Mama's Bank Account and Kjodboller

One of my favorites, and probably the sweetest book I've ever read is, Mama's Bank Account. It's the story of a Norwegian immagrant family living in San Francisco in the early 1900's. I've been reading it to the kids, ever so slowly, this summer.

That first night, the boys groaned. A book about a mom, really?

I haven't heard any complaining lately.... They love it, I know they do.

She was a such a good mama, and in today's chapter she made kjodboller for her daughter Katran's class.

What's a kjodboller?

How do you even pronounce that?

It's a meatball in cream sauce. And today, we made our very own kjodbollers....

Ruby, the chief kjodboller maker. She's also our resident naked chef.

Mixing our kjodboller...

A pan full of kjodboller.

Annie, the kjodboller taster.

These kjodbollers are Sam approved!

Not bad at all, if I do say so myself. I must have a little Norwegian in me somewhere...

The fact of the matter is, it's just plain tough to be a mama, I guess it always has been. How do you raise kids up in a world where even cookies have a political agenda? How do I, as a mama, respond?

Do I picket or boycott?

Do I rant and rave?

Or, do I just point... point with my life.... point with my words.... point with my actions.... to the One who is the only way.

Sometimes, actually most of the time, my  point is reading on the couch with five kids in my lap or standing the kitchen rolling up gooey kjodboller.

Making memories... so that these five kids can change the world.

Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me. John 14:6