7 Quick Takes: Volume 17: Song Lyrics Edition

I can't believe it's Friday. I'm not sure if this week has flown by or dragged, but I've just been having a really hard time figuring out what day it is. Yesterday, I was very sure it was Monday. Oh well. Maybe I had a secret yearning to start the week over again?

I have talked with people before who swear by something called "Bible roulette" - flipping the Bible open to the first random passage and looking for the meaning for them in what they read. While I was driving to work yesterday, I was thinking about how song lyrics can work the same way. Sometimes the right song just speaks to you. So, since we're looking for 7 Quick Takes, I thought I'd list the last seven songs that played on my iPod (it was on shuffle), along with a little bit about why I needed to hear each one.

--- 1 ---

Remembrance (Communion Song) - Matt Maher: "We remember You, and remembrance leads us to worship/And as we worship you, our worship leads to Communion/We respond to Your invitation, we remember You." I love thinking about Mass as remembrance. We are called to remember His sacrifice, and that is the reason for being at church on Sunday. I have a hard time matching up the feeling that stirs within me thinking about someone I have known in real life who has died with how I should feel on Sunday morning. This song helped me match up those feelings, and I am very grateful for that. It's so easy to miss the magnitude of that sacrifice, even take it for granted a little, and when it does hit me I am blown away and moved to tears every time.

--- 2 ---

Every Little Prisoner (Deliver Me) - Matt Maher: "From wanting to be loved, from wanting to be praised by all/From needing to be first, from finding all my worth in this world/From wanting to be seen, from constant worrying about myself/Deliver me..." This one kind of speaks for itself. I should start every day by listening to this song. God loves me, as He loves us all. We were created in His image. It's us who should be praising, not the other way around, but it's so easy to get caught in the trap of wanting earthly rewards and living for all things in this world. So, so easy. I'm not saying I think it makes sense to live like nothing matters on earth, because of course we can only get to heaven through a combination of faith and good works. Sometimes, though, I need to just step back and ask myself how much this will matter in a few hours, a few days, a few years. This outlook, even for ten minutes, generally improves my entire day, as it gives me permission to enjoy all we are blessed with and make decisions with more clarity.

--- 3 ---

American Dream - Switchfoot: "When success is equated with excess/The ambition for excess wrecks us/The top of the mine becomes the bottom line/When success is equated with excess...This ain't my American dream/I want to live and die for bigger things..." Along the lines of the last song, it's easy to think about how things will be perfect and we can really enjoy life once we have more money, once we own our own house, once we are living the American dream. Well, news flash to me: we live in a house we have all to ourselves. We have jobs and we can pay our bills. We have two beautiful children. We ARE living the American dream! Studies have shown that more money and possessions do not increase happiness.

--- 4 ---

Everything and Nothing - Matt Maher: "Cause everybody wants to see the proof/We're always tripping on our pride to get to You..." I'm starting to see a theme here. It's so easy, again, to be prideful and let that keep us from a good relationship with God. There's nothing we can hide from Him, so why do we (I) try? Why do I wait for everything to be just so before I feel like I can be faithful? In this Year of Faith, I'm going to work on letting go of that pride where it prevents me from forging better relationships both with God and with others.

--- 5 ---

Dare You to Move - Switchfoot: "The tension is here, tension is here/Between who you are and who you could be/Between how it is and how it should be...I dare you to move, like today never happened/Today never happened before..." There really is a theme. I swear it was on shuffle. I am not perfect. No one is perfect. We are perfectly and beautifully human, created by God in His image. This life is what it is, but it also is what we make of it. In each moment, there are choices I can make that will make the difference between what it is, and what it could or should be. Oof. That's a weighty one, but going back to #2, not all of them will matter as much in the long run. It can be an ongoing process, but one to be mindful of nevertheless.

--- 6 ---

Blessed Be Your Name - Tree 63: "Blessed be Your name/In the land that is plentiful/Where the streams of abundance flow/Blessed be Your name..." This one, pretty simple. Don't let God be absent from everyday life. This would be that land of abundance. He brought us here and He belongs here with us.

--- 7 ---

Kyrie - Matt Maher: "God of reconciliation/Heal our wounds in darkest times/Kyrie eleison (Lord, have mercy)..." A nice conclusion (again, I swear it was on shuffle!) because even after all of the times we use our free will to make mistakes and mess up, time and time again, God wants to forgive us and welcome us. He is loving and merciful. Oh, I needed to hear that. With great freedom comes great responsibility, but also great love and forgiveness. How awesome is this life we live!

I hope you enjoyed this glimpse into my thought process (and my playlists). What are the last 7 songs that played on your iPod (or computer, or however you listen to music)? How did they speak to you? Please share!

For more Quick Takes, visit Conversion Diary!

The Closet Project

I'm sure by now, everyone's heard the statement that we women wear 20 percent of our clothes 80 percent of the time. This surely accounts for the collective groan at 6 am in every time zone of "I have nothing to wear!" Let's assume that most women are wearing a different outfit every day for a week. This seems reasonable, given that we're all busy, many of us work, and all of us have responsibilities. If we are blessed with such abundance that we can only wear 20 percent of our clothes and still have 7 different outfits, that means we have at least 35 outfits. And we still have pajamas, underwear, workout clothes, dressy clothes . . . I don't know about you, but that seems a bit excessive to me.

So I'm putting my closet on a diet. I'm going to try and edit what I've got so I only own clothes that I wear regularly. If there is something I own that doesn't get worn regularly, there needs to be a good reason for keeping it (special occasions, maternity clothes, etc.). While I'm at it, I'm going to try and add a few pieces into the mix so that I can make nice, modest, appropriate outfits for my life as it is now.

My reasons for doing this? Well, there are a few. I believe that God calls us to be good stewards, and this includes owning reasonable amounts of possessions and sharing unneeded things with those who are less fortunate. I also want to set a good example for Emily and Erin. I don't want them to believe that they need dozens of outfits to be happy. Another reason is the closet space in our home. We live in an adorable little 1950s-era house, with 1950s-era closets. While we have some additional drawer space for clothes, it still leaves us with about 5 feet of hanging space. I need to measure, but I don't think there's more than that, and there might actually be less! My goal is for all of our clothes (Dan's included!) to fit in the space we've got, with a few exceptions. Lastly, if I blog about this it keeps me accountable. Not least because Dan will read this and ask me when half a bunch of my clothes are headed to St. Vincent de Paul!

So here are the rules I've made for myself.

1. Only keep what fits and flatters. (Exceptions: maternity clothes, nice dresses that may fit once the babies are weaned)

2. Only keep what is worn regularly. (Exceptions: special occasion clothes, maternity clothes, seasonal clothes)

3. Only keep what fits with my current role and lifestyle. On a regular basis, I wear simple cotton t-shirts, button-down shirts, jeans, sweaters, and simple skirts or dresses for church. I have to wear a collared shirt for work, so I do own a few (ok, about 25) tops that I might not wear if it weren't for that, but they will mostly be staying, even if they don't all earn a place in the closet.

4. Only keep what is reasonably modest. I am still figuring out what my exact standards are for modesty, but I know not everything in my current wardrobe meets them. Eventually, I know I need to come up with something specific, but for now, I'm going to try things on and see how I feel in them.

5. Only keep things that go with at least one other item. If I need to purchase something to make it wearable, that new item must go with at least one other item. This one is a bit complicated, but I know I need to have a rule like this to combat unnecessary expansion.

Depending on the way things go, I may come up with additional rules and/or exceptions, but I think this will be a good start.

Anyone interested in joining me? Comment below and let me know your plans!

Why I'm tired of politics

As a journalism major, I hate to feel like I'm hiding from the news. But I'm having a hard time changing the channel from the Food Network or ESPN to any news program these days. I very rarely write about anything like this, but I have to get it out there: I'm sick and tired of politics. I'm very grateful for the democratic nation we live in, and for our right to vote for whomever we please. But as for politics, I think we could find less drama in the text-message inbox of your average teenage girl!

Politics bring out the worst in us, there's no denying. They would have you believe that your neighbors are selfish, greedy monsters who don't care about anyone but themselves or lazy, idealistic flower children who think money grows on trees. Any similarity to the word "polite" is purely coincidental.

The truth is, we aren't really that different from our neighbors, regardless of which box we check on the ballot. We want the same things: a better future for our family and our children, good jobs, affordable medical care when we need it, well-maintained public spaces, freedom to worship as we believe, to feel accepted, and to feel safe in our homes. We may not agree on the best way to achieve those things, but that doesn't warrant the kind of hate that is spewed once every four years.

I'm not trying to lessen the importance of voting. It is important to vote as you see fit. That is a liberty that, as someone who escaped an oppressive government recently told me, you don't appreciate until you don't have it. The truth is, we all have an opinion, and if we vote we can make it known. However, opinions are like noses. We've all got them. Last time I checked, it wasn't considered very polite to condemn someone based on the size and shape of their nose. Maybe we should apply this theory to politics.

If that doesn't have you convinced, think about the children. Our kids see and hear everything we do. At a fairly tender age, they are exposed to election coverage and political ads, unless we are very careful not to let this happen. The extreme political partisanship espoused in the various news media these days threatens to make us into a nation divided. Each side promises to end the negativity, but it's almost impossible to do this if divisive issues and viewpoints are made personal by connecting them to a particular candidate.

This is a pretty big problem, but there's a simple solution: you don't have to hate someone just because they don't agree with you. I'm aware that we could have avoided many centuries of war if everyone actually operated according to this principle, so I'm not terribly optimistic about seeing change anytime soon. However, as Gandhi said, "Be the change you want to see in the world," and as Jesus said, "Love thy neighbor." These are pretty simple things for us to do here at home. Perhaps if we can all model this concept, the politicians will catch on. And even if they don't, we'll be raising a generation of loving children who look for the good in others. I'll stay tuned to that channel, thank you very much.

7 Quick Takes, Volume 16:

Thanks to Jen for hosting! These are going to be very quick, because I definitely should be in bed right now. But I'm not. So here we go!

--- 1 ---

I'm starting to realize just how much caffeine I consume on a daily basis. Seriously. It's scary. And I still feel like I need more - especially today. Well, not right now, but earlier. You know what I mean. Mostly because of this last paragraph, I'm sure of it. I'm going to cut back, starting soon. Or, at least I will try to balance it with water. I found my water bottle at work today, which should be helpful. On that note, I forgot to mention today that I'm extremely thankful for coffee. I love the taste, the aroma, the caffeination...need I say more? I'm so, so thankful for coffee. I'd love a cup right now. But hey. It's late. I don't really need to be up all night...

--- 2 ---

I got to make dinner this week for a family in our twins club who recently had babies, and I remembered to take a picture! I love cooking for people, and it's great to be able to help someone out by bringing food, all ready to go. I was inspired by Kathryn's post on how to take a meal to a friend, and so I brought along cold cereal too (I don't know that I ate much else after Erin and Emily were born, other than food people brought for us, so it seemed appropriate). I made them the awesome Tex-Mex casserole from Tuesday's post and frosted brownies (the bonus "recipe" at the bottom of the post). Try it out! Easy and delicious!

--- 3 ---

I'm overwhelmingly grateful, also, for the gift of my baby daughters. I just finished nursing them and they are so tiny and precious. I love snuggling with them.

--- 4 ---

According to my phone, it got down to 33 one morning this week. It's really starting to feel like fall! I need to make a fall bucket list before I look at the date and realize it's time to start our Christmas shopping. I also need to take some fall leaves pictures before the rains start...

--- 5 ---

Speaking of Christmas shopping, I really need to do a more organized job this year. I always say I want to make presents, but I never end up finding the time (or is it making the time?) Tell me, lovely readers, is Pinterest helpful here? Don't get me wrong, I love me some Pinterest, but I don't want to waste time looking for gift ideas and then end up spending more to make them than they're worth.

--- 6 ---

I really need to make a schedule for myself. Well, not really a schedule, per se. I need a checklist, I think. Something to remind me of all the things I need to get done every day and every week. I know I had planned to make one pre-babies, but I don't think it ever happened. Sigh. I need a checklist for my checklist....but really. I could get more done, I just don't remember it needs doing until I am too tired or too busy to do it. Like right now. For some reason, sitting at the kitchen table writing this made me remember that I have library books to return and a birthday present to shop for. Don't ask how these things are connected. They just must be, somehow. Am I the only one who is constantly forgetting things? There's got to be an app for that....seriously. I have an Android. Hit me, dear readers!

--- 7 ---

Last but certainly not least, we have a roller and a bow-wearer at our house as of this week! Emily is rolling all over the place, and tries to crawl when she is on her tummy. She has gone from wailing her way through tummy time - of any kind - to flipping over to seal position willingly and happily playing for several minutes at a time. She is also scooting by herself, which is really unnerving for me since I'm not done babyproofing. We'll be finishing this weekend.

Erin, not to be outdone by her sister, has enough hair to hold a clip-in bow! I can pull a little tuft straight up and it holds the clip pretty well. In fact, since I did it after she got out of her bath last night, she has a little Kewpie doll-style curl that sticks straight up, bow or no bow. It's adorable. I love it. Emily isn't quite there yet, but I'm sure she will be soon.

Which reminds me, it's time to start looking for Christmas outfits! Any input here is totally welcome (really, all of your input is welcomed with open arms all the time!) but this is something I really know nothing about. What do little babies wear for Christmas Mass? Emily and Erin will be 6 months old the week before Christmas (on my birthday, actually!) so they are still very little.

Yes. I had to.

For more Quick Takes, visit Conversion Diary!

Thoroughly Thankful Thursday, Week 2: Link Up!

Hey everybody! It's Thursday again, and you know what that means ... time to share what we're thankful for!

This week, I've been specifically pondering the idea of accepting imperfection, and being thankful to be able to do this. You're probably familiar, especially if you're a sports fan, with the idea of "paralysis by analysis". In a nutshell, this means overthinking your situation. You get so caught up in the idea of what you need to do that you can't "just do it" (and that makes Nike sad...)

This happens an awful lot outside of sports, however. I find myself daily putting off tasks or projects because the moment isn't right or it won't be perfectly done because I don't have enough time. I used to put off making dinner a couple of times a week just because of this idea, and we'd end up going out to eat. I frequently postpone putting the laundry away or really cleaning up the house, because I know I won't have enough time to do it as well as I'd like.

Well, news flash. Dan doesn't care if dinner's perfect. He'd prefer it had fewer vegetables and more main dish (nice try, honey), but he just wants to eat. A house that's sort of clean is better than one that hasn't been cleaned at all. Folded laundry in the basket is just fine, and far preferable to a heap of clean, wrinkly clothes in the dryer. And from my post yesterday, sort of homemade brownies are better than no brownies!

I need to be more thankful for the ability to accept imperfection. It really is a blessing, when it happens. There's a lot more imperfection than perfection in parenting, so I guess I can say I'm really getting a crash course right now! Most of the time, I still catch myself dragging my feet when the task is even slightly optional and I feel like it won't be perfect, but then I try to picture what will happen should I leave it undone. I have this wonderful mental picture of a "laundry monster", made of clothes and towels, storming through our little house...yeah, I know we don't have that many clothes and towels, but this is wonderful mental motivation. Don't ruin it for me! I got all the laundry done (well, four loads washed and dried, some folded) based on this image. Haha.

This week, I'm also thoroughly thankful for:

1. Dan's new working from home arrangement. I admit, I was nervous. We're still a bit crowded, but it's working out really well so far. I love that we don't have to all be out of the house just after 7 every morning. I really, really love that he no longer has to be wearing a dress shirt, slacks, and a tie. And I really, really, really love getting to see him during the day. We also aren't leaving the house to pick him up right as I should be feeding the girls and starting dinner (see #2).

2. The freedom and creativity to try new recipes for dinner. This is saving us a ton of money, because we aren't tempted to get takeout or go out to eat, and we aren't bored either. I've had more time to make dinner now that I don't work full time, simply because I can take advantage of small chunks during the day when I'm home anyway.

3. Making it all the way through Mass IN the sanctuary on Sunday! We sat behind a friend who has an adorable 7 month old boy, and although our three kids weren't exactly quiet, they were all fascinated by each other. So adorable!! This particular parish (the one we'd attended up until the girls were born) shows all of the songs, etc., on a projector screen, so it is much more friendly to parents holding little kids, and there is more space within the sanctuary to sit with carseats, blankets, diaper bags, and still be able to slip out quickly if the need arises. Also, you are outside as soon as you leave, which is always a good thing for my girls when they are upset.

4. My wonderful, loving husband. I am really making an effort to look for the positive in his intent, as Moxie Wife mentioned in her anniversary post yesterday. It can be so easy to look at what I want in the moment and assume he is just out to selfishly squash my happiness. But it's my responsibility to be happy (hey, that was the whole idea behind TTT in the first place!) and coincidentally, he is happier when I'm happy too. So anytime I start to growl inwardly and find myself upset, I think about how lucky I am to be his wife, and how thankful I am for God's gift of him!

5. Getting to work part-time. I'm so thankful I don't have to work full time anymore. Sleep deprivation aside (which hasn't been too bad this week, see below) I miss my babies terribly while I'm at work and they're at home with Grandma or Daddy or at Grandma's house. I know they are happy, and the socialization is great, but I miss them. I really feel for the mamas that work full time and wish they were home with their babies.

6. Luckily, I do enjoy my job, and for this I am also thankful. While I do miss my baby girls, at least I am having fun, and I know it's a positive thing for all four of us that I am still working some.

7. Grandmas that love spending time with their granddaughters. I am so grateful for my mom and Dan's mom loving to watch Emily and Erin while I am at work. I know they are in good, safe hands and they are getting to know their grandmothers, which is a priceless gift. Thank you, thank you, thank you.

8. More sleep. We are starting to find a rhythm during the day and at night. I discovered, quite accidentally, that the girls really prefer to go to bed between 7 and 8, rather than later. They went to bed one night this week at 6:30! I assumed I'd be up around 3, but I was wrong. They do still wake up to eat (or I assume they are hungry, I'm not quite ready to assume otherwise, haha) between 2 and 5, and I feed them in the glider in their room and we all go back to bed. Then we get up between 5:30 and 7. I haven't truly slept all night since probably February of this year, so this once a night thing works for me. They are sleeping while they eat (dream feed, I guess this has a name!) so I'm not worried about their sleep getting interrupted for now. We'll inquire at their 4 month checkup.

9. Rolling over! My sweet, precious Emily is rolling all over the place now, and darling, precious Erin is not far behind her. This means I have to watch them extra closely, but it is so exciting to see her trying to crawl now when she's on her tummy! No more "tummy time" - she does it herself now, and did it for almost an hour yesterday!

10. Baby hair! Erin has enough hair for a little clip-in bow now. She looks so adorable, I can't get over it! Emily is not quite there yet, but that's what headbands are for :)

But enough about me. What are you thankful for this Thursday? Share below in the comments or link up your post here! I can't wait to read your lists!

Add your link:

Easy (and delicious!) Tex-Mex casserole

Part of my tagline is food, but I have definitely slacked when it comes to actually posting about food. So I decided to share a recipe with all you lovely readers today! This is my favorite kind of recipe - it's super easy, super delicious, reasonably healthy, and entirely adaptable. Oh, and did I mention I (mostly) created it myself? (I did have a bit of inspiration from a back-of-package recipe, but for comparison's sake, I made the original the other night, and Dan and I both agreed that what I make now is something entirely different, and much better!)

Tex-Mex Casserole (right) with Frosted Brownies (left). An easy and uplifting meal!

I love this casserole because it takes almost no time to get it ready for the oven, and you can either make it entirely from scratch or you can use ready-to-go versions of the ingredients, depending on the amount of time you have to prep. It has become my go-to meal. We eat it once a week, and I take it to people when I'm making them dinner. The leftovers are fantastic, if you're lucky enough to have any. I have to make about six servings to have one left for lunch the next day, and there are only two of us! I promise, once you try this, you'll be making it once a week too!

Convinced you want to make this for dinner tonight? Well, here's what you need to do.

Tex-Mex Casserole (serves four, or two very hungry adults)

2 cans black beans, drained and rinsed (or you can cook your own dried beans, you'll need about 2 1/2-3 cups)

4 cups cooked brown rice (you can use microwavable frozen rice, 1 package)

at least 3 tablespoons taco seasoning (add this much and then taste, I use about 5-6)

1 regular-size jar red salsa, whichever brand and spiciness you prefer

1 1/2-2 cups grated cheese. Plain cheddar is fine, or you can buy Mexican-style grated cheese in an 8 oz package and use this (that's what I usually do)

sour cream for topping

tortilla chips (our favorite are Juanita's)

Optional, but recommended: 
onion flakes
garlic powder

Directions: Heat oven to 400 degrees. In 9x9 casserole dish, combine rice and taco seasoning. Taste and add additional taco seasoning as desired. Add beans; stir to combine evenly. Rinsing the beans is important because canned beans are very salty, and you want them to taste spicy, not just salty. If you'd like to jazz up the beans a bit further, you can add 1-2 tbsp. onion flakes and 1 tsp. garlic powder before mixing with the rice. You can microwave the beans and spices for 30-60 seconds to help the flavor take hold.

Pour salsa over rice and bean mixture, using a spatula to spread evenly. Top with cheese. Here is your chance to be artistic! You can put the cheese in the middle only, leaving some of the salsa exposed, or you can cover the casserole completely, whichever you'd like. You can cover the casserole dish and refrigerate at this point for several hours until you are ready to bake it, or you can put it in the oven and bake for 30 minutes. Serve with a dollop of sour cream and a heap of tortilla chips. Enjoy!

Leftovers, if you happen to have any, can be covered and refrigerated and reheated in the microwave the next day.

Part of the beauty of this recipe is that you can adapt the ingredients to fit what you have on hand and what you like. I made it yesterday with kidney beans and black beans mixed because I had one can of each, and it was just as good. I've used different blends of cheese, different kinds of salsa, made my own taco seasoning, added vegetables (peppers, onions, corn, tomatoes) and experimented with the level of spiciness. The above version would be suitable for a family with young kids; if you'd like it spicier, you can always increase the amount of seasoning. If your family is very sensitive to spicy foods, you can start with less, taste, and add more as desired.

I have yet to serve this to someone who didn't love it, so what are you waiting for? Make this for dinner tonight!

Bonus "recipe":

Frosted Brownies
I'm not going to pretend I regularly make brownies from scratch - I don't. The truth is, you can enhance brownie mix to make some really yummy, and quick, brownies! My theory is that somewhat homemade baked goods are far superior to no baked goods, Don't you agree?

To one package of brownie mix batter (to be baked in 8x8 pan, double additions for larger packages) add 3/4 cup (or more, if you like) chocolate chips. Fold in chocolate chips and bake as directed. Cool. Frost thickly with your favorite chocolate frosting. Top with more chocolate chips. This makes a fantastic dessert to follow the Tex-Mex casserole!

Enjoy, everybody! Let me know what you think!

Pride hurts.

You hear the phrase "hurt his/her pride" a lot. But how often do you hear that pride itself hurts? Well, pride bit me in the rear yesterday (and kicked me around a bit for good measure) and boy, am I feeling it today.

It started with a diverter valve. For those who don't know, a diverter valve is the small button on the end of your tub spout that tells the water to go through the showerhead instead of through the spout when it's pulled up tight. I'd noticed that ours wasn't working very well - water still came out the spout when you pulled the button, no matter how hard you pulled. I'm a pretty handy person when it comes to little projects around the house, so I decided to fix it. Replacing the tub spout is the answer, so I watched a video on YouTube yesterday which showed the process. It looked easy. Easy easy. Hardly any tools or skill required. Just remove the old one and bring it in to buy a new one, and install.

Removal was, as promised, a cinch. I loosened the little screw on the bottom and pulled the old spout off. I dutifully put it in a plastic ziptop bag and gathered my troops for a trip to the hardware store. Confident that this would be easy and quick, we headed to the grocery store on the way home and did the week's shopping.

Mistake #1. Never go grocery shopping on Sunday. I thought since today was the 1st, it would make more sense to go yesterday. I'm sure today will be busy, but yesterday you could barely walk through WinCo, let alone get to the shelves to buy anything. As a result, I used up my window between feedings and the girls were howling by the time we got to the checkout. A sweet lady in line behind me helped unload my cart while I tried in vain to console Emily and Erin. It didn't help that somehow we'd left one pacifier in the car and they were both hungry. I bagged our groceries as fast as I could (it sure is handy having all of that on-the-job training for bagging!) and we hurried home. After both girls had eaten, I got back in the tub to install the new spout.

I should have known something wasn't right when the screw was crooked right out of the box. Mistake #2. Naïvely, I assumed that it would straighten out once I got the spout on. Oh, how wrong I was. I tried for an hour to get the spout on, to no avail. Finally, I called the store and was told to bring it back, it was defective. I rushed back just before closing to get a new spout and some more direction as to how it went together. By this time, it was past dinnertime, but we couldn't use the shower or the tub until I figured out how to get the spout back on.

As soon as I took the new one out of the package, I could tell it would work better. The screw was straight and all of the parts were aligned correctly. By this time, I knew more about the inner workings of a tub spout than I had ever cared to, other than not really knowing the proper names of the parts other than washers and o-rings. I grimly set to it. Pride had gotten the better of me, not to mention the desire to have even a partially functioning shower in the morning. I used every ounce of skill (not much) and strength (a considerable amount for how small I am) to get the spout on and functioning. That right there I'm proud of.

What I'm not proud of is how frustrated and grouchy I got in the meantime. I definitely said some things I regretted later to my poor husband who'd spent all afternoon doing yard work and just wanted to take a shower and eat dinner with his wife. Mistake #3. This was probably the biggest one. Yes, being on my hands and knees bracing myself against the side of the tub trying desperately to get the spout to slide on just right was inherently frustrating, as was the fact that we were all tired and hungry, but still, no excuses. And after two hours of sliding, twisting, and pushing, my entire body aches today.

Pride hurts. I'm reminded of that every time I move, even typing this post (did I mention I couldn't find my gloves and thus have almost no skin left on my fingertips?). I think it was a timely reminder to swallow my pride and admit I don't know as much as I think I do. That doesn't just apply to kneeling in a puddle of water, trying to get all the spout parts to line up (um, duh, if you put the screw in before sliding the spout on, all the parts HAVE to line up!) but for all of the other times I'm so sure I know what I'm doing (hoping for the girls to nap while we're running errands, anyone?) Pride hurts, and I'm here to tell the tale. And I never thought I'd say this, but I hope the hurt hangs around for a while, because sometimes I'm a slow learner!