Nanosecond of Fame

Some of you have been wondering how in the world Jensen and Emme ended up in a Disney commercial.

Well...let me tell you a little story.

You may have seen the “I am a Princess” commercial playing on Nickelodeon and the Disney channel right now.

Our girls appear for the MOST NANO of seconds in that commercial – so if you blink...you will definitely miss them!

 Click here to see the "I am a Princess" Disney Commercial

It all started one day last spring.  We were getting behind a few months on Emme’s school fees (her school has a special program for Down syndrome and is over $300 a month).

We didn’t want to ask our supporters for more money – everyone had been so generous already.

As Karl was driving to Emme's school one morning he prayed, “Lord, please give us some creative ways to bring in more income to cover costs for Emme’s needs.”

That same morning, unknown to Karl, I received an email from the Down Syndrome Association about Disney looking for children with Down syndrome for their “anyone can be a princess” commercial. Disney is changing their princess image – from Barbie doll princesses who are slightly helpless – to princesses in all shapes and sizes – with character and courage

I thought..."Yeah! Right!"  But on a whim...I sent off a response and attached Emme's photo.
.

Our Princess

Apparently there is a lot of filming done in Cape Town (because of the great tax structure, mild weather all year round, ethnically diverse talent).  Who knew?

After a few casting calls and wardrobe checks...both our girls were selected and we showed up for the shoot.  Disney had chosen 65 kids to be shot at locations all over Cape Town in a two day period.  Our location was someone’s actual house.  We met a very nice Asian family whose two daughters had also been chosen.  They were in the room next to us (you can see them in several shots in the commercial). These were model children...delightful candidates...with perfect behaviour.  We however, were another story.

So we showed up that day bright and cheerful, but... 

After waiting around for 3 hours for our turn..the girls were getting pretty cranky

      - Emme refused to let Jensen put the handmade princess crown on her head – she just screamed and ripped it off (she does NOT like hats).  There is no bargaining with Emme. Promising treats for good behaviour or threatening punishment in a crisis situation gets you absolutely nowhere with her.

      - Jensen was too caught up in the amazing “girl room” decorations of their staged bedroom to pay any attention whatsoever to the director

      -  I was desperately trying to make the girls cooperate and didn't realize I was becoming “THAT parent.”  The director finally had to say, “Uh, Mom...we need you to move out of the way! Your arm keeps getting in the shot!” So Embarrassing!!

      - Every time the girls were doing something cute and princess-like (in my Professional Mom Opinion) – the cord would come unplugged on the camera (batteries would have been nice) and they would miss the shot that I am sure would have launched our children’s career in stardom

Completely frazzled, we were about to leave when they asked Karl if we would do a behind-the-scenes interview (for Disney’s internal purposes).

The interview began, and I really do not know what came over me.

They started by asking me...”So what have the Disney princesses meant to you?”

I could not tell you who that person was that started to talk...but suddenly I was overcome with how the princesses had changed my life! I went on and on and on....about how they made me believe in myself, how they were so unselfish and inspiring!  I even started to cry. What??!!?

It was crazy-town!

Poor Karl couldn't get in a word edge-wise because I could not stop talking about how amazing the princesses are.  This is a loss for Disney, as Karl is the true Disney fan in this family.  He grew up going to Disney World with his family and has many happy memories there.

Eventually the interviewer decided he needed to hear something else, so he turns to Jensen and says, “What do YOU think about the princesses?”

Jensen, normally quite the talker, looks at him very confused...saying absolutely nothing.  She clearly has not had any life-altering experiences with the Disney Princesses, unlike her mother.

In an attempt to jump start her, I say “Jensen...don’t you think the princesses are kind?”

She looks at me and says a bit bewildered, “Mom! Jesus is kind!”

She’s got that right.

We recover and apparently I was still talking about princesses when Jensen says, “Mom!”

I say, “Jensen...I’m talking.  Please wait.”

I keep on trucking on the Way Princesses Have Changed My Life Forever. Clearly I have a lot to say on this subject.

She says again a little more urgently, “Mom!”

Me (trying not to sound high pitched and annoyed in the middle of my Dateline worthy interview) say, “Just a minute, Jensen!”

Jensen nearly frantic now...“Mom!”

Me, “Yes! WHAT is it?”

Jensen... “Look at Emme, mom!”

And there across from us, Emme has the Vice President of Disney World Media on her knees in a near fetal position – with Emme’s death-grip on this woman’s beautiful long blonde hair.

I rush over...prying her fingers off and saying, “No! No! Emme. No! No pulling hair!” 

She may seem harmless...but she lures you in with her big smile - while she's planning all the while to pull a big chunk of your hair out by the roots

Needless to say the interview ended quickly and we left as soon as possible, convinced the girls’ scene would be cut from the commercial.  We were shocked to find out months later the girls had their nanosecond of fame after-all.

Although Disney hasn’t been beating own our door, it did cover Emme’s school feels for the rest of last year - an amazing gift from the True King for our Princess Emme!

That day I went a little princess crazy - and turned all of Jensen's old birthday hats into "princess caps" (although I thought  I was very clever...Jensen just really wanted the birthday hats back)

Note: Julie Ostrand  founded "Motherhood is Beautiful," a holistic program in South Africa created to empower at-risk mothers through mentoring, skills development, and job creation.

"Empower a Mom.com" is the brand name of the beautiful home decor products made in our job creation program.

These products are created by hand and every time you purchase an "Empower a Mom.com" product, you help a mother in Africa provide food for her family.

If you love empowering at-risk moms or helping a small business get started...join us now and contribute seed money to help us launch our new home decor product line and create jobs for moms in Africa!

Our goal is to raise $5,000 by October 31, 2014! Help launch our business in Africa to empower moms and contribute now...

Me and June Cleaver

I really do feel like I’m living in 1954. I have to say...believe the hype! There is something a  magical about life 50 years ago.

For instance...

1. I am the dishwasher - We do not have a dishwasher so we hand wash all our dishes.  Wow!  Three meals a day for a family of 5 – that’s A LOT of dishes.  June Cleaver made it look so fun in those dresses and aprons! She didn’t sweat! She glowed! Her hair was magnificent and her kitchen sparkled. I think I would be having a much better time if I added some heels, pearls and cardigans to my dishwashing experience.

I’m way too excited about these kitchen scrubbers sent by a friend in America (thanks Jennifer)

2.  Not a disposable lifestyle – We seem to save everything!  It’s almost like I grew up in the Great Depression...I just can’t throw it away!  Ziplock bags, plastic disposable cups, the flimsy container the strawberries come in....you get the idea. I even look at empty toilet paper rolls and think, “I’m SURE Jensen could make a craft out of that!  It’s really TOO good to throw away! I could desperately need this someday!”

In fact she did make a craft out of the TP roll...last week I turned around and she said, “Look, Mom! I made this 'camera' all by myself!" (I was actually pretty impressed)

On a side note....someone was asking me about our “wheelybin” recently.  I kept saying “What?” “What?” Until I realized they were saying Wheely Bin – meaning our outdoor trash can on wheels. I’m not absolutely positive I speak English here.

3. Line drying laundry – Until I moved to Africa...I had never hung clothes to dry outside. Here’s how I used to look at sunny days...

·         As a kid -  Fun! Now I can run around the neighbourhood endlessly and ride my bike and climb countless tress

·         In my teens – Great! Now I can lay out and get a stellar tan!

·         In my 20’s – Not Great! I’m stuck inside working on a gorgeous day.

·         In my 30’s – Fantastic! Now I can line dry my laundry and save $2 on electricity (big savings not using the “tumble drier” as they call it)

4. Jensen’s school – Jensen goes to a “public school” – but it feels like a nice small town school from the 50’s.  Her teacher is a Christian, they can pray in school, and religion is encouraged. The parents are nice, the teachers are nice...it’s all just so very nice.

5. He’s on the 20, the 15, the 5, Touchdown Nebraska! Karl found a way to listen to the Husker Game last weekend on the radio.   Kinda like a big screen, high-def TV...but not really. Actually, it was an iPad app that lets you listen to any radio station around the world. Similar to 1950...but in a much more global, techy way. 

 6.  I truly feel like I’m living in a small town.  The valley where we live is composed of several small towns within a 7 mile stretch.  So even though there are about 100,000 people in this little nook on the tip of Africa...every time I go to the grocery store or local cafe, I run into many people I know. Jensen and Karl play the game, “Who can see the first person we know?" (Jensen always wins with her eagle eyes).

Upside...you’re likely to know someone in the parking lot if your car won’t start (it’s happened...came in handy for a jump start). Downside: I can’t just run to grab some bananas in my sweats and hope I won’t see anyone I know. They will find me...especially if I’m make-up less and severely wind blown.

7. Mom and Pop Stores - There really aren't a lot of “chains” around here...the area is largely made up of locally owned restaurants and shops.  Where we used to go to Walmart as one stop for everything...we now have to go to 10 different smaller stores. Fish Hoek, a nearby small town, feels like Ansley, Nebraska 50 years ago – when small towns were alive and well. We can’t help but “Go Local and Buy Green.”

I confess there is a McDonalds nearby, but I have yet to find someone who can understand my thick American accent filtered through the drive-through intercom system (I try to tell them it's not ME with the accent).  This experience is usually composed of two people yelling, “What? What? WHAT??!?” into the microphone till I give up and drive to the window to give my order in person (they are still not quite sure what I’m talking about...which is pretty amazing since I’m just listing items off their menu). Karl is waging a silent war and now refuses to ever order anything through the speaker system (to their shock...he drives straight to the window every time).

 8. Neighbours with Chickens - Jensen was saying the other day that she really wants to see chickens and “pick eggs.”  When you’re living in the 1950’s...you naturally have friends with chickens in their back yard. Why wouldn’t you?  Of course we stopped by our friend’s house and Jensen gathered some eggs! Those chickens are on a mission!

Real chickens pecking away!

 9.  Words have new meaning -   Expressions that came from an earlier time in our history have taken on new meaning for us!

·         Don’t let the bed bugs bite – I used to say this to Jensen all the time back in America while I was tucking her in.  Ever since our bed bug incident...Jensen will say, “Mom! Don’t say that!! That scares me!”  She’s right...bed bugs are no joke.

·         Pecking order – Who knew that this expression came from chickens?  When Jensen went to feed the chickens the owner explained to us that there is a pecking order – as the chickens literally peck each other in a certain order. Chickens are not to be trifled with.

·         See you Soon, Baboon – Too many baboons around here that we do NOT want to see soon!

 10. Services – They pump your gas for you at the gas station (job creation is a big deal here so even you wanted to...you can’t pump it yourself) and when you go to the doctor you actually see the doctor for most of the time (instead of all the nurses – the doctor is the one that actually weighs you, takes your blood pressure, and checks out the pee you JUST peed in a cup...right there in front of you...I admit...slightly disturbing...I prefer to think of my pee in a quarantined environment not handled by actual humans)

So there you go!

Of course this is Africa...and there is so much poverty, drugs and horrible situations...right next to all the 1950ness.  My life really feels like a strange combination of The Help, Lean on Me (or Dangerous Minds or Freedom Writers – take your pic of inspiring inner city school movies), and Tsotsi (set in one South Africa's notoriously crime-ridden townships).

We hope we are tempting you to visit and experience (or re-experience) America circa 1954 Africa style!

Motherhood is Beautiful

Motherhood is messy and noisy and shockingly wonderful.  Adison Rose...my beautiful, smiley precious baby girl – is also my marathon crier, Olympic back-archer, and serial nap protester.  You would think my perfect parenting would have fixed this by now!  Ha!

One night a few weeks after she was born, my husband found me in tears around midnight.  I was so thankful for his helpfulness...and my heart was broken for women all over the world who do not have supportive husbands, kind family members, resources or even a separate bed to put their new little baby into at night. I really couldn’t stop crying.

As I looked into my baby girls’ eyes...my heart was torn to shreds for those without enough money for diapers,  enough knowledge about breastfeeding, enough energy for parenting....for those with not enough of just about everything they really need.

The answer here in Africa is not handing out more cash, distributing bigger bags of food, or even finding someone a job.  We need a holistic way to a walk a journey with the mothers in our community...a journey of beauty from the ugliness that surrounds them.

All Too Common Ugly Scenarios

• Babies are hit/beat if they cry too much (culture says that these babies are being “naughty” and should be punished)
• Diaper rashes and cradle cap easily get out of control (babies with a severe, raw and bleeding diaper rash and cradle cap goes untreated for long periods of time and infection sets in)
• Children often grow up on a diet of chips and soda pop (that’s all these mothers know to do...because that’s what their parents did for them)

I am challenged to resist the temptation is to treat the ugly symptoms I find so appalling...without digging deep enough to see Him bind up hearts where they are most broken and turn the ashes into beauty.

He makes motherhood beautiful when we walk a journey of gratitude, joy and hope together.

“Motherhood is Beautiful” – a new Baby Safe program we are launching next week -  was born out of a desire to encourage and support mothers through discipleship, training and just being living examples.

Strategy: Engage with women 5 days a week (with Baby Safe staff and volunteers plugging in to areas where they are passionate)

·         Discovery Bible Studies

·         Baby Health (breast feeding, diaper rashes, cradle cap, proper growth, colic, etc.)

·         Finances (creating and maintaining a family budget)

·         Time Management (developing healthy life rhythms)

·         Nutrition (buying and making healthy meals for your family)

·         Child Rearing (taking joy in motherhood, communicating with your child, discipline)

·         Exercise (walking and dance lessons)

·         Sewing classes (potential source of income)

So Motherhood is beautiful.  It really is. 

Beautiful at 2 am with a screaming baby. 

Beautiful when you have changed your shirt for the 5^th time that day (due to a seemingly never end flow of spit up on your left shoulder).

Adi and the 5 shirts she spit up on that day

Beautiful when you’re late again due to another out of control poopy diaper that has somehow amazingly blown out both the back and front – with no substance actually in the diaper (this actually happened to me when I was by myself with a 9 month old Jensen on an airplane – found a large pile of poo in my LAP – none to be found in the diaper. Let’s just say the passenger next to me really appreciated that.)

Beautiful when you realize how much thankfulness, joy and hope are wrapped up in this tiny little bundle of epic smiles, ear piercing screams, and life altering moments when you realize you ARE IT. 

No one else is going to parent this child but you.  Ministry, promotions, projects and hobbies can wait.  Parenting cannot. Parenting is THE gig...and it’s beautiful.

Want to join us on a journey to see mothers in disadvantaged communities embrace the beauty of motherhood?  

Find out how to get involved with "Motherhood is Beautiful!" Click here: http://www.karlandjulie.com/info_whatwedo_teaching.asp

Top Five Moments in Africa With My Parents

I couldn't help but burst into tears when I saw my parents walk out of the Cape Town terminal. This is the first time they have flown over the Atlantic and it was an incredible time together. They got to meet Adison Rose for the first time, experience the breath-taking beauty Cape Town and connect with our amazing community.

Here are my 5 top highlights...

1.     STATE FAIR: Driving on the “wrong” side of the road was quite the adventure for my dad. He would yell “State Fair!” during scary moments.  He said, “It’s a lot like a ride at the state fair... mostly safe, but you still feel like you are about to die at any given moment.”

  

2.     MEETING ADI: My parents had to wait 3 ½ months before they could meet their seventh grandchild...Adison Rose!  They fell in love with her instantly! The first thing my mother said to her at the airport was, “Adi Rose! Who do you look like?” After carefully looking her over and deciding there was no obvious family resemblance, she said, “I guess you look like yourself!” She does look like...well... herself! I suppose we all look a bit like ourselves. J

On a side note: Regarding Adi...I REALLY don’t know why I get asked numerous times if she is “a doll.”  Finally the last time I said, “No!  Why would I do that?” And the women remarked in deep South American accent “Dees people...de will do anyting!”  At any rate...I guess she’s right.  I looked it up and there are women who buy these “reborn dolls” – made to look like real babies.  They take them out shopping, to restaurants, to events – treating them like actual babies.  I guess people really will do anything!

Adi looks like a doll??

Maybe?

3.     THE BLESSING: My parents took some time to bless our fellow missionary friends in our house church...they said, “On behalf of all of your parents...we just want you to say, We are so proud of you!” Everyone was so touched by the love and support of my parents.

Here is a video of our house church the night my parents came (singing "Spring up O Well")

I've got a river of life flowin' out of me.
Makes the lame to walk and the blind to see.
Opens prison doors, sets the captives free.
I've got a river of life flowin' out of me.

Spring up O Well.
Within my soul.
Spring up O Well
And make me whole.
Spring up O Well
And give to me
That life abundantly.

This song is the prayer I want to walk out every day with my life!

4.     FRIENDS FROM OCEAN VIEW. It was so great to have my parents meet Claudine.  She said, “I finally get to meet my American family!”  I also really enjoyed having my mom come to the Yellow House and meet the high school girls from Ocean View I’ve been mentoring for a few years.  She shared her story of how she met Jesus and prayed a blessing over them.

5.     THE BEST DAY OF MY LIFE: I couldn’t believe it when my dad said, “Julie, this was the best day of my life.”  It was a great day of spending time together and soaking in the beauty of Africa. We went to the top of Table Mountain and pictures really can’t describe how awe-inspiring the view is – from the top you can see two oceans, all of Cape Town, and many of the small towns surrounding where we live. That night we experienced some African food with live African dancers.

I am so grateful my parents came and blessed us in more ways than we can describe in words.  Since we are not going back to America this year, it was life-giving to have family visit us.

As Karl was pulling out of the driveway to take them to the airport to leave...my father was sitting in the front seat.  I ran out, jumped in his lap and wrapped my arms around him. I’m not too old to sit in my daddy’s lap.  


I thought...I understand God better because I have a good father.  A father who knows how to give good gifts, who delights in just being around me, who loves deeply and sacrificially.

This is our God...our amazing Father!  He adores us and is working out hundreds of details every moment of every day for our good.  He is trustworthy...He is perfect...He is worth it all!

The Negativity Fast

I’ve decided I want to root out the sin in my life...truly on every level. When I look it in the eye, I think the biggest area of sin in my life is negativity.

How far am I willing to take things to let real joy take over?

I recently heard a woman talk about the scripture that says “lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely...” (Hebrews 12:1)

She talked about how some things in our life may not be sin...but are definitely weights.  Things like...

-          A hectic schedule – A schedule that gives you no time to breathe (so much so you are usually praying other people will cancel on you).  She said God doesn’t make the schedule, you do...so fix it.

-          Debt – When you’re in debt you constantly feel the walls closing in around you. She said to make a plan – a real plan to save and get out of debt.

-          Unhealthy Eating – Being overweight  (oh how we love to eat). I recently ate an entire bag of my precious American chocolate chips...before I could even make the cookies.

-          Negativity – Complaining, whining and gossiping.  She suggested a Negativity Fast. Oh dear! Can I give up my precious negativity?

Huh!  I really could improve in all these areas- but the Lord is speaking to me about my negativity.  It’s sad, really, that I need a fast to help me guard my words.  But the truth is...I do.

I want to call a spade a spade – it’s gossip...slandering someone I know. It’s not giving my opinion, supporting a friend or seeking advice. It’s gossip.  There...I’ve said it.

And complaining is just that...complaining.  I’m usually trying to get my husband to do something differently with my complaining– but the truth is that whining is not pretty.

Here is my plan...

1    --  to enlist as many people as I can to join me (or at least hold me to it)

      --  replace my negative words with God’s life-altering words

The first topics that have to go...

-          1. Commenting on crazy drivers (I’m sure I’d be appalled at what other drivers are saying about me within the confines of their cars...I can certainly be a little crazy myself)

-          2. People who have hurt me

-          3. Programs (and the people involved) that I feel are ineffective, ill-intentioned or just plain annoying

The truth is...I can only be negative if there is something I want more than Jesus.  Many times I realize there are quite a few things I want more than Jesus (people to like me, life to be easy, pain to be minimal)....but I WANT to want Jesus more than anything.

So I begin with something small...a 7 day fast from poisonous words. I will lay it aside! I had two friends join me today...and I must admit.  I got a little bit excited! 

What if we did this with our closest friends...our spouses...our community?

What if we all decided not to let one word of complaint or gossip pass through our lips for 7 days?  What about 40 days? What about a year?  I think it would change the culture....joy would seep in, praise would sprout up, hope would abound. I want it...even if I can only grasp 7 days at a time. I’m all in!

Read what my friend Claudine has to say... http://www.karlandjulie.com/journal_may2012.asp#negativity

If you have a verse...ANY verse that has been encouraging to you...please send it my way (leave comments below) or email to julie@karlandjulie.com

Mind Tour of a 5 Year Old

It’s starting to get cold here and African winter is underway!  To get you in the spirit of the flopped seasons of the Southern Hemisphere, here is a little tour of Jensen’s mind (albeit it was during a Nebraska winter a few months ago...but bear with me...you’ll start feeling more “wintery” in a few seconds).

Take a little tour of the mind of 5 year old on a cold winter’s night with new fallen snow (5 questions Jensen asked in a 30 minute car ride to a Christmas program last December)...

#1 Q: What is “moisture?”

·         My Answer: “Uh...yeah...what IS moisture?  Wet stuff!  It’s like water...but just a LITTLE bit of water.”

·         Context – Jensen wanted to roll down her car window to feel the new snow coming down on her soft, warm hands. Willing to accommodate briefly, Karl rolled it down but explained he couldn’t keep it open because it would let in too much “moisture.”  Jensen really was not impressed with the negative long term effects of “too much moisture.”  The car’s upholstery sided with Karl.

#2 Q: Umm...Mom...what does “deal with disappointment” mean?

·         My Answer: “It means you don’t always get what you want and you have to be OK with it.”

·         Context – Jensen was very sad she had to roll up her car window and we told her she needed to “deal with disappointment.” After this was explained, she voiced her general preference for getting what she wanted all the time and in pretty much every circumstance– she would be much more OK with no disappointment to deal with.

·         Side note: Whether 5 or 95 – do any of us really want to “deal with disappointment?”  I’d rather skip that part of life myself.

# 3 Q: What does “silent night” mean?

·         My Answer: “Well, silent means very quiet.  This song is about when Jesus was born – someone thought the night was very quiet and still.  But Jesus was born in a barn with all those animals.  Do you think it was quiet?”

·         Context – Listening to “Silent Night” in the car.

·         Side note: We both decided the song was pretty but might have some factual discrepancies...what we lowing cows and all (I wish someone would tell ME what “cattle lowing” means).

#4 Q: Why does snow sparkle?

·         My Answer: “Well since the snow is wet – when the light shines on it, it looks like it sparkles – kinda like God’s glitter.”

·         Context – Looking out the window at the newly fallen glitter snow.

#5 Q: What does “jazzy” mean?

·         My Answer: “It means funky (realizing she doesn’t know that word)...um...it means the music may be a little TOO exciting.”

·         Context – She overheard our conversation about how someone thought the music last year’s Christmas program was too “jazzy.”

·         Sidenote: After the Christmas concert Jensen decided it was not possible for the music to be “too jazzy.” And really – can music ever be too exciting for a 5 year old?

Can you remember a time when you didn’t know what “disappointment” meant? When every wonder of nature had to be explained...when the mysteries of life included discovering ear wax, no slumbering at “slumber parties” and realizing wet braided hair = cool crimped hair style hours later?

I want to enjoy every second of this 5 year old’s life.

All too often I am rushing – rushing past her precious days filled with a hundred questions and the joy in her eyes when she says, “Mama, watch! Watch me spin!”

Here are 3 quotes that have inspired me to SLOW IT DOWN:

“On every level of life, from housework to heights of prayer, in all judgment and efforts to get things done, hurry and impatience are sure marks of the amateur.” 

-       Evelyn Underhill

 “My biggest regret is being in a hurry. Getting to the next thing without fully entering the thing in front of me. I cannot think of a single advantage I’ve ever gained from being in a hurry. But a thousand broken and missed things, tens of thousands, lie in the wake of all the rushing.… Through all that haste I thought I was making up time. It turns out I was throwing it away.”

-        Mark Buchanan

“That in Christ, urgent means slow.

That in Christ, the most urgent necessitates a slow and steady reverence.

That in Christ, time is not running out. This day is not a sieve, losing time. In Christ, we fill – gaining time.

We stand on the brink of eternity.

So there is enough time.

Time to breathe deep and time to see real.

Time to laugh long, time to give God glory and rest deep and sing joy. And just enough time in a day not to feel hounded, pressed, driven, or wild to get it all done.”

-       Ann Voskamp

Today I’ve decided...I am going to REFUSE the rush. I’m going to watch her spin...and think about why snow sparkles...and take time to appreciate the “jazzy” parts of life.  Jensen sees jazzy everywhere she looks – and when I slow down just a little bit...I can see it too.


See the spin...