to 5 minutes, until the glaze thickens slightly. (It took a couple of times in the microwave before this would melt for me). Pour the glaze onto the center of the frosted cake and smooth out to the edges to allow the glaze to drop over the sides. Makes 1 cup.