Finding Balm in Gilead

The Wheat Germ Weekly, Ed. 20

Nothing like waiting till the last minute to get my Friday/looking more like a Saturday post of the Wheat Germ Weekly up on the blog. Ugh.

But today I'd like to talk about meat .

Meat is important in our family. Dinner is not dinner without some sort of meat/pork/chicken representation, according to my husband.

Me - I can get by on cottage cheese and peaches in a pinch.

But my husband can not. In fact, I'm not sure if he even knows what cottage cheese is.

My favorite "go-to" dinner when we just need something quick and easy -  or when J is going to be late from work - is the ever delightful breakfast for dinner. The kids love raisin toast and scrambled eggs....and it's quick, easy and pretty nutritious.

But if I fail to include the BACON, my husband rules it void and inadmissable.

Incidentally, BACON is the meat that makes everything better. Making a quiche? Add a healthy slab of bacon. Grilling a hamburger? Throw some bacon on top. Needing a potato fix? Crumble in the bacon. Green beans? Flavor 'em with bacon.

And don't even ask about the option of turkey bacon, because around here, turkey bacon is sacrilege.

So I say all this to establish the fact that we partake of a healthy amount of meat, pork, and chicken. We love fish, but since we live in the northern Panhandle, fresh fish is hardly an option, and I'm not quite certain that I would trust the current stock fish products available at our local grocery store. Sam's club in Amarillo is my best bet for fresh or frozen fish, and I grab it when I can.

When I can, people.

But in our modern, mass-marketed, get-it-to-ya-quick world today, a lot of hormones are added to all the meat in general, and we all know that our hams, bacons, and sausages are filled with those pesky nitrite chemicals, which ain't good for us one bit, not at all.

Since a Whole Foods grocery store is nowhere to be found up here in the Panhandle, organic meat like steaks and ground beef are a rare option. I think every now and then it's available at our grocery - but whoa, it's expensive. And while you can't put a price on eating good healthy hormone-free food, with our budget and location it's not always possible to buy 100% organic in every food group.  

Ok - I just told my husband that I was writing about meat and the absence of healthier options in our area, and he proceeded to tell me that if I was buying in to all the propaganda out there about hormone-fed beef, then we have some serious marital issues to discuss. He believes it is all hogwash....pardon the pun.

I have married myself an honest-to-goodness red-blooded southern American male.

He did give me permission to write about deli meat, which was where I was going with this post anyway.

So. I know I can do something about our deli meat - otherwise known as our lunchtime sandwich entree, or sometimes our mid-afternoon rolled up ham and cheese snack.

Because deli meat? Y'all....it's one of the worst. Seriously, have you ever really smelled it? I don't think I ever noticed the smell of regular deli meat until I purchased this product below.....and found out there was a difference:

Ok - the pic is kind of small. It's Hormel Natural Choice Meats. No preservatives. No nitrites. No MSG.

Awesome.

And it smells right.

Plus, it comes in bacon! Pepperoni! Carved chicken breast! Crusted loin filets!

And it's not over the top expensive! But it's not cheap either!

ONCE, I stumbled upon this particular natural brand in the packaged meat section at our local grocery store and promptly grabbed two packages. The next time I went back, it was gone. I tracked down our butcher, and prayerfully asked if they had a new shipment arriving soon.... but long story short, our grocery powers-that-be did not think we had enough of a market up here in SMALL TOWN AMERICA to warrant stocking the natural sandwich meat.

I am presently trying to make it my mission to tell everyone I know in the area to go ask our grocery people to please Bring Back the Natural Meat!!

By golly.

So. Now I'm grabbing the Hormel Natural Choice meat when I can while in Amarillo.

When I can.

In the meantime, I asked the professionals at the Amarillo health food store what they thought of regular deli meat.

They try not to think about regular smelly deli meat.

Instead, they suggested that when I didn't have access to the natural stuff, I should go buy a whole chicken or roast or something....cook it....slice it.....freeze it.... and use it for my sandwich meat. It doesn't have to be organic. But, it is a much better option than buying the regular nitrite-filled deli meat shaved especially for you by the "friendly" teenager behind the glass case.

However, this whole kit-and-kaboodle option takes extra planning and time, and since I'm a last minute sorta gal, it has yet to work for me.

But it is my goal.

However, I'm doing the best I can to stock up on the Hormel Natural meats, friends....

When I can.

Weekend Recap

Last week I mentioned that the kids were dressing up as M&M's for Halloween and that I was making their costumes. I also mentioned that we had the dress-up trunk on call should there be any problems with my incredible sewing prowess....of which there is none.

Here are the results of my tedious labor:

Besides the obvious looks of "No candy is worth this embarassment" on my children's faces, notice that Gracie's M&M is too big around the neck, and Cash's costume actually looks more like a Three Musketeer tunic with an initial on top.

Seriously, I spent quite a bit of time on these....and now I am absolutely certain that my spiritual gifts are not of the sewing variety.

I am also not spiritually gifted in the area of painting, and yet I'm about to embark on a painting project in the kid's bathroom.

Anyway, it took me all day to get these costumes made for the kids, and that includes breaking the needle on the sewing machine, calling our nice seamstress neighbor to come help me figure out how to thread my machine CORRECTLY, and finally resorting to the use of an inordinate amount of fabric glue to make these costumes look remotely like M&M's.

Remote at best.

Look at Cash. He's completely bummed.

And as a side note, my bummed out couch is the perfect backdrop for those pitiful costumes.

Therefore, after much thought and consideration.....and the raised eyebrows and doubtful chuckle of my husband......I mentioned that we could raid the dress-up trunk, and they could go as a princess and a fireman.

That did it for Gracie. One mention of princess and she had that pink blob of an M&M off her body in two seconds.

It was like her fairy godmother had shown up and told her she was going to the ball.

Thus......

Look at that smile on her face.

However, it took Cash a while to get over the initial trauma of wearing the blue M&M slash Three Musketeer get-up in the first place.... 

But he soon cheered up:

By the way, anyone need some pink and blue felt? 
 
 
 
 

The Wheat Germ Weekly, Saturday Late Edition 19

Acidophilus. Rhymes with metropolis. (Sortof)

And people, you need your ACIDOPHILUS to fight off the metropolis of germs comin' at us these days. You MUST have it in your bathroom cabinet.

With that dreadful FLU going around right now, everyone in the country should be upping their acidolphilus intake.

But please, not in the form of Yoplait yogurt. While I myself love the key lime and harvest peach flavors, there's not enough acidophilus in there to make a difference in what we need to fight off all the potential sickness in the form of swine, or horse, or rabbit, or bird or whatever.

Here's a quick rundown of the facts that you probably already know about our friend, acidophilus.....facts assembled "meticulously" for you by the Balm in Gilead Research Team.

Acidophilus is what the experts call a "probiotic".The term "probiotic" is used to describe organisms that are used medicinally, including bacteria such as L. acidophilus. (www.mayoclinic.com)

So where do you find probiotics?

Probiotics can be found in capsule, liquid, powder, or tablet form. Acidophilus drinks can be found in health food stores and some grocery stores and Asian grocers.(www.about.com)

Y'all. Back when I was a kid, my mom made us take acidophilus in the liquid form because I guess there wasn't a pill at the time. At best, it tasted like rotten yogurt......be so grateful for the pill form today.

Probiotics can also be found in cultured dairy products such as yogurt or kefir, however, the number of live organisms varies greatly from product to product due to differences in processing methods. Fermented foods such as sauerkraut also contain probiotics.(www.altmedicine.about.com)

Good to know people. However, sauerkraut is an acquired taste. I'll stick with the pill.

Once ingested, probiotics colonize the intestines and other parts of the body and can sustain themselves unless they are destroyed by antibiotics or other factors.(www.altmedicine.about.com)

This is why it's also good to always take a bunch of acidophilus alongside an antibiotic prescription. It restores the good bacteria in your body so your immune system can be ready for the next germ that comes along.

Seriously, acidophilus is for me like the apple in the proverbial statement "An apple a day keeps the doctor away."

So, this is what I take every night before bed with my calcium and vitamin C.....

 

I am a walking vitamin store people. You should see the handful of vitamins I take in the morning.

Furthermore, this is what I have found for the kids:
 

You know what? They love it. Right now in the middle of this flu season extravaganza, we are taking it every morning with our gummy regular vitamins.

And our cod liver oil, too.

Furthermore, in a pinch, I've been known to just break open the capsule of my own acidophilus pill and dump it on each of my kids' tongues...and then they wash it down with some milk or water, of course.

Great fun.

But hey - I'd rather do the preventative medicine first if it means I might be able to escape the sickness later.

And sure, I'm quite aware that I may do all this preventative stuff and we still might get the flu anyway.

But, regardless of the odds or the strain or the doctors that laugh in the face of my vitamin consumption.....I'm still going to take a gamble and take my supplements and up my acidophilus and strengthen my immune system before the highly likely germ invasion .....

Because it's always better to do something than nothing.

So go buy your acidophilus, take it with your morning juice or your nightly milk, and speak this message to those germs lurking in the air.....

"BRING IT ON!"

By the Way

I've been meaning to post the following recipe I made last week.....Pumpkin Ginger Cupcakes. Oh my word, are they good. Moist, rich and not too over the top pumpkiny. I got the recipe off of allrecipes.com.

I omitted the crystallized ginger on top and used vanilla pudding instead of butterscotch because that's what I had on hand...and then  made my own cream cheese icing.....SO GOOD. This would be a great treat for your family on Saturday during all the festivities.

Also, you might want to know that the kids are dressing as M&M's this year and I AM MAKING THEIR COSTUMES. Out of felt. With a sewing machine. And Gracie has just informed me that she does not want the "m" on her costume....she wants a "g" for Gracie.

Needless to say, our dress-up trunk is on stand-by in case the sewing machine breaks down....or I break down - whichever comes first.

Here is the fabulous pumpkin cupcake recipe:

Ingredients

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 (3.4 ounce) package instant butterscotch pudding mix
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/3 cup finely chopped crystallized ginger
• 1 cup butter, room temperature
• 1 cup white sugar
• 1 cup packed brown sugar
• 4 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 (15 ounce) can pumpkin puree

Directions

1. Preheat an oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease 24 muffin cups, or line with paper muffin liners. Whisk together the flour, pudding mix, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ground ginger, allspice, cloves, and crystallized ginger in a bowl; set aside.
2. Beat the butter, white sugar, and brown sugar with an electric mixer in a large bowl until light and fluffy. The mixture should be noticeably lighter in color. Add the room-temperature eggs one at a time, allowing each egg to blend into the butter mixture before adding the next. Beat in the vanilla and pumpkin puree with the last egg. Stir in the flour mixture, mixing until just incorporated. Pour the batter into the prepared muffin cups.
3. Bake in the preheated oven until golden and the tops spring back when lightly pressed, about 20 minutes. Cool in the pans for 10 minutes before removing to cool completely on a wire rack.

Nutritional Information

Amount Per Serving  Calories: 211 | Total Fat: 8.7g | Cholesterol: 56mg

Guilty of Being Mass-Marketed

Ok - I am laughing about the link at the bottom of this page. Not only am I guilty of buying a few Baby Einstein videos because of all the hype surrounding them, not to mention the numerous recommendations when I was pregnant with Gracie ("Baby Einstein is just wonderful! You have to get these videos! Your baby will love them! You will too! They are great developmental tools!"), but I am also guilty of feeling guilty that we only watched them once or twice and then I sort of forgot about them.....AND while I really loved the fact that she was being exposed to snippets of classical music (I am a RUSTY classical pianist), quite frankly, the videos didn't impress me too much.

But maybe that was because I was not a baby myself....

You may have liked them, and that's ok....

But anyway, I felt guilty that perhaps I was missing something, because my goodness, there were STUDIES that said these were a MUST - HAVE for every household with babies....

Therefore, I think the link below is an interesting blog post that points out how easily manipulated we can all be by the mass media and a few well-placed "expert" claims.

Now what I really feel guilty about is the fact that I caved to my own internal misguided pressure thinking that WE MUST DO WHAT EVERYONE ELSE IS DOING OR WE MIGHT MISS SOMETHING, and I bought the darn things that weren't really necessary in the first place...

Here it is folks - go check out the post below:

http://shine.yahoo.com/channel/parenting/the-great-baby-einstein-scam-531147/

The Wheat Germ Weekly, Ed. 18

***I've been on a blog break this week trying to finish some tasks around the house, but this is the post I was originally going to put up last Friday, except I didn't finish it.

Well, now it's finished. Imperfectly, of course.

Fall makes me lose all sense of moderation. I am weak, people. I made an apple crisp on Tuesday night, and I am the only one who ate it....the whole 9X13 pan. Apparently my children only want the ice cream on top of the crisp. My husband abstained this time from eating any of it, saying he didn't want it.

What?

So I ate it all by myself over the next two days.

Then, last night for Bible study, I made a buttermilk pie. For the women of course. So I had big piece last night....and then joyfully ate the last piece for lunch today. 

The grocery store had a good deal on candy corn. Hello, high fructose corn syrup. Justifiably, candy corn is fun to put in clear glass dishes as additional "decor" for my house this time of year.

Yep.

And then there's those two packages of caramels I bought last week. I'm down to the last 15-20 morsels, good grief. I can't throw them away, though. I just can't.

So in the wake of the sugar diet I've been keeping, I'm going to forge ahead with my double standard and stick to my plan of discussing cereal health today.

Because even though I apparently have no problem consuming an entire package of Kraft caramels, I do have a problem with Froot Loops.

First of all, "Froot" is not spelled correctly. That, for me, is a deal breaker.

Secondly, lets take a look at that nutrition label.

Ok - did you see how long that ingredient list is? That's a lot of extras for just a cereal made with "froot".

Number ONE ingredient: sugar.

Number SIX ingredient: partially hydrogenated vegetable oil.

There are a few whole grain flours thrown in there. That does count for something. Furthermore, it looks like a lot of vitamins have been added, like B1 and B6 and Vitamin D.

But really, WHY did all those vitamins have to be added? Shouldn't some of those vitamins be naturally occuring in the whole grain ingredients?

Maybe they just felt like they needed to balance the scale of sugar versus vitamins. I don't know.

Ya'll....look what I've found as an alternative:

My favorite natural food brand has done it again!!!!

 

Notice that "Fruity" is spelled correctly on the box. That's a good sign people.

They also have a healthy chocolate alternative for you wayward Count Chocula fans.

Incidentally, Count Chocula commercials always used to alarm me as a kid. Seriously, I never wanted Mom to buy the cereal (like she would have anyway) because of all the seeming "scariness" associated with the advertising.

I didn't like the Count on Sesame Street, either.

But before I digress any further, here are the ingredients for the Fruity Bunnies:

Made with only the best ingredients: CORN FLOUR, EVAPORATED CANE JUICE, WHOLE OAT FLOUR, RICE FLOUR, PEACH AND PEAR JUICE CONCENTRATE, SALT, NATURAL FLAVOR, AND COLORS (ANNATTO, TURMERIC, PURPLE CARROT JUICE, ELDERBERRY EXTRACT).  

No hydrogenated oils. No high fructose corn syrup. No Red #40 and Blue #5.

It's a dream.

Plus, it's totally kid-friendly. Just look at those colors.

Sure, Toucan Sam isn't plastered across the front, but I say if you need a big gawdy bird to market your product THAT ISN"T EVEN SPELLED CORRECTLY, something is wrong.

I used to be an English teacher, folks. Spelling is huge to me. In fact, the cell phone texting going on in this new generation is hard for me to manage. i cnt gt on brd 4 al th splln mstks.

See? I don't even think I texted that right. I can't do it people.

Which is one of the reasons I can't do Froot Loops. Along with 25 other reasons that fall in the catagories of artificial, preservative, additive, and we need a beady-eyed toucan to reel you in.

Or rather, reel your children in.

Try Annie's Fruity Bunnies instead. They're good. They're wholesome. They're colorful.

I kno u cn 4gt the 2cn.

The Wheat Germ Weekly, Saturday Edition

What can I say? Things came up, I procrastinated, children needed me, and I ran out of time.

I DID write half of Friday's post.....only to decide that it wasn't that great, and then as I was rewriting, Cash woke up from his nap.

And the writing was over for the day.

So in honor of this Saturday edition, let me direct you to a link that had much to do with my unfinished post on cereal health....

I think you'll find this one pretty funny....and it is brief, too.

http://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news/weird/Man-Sues-Froot-Loops-for-Not-Being-Frooty-at-All-62674757.html

Good grief, people.

His first clue should have been the word "Froot".

Have a good weekend y'all.

The Battle

Every afternoon at 5:30 pm, Creflo Dollar's program titled Changing Your World comes on channel 263 on our TV. When I think about it, I try to turn it on while the kids and I are in the kitchen getting dinner going. Granted, I have to have the TV blaring in order to hear snippets in the kitchen, but for some reason even if I don't get to hear and concentrate on the entire message, his preaching - like Joyce Meyer's and many others - has the power to still my soul....even if it is background noise.

I think it's the anointing of the Holy Spirit in his words.

So yesterday, I had a rare opportunity to SIT DOWN and watch his sermon since the kids were on some sort of pretend camping extravaganza in Gracie's room, and I was still defrosting chicken in the microwave for our chicken dumpling dinner. But I have never been so happy to have forgotten to get a head start with all the defrosting as I was yesterday, because Pastor Dollar's message was tailor-made for me.

I got to hear it all. And really think about it. Praise God.

He was continuing a series titled Faith vs. Trust, which in it's entirety was awesome; however, here's what resonated with me: a scripture I've seen time and again, but really heard for the first time yesterday:

2 Chronicles 20:17

"YOU WILL NOT HAVE TO FIGHT THIS BATTLE. Take up your positions; stand firm and see the deliverance the Lord will give you, O Judah and Jerusalem. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged. Go out to face them tomorrow, and the Lord will be with you."

I can not express enough what this did for my soul. That scripture speaks to me on so many levels - people in hard situations that I'm praying and grieving for....decisions that I'm in a dilemma about....identity issues that I want to improve.

YOU WILL NOT HAVE TO FIGHT THIS BATTLE.

What a relief. I can (and should) still pray and cry out to the Lord, but the battle is ultimately His, not mine.

YOU WILL NOT HAVE TO FIGHT THIS BATTLE.

As Judah was facing a mighty enemy army in these verses, so we are facing our own enemy armies every day. But the best part about it is that we have a God on our side who will fight for us.

And in verse 20...." Listen to me, Judah and people of Jerusalem! Have FAITH in the Lord your God, and you will be upheld......"

YOU WILL NOT HAVE TO FIGHT THIS BATTLE.

That's the beauty of God's Word. I take something different from it each time I read it. This passage was somewhat familiar to me, but yesterday, God knew what I really needed to GET from it. He spoke directly to my soul Monday, October 12th, at 5:45 pm.

And people....those chicken and dumplin's have never tasted better.

The Wheat Germ Weekly, Ed. 17

Last night, the kids and I made caramel apples. The whole process was fun, but the actual eating of the apples was hard for my wee ones, given their small teeth and the stickiness of the caramel on a hard-to-bite apple. Actually, the finished apples were hard on my teeth too, but I sure enjoyed sneaking a bite here and there of leftover caramel in the saucepan. Mmmm....delightful.

Last night's heavy sugar and corn syrup consumption got me thinking about all the things out there that I enjoy eating, but aren't necessarily good for me. I was perfectly ready to talk about cereal health today, but I just wasn't feelin' it. What I am feeling today is hypocritical, because I made poor food decisions yesterday and decided to go out with a bang with my finale of caramel apples last night.

So instead of waxing philosophical on all the various healthy options out there in the food and vitamin industry, I think I will keep it real today and dedicate this edition of the Wheat Germ Weekly to all the foods I consciously know aren't good for me, but I just have to eat every now and then....and again.

1. Kraft Caramels

I am weak this time of year when the cool weather sets in....it just makes me want to bake pies and cookies and all sorts of sweets. I bought two packages of the good Kraft caramels the other day at the store, justifying it by telling myself that this would be a great real-time activity for the kids to drive home the meaning of the caramel apple crafts I just ordered from Oriental Trading. 

Because we all know that caramel apple knowledge ranks right up there with all the counting and reading skills.

I knew in my heart of hearts that only one bag was necessary for the activity - yet I threw in the second bag....for me. And I am doing a good job whittling that baby down.

2. My kids love hot chocolate. While it isn't possible to take them EVERY DAY to Superstar Coffee, I know I could make it homemade in my very own kitchen. But I don't usually. Instead, I buy these little packets:

They come in all sorts of flavors and my kids love them, partly for the bright colored packaging. Gracie's favorite is, you'll never guess, PINK. It's otherwise known as raspberry, which is not a favorite of mine, but if we don't have at least a few "pinks" in the mix of blues, greens and browns, we have feminine representation issues.

 

It's all about that identity thing, y'all.

 

Anyway, guess what goody-goody ingredients come in these packets? Corn syrup solids, partially hydrogenated things, and ARTIFICIAL flavors. Clearly, we would all benefit from me just taking a little extra time to measure out the cocoa, vanilla, milk, and sugar.

But the packaging - along with the quick assembly -  has got me twisted.

 

3. Furthermore, I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE Dairy Queen dipped cones:

 

 

4. And double-chocolate cookies from Schlotzsky's:

 

5. And Chocolate Thunder from Down Under at Outback:

 

6. And Frosties at Wendy's:

 

7. And keeping with the Outback thought, AUSSIE BACON CHEESE FRIES:

 

8. And keeping with the cheese thread....QUESO made with a big, fat healthy slab of VELVEETA:

 

9. Oh, and sour gummy apples. I wonder how much corn syrup is in these babies:

 

 

10. Finally, J and I had a rare date a few weeks ago to the movies, and we can not go to the movies without sharing a huge bag of majorly buttered popcorn and a large coke (which in my mind is not a large at all, but an extra-extra large - yet we always manage to drink the whole thing.)

 

Alas, while we're spending hundreds of dollars going to the movie, it wouldn't be complete without spending another hundred on my very own box of Junior Mints, which I keep to myself.

  
 

J doesn't like them anyway - he gets peanut M&M's...and I help him finish those, too.

 

So.

 

This is not a comprehensive list, people. Only the highlights.

 

It's fun to indulge. In fact, I think it's healthy to indulge every once in a while. Turn a blind eye to that nutrition label because sometimes you just need to eat some greasy fries. Or go get a dipped cone. Or drink a supersized coke.

 

Hopefully, not all in the same day....but I have been known to do that, too.

 

And then, later, when your thinking gets cloudy and your belly feels bloated and you just don't have the motivation to get up and find the remote, you'll remember why it's beneficial and smart to know about whole grains and evaporated cane juice and nitrite-free meats....so you won't eat like this all the time.

 

Though it sure was fun this time.

 

 

Paying the Piper

Cash was up from 3 A.M. to 5:30 A.M.

No fever and no dirty diaper.

Just stubborness.

True, he may be getting those two year molars that everyone says are the pits. But I really don't think that was it. He didn't have a fever and he wasn't trying to gnaw on his hands. A toothache may have woke him up, but what kept him up was his will. And a good old-fashioned temper tantrum.

Amazingly, my daughter - who had awakened about thirty minutes before Cash did to request my presence while she pottied - did not wake up during this two and a half hour stubborn cry fest. She slept right through it with nary a rustle.

Which is more than I can say for J and I.

Even a spanking did not faze my little Cashman. He willingly stuck his bottom in the air for us to paddle him! And then, as soon as we left the room, he commenced to crying even more hysterically.

It's really all my fault. The night before, Cash had awakened at 5am, and in my sleepy stupor and rationalization that it was almost morning, I just grabbed him out of the crib and took him back to our bed to snooze.

You know how "they" say that with babies it takes three times to form a habit?

With Cash it only takes once. And then you have WEEKS ahead of undoing it.

I wish you could have heard the dialogue between my husband and me during all this drama in the wee hours. Actually, I'm glad you didn't. We went back and forth with all the possibilities that could be wrong with Cash. "Did you change his diaper?" "Is he thirsty?" "Does he have a fever?"

And then, "Why did you put him in bed with us last night?" "Should we let him cry all night?" "We can't let him win." "Should we lay down with him?" "He's got to understand that this is not acceptable."

"Should we go get some ear plugs tomorrow?"

Around 4:30 am, when THE CRYING WAS NOT GOING AWAY, J said, "Where's that strong-willed child book?" And then he sat in the den/playroom reading for about ten minutes....only to come back and say, " Doesn't help me at this hour. Do you think we could give him a shot of whiskey?"

He's kidding. Sorta. I think what he was really saying is, "Can I take a shot of whiskey?"

We were so miserable that we had to start laughing to keep from crying. J turned on the TV to drown out ALL THE OTHER NOISE, and we took turns going in Cash's room, patting him on the back, and saying in our firmest, tiredest voice, "It's bedtime Cash. And even though the night is shot, you must go to sleep."

Meanwhile, Gracie slept deeper than she ever has in her little three year-old life. Go figure.

Finally, at 5:30 am, the cries weakened and then there was total silence. Silence that, ironically, makes me want to go in there and check to make sure he's still breathing, because ALL THE QUIET just didn't seem possible after the previous two hours.

At eight this morning, J took great pleasure in waking Cash up before he went to work. Only now, Cash was all too happy to stay in his crib and sleep. BUT NOT TODAY! J's final instructions to me as he left were," DO NOT let him take a nap. Sir Stays Up All Night has gotta pay the piper like the rest of us."

Those were his words.

Thankfully, on this cool October morning, well-rested Gracie is at Ms. LuAnn's. Ms. LuAnn didn't have any cancellations for Cash, which is just as well, since I am on a mission to introduce him to the "Piper" today.

Now I'm off plan some activities for my little boyfriend here. I'm praying he'll be in bed this evening around 7:30.

I know J and I won't be far behind.

But then there's Gracie, who will undoubtedly be bright-eyed and bushy-tailed tonight.

And so it goes.