The Nanny's Nook

Last week was a good Nanny week. Warm weather = not cooped up in the house!

The only downside to last week is I do believe I caught a little head cold from the baby, H. Poor little guy was sick on Friday! And coincidentally, Saturday, I progressively obtained a good ole sinus infection.... (insert Steve Urkel style, open mouth breathing). I'm out of tissues and I've downgraded to napkins...poor decision (pun intended)

Children will never cease to provide me with analogies of God relating to his people and illustrations of myself, the inner me. The me I have learned to sometimes ignore and to put away in a box because it's just not socially accepted, or really even mature at all. Especially when the inner me wants to burst into tears, run away, scream, or stomp my selfish feet because I've not "gotten" something I desired and consequently thought I deserved - which is the mentality of EVERY toddling tot alive.

Unfortunately, I think the inner child of all of us never really goes away. The tantrums of the heart are just fleshed out in more mature, and often times calculated ways. I think of this inner child as my sin/flesh often times. It has a limited understanding and perspective and it's a struggle to live outside of it's daily cravings, desires, wantings.

One of the tots I watch is good about showing this struggle. When the demonstration occurs, I kind of just smile because I know how she feels and it's uncanny. She is newly two and working through the sharing aspect of growing up. She will agree to share when asked but once the object of her attention is given away, oh, does the fist clinching and crying begin. The tears and screams cease once she is gently reminded what she's chosen to do and why.

I see this at 24yrs in my own heart and can totally relate. Losing something you enjoyed for something better is hard and I often fail, just as she does, to delight in doing the right thing, as God would desire. How hard it is sometimes!

~ p.carrick ~

Thoughtful Thursday

Word of the week: trajectory \trə-ˈjek-t(ə-)rē\

Can be found on merriam-webster.com as:

  "a path, progression, or line of development 

resembling a physical trajectory trajectory>".

Trajectory...say that five times fast. Yeah, don't hurt yourself. It's difficult for me to say correctly just once! Anyway, why such a word for today, or this week, right?

Well, here is an analogy for you:

How is a train's trajectory changed? Lets say there are two trains heading out of a train station in Concord, NC. One is Kentucky bound; the other Southern Alabama bound. Now, if you are a thinker you may be asking yourself, how can this be so? Especially when they started out on the same track. Answer: a railroad switch (fancy enough I guess).  At a certain point on the track, the railroad junction, the small, seemingly insignificant shift of this piece of metal changes the entire end destination of the entire train. Depending on the switch, whether it's open or closed, the train will end up in Alabama or Kentucky; or Maine if there are several more switches. This blows my mind - the way that such a small shift can have such a HUGE effect. I just think of smaller things a bit differently now. 

First of all I have to confess that I've always been fascinated by trains, especially pictures of them. Second of all, don't you see the analogy?

My decisions are like switches.

Proverbs says: "Many are the plans of a man's heart, but it is the Lord who determines his steps". At some places it says, "establishes" his steps. 

So, yes, my decisions are switches but it is God controlling the operation of the switches. 

All this to say: what is my trajectory? Where will I be in 5 years or 10 years making the decisions I am making now? What about the people I care for, where will they be in 5 or 10 years making the decisions they are making?

Do I like where I am going? Do I trust the switch operator?

~ p.carrick ~

The Nanny's Nook

Hello! This is intended to be the part of my blog in which I discuss and share various aspects, stories, and thoughts regarding my second part-time job of being a nanny.

As this is an introductory post, today I will place my stories in context for future entries. Since the end of September, last year, I have served as a Nanny for a family of three. This job was an answer to prayer and one that I will forever be thankful for. I have learned so much from watching these cute little kiddos.

Each Wednesday and Friday I walk up to the white and brick suburban home and I'm greeted by two smiling faces - A, 3yrs, & N, 2yrs (both girls). My greeting from the third, and youngest, H,  now about 9 months old and a mean crawling machine, typically comes upon my entry to the home when I see him in his high chair eagerly waiting his next bottle!

My patience for watching these three has been tried and tried, and I've been trained to speak and think more in smaller people ways. I have absolutely toned up and defined the long time flaccid muscles known as "planning" and "structure" as well, but as it with all effectual workouts, their development has not come without some difficulty and strain.

All in all I enjoy these two days of the week. They are fun and will always be marked as a growing experience that, Lord willing, will enable me to one day be a better mom, had I not had this opportunity and experience!

More to come in the weeks ahead!

Thoughtful Thursday

A close friend, and family member, of mine blogs consistently - three times a week! I am so impressed at her structure and diligence. Acting on my inspiration from her, I intend to post quotes, verses, or song lyrics every Thursday.

Each entry is one that struck a thoughtful chord within me. When the verse, lyric, or quote had been read, sung, or heard my mind was left resonating ideas, questions, ponderings, what have you. My hope is that each Thoughtful Thursday post will stir your mind as well.

                             

Fair are the meadows, fairer still the woodlands, 
 robed in the blooming garb of spring:  
 Jesus is fairer, Jesus is purer 
 who makes the woeful heart to sing.

                                                                          ~ Fairest Lord Jesus, stanza 2 ~

 A woeful heart singing - kind of a paradox, isn't it? Woeful hearts don't really cause one to sing. Yet, a heart fixed on Christ does somehow sing. Beautiful, amazing, miracle.

Think about that for a bit!

Crafty Creation

Last week I was discussing with my friend, a fellow blogger but much more avid than I, about making a blog focused on crafty projects and thrifty decorating. She's much more crafty and artistic than I and has more time to make stuff. I will post a link to her site probably once I get so you can check it out.

Anyway, I was inspired to post about my recent creations after talking with her and encouraging her to start one. The following is my latest crafty creation:

The tree and leaves are cut out from scrap booking paper. I glued them onto a piece of wood that I painted. I got the piece of wood this summer working with Snowbird Missions! It was some scrap wood from a house that we were fixing up. This crafty creation is not quite finished as I plan to put some purposeful words on it to the right of the roots. Pictures of the finished product will come soon =)

A Christmas Cake

As promised, the following post will discuss one of the three major crafty/cooking creations I have made in the last two months.

Before I post the photos, let me explain and describe the context in which this creation was made. Every year around the second weekend in December Snowbird Wilderness Outfitters hosts their annual Christmas Party for all folks who have ever worked there. Each year the event is marked by a great meal; great celebration of Christ's birth, life, death, and resurrection; great fellowship; and a bake-off! It's a blessing each year to attend for many reasons.

Until this year I have never competed in the SWO Christmas Bake-off. My inspiration to compete I believe came from my domesticated side that has grown significantly over the past two years. While discussing the possibility of entering with my cousin-in-law, who competed vigorously last year only to lose to inferior competition, I was sold on it and had to enter. The two of us then put our creative minds together and in theory crafted the masterpiece that took to the cake! (pun intended)

Baking and assembly of this prize wining delight took a little over seven hours over the course of about two nights.

I call it: Winters Dreamed of Across the Atlantic. 

It won Most Festive and Best All-Around.

The layers are chocolate (from scratch) and butter (Duncan Hines). The icing is Mint Chocolate icing made from scratch. The white dollops are homemade whipped cream dollops. Finally, the decorative touch of the peppermint is from crushed peppermint sticks (much softer than the hard candy mints). The crushed sticks are also inside the cake, sprinkled on alternating layers.

~ p.carrick ~

Project Preview

Okay, so I'm not super savvy when it comes to the blogging world but I have noticed a new trend of DYO blogs that highlight some awesome decorating/renovation projects.

So, the plan for my next few blogs (as inspired by the latest blogging trend) is to talk about my recent projects:

A Christmas Cake
A Woodly Craft
A Trunky Treasure


Look for the photos!

blog mania

So, who remembers Xanga?? I loved Xanga. It was my first blog. I created it while I was at Western during my sophomore year, six years ago! I absolutely loved it. I was pretty consistent with it too. It wasn't entirely a journal but in some ways it served as one. It was an outlet for me; one that was different from my personal journal where the thought floods had, and still have, no boundaries. It was a place for me to be creative in ways I couldn't be anywhere else. 

Side note: There is a great quote from C.S. Lewis about the awesomeness of a journal. (I can't think of it verbatim at the moment and I'm too tired to search for it, but I do know it's found in A Greif Observed). He talks about how a journal is the only place to fully express all that is going on in your head and heart.

Anyway, I've found my old xanga site a few weeks ago. I must say there is something special to me about it. Similar to the specialness of an old pair of trusty tennis shoes. They know your foot well and they've been through a lot with you. I definitely enjoyed going back through my entries to read them.

Well, all this to say: here is the link to my xanga. My two blogging sites unite! I plan to make the same posts on both sites, mainly because I like the xanga but I have more followers on this one. If you decide to check out the old site, which I highly doubt anyone will, enjoy it! You will see and learn a piece of me literally in my past.

~ p.carrick ~