A Birthday Wish

For as long as I can remember, my greatest earthly desire has been to be a mother. There was a time, not too long ago, when I worried that I might never have a child after having lost Samuel. For four years we waited, prayed, cried, trusted, doubted, and hoped; we ran the full gamut of emotions. I made it my goal to live and breathe aloud in prayer 2 verses: “Then the Lord your God will make you most prosperous in all the work of your hands and in the fruit of your womb.” Deut. 30:9, and Psalm 37:4 “Delight yourself in the Lord and he will give you the desires of your heart.” I prayed them; I believed them. And in May of 2004, I gave birth to the most precious baby I had ever laid eyes on, Seth Marshall Stringer. God has given me the desires of my heart and for Seth I am most profoundly grateful. Seth is smart, witty, a great problem solver, the hardest little worker I know, totally a silly spaz, and a cheerful little man. I am honored to be his mom. With Friggs I get to build forts, catch lizards and snakes and bugs, pretend to be a whale shark or dinosaur, and save the world. Here is my birthday wish for Seth: just as Jesus took the few loaves and fed the five thousand, may He take my efforts as a mother and turn Seth into a mighty warrior for God.
This last Christmas I made a video of Friggs for my mom, so I’ll include it. Just know that it only goes up through the fall so it's not totally current, and it's 4 minutes long, but hang in there for the dancing montage - it's worth it. Many, many thanks for those of you who prayed Seth here. He is quite excited about turning 4 this week!

Future blackmail

I thought it would be fun to include a recent picture of Scoot. Kim and I both find this picture hilarious. Isn't it great? It will be perfect to pull out on his first date and show to his girlfriend.



Also, look at Kimberly and Seth on a "roller coaster". Kim considers it a perk of having small children to be able to ride the kiddie rides. Seriously, she won't go near a REAL roller coaster with me, but she gets all excited about a eight-mile-an-hour ride at Sea World. At least now she can ride them without shame, "Oh, no, I don't like this ride- look, I have a little boy with me." Well, don't let her fool ya. She's having more fun than Friggs.

How to make a kid sandwich.

Often considered a delicacy among those with a discerning palate, the kid sandwich is really very easy to prepare, and always a hit at parties. This particular recipe has been attributed to Helga Broomschnausen, the witch of Hansel and Gretel fame, but it more likely originated in Scandanavia. To begin, you will need two children, approximately 20 to 30 pounds each. They may be washed beforehand, but I've found it makes little difference in the flavor. You will also need two large pillows. Lay one "slice" out and spread the children generously onto the pillow.
Next, sprinkle imaginary salt onto the children; then use your fingers to make sure it is spread evenly onto their ribs and necks. Depending on the quality of children you have, they may be quite ticklish, which makes salting difficult. Be sure to instruct the children to be still, or the salting will last longer.


Apply the second pillow and mash firmly but gently. The children should be snug.


Now you're ready to eat. It takes some practice, as kid sandwiches are notoriously wiggly. I suggest serving this recipe with a chilled glass of grape juice.


As a side note, a kid taco can also be made using a blanket and a bungee cord. Be sure to substitute the imaginary salt for imaginary cheese when using this variation.

This was part of the fun we had when Steve and Natasha came to visit us a week ago. Their daughter, Audrey, is one of Seth's favorite playmates. We went to Sea World, played games, and of course, ate a variety of foods made from fresh children. It was great to see them.