the benefits of sea salt

if you think this is a food post - it's not. if you need some suggestions for stress relief...that is what I feel like talking about today.
while I don't claim to be an expert on anything (except, perhaps, how to drive my darling husband crazy) I am a mother of five children and I think it is safe to say I do know a thing or two about kids....or rather, how my kids can drive me crazy. so, I thought I would share a few ways I de-stress in my life.

it is a bit of a miracle that I am able to sit and type this out - if I actually get to publish this post....that is yet to be determined.  so, please excuse my typos and lack of capitals and for the record this is being typed on my phone....with the two smallest kids on the couch beside me looking at lift the flap books as the three year old informs me it is their  "peace  and quiet time" and then swats my shoulder every two seconds to show me the page he is looking at (don't worry, I did the right thing and read them a few books before starting.) before that we had a great conversation where he (the three year old) randomly remember our hamster dying last fall and told me all about how the hamster was sad in the dirt and grass now and
"I am getting a new hamster, or five...can I get a hamster? and a zoo?"
and my seven year old compsed a song he has been singing all day,
"baby, baby, I'm half crazy"

...this is the same boy that came to me while I was on the phone this morning;
"mom? mom? mom? mom? "
"yes?"
".........I forget"

ironically I was chatting with my own mother at the time.

I remeber her trying to have private conversations...before the days of portable phones at that! annd I feel her pain....I must have been the most annoying little girl. sorry mom.

so back to stress relief.
since starting to type this they have stopped looking at books,I have tandem nusred them and they had circle time, run by my amazing 10 year-old. ..she is now pulling them around the house on a blanket. I love her.

so, with  that little  intro to my day, ha, I will share my list;

5. going on the internet. yep. it's true.. I'm not going to pretend I don't like it or dont do it. I like to see all those silly ecards, and my friends photos....I even follow comedians on twitter and do my best to keep up with the "news". a few minutes(ahem...) online does this mama  good.

4. stirring soup/roux/sause, what have you.  standing over a warm stove and  s l o w l y  

s t i r r i n g...

3. grinding sea salt with my marble mortar and pestle. Besides the fact that it is so good for you, and so yummy, I love course sea salt because it gives me the chance to pound away at something for a few minutes. I get a lot of satisfaction from seeing those little rocks turn to powder.

2. spening time with my husband. alone. yes. sometimes I just need to talk, and he is such a wonderful listener.  and sometimes...there is no talking ;)

and my number 1 ....

PRAYER. beautiful, quiet time with God. a moment to gather, breathe,  listen, be grateful,  and beg for mercy. our God is so good. this is one mama who's happy to admit that I can get steessed. I don't have it all together, but I am a daughter of the Most High and He is the Prince of Peace.