Baby Girl is something else... we've already talked about it... but last night, I saw it yet again...in a new expression at that...
Yesterday was Wednesday, which means we spend the night in the parsonage next to the church where Michael serves as pastor (and as of last night, officially pastor, as we were affirmed by vote in church conference since serving our initial 6 months is complete)...anyway, so since we were going just for one night and the dishes weren't caught up (who would have seen that coming? anyone?anyone? exactly.) I just took one bottle with us... one bottle that Bowen decided to rip a hole in...she gnawed and pulled and chomped a nice little split... so much of a split that more milk that she cared for would get in her mouth...so she wouldn't drink from it. At. All.
So a few of the church members searched their cabinets to no avail... then we called a friend who lives in Bluffton and has a baby but got an answering machine...then one of the church members went and got one from their grandson's house... Bowen was not having it. It was not her bottle and she KNEW it. She would put it in her mouth and then throw it, not even attempt to drink from it. So we tried a sippy cup... also a NO. She liked to chew on it but she couldn't figure out the sitting up part of drinking from it (this child likes to be sprawled out when she's drinking).
So I decide that when she's thirsty in the middle of the night (since at this point it had been 5 hours since her last bottle as best we could figure) she'll give it up and take it from the new bottle.
Then she slept... ALL NIGHT... from 8:30 pm to 6:00 am.
Hrmph.
Well, she'll definitely take it now...its been more than 12 hours.
Um. NO!
I tried the new bottle. In the mouth it goes, thrown to the floor it goes.
I tried the busted bottle. She took a swig, threw it, took a swig, threw it, screamed, burped and wouldn't make eye contact with it.
I sat her in the bed with her daddy to go get some toys (since we obviously weren't going back to sleep)... She screamed and screamed.
I got back with the toys.
She turned into happy baby and played and made faces and talked until time to get ready for daycare. She ate her breakfast and off she went.
S.T.U.B.B.O.R.N.
Thursday, March 31
Wednesday, March 30
$5 Million Dollar God
Ok, I read this great article on John Acuff's Stuff Christians Like blog... and I don't have the patience to look up the link right this second, so bear with me until I do... Basically, the article talks about the limitations we put on God.. .like, oh, God you can furnish $100 but you aren't a $1 Million dollar God... which, for the record, that previous sentence doesn't even do.. ok, scratch that, I'm going link hunting.........
ummm... urg... this is taking longer than expected...
Anyway, until I get that all linked up... let's get to the point...
HA! Found it! Read John's article HERE... thank you Goodsearch!
I need you to pray that God is a $5 million God. Specifically, that He is a $5 million God on Tuesday, April 5th.
Michael and I are going to Costa Rica in May... we are partnering with John Riley and the Knapps at Radical Life Ministries.... and David, Radical Life missionary, will be coming to Atlanta to speak to a group of men about a large sum donation for their work in Costa Rica on Tuesday, April 5th. The Ministry is specifically looking for $300,000 for the purchase of a land lot to expand and improve their work outside of Jaco, Costa Rica... however, this group of 5 men have the ability to give $5 million. $5 million is enough for land and construction costs, salary expenses for missionaries and their families, plus extra funding to substain the Radical Life work in Costa Rica for more than 5 years.
Will you join me in praying that this week, God is a 5 MILLION DOLLAR God?
HA! Found it! Read John's article HERE... thank you Goodsearch!
I need you to pray that God is a $5 million God. Specifically, that He is a $5 million God on Tuesday, April 5th.
Michael and I are going to Costa Rica in May... we are partnering with John Riley and the Knapps at Radical Life Ministries.... and David, Radical Life missionary, will be coming to Atlanta to speak to a group of men about a large sum donation for their work in Costa Rica on Tuesday, April 5th. The Ministry is specifically looking for $300,000 for the purchase of a land lot to expand and improve their work outside of Jaco, Costa Rica... however, this group of 5 men have the ability to give $5 million. $5 million is enough for land and construction costs, salary expenses for missionaries and their families, plus extra funding to substain the Radical Life work in Costa Rica for more than 5 years.
Will you join me in praying that this week, God is a 5 MILLION DOLLAR God?
Dear Blog...
Hi. We haven't met recently. Sorry about that. I'll try to be back more regularly with interesting stuff to say. We are currently spending at least 3 days a week without internet in the evenings so my ability to upload photos and get posts rolling has suffered.
Please don't forget me.
Please don't forget me.
Wednesday, March 23
One for the Record Books
Yesterday evening was one.of.those.days. You know the ones...
When I picked up the girls from daycare they were immediately clingly.
Not good.
Then the sitter tells me that Bowen has been "raw" (Southern slang for ill-tempered and easily offended) all day.
Very much not good.
When we get home, things are looking up.
I give Bowen a bath and she's pleasant for the experience.
Hayley goes outside with Michael and is fine and well.
Hayley comes back in...whiney, whiney, whiney.
I put on Dora and my restless child sprawls on the couch half-zombied for the next 45 minutes.
Not. good.
I put Bowen down for 5 minutes to cut the chicken for supper. She is not amused by the exersaucer and is rubbing her eyes like she's tired.
I attempt to put her down.
She rises within 2 minutes of being left in the crib and is all bubbly.
I try to feed her supper, she takes 4 bites and is DONE.
Not. Good.
I try rocking her, giving her some meds and a bottle... she full-tummy pukes on me and her.
AWFUL.
I am so covered that it is dripping...eww...everywhere.
We take off to the back of the house.
She pukes again.
UGH!
Finally I get her and me stripped down and her washed off and in a night gown.
Hand her off to her daddy who cuts on the music and rocks her to calm her down.
Get Hayley in her nightgown and headed to bed because she has been whining incessantly for 45 minutes and didn't eat a bite of her supper (which she was suppposedly doing with her daddy while I was dealing with the puke situation)
Put Hayley in bed at 7:30 without much of a fight.
I take a shower to get all the sticky puke and puke smell off of me.
I sit down and eat 5 bites of dinner.
Michael knocks Bowen out at 8 without much of a fight.
At 11 Bowen wakes up (a mere 30 minutes after I'd gotten to sleep).
Not. Good.
Got her a bottle and a dry diaper and back to her bed.
12:15 Bowen is hacking and coughing. We both get up.
Decide she is going to sleep in her carseat. Move carseat into our bed (really? yes.) prop it with pillows to keep it from moving. Everyone goes back to bed.
She cries at 3. I shake the carseat, she goes back to sleep.
She cries at 5. I get her a bottle, shake the carseat, she goes back to sleep.
She cries at 6:15. I get her out and start bumping, she sleeps for another 20 minutes.
She cries at 6:40. Hayley starts calling from behind her bedroom door.
And we're up and going again.
When I picked up the girls from daycare they were immediately clingly.
Not good.
Then the sitter tells me that Bowen has been "raw" (Southern slang for ill-tempered and easily offended) all day.
Very much not good.
When we get home, things are looking up.
I give Bowen a bath and she's pleasant for the experience.
Hayley goes outside with Michael and is fine and well.
Hayley comes back in...whiney, whiney, whiney.
I put on Dora and my restless child sprawls on the couch half-zombied for the next 45 minutes.
Not. good.
I put Bowen down for 5 minutes to cut the chicken for supper. She is not amused by the exersaucer and is rubbing her eyes like she's tired.
I attempt to put her down.
She rises within 2 minutes of being left in the crib and is all bubbly.
I try to feed her supper, she takes 4 bites and is DONE.
Not. Good.
I try rocking her, giving her some meds and a bottle... she full-tummy pukes on me and her.
AWFUL.
I am so covered that it is dripping...eww...everywhere.
We take off to the back of the house.
She pukes again.
UGH!
Finally I get her and me stripped down and her washed off and in a night gown.
Hand her off to her daddy who cuts on the music and rocks her to calm her down.
Get Hayley in her nightgown and headed to bed because she has been whining incessantly for 45 minutes and didn't eat a bite of her supper (which she was suppposedly doing with her daddy while I was dealing with the puke situation)
Put Hayley in bed at 7:30 without much of a fight.
I take a shower to get all the sticky puke and puke smell off of me.
I sit down and eat 5 bites of dinner.
Michael knocks Bowen out at 8 without much of a fight.
At 11 Bowen wakes up (a mere 30 minutes after I'd gotten to sleep).
Not. Good.
Got her a bottle and a dry diaper and back to her bed.
12:15 Bowen is hacking and coughing. We both get up.
Decide she is going to sleep in her carseat. Move carseat into our bed (really? yes.) prop it with pillows to keep it from moving. Everyone goes back to bed.
She cries at 3. I shake the carseat, she goes back to sleep.
She cries at 5. I get her a bottle, shake the carseat, she goes back to sleep.
She cries at 6:15. I get her out and start bumping, she sleeps for another 20 minutes.
She cries at 6:40. Hayley starts calling from behind her bedroom door.
And we're up and going again.
Tuesday, March 22
What's In your...basket?
Joining up with Whitney again... and diving into the contents of my bag purse basket.
When I have the girls with me, I move my wallet, keys and phone into their diaper bag and its the only bag I carry. The extent of my "makeup" is chapstick so that also travels from diaper bag to basket.
Yes, I said basket. TWICE!
This is my version of a bag/purse/carry all... the other side just has an M on it... This is what I haul with me to and from work daily...it literally travels from my front seat, into my house, back to the front seat, into my office, rinse, lather repeat.
This basket is my catch all.. it serves as part lunch box, part purse, part shoe collector (when Hayley doesn't want to put them on to go home from daycare)
Now for the scary part... here's what's inside....
2- 20-ounce Mr. Pibb bottles (our church is going to collect dimes over the next year in 20-ounce bottles and the money goes to Pure Water)
1 gray umbrella that is probably as old as I am... I got it out of Puff, the 83 Cutlas Supreme I drove junior year after I wrecked my first car.
1 package of Chips Ahoy cookies.. in the BLUE plastic bag. Yes, its a full-sized package.
2 Holiday pencils, unsharpened (one is Christmas and one is Valentines), 1 solid green unsharpened pencil
1 valentine heart sucker
2 pictures of Hayley that I took out a frame at work to take back home since they were over a year old (Make that 3)
1 package of AAA batteries that I bought and for some reason they are in my bag instead of in the closet or whichever item needed AAA batteries
1 Sea Band left over from wearing them through my pregnancy with Bowen. yes I know that ended 9 months ago, back up off me.
1 butterfly pin that a coworker gave me that I wore for my green on St. Patty's day
1 pair of sunglasses
1 hair clip
1 key to parsonage on peanut keychain
Loose change (2 dimes, 2 pennies)
Multiple loose bottle caps (one of the local Pre-K teacher uses them in her classroom)
My Petite Bible... its the size of a wallet, a gift from a co-worker 2 Christmases ago
Cell Phone Charger
1 package of Kleenex
1 piece of scratch paper with all the information for Hayley's swimming lessons on it
5 pens (make that 8)
1 regular rubber band
1 post it note with a SSN on it (not safe, I know, I know!)
1 Georgia decal
1 small lotion bottle (also a Christmas gift)
1 small lipstick sampler (obviously a Christmas gift, still in the plastic bag it was given to me in)
1 receipt (make that2 3)
1 mini-memo notebook
1 bill from ambulance company that I had to call about it and they sent a new one
1 promo card for Camera Ready Communities
1 25-day devotional book that I got as a freebie in the mail last week
1 ziploc bag of photos of someone else's child (they were mixed in with pictures they gave me of my girls, so I think they are not actually mine to have)
1 Book on the Holocaust (my cousin loaned it to me without prompt so it hasn't left my bag yet, don't tell her)
1 old-school linen hankercheif
2 CD cases with cds that are musical but not sure what they are in them
1 ziploc bag with Huggies coupons (anybody need them?)
1 folded piece of paper with instructions on what items can be mailed to World Vision kids
1 Relay for Life button
1 gift certificate for a pedicure from 2008 (I'm gonna guess that's expired now...)
1 Wet Nap
1 6-pack of Sudafed
2 clothespins (I have NO idea)
2 peppermints
1 Hayley hair clip
1 extra button from a new sweater
1 Subway gift card
1 package of nail files
1 Box Top
1 undelivered Valentine Card (Lane, that's yours)
1 business card to my favorite Mexican place
1 Georgia Alumni decal
1 discount business card for a monogramming place
Like I said... CATCH. ALL!!!!
When I have the girls with me, I move my wallet, keys and phone into their diaper bag and its the only bag I carry. The extent of my "makeup" is chapstick so that also travels from diaper bag to basket.
Yes, I said basket. TWICE!
This is my version of a bag/purse/carry all... the other side just has an M on it... This is what I haul with me to and from work daily...it literally travels from my front seat, into my house, back to the front seat, into my office, rinse, lather repeat.
This basket is my catch all.. it serves as part lunch box, part purse, part shoe collector (when Hayley doesn't want to put them on to go home from daycare)
Now for the scary part... here's what's inside....
2- 20-ounce Mr. Pibb bottles (our church is going to collect dimes over the next year in 20-ounce bottles and the money goes to Pure Water)
1 gray umbrella that is probably as old as I am... I got it out of Puff, the 83 Cutlas Supreme I drove junior year after I wrecked my first car.
1 package of Chips Ahoy cookies.. in the BLUE plastic bag. Yes, its a full-sized package.
2 Holiday pencils, unsharpened (one is Christmas and one is Valentines), 1 solid green unsharpened pencil
1 valentine heart sucker
2 pictures of Hayley that I took out a frame at work to take back home since they were over a year old (Make that 3)
1 package of AAA batteries that I bought and for some reason they are in my bag instead of in the closet or whichever item needed AAA batteries
1 Sea Band left over from wearing them through my pregnancy with Bowen. yes I know that ended 9 months ago, back up off me.
1 butterfly pin that a coworker gave me that I wore for my green on St. Patty's day
1 pair of sunglasses
1 hair clip
1 key to parsonage on peanut keychain
Loose change (2 dimes, 2 pennies)
Multiple loose bottle caps (one of the local Pre-K teacher uses them in her classroom)
My Petite Bible... its the size of a wallet, a gift from a co-worker 2 Christmases ago
Cell Phone Charger
1 package of Kleenex
1 piece of scratch paper with all the information for Hayley's swimming lessons on it
5 pens (make that 8)
1 regular rubber band
1 post it note with a SSN on it (not safe, I know, I know!)
1 Georgia decal
1 small lotion bottle (also a Christmas gift)
1 small lipstick sampler (obviously a Christmas gift, still in the plastic bag it was given to me in)
1 receipt (make that
1 mini-memo notebook
1 bill from ambulance company that I had to call about it and they sent a new one
1 promo card for Camera Ready Communities
1 25-day devotional book that I got as a freebie in the mail last week
1 ziploc bag of photos of someone else's child (they were mixed in with pictures they gave me of my girls, so I think they are not actually mine to have)
1 Book on the Holocaust (my cousin loaned it to me without prompt so it hasn't left my bag yet, don't tell her)
1 old-school linen hankercheif
2 CD cases with cds that are musical but not sure what they are in them
1 ziploc bag with Huggies coupons (anybody need them?)
1 folded piece of paper with instructions on what items can be mailed to World Vision kids
1 Relay for Life button
1 gift certificate for a pedicure from 2008 (I'm gonna guess that's expired now...)
1 Wet Nap
1 6-pack of Sudafed
2 clothespins (I have NO idea)
2 peppermints
1 Hayley hair clip
1 extra button from a new sweater
1 Subway gift card
1 package of nail files
1 Box Top
1 undelivered Valentine Card (Lane, that's yours)
1 business card to my favorite Mexican place
1 Georgia Alumni decal
1 discount business card for a monogramming place
Like I said... CATCH. ALL!!!!
Monday, March 21
Up and at 'em
This face....
is now the face of a certifiable puller-upper.
Cruisin' here we come!!!
Cruisin' here we come!!!
Turning Three
Hayley won't be three until August... but she's got a lot riding on that number 3...
When she's three, she gets to
1. Chew Bubble Gum (or at least attempt it)
2. Go to Big Girl School
3. Go to Dance School
So needless to say, she is REALLY excited about what three means!
This past Saturday was my aunt's party...
When she's three, she gets to
1. Chew Bubble Gum (or at least attempt it)
2. Go to Big Girl School
3. Go to Dance School
So needless to say, she is REALLY excited about what three means!
This past Saturday was my aunt's party...
(obviously, this picture is not from the party this weekend)
When we got to the Church House after the party, Michael (who didn't get to go because he was speaking at a Wild Game dinner at a local church) was trying to get Hayley to tell him about the party... and since she wasn't cooperating, I was trying to prompt her answers... then our conversation took a sidetrack turn
Me: Tell Daddy about the birthday party... you ate pizza and cake...
Hayley: I three now?
Me: No, it was Aunt Tally's birthday party
Hayley: Aunt Tally three?
Me: No, Aunt Tally is FIFTY.
Hayley: I fifty too??
Errrr... we are going to have this conversation a lot between now and August... I just know it!
Friday, March 18
Today
Today I wear my necklace.
But today, I wear it differently before.
Today, I wear it as a reminder that God is faithful.
Today, I wear it to remind me that God's will is perfect.
Today, I wear it to remind myself that He is taking my ashes and turning them into beauty.
When I reach for my necklace today, it is more than a symbol of the fact that my body has carried two children.
Today, it is about redemption.
It is a reminder that I am carried by God.
That He wears us around His heart in the same way we wear our necklaces.
Reminders. Beloved. Prided.
A testament to faithfulness.
My prayer is that is that every day.
But today, I wear it differently before.
Today, I wear it as a reminder that God is faithful.
Today, I wear it to remind me that God's will is perfect.
Today, I wear it to remind myself that He is taking my ashes and turning them into beauty.
When I reach for my necklace today, it is more than a symbol of the fact that my body has carried two children.
Today, it is about redemption.
It is a reminder that I am carried by God.
That He wears us around His heart in the same way we wear our necklaces.
Reminders. Beloved. Prided.
A testament to faithfulness.
My prayer is that is that every day.
Thursday, March 17
Provision
This afternoon the girls were kidnapped by their Aunt Mischa and Big Dave for some quality time.
I was late getting home and decided to vacuum and do some light cleaning while the girls were out...since they both hate the vacuum cleaning, I mean, have melt-downs about it.
Anyway, I got to Bowen's room to pick up and move things on the floor...I reached down to pick up what I thought was a string...
It was my necklace.
The one I just wrote about.
That's been missing 9 days.
Don't think, for one second, that I don't firmly believe that this is God's provision in working in my heart.
And don't think my breath didn't catch in my throat knowing that my blog post was less than 3 hours old when I found it.
Wow.
How He Loves Us.
I was late getting home and decided to vacuum and do some light cleaning while the girls were out...since they both hate the vacuum cleaning, I mean, have melt-downs about it.
Anyway, I got to Bowen's room to pick up and move things on the floor...I reached down to pick up what I thought was a string...
It was my necklace.
The one I just wrote about.
That's been missing 9 days.
Don't think, for one second, that I don't firmly believe that this is God's provision in working in my heart.
And don't think my breath didn't catch in my throat knowing that my blog post was less than 3 hours old when I found it.
Wow.
How He Loves Us.
money matters... materialism
So I've read Radical by David Platt... and I highly suggest it...
I've also read the following blogs (like this one and this one and another one that I can't remember where I read it but will keep looking and hopefully bring the link back) here recently that also touch on thoughts of spirituality, materialism, and things along those lines... and then I had an two experiences this week which also brought the topic to my mind.
So in the interest of returning to posting, here we go....
I've never really thought of myself as materialistic. I wear very little jewelry, I only shop for myself when I am literally out of things that fit and are still in condition to be worn in public..(I can think of one impulse buy dress in the last 3 years and I wear it way more than enough to justify it).. I've always driven used cars, especially since I'm not the best at keeping things clean so a new car would be a guilt-ridden panic-striken state of nervousness for me... While we'd love to build a house, we are totally ok with it being a someday or a maybe or a possibly not ever thing.... I replace shoes instead of stock-piling them.
However, I am part hoarder. I tend not to get rid of things that others could actually use and benefit from, just because I think we might use them some day... or they may fit again someday... or the girls will use them 5 years from now... and in my head the conversation usually sounds like this.. "Well, we've had this fine china set since 2006 and it still has all the stickers from the store on it, but we should keep it in case we want to have a fancy dinner or host Hayley's prom dinner or some other event 25 years down the road." Or, "well, we don't really need this third collander, but it was given to us and thus free and if we get rid of it now and then we need it then we'll have to spend money to buy one, whereas if we keep this and store it until its maybe possibly used one day then we won't be spending money on it when we once had it." (Trust me, everyone is glad that the durations of these conversations continue only in my head, I've subjected Michael to some and he looks dazed and confused and is usually shaking his head within minutes of my first few sentences)
I have gotten better at giving away and purging in the past few years. God has really been breaking my heart to give the things that I don't need (i.e. the jeans that haven't fit since college) to people who really do need them right now. this very minute. And I like being able to give good things that deserve to be used and enjoyed and be a blessing to others than being a storehouse of all things random and free and handed down.
But that is just one aspect of the materialism realism I've come to face in the past few weeks.
Last Tuesday I lost my necklace. Not a necklace. MY necklace. I wear it 24/7 excluding time in the shower... it has the birthstones of my girls on it. Michael gave it to me just days before Hayley was born in 2008 with a peridot pendant for her birthmonth and I received a pearl pendant for Bowen before she was born. I lost it on a trip to Dothan. I don't know at what point in the day I lost it. But the next morning I realized it was gone. And two days later, I was still worried and slightly depressed and actually in tears over it being gone. Not my girls being gone, a necklace with their birth stones being gone. A necklace. I don't know what the monetary worth of it is and it doesn't matter... but after I had my mini-meltdown about it being gone... I thought to myself... really? You cry over a lost necklace to which you attached sentimental value, but you do not give wholly and fully to the needs around you? You think you aren't materialistic but a lost necklace affects you for more than a week after its disappearance? Don't you just love how God comes down and gets to business with you sometimes. And I realized that I had wrapped all my emotions for my children in that necklace.... I had placed it as a vital part of my life... a chain with two pendants. I have food, money, a home, children, a family, security, a job... and I'm breaking down over a necklace. And if I'm honest, I still get a little misty-eyed as I type this.
Instance number three came this past Tuesday when I took 2 of the young girls from our church out to dinner (which translates as Dairy Queen, their choice so I oblige!) and a trip to Dollar General to get some supplies for our Sunday School room. And I'm trying to figure out how to explain this without getting ahead of myself too much... So we went to Dollar General first, I wanted us to get some more markers/colored pencils/crayons and supplies for our room since most of the supplies in there were old and not working well. My shopping philosphy when related to church stuff is you get what you need to get and you don't worry about the expense. God gave his Son, so you should give also your best to His service. On the supply aisle I was oohing and aahing over the new Crayola products... I think it really tickled the girls to see a supposedly "grown up" being excited about coloring, but I love me some Crayola. So I told the girls to pick out a set of markers, crayons, etc. and I picked up the Crayola markers and one of them said "Oh, but these are cheaper." To which I replied, "Maybe so, but I like the Crayola better, so we'll get those." and then we looked at something else and they said again "These are the cheapest..." and I replied "its ok, I prefer these (sharpies I think). At this point, I'm not really registering their concerns about the money being spent, which you can probably already pick up on in type. So we walk on and on and continue browsing.. the girls are not initiating purchases but I am asking them for their opinion about things and we are just generally entertaining ourselves. We went on to the book aisle and got new Bible coloring books to use in the Sunday School rooms and I picked up 4 of one book for everyone to have their own (this books were $1)... One of the girls says, "This sure is a lot of stuff..." and I say "Don't worry about it" and we continue on to spot something that would work for an Easter craft/gift for the church members (these girls do this often with their Grandmother and enjoy that kind of thing) so we picked up the supplies to do 12 gifts for the families in the church. And then we were done and headed to the register... as we are walking up I hear one whisper to the other "This looks like its going to be a lot of money..." Ding Ding Ding! Bell finally sounds in my head. These girls are not from families with dual incomes like Michael and I. They probably don't ever go into a store with a list of "wants" and come out with a full basket, but instead shop for needs... they have been taught to shop by price instead of quality/brand loyalty. As I'm realizing this the cashier starts ringing stuff up, we have 2 baskets full of $1 and $2 items... the total comes to $70. I don't really flinch... I don't usually throw out $70 at Dollar General but we got stuff that we needed and knew we were going to use and it was for the church so in my head it was money well spent. However, when the cashier says $70, one of the girls says "oh my gosh. that's a lot of money." and the other one says "are you going to be in trouble for spending that much money?" to which I reply, "No, its really not a big deal, these are things that we needed and we will use... not just things to get for the purpose of getting and wanting and we got it for cheaper than we would have elsewhere so its fine." and then I made them promise not to tell their Grandmother how much I spent, because I know their Grandmother would have a hissy fit if she thought that they helped me spend that money... even though it was money I was already prepared to spend. But in my head, $70 was not a huge ordeal... which got me thinking about the different forms of materialism and the different reference points for what is or isn't a lot of money.
I'm not a materialist in possessions... but I'm a materialist in spending. I spend what I spend on supplies, groceries, necessities related to personal preference, brand loyalty, and comfort. I don't watch every dime of every price in the store, I get what we need or plan to get and I pay for it and I go home without much thought. I don't think we are necessarily a wasteful family... I use coupons and discount codes, I watch for sales and low prices, and I shop accordingly. We don't stockpile just for the sake of having full cabinets or a refrigerator, we buy what we are going to eat and then we eat it and then we buy some more.
But that's the difference. In my head, this is how it works...but the reality is, that being comfortable that whatever we earn is going to cover whatever we spend is a whole different realm of materialism outside of possessions alone. I am spoiled in that. And I'm just now realizing it. Not that Michael doesn't tell me "Ok, we need to be careful with spending this month or the next two weeks or whatever the time frame" and we live within our earnings putting into savings a least once a month.
But I don't really budget. I don't really watch the nickels and dimes. THAT IS MY MATERIALISM.
Please don't read this post as we have tons of money and plenty of opportunities to do whatever we want with it. Because that isn't true. Please don't read this as I have a grudge one way or the other. These are simply the revelations that God has been showing me.
Anyone want to buy a 12 place setting of Lenox fine china?
I've also read the following blogs (like this one and this one and another one that I can't remember where I read it but will keep looking and hopefully bring the link back) here recently that also touch on thoughts of spirituality, materialism, and things along those lines... and then I had an two experiences this week which also brought the topic to my mind.
So in the interest of returning to posting, here we go....
I've never really thought of myself as materialistic. I wear very little jewelry, I only shop for myself when I am literally out of things that fit and are still in condition to be worn in public..(I can think of one impulse buy dress in the last 3 years and I wear it way more than enough to justify it).. I've always driven used cars, especially since I'm not the best at keeping things clean so a new car would be a guilt-ridden panic-striken state of nervousness for me... While we'd love to build a house, we are totally ok with it being a someday or a maybe or a possibly not ever thing.... I replace shoes instead of stock-piling them.
However, I am part hoarder. I tend not to get rid of things that others could actually use and benefit from, just because I think we might use them some day... or they may fit again someday... or the girls will use them 5 years from now... and in my head the conversation usually sounds like this.. "Well, we've had this fine china set since 2006 and it still has all the stickers from the store on it, but we should keep it in case we want to have a fancy dinner or host Hayley's prom dinner or some other event 25 years down the road." Or, "well, we don't really need this third collander, but it was given to us and thus free and if we get rid of it now and then we need it then we'll have to spend money to buy one, whereas if we keep this and store it until its maybe possibly used one day then we won't be spending money on it when we once had it." (Trust me, everyone is glad that the durations of these conversations continue only in my head, I've subjected Michael to some and he looks dazed and confused and is usually shaking his head within minutes of my first few sentences)
I have gotten better at giving away and purging in the past few years. God has really been breaking my heart to give the things that I don't need (i.e. the jeans that haven't fit since college) to people who really do need them right now. this very minute. And I like being able to give good things that deserve to be used and enjoyed and be a blessing to others than being a storehouse of all things random and free and handed down.
But that is just one aspect of the materialism realism I've come to face in the past few weeks.
Last Tuesday I lost my necklace. Not a necklace. MY necklace. I wear it 24/7 excluding time in the shower... it has the birthstones of my girls on it. Michael gave it to me just days before Hayley was born in 2008 with a peridot pendant for her birthmonth and I received a pearl pendant for Bowen before she was born. I lost it on a trip to Dothan. I don't know at what point in the day I lost it. But the next morning I realized it was gone. And two days later, I was still worried and slightly depressed and actually in tears over it being gone. Not my girls being gone, a necklace with their birth stones being gone. A necklace. I don't know what the monetary worth of it is and it doesn't matter... but after I had my mini-meltdown about it being gone... I thought to myself... really? You cry over a lost necklace to which you attached sentimental value, but you do not give wholly and fully to the needs around you? You think you aren't materialistic but a lost necklace affects you for more than a week after its disappearance? Don't you just love how God comes down and gets to business with you sometimes. And I realized that I had wrapped all my emotions for my children in that necklace.... I had placed it as a vital part of my life... a chain with two pendants. I have food, money, a home, children, a family, security, a job... and I'm breaking down over a necklace. And if I'm honest, I still get a little misty-eyed as I type this.
Instance number three came this past Tuesday when I took 2 of the young girls from our church out to dinner (which translates as Dairy Queen, their choice so I oblige!) and a trip to Dollar General to get some supplies for our Sunday School room. And I'm trying to figure out how to explain this without getting ahead of myself too much... So we went to Dollar General first, I wanted us to get some more markers/colored pencils/crayons and supplies for our room since most of the supplies in there were old and not working well. My shopping philosphy when related to church stuff is you get what you need to get and you don't worry about the expense. God gave his Son, so you should give also your best to His service. On the supply aisle I was oohing and aahing over the new Crayola products... I think it really tickled the girls to see a supposedly "grown up" being excited about coloring, but I love me some Crayola. So I told the girls to pick out a set of markers, crayons, etc. and I picked up the Crayola markers and one of them said "Oh, but these are cheaper." To which I replied, "Maybe so, but I like the Crayola better, so we'll get those." and then we looked at something else and they said again "These are the cheapest..." and I replied "its ok, I prefer these (sharpies I think). At this point, I'm not really registering their concerns about the money being spent, which you can probably already pick up on in type. So we walk on and on and continue browsing.. the girls are not initiating purchases but I am asking them for their opinion about things and we are just generally entertaining ourselves. We went on to the book aisle and got new Bible coloring books to use in the Sunday School rooms and I picked up 4 of one book for everyone to have their own (this books were $1)... One of the girls says, "This sure is a lot of stuff..." and I say "Don't worry about it" and we continue on to spot something that would work for an Easter craft/gift for the church members (these girls do this often with their Grandmother and enjoy that kind of thing) so we picked up the supplies to do 12 gifts for the families in the church. And then we were done and headed to the register... as we are walking up I hear one whisper to the other "This looks like its going to be a lot of money..." Ding Ding Ding! Bell finally sounds in my head. These girls are not from families with dual incomes like Michael and I. They probably don't ever go into a store with a list of "wants" and come out with a full basket, but instead shop for needs... they have been taught to shop by price instead of quality/brand loyalty. As I'm realizing this the cashier starts ringing stuff up, we have 2 baskets full of $1 and $2 items... the total comes to $70. I don't really flinch... I don't usually throw out $70 at Dollar General but we got stuff that we needed and knew we were going to use and it was for the church so in my head it was money well spent. However, when the cashier says $70, one of the girls says "oh my gosh. that's a lot of money." and the other one says "are you going to be in trouble for spending that much money?" to which I reply, "No, its really not a big deal, these are things that we needed and we will use... not just things to get for the purpose of getting and wanting and we got it for cheaper than we would have elsewhere so its fine." and then I made them promise not to tell their Grandmother how much I spent, because I know their Grandmother would have a hissy fit if she thought that they helped me spend that money... even though it was money I was already prepared to spend. But in my head, $70 was not a huge ordeal... which got me thinking about the different forms of materialism and the different reference points for what is or isn't a lot of money.
I'm not a materialist in possessions... but I'm a materialist in spending. I spend what I spend on supplies, groceries, necessities related to personal preference, brand loyalty, and comfort. I don't watch every dime of every price in the store, I get what we need or plan to get and I pay for it and I go home without much thought. I don't think we are necessarily a wasteful family... I use coupons and discount codes, I watch for sales and low prices, and I shop accordingly. We don't stockpile just for the sake of having full cabinets or a refrigerator, we buy what we are going to eat and then we eat it and then we buy some more.
But that's the difference. In my head, this is how it works...but the reality is, that being comfortable that whatever we earn is going to cover whatever we spend is a whole different realm of materialism outside of possessions alone. I am spoiled in that. And I'm just now realizing it. Not that Michael doesn't tell me "Ok, we need to be careful with spending this month or the next two weeks or whatever the time frame" and we live within our earnings putting into savings a least once a month.
But I don't really budget. I don't really watch the nickels and dimes. THAT IS MY MATERIALISM.
Please don't read this post as we have tons of money and plenty of opportunities to do whatever we want with it. Because that isn't true. Please don't read this as I have a grudge one way or the other. These are simply the revelations that God has been showing me.
Anyone want to buy a 12 place setting of Lenox fine china?
Wednesday, March 16
Hi.
Hi. My name is Meghan. I should be filing paperwork that has been accumulated in my alphabetized divider of "to be filed" that someone suggested I try to make my filing easier and quicker and generally more efficient (because, trust me, I whine about it often)... which has, in actuallity, just caused me to get my filing paperwork in alphabetical order within the divider without much incentive to move it from the divider to the actual file cabinent. Instead, I am here, blogging, trying to convince myself that if I don't make eye contact with the alphabetized divider then I don't actually have to do the filing contained within it.
Paperwork, I hate you.
Paperwork, I hate you.
You Go Girl!!
Last night Bowen successfully:
1. climbed up off the floor, up her daddy, and got her torso over his shoulder onto the couch... before getting distracted by a noise behind her and sliding back down.
2. pulled herself up to standing on the couch all by herself, then proceeding to clap, pat the couch and turn around WITH NO HANDS to make sure that her Daddy and sister were watching her.
3. put herself to sleep at bedtime with her bottle in the crib (she likes the quiet and dark of her room for settling down over the glider which is now in the lighted and loud living room) and got up once long enough for a diaper change and a reuniting with a fresh bottle in her crib.
1. climbed up off the floor, up her daddy, and got her torso over his shoulder onto the couch... before getting distracted by a noise behind her and sliding back down.
2. pulled herself up to standing on the couch all by herself, then proceeding to clap, pat the couch and turn around WITH NO HANDS to make sure that her Daddy and sister were watching her.
3. put herself to sleep at bedtime with her bottle in the crib (she likes the quiet and dark of her room for settling down over the glider which is now in the lighted and loud living room) and got up once long enough for a diaper change and a reuniting with a fresh bottle in her crib.
Monday, March 14
Stolen...
As I mentioned a post or two back, I've got nothing! So I'm following Whitney (she told me too!) and hoping that I have better success with this alphabet soup than my last attempt.
A. Age: Twenty... Twenty-FIVE! At least for the next 3 weeks... I'm having trouble keeping my math straight!
B. Bed size: KING! Finally! Michael and I just upgraded by hand-me-down last year...we'd been on a double!! (wait...at the lake we're on a queen and at the parsonage a double.. soo all of the above?)
C. Chore you dislike: dusting... I don't remember doing it anytime in the last 6 months at least...I do not exaggerate.
D. Dogs: Nope. None. Not planning on it. We've got enough pups at Aunt Mischa's and Breezy & Big Dave's to get our dog fix. We don't have a fenced yard and my allergies won't let me (not that I want one) have an inside dog.
E. Essential start to your day: Chips Ahoy cookies. Yes, still.
F. Favorite color: Red... in theory... but I actually gravitate towards bright blue/green in colors.
G. Gold or silver: Depends on the jewelry... I love my gold wedding band and engagement ring, but most everything else I own is silver.
H. Height: 5' 7"
I. Instruments you play(ed): Piano..sorta... I mean, when I was taking lessons under 1 of the 3 teachers that we tried before we just gave it up. I can't do two different tempos with two different hands and keep a rhythm!
J. Job title: HR Director. Pastor's Wife. Mommy. Sister. Daughter.
K. Kids: Hayley and Bowen
L. Live: Smalltown Southwest Georgia
M. Mom’s name: Breezy (this is random... is this supposed to be my name as a mother, as in what my kids call me...or my mama's name... I dunno, so I'm going with the obvious)
N. Nicknames: Meg... when I was little it was Cottontop... for obvious reasons that no longer apply since two children and limited amounts of sunshine have darkened my hair considerably.
O. Overnight hospital stays: 2 nights with both Bowen and Hayley when they were born. Two nights with Hayley when she had the flu/respiratory/croup mess (read it here, here and here and here and my reflections on it here )
P. Pet peeves: Gum smacking. Shaking your empty drink cup at someone to get a refill (be it in your home or at a restaurant).
Q. Quote from a movie: For-ev-er! (sandlot)
S. Siblings: one Aunt Mischa accounted for!
T. Time you wake up: on a good day, 6:15... on most days, 6:45
U. Underwear: Just bought some more last week!
V. Vegetables you don’t like: Let us not even get started here... we would be here ALL.DAY.
W. What makes you run late: My intense desire to sleep past 6:15 every day. Two small children who can not dress themselves (although Hayley is getting very, very close!). My internet addiction which causes me to check 5 things before I leave the house since I can't get to them from work.
X. X-rays you’ve had: Teeth... I think that's it.
Y. Yummy food you make: This might be a stretch since I don't really "make" a whole lot of anything regularly... I do have a chocolate toffee trifle and an ice cream sandwhich dessert that tend to be raved over. I can make homemade dumplings to be pretty tasty (word there being CAN).
Z. Zoo animal favorites: I haven't been to the zoo in a long time! Penquins.. or elephants.. yes, or both.. or maybe baby monkeys... I probably need to go to the zoo to really find out!
A. Age: Twenty... Twenty-FIVE! At least for the next 3 weeks... I'm having trouble keeping my math straight!
B. Bed size: KING! Finally! Michael and I just upgraded by hand-me-down last year...we'd been on a double!! (wait...at the lake we're on a queen and at the parsonage a double.. soo all of the above?)
C. Chore you dislike: dusting... I don't remember doing it anytime in the last 6 months at least...I do not exaggerate.
D. Dogs: Nope. None. Not planning on it. We've got enough pups at Aunt Mischa's and Breezy & Big Dave's to get our dog fix. We don't have a fenced yard and my allergies won't let me (not that I want one) have an inside dog.
E. Essential start to your day: Chips Ahoy cookies. Yes, still.
F. Favorite color: Red... in theory... but I actually gravitate towards bright blue/green in colors.
G. Gold or silver: Depends on the jewelry... I love my gold wedding band and engagement ring, but most everything else I own is silver.
H. Height: 5' 7"
I. Instruments you play(ed): Piano..sorta... I mean, when I was taking lessons under 1 of the 3 teachers that we tried before we just gave it up. I can't do two different tempos with two different hands and keep a rhythm!
J. Job title: HR Director. Pastor's Wife. Mommy. Sister. Daughter.
K. Kids: Hayley and Bowen
L. Live: Smalltown Southwest Georgia
M. Mom’s name: Breezy (this is random... is this supposed to be my name as a mother, as in what my kids call me...or my mama's name... I dunno, so I'm going with the obvious)
N. Nicknames: Meg... when I was little it was Cottontop... for obvious reasons that no longer apply since two children and limited amounts of sunshine have darkened my hair considerably.
O. Overnight hospital stays: 2 nights with both Bowen and Hayley when they were born. Two nights with Hayley when she had the flu/respiratory/croup mess (read it here, here and here and here and my reflections on it here )
P. Pet peeves: Gum smacking. Shaking your empty drink cup at someone to get a refill (be it in your home or at a restaurant).
Q. Quote from a movie: For-ev-er! (sandlot)
S. Siblings: one Aunt Mischa accounted for!
T. Time you wake up: on a good day, 6:15... on most days, 6:45
U. Underwear: Just bought some more last week!
V. Vegetables you don’t like: Let us not even get started here... we would be here ALL.DAY.
W. What makes you run late: My intense desire to sleep past 6:15 every day. Two small children who can not dress themselves (although Hayley is getting very, very close!). My internet addiction which causes me to check 5 things before I leave the house since I can't get to them from work.
X. X-rays you’ve had: Teeth... I think that's it.
Y. Yummy food you make: This might be a stretch since I don't really "make" a whole lot of anything regularly... I do have a chocolate toffee trifle and an ice cream sandwhich dessert that tend to be raved over. I can make homemade dumplings to be pretty tasty (word there being CAN).
Z. Zoo animal favorites: I haven't been to the zoo in a long time! Penquins.. or elephants.. yes, or both.. or maybe baby monkeys... I probably need to go to the zoo to really find out!
Friday, March 11
What Goes Around Comes Around
Michael tells us all the time that we shouldn't gain so much enjoyment from our Mama Mary stories...that we are all going to be Just. Like. Her... if we aren't already well on the way there already.
We have yet to heed his advice.
Maybe we should give that more consideration.
Today's Example: One Generation Removed
Mischa texted Mom to eat lunch with her and a friend at Bizzy Bee. Mom was in the middle of some work stuff when Mischa called about it, so she had to call her back. When she did, Mischa said that she was getting picked up, then they'd be on their way. Mama decided that she'd walk... so walk she did, she sat down and visited with some of the other diners while waiting for Mischa to arrive... she saw many people from the school arrive, but no Mischa. Then she got a text that said "we're here" ... she looked around, No Mischa.
So then she realized, after checking her text records, that she is in Funny Girl... and she is supposed to be a the Bizzy Bee... and all this time that she's spent socializing wondering where Mischa was and what was taking them so long to get there, was really, about her being crazy and not knowing where she was.
Whoops.
We have yet to heed his advice.
Maybe we should give that more consideration.
Today's Example: One Generation Removed
Mischa texted Mom to eat lunch with her and a friend at Bizzy Bee. Mom was in the middle of some work stuff when Mischa called about it, so she had to call her back. When she did, Mischa said that she was getting picked up, then they'd be on their way. Mama decided that she'd walk... so walk she did, she sat down and visited with some of the other diners while waiting for Mischa to arrive... she saw many people from the school arrive, but no Mischa. Then she got a text that said "we're here" ... she looked around, No Mischa.
So then she realized, after checking her text records, that she is in Funny Girl... and she is supposed to be a the Bizzy Bee... and all this time that she's spent socializing wondering where Mischa was and what was taking them so long to get there, was really, about her being crazy and not knowing where she was.
Whoops.
A Serious Case
I have a serious case of writer's block.
Here and over at the Clearwater blog...things have been quiet... still.
We, on the other hand, have not been quiet or still.
Matter of fact, we've only spent 2 nights in our own beds in our home that we own out of the last 7. One of those included coming home at bedtime and getting right into bed.
The nice weather took us to the lake last weekend and takes us back there again (a terrible problem to have I know!)
Things at Church keep us there Saturday nights and Wednesday nights with quite regularity.
My personal computing time of sitting down and letting my mind wander into meaningfulness, or being honest, randomness has been few and far between.
Which is why I just spent all these words saying... I've got nothing to say!
Here's to hoping next week will be better!
Here and over at the Clearwater blog...things have been quiet... still.
We, on the other hand, have not been quiet or still.
Matter of fact, we've only spent 2 nights in our own beds in our home that we own out of the last 7. One of those included coming home at bedtime and getting right into bed.
The nice weather took us to the lake last weekend and takes us back there again (a terrible problem to have I know!)
Things at Church keep us there Saturday nights and Wednesday nights with quite regularity.
My personal computing time of sitting down and letting my mind wander into meaningfulness, or being honest, randomness has been few and far between.
Which is why I just spent all these words saying... I've got nothing to say!
Here's to hoping next week will be better!
Monday, March 7
honored
Just now, Hayley and I were coloring in her newly discovered coloring books... I say newly discovered because I think they were bought for her when she was in the hospital but she has just now seen them for what they are.... She cuddled up to me as we were coloring (and I was restraining my inner crayola nazi for coloring in the lines and with shading and with colors that reflect you know, real life colors...like gray elephants and the like) and as she colored my elephant purple ears and blue feet, she whispered...
"You my best friend Mama. Mama, you my best friend...... And, I YOUR best friend...ok? ok!"
Meanwhile, Bowen's new found crawling has her taking off down the hallway and screaming with glee and laughter when her daddy crawls after her or her sister in front of her! Evidently crawling and sitting also make one more verbal in this house!
"You my best friend Mama. Mama, you my best friend...... And, I YOUR best friend...ok? ok!"
Meanwhile, Bowen's new found crawling has her taking off down the hallway and screaming with glee and laughter when her daddy crawls after her or her sister in front of her! Evidently crawling and sitting also make one more verbal in this house!
The Times Are A'Changing
Ok, so while I'm not going down the So Not _____ line of thinking with this entry... or the Mommy-guilt process either, I am going to do a little update that is wholly devoted to Boa Chelle... as Hayley prefers to call her... a lot of my mommy bloggers are much better at milestones and memories and do this every month...but this one is your first!
Bowen,
You are 9 months old this Thursday! (trust me, this is how these things are supposed to start, remember I have lots of blog examples to support this practice) I could try to postpone this post until Thursday so I could actually say you ARE 9 months old, but that wouldn't be any fun, now would it?
This week has been a HUGE week for you!! On Saturday, you started pushing yourself up to a sitting position, all.by.yourself! You are so proud and think that toys are much more fun now that they can be thrown and shaken with the force of your whole body! You started really crawling with your knees up around the middle of last week... you get so excited that you pant and laugh as you crawl! You love to crawl really really fast after Hayley or after a toy that you have purposely pushed further away from you! You have figured out that by being on all fours you can master the whole house and you are repeatedly taking of for other rooms and down the hallway... you are so quiet and fast that we have to search for you even if we are only looking away for 5 seconds! You have already been caught trying to pull molding off the wall, open cabinents and get your fingers around the safety covers on the outlets!
You have so much sass and character already! I tell your Daddy all the time that you would probably be in so much trouble if you could speak what crosses your mind. He told you no over and over again last week about touching an outlet... you would look up at him and then try it again... he ended up popping your hand.. you didn't cry or flinch, you just gave him this dirty look and then diverted your attention to something else. Your favorite no-no is to pull all the diapers out of the basket if I leave it on the floor.. you are not impressed or influenced by "No" just yet so we are having to do a lot of diverting and literally picking you up and moving you away. This weekend we even had to start telling you "no" about taking toys away from Hayley... learning to share is something that is hard for both of you, you both always want what the other one has, until the other one doens't want it anymore either!
You are in your Daddy's favorite age because you learn so many new tricks around this time. You have started shaking your head back at us when we are playing and you get your shoulders and everything into it. You just laugh and laugh at Hayley and you get so tickled sometimes that you shriek super loud! You are trying to eat "real" food and you smack your lips together anytime you see anyone eating anything..its like you're saying "Hey! Pick me! I want to eat too!" You don't let anyone sit at the table without you... you like Puffs but you can't quite get them to unstick from your fists to feed yourself. Normally you take the first two and keep one in each hand and then eat the ones that whoever is feeding you gives you. This weekend your Daddy let you put your hand in the container but you were too busy holding tight your fists to the ones you already had to pull anymore out.
You are wearing 9-12 month clothes based on the way they fit.... best I can tell, there's less than 10 pounds difference between you and Hayley...she's just taller and more coordinated! You are getting in a pretty good sleeping groove at night... if we can get you to stay awake until 9 or after you usually sleep until 5ish and then go back down after a diaper change and bottle... if you go to sleep before 8 (you have nap crisis in the afternoons/evenings so we never have a predictable bedtime with you!) you get up somewhere between 3:30 and 4:30 but will go back to sleep until at least 6:30 or 7. You are getting very rambunctious at diaper changing time and you just smirk and laugh while I try to pin you down to get your diaper on.... once or twice you've gotten up and crawled before I could get your diaper straps done and you just grin and laugh when I pull you back and roll you over.
You are so expressive that you make us laugh all the time... you stick your tongue out a lot when you are playing and you roll it over and twist it around all the time. You have at least 8 teeth already... lots of little chompers... you've been pretty content with teething, but you do chew on everything, you especially love spoons and rags!! You have this huge grin and your eyes light up when you are happy! You clap your hands all the time and have started waving.. when you are really excited you'll wave both hands and arms and grin from ear to ear! You are just so happy!
You make sure that everyone who comes into the room speaks to you too! If someone comes in and doesn't pay you any attention you will squeal and wave and reach for them until they come love on you! You will not let anyone forget that you are here!
But oh, when you are mad, you are M.A.D!! Your face turns red and you scream at the top of your lungs! A lot of times you will be so mad that your mouth will be wide open and your face crimson but no screams come out... it is awful! Usually this happens when you are tired and something doesn't go your way... but sometimes it comes from getting bopped or stepped on by your sister. Oh, you threw a HUGE hissy fit this past week because you wanted out of your high chair and were overdue for an evening nap (you must have had a very long day at daycare because sometimes you skip the evening nap)... your Daddy put you down on the floor after you started screaming and you screamed and screamed and screamed... we looked over and you were crawling around the room with your head down screaming... What a fit it was! Your Daddy let you throw it for a good 3 minutes or so (read this as Mommy had to go shut herself in the bedroom and hum and pretend like it wasn't happening, because she knew you needed it, but couldn't bear to hear it) before he picked you up and you hushed immediately and went to sleep on his shoulder once he picked you up. What a temper! You can turn it on and turn it off in no time flat!!
You are such a laidback and content baby and you love to cuddle! You want to play with books but you aren't really sure about them being read to you without you being in control of the pages... most of the time you'll just look up and watch from across the room with such interest when we are reading, but you aren't all that keen on being held for the duration of reading. You think that books are much better for chewing on and turning pages than content!
Anyway, baby girl, you are something else! And you have so many more tricks up your sleeve!
Bowen,
You are 9 months old this Thursday! (trust me, this is how these things are supposed to start, remember I have lots of blog examples to support this practice) I could try to postpone this post until Thursday so I could actually say you ARE 9 months old, but that wouldn't be any fun, now would it?
This week has been a HUGE week for you!! On Saturday, you started pushing yourself up to a sitting position, all.by.yourself! You are so proud and think that toys are much more fun now that they can be thrown and shaken with the force of your whole body! You started really crawling with your knees up around the middle of last week... you get so excited that you pant and laugh as you crawl! You love to crawl really really fast after Hayley or after a toy that you have purposely pushed further away from you! You have figured out that by being on all fours you can master the whole house and you are repeatedly taking of for other rooms and down the hallway... you are so quiet and fast that we have to search for you even if we are only looking away for 5 seconds! You have already been caught trying to pull molding off the wall, open cabinents and get your fingers around the safety covers on the outlets!
You have so much sass and character already! I tell your Daddy all the time that you would probably be in so much trouble if you could speak what crosses your mind. He told you no over and over again last week about touching an outlet... you would look up at him and then try it again... he ended up popping your hand.. you didn't cry or flinch, you just gave him this dirty look and then diverted your attention to something else. Your favorite no-no is to pull all the diapers out of the basket if I leave it on the floor.. you are not impressed or influenced by "No" just yet so we are having to do a lot of diverting and literally picking you up and moving you away. This weekend we even had to start telling you "no" about taking toys away from Hayley... learning to share is something that is hard for both of you, you both always want what the other one has, until the other one doens't want it anymore either!
You are in your Daddy's favorite age because you learn so many new tricks around this time. You have started shaking your head back at us when we are playing and you get your shoulders and everything into it. You just laugh and laugh at Hayley and you get so tickled sometimes that you shriek super loud! You are trying to eat "real" food and you smack your lips together anytime you see anyone eating anything..its like you're saying "Hey! Pick me! I want to eat too!" You don't let anyone sit at the table without you... you like Puffs but you can't quite get them to unstick from your fists to feed yourself. Normally you take the first two and keep one in each hand and then eat the ones that whoever is feeding you gives you. This weekend your Daddy let you put your hand in the container but you were too busy holding tight your fists to the ones you already had to pull anymore out.
You are wearing 9-12 month clothes based on the way they fit.... best I can tell, there's less than 10 pounds difference between you and Hayley...she's just taller and more coordinated! You are getting in a pretty good sleeping groove at night... if we can get you to stay awake until 9 or after you usually sleep until 5ish and then go back down after a diaper change and bottle... if you go to sleep before 8 (you have nap crisis in the afternoons/evenings so we never have a predictable bedtime with you!) you get up somewhere between 3:30 and 4:30 but will go back to sleep until at least 6:30 or 7. You are getting very rambunctious at diaper changing time and you just smirk and laugh while I try to pin you down to get your diaper on.... once or twice you've gotten up and crawled before I could get your diaper straps done and you just grin and laugh when I pull you back and roll you over.
You are so expressive that you make us laugh all the time... you stick your tongue out a lot when you are playing and you roll it over and twist it around all the time. You have at least 8 teeth already... lots of little chompers... you've been pretty content with teething, but you do chew on everything, you especially love spoons and rags!! You have this huge grin and your eyes light up when you are happy! You clap your hands all the time and have started waving.. when you are really excited you'll wave both hands and arms and grin from ear to ear! You are just so happy!
You make sure that everyone who comes into the room speaks to you too! If someone comes in and doesn't pay you any attention you will squeal and wave and reach for them until they come love on you! You will not let anyone forget that you are here!
But oh, when you are mad, you are M.A.D!! Your face turns red and you scream at the top of your lungs! A lot of times you will be so mad that your mouth will be wide open and your face crimson but no screams come out... it is awful! Usually this happens when you are tired and something doesn't go your way... but sometimes it comes from getting bopped or stepped on by your sister. Oh, you threw a HUGE hissy fit this past week because you wanted out of your high chair and were overdue for an evening nap (you must have had a very long day at daycare because sometimes you skip the evening nap)... your Daddy put you down on the floor after you started screaming and you screamed and screamed and screamed... we looked over and you were crawling around the room with your head down screaming... What a fit it was! Your Daddy let you throw it for a good 3 minutes or so (read this as Mommy had to go shut herself in the bedroom and hum and pretend like it wasn't happening, because she knew you needed it, but couldn't bear to hear it) before he picked you up and you hushed immediately and went to sleep on his shoulder once he picked you up. What a temper! You can turn it on and turn it off in no time flat!!
You are such a laidback and content baby and you love to cuddle! You want to play with books but you aren't really sure about them being read to you without you being in control of the pages... most of the time you'll just look up and watch from across the room with such interest when we are reading, but you aren't all that keen on being held for the duration of reading. You think that books are much better for chewing on and turning pages than content!
Anyway, baby girl, you are something else! And you have so many more tricks up your sleeve!
I am SO supermom!!
I TOOK BOTH MY GIRLS TO WALMART BY MYSELF IN THE RAIN BEFORE 10 A.M.
OK, so, in order for you to fully grasp how much the above title really means, you must have the following understandings:
1. I do not shop with my children, both at the same time, unless someone else is with me.
2. Bowen, in her depraved status as a second child, has only been into a store less than 5 times in her entire 9 months of life, most of those when she was still carrier bound and sleeping.
3. Even with Number 1 taken into consideration, I can count on my fingers the number of times both girls and I have been shopping.
Ok, that being said.... Saturday morning the girls got up at 7 a.m. (can I have a hallelujah?! 7 is the magic number at our house!)... I had already planned for us to go to the brand-spanking-fabulously-new-and-exciting Walmart in Eufala since we were at the lake house and Daddy was fishing... so, I got the girls breakfast (Nutrigrain bars, you know me well enough to know that I don't cook) and got them dressed and did the appropriate amount of engaging Hayley's excitement (do you want to go shopping? YES! do you want to go to Walmart shopping? YES!) and opened the door at 8:15... to pouring rain.... not to worry, Mama's got a coat and a mission...
So, we loaded up and off we went... and we survived!!!
We left the original list at the lakehouse so I had to make another one in the parking lot of Walmart on scrap paper I located in the depths of my car... then once we got inside I forgot to look at the list since I was convinced that I had written it down 3 times (let's not talk about the fact that the very-first-original list was made on Wednesday and left at the church house) that I could remember it and besides, who has time and hands to look at a list when you are in Walmart with 2 girls?! Not me I tell you, not me! So we managed to spend all Daddy's money (and Hayley told him he needed to go work some more to make some more money... we are nothing if not realists in our home) and managed to forget ONE of the only reasons we went in the first place, alongside with 5 other optional items that I didn't have time to ponder over with the girls wanting to keep moving and trying to keep Hayley the snack monster occupied during the shopping trip...
but neither here nor there,
I AM SO SUPERMOM!
OK, so, in order for you to fully grasp how much the above title really means, you must have the following understandings:
1. I do not shop with my children, both at the same time, unless someone else is with me.
2. Bowen, in her depraved status as a second child, has only been into a store less than 5 times in her entire 9 months of life, most of those when she was still carrier bound and sleeping.
3. Even with Number 1 taken into consideration, I can count on my fingers the number of times both girls and I have been shopping.
Ok, that being said.... Saturday morning the girls got up at 7 a.m. (can I have a hallelujah?! 7 is the magic number at our house!)... I had already planned for us to go to the brand-spanking-fabulously-new-and-exciting Walmart in Eufala since we were at the lake house and Daddy was fishing... so, I got the girls breakfast (Nutrigrain bars, you know me well enough to know that I don't cook) and got them dressed and did the appropriate amount of engaging Hayley's excitement (do you want to go shopping? YES! do you want to go to Walmart shopping? YES!) and opened the door at 8:15... to pouring rain.... not to worry, Mama's got a coat and a mission...
So, we loaded up and off we went... and we survived!!!
We left the original list at the lakehouse so I had to make another one in the parking lot of Walmart on scrap paper I located in the depths of my car... then once we got inside I forgot to look at the list since I was convinced that I had written it down 3 times (let's not talk about the fact that the very-first-original list was made on Wednesday and left at the church house) that I could remember it and besides, who has time and hands to look at a list when you are in Walmart with 2 girls?! Not me I tell you, not me! So we managed to spend all Daddy's money (and Hayley told him he needed to go work some more to make some more money... we are nothing if not realists in our home) and managed to forget ONE of the only reasons we went in the first place, alongside with 5 other optional items that I didn't have time to ponder over with the girls wanting to keep moving and trying to keep Hayley the snack monster occupied during the shopping trip...
but neither here nor there,
I AM SO SUPERMOM!
Friday, March 4
The Homeschool Debate
As you can see from my last post... my online reading takes me many places and across many ideas... a common trend (yes, I am declaring myself worthy of denoting trend status) in parenting (that I will also declare myself worthy enough to make generalizations) is homeschooling. In my life, I've known very few families that homeschool... that probably comes from the fact that I've lived most of my life in the same small town, and if we are nothing else, most of the time we are behind the times. But since becoming a Mom... I see more families making this choice, in real life and online... I read more about homeschooling in both religious and secular publications... and I hear it being discussed with semi-regularity.
All that being said... I've never had the desire to homeschool. And sometimes, I feel like that makes me a bad mother. But I say it makes me a realist! I realize that I am not the most capable person to teach my children all I want them to know which would equate to a high school diploma when its all said and done and everyone come out alive and unscathed.
Before I digress any more into this, I feel like I need to put out there that I have seen a wide open response to all forms of education and do not see judgement coming from most parents whichever side of the spectrum they fall on. I read several mommy blogs that homeschool... and I think that is wonderful and totally working and can certainly get a little mommy-envy that its not in me. I don't think that there is a one-way-is-the-only-way education route for any child or any family. I do not continue in this discussion to cause strife or hard feelings or judgement.. I'm just thinking with my hands...which works for me (and probably for you since you are reading this blog).
Anyway...
There are aspects of homeschooling that I love:
1. being able to spend more time with your kids.
2. having more control of the content your kids are exposed to.
3. having more control of the atmosphere in which your kids learn, and the way they learn.
4. being able to integrate Biblical teaching alongside standardized education.
5. having the flexibility and incentive to take educational trips as family
6. doing all the fun and being a part of all the fun that happens during the day with your kids.
I mean, I know that homeschooling isn't all roses and rainbows and straight As... I'm just saying, there are definitely some really good things about it!
Even so, while I have a small inkling that I would enjoy my kids in a homeschool environment, I have a very strong notion that I am not the one to homeschool them. I actually have a running list of family members/close friends that I would love to homeschool our kids... you know, because in my head that's the way it works.
And I'm not altogether sure that if the opportunity for someone to homeschool them came along that I wouldn't jump on that bandwagon in a heart beat.
Because schools are scary places in some ways... the information that is available to children is scary... what kids know and the age they know it at is frightening... I have no delusions of my children being sheltered from everything in the world that I don't endorse or believe in... I don't want them to be so far removed from it that they don't know how to deal with it when it occurs or how to deliniate their beliefs and convictions from the worlds standards. But don't think I don't joke about locking my daughters in a pit in the backyard to keep them protected come middle and high school.... maybe even 3rd grade and up.
But I guess I've rambled on and on and on to say.. sometimes, I let my Mommy-guilt kick in that I'm not a stay-at-home or home-schooling mom.... Most of the times, even majority of the times, I am more than comfortable and at peace and sure that what I'm doing is what I'm supposed to be doing... but sometimes, the guilt just rushes in...
What about you...Do you get Mommy-guilt???
All that being said... I've never had the desire to homeschool. And sometimes, I feel like that makes me a bad mother. But I say it makes me a realist! I realize that I am not the most capable person to teach my children all I want them to know which would equate to a high school diploma when its all said and done and everyone come out alive and unscathed.
Before I digress any more into this, I feel like I need to put out there that I have seen a wide open response to all forms of education and do not see judgement coming from most parents whichever side of the spectrum they fall on. I read several mommy blogs that homeschool... and I think that is wonderful and totally working and can certainly get a little mommy-envy that its not in me. I don't think that there is a one-way-is-the-only-way education route for any child or any family. I do not continue in this discussion to cause strife or hard feelings or judgement.. I'm just thinking with my hands...which works for me (and probably for you since you are reading this blog).
Anyway...
There are aspects of homeschooling that I love:
1. being able to spend more time with your kids.
2. having more control of the content your kids are exposed to.
3. having more control of the atmosphere in which your kids learn, and the way they learn.
4. being able to integrate Biblical teaching alongside standardized education.
5. having the flexibility and incentive to take educational trips as family
6. doing all the fun and being a part of all the fun that happens during the day with your kids.
I mean, I know that homeschooling isn't all roses and rainbows and straight As... I'm just saying, there are definitely some really good things about it!
Even so, while I have a small inkling that I would enjoy my kids in a homeschool environment, I have a very strong notion that I am not the one to homeschool them. I actually have a running list of family members/close friends that I would love to homeschool our kids... you know, because in my head that's the way it works.
And I'm not altogether sure that if the opportunity for someone to homeschool them came along that I wouldn't jump on that bandwagon in a heart beat.
Because schools are scary places in some ways... the information that is available to children is scary... what kids know and the age they know it at is frightening... I have no delusions of my children being sheltered from everything in the world that I don't endorse or believe in... I don't want them to be so far removed from it that they don't know how to deal with it when it occurs or how to deliniate their beliefs and convictions from the worlds standards. But don't think I don't joke about locking my daughters in a pit in the backyard to keep them protected come middle and high school.... maybe even 3rd grade and up.
But I guess I've rambled on and on and on to say.. sometimes, I let my Mommy-guilt kick in that I'm not a stay-at-home or home-schooling mom.... Most of the times, even majority of the times, I am more than comfortable and at peace and sure that what I'm doing is what I'm supposed to be doing... but sometimes, the guilt just rushes in...
What about you...Do you get Mommy-guilt???
Who Do You Follow???
Unlike the title sounds, this is not a post about religion... its a post about blogs, or more acurately...what's in your blog reader...
I follow more blogs than is probably healthy... make that 80 blogs... I follow 80 blogs, and confession I've even paired my reading down in the past few months... but I digress. Most of the blogs that I follow have stemmed off blog link-ups or blog rolls of other blogs that I follow... if I were to try to backtrack how I ended up where I am, I would have NO IDEA.
If you were to look at my blog roll, you know, commit 10 minutes of your life skimming titles and concepts, like I'm going to do... you'll find my reading areas of interest, per blog list are:
People I know: 16
Ooo... This One I Like! (also known as the randoms): 12
Faith/Religion/Redemption: 10 (some of these also meet the family/ministries criteria)
Ministries: 9
Photography: 7
Families:
Large Families: 5
Adoption Families: 4 (some of this cross-qualify into large families, and twin families)
Families w/ Kids Our Age: 4
Families of Twins: 3
Random Other Families: 3
Cakes/Bakeries: 4
Crafty Inspiration (aka things I'll never accomplish but instead share with my mother/sister to accomplish): 2
I have no idea if that adds up to 80... I would pretend like I'm not going to check my math, but I am... Its 79... so I missed one somewhere...but anywho, there's the general breakdown... you know, just because I thought it would be interesting to know.
I also know that while a large portion of my blog reads are Southerners... I have one in India, one in Mozambique, one in Uganda, one in Australia... and my other reads span from California to Alabama, Maryland to Tennessee.
I am just diversified, oh yes I am!
I follow more blogs than is probably healthy... make that 80 blogs... I follow 80 blogs, and confession I've even paired my reading down in the past few months... but I digress. Most of the blogs that I follow have stemmed off blog link-ups or blog rolls of other blogs that I follow... if I were to try to backtrack how I ended up where I am, I would have NO IDEA.
If you were to look at my blog roll, you know, commit 10 minutes of your life skimming titles and concepts, like I'm going to do... you'll find my reading areas of interest, per blog list are:
People I know: 16
Ooo... This One I Like! (also known as the randoms): 12
Faith/Religion/Redemption: 10 (some of these also meet the family/ministries criteria)
Ministries: 9
Photography: 7
Families:
Large Families: 5
Adoption Families: 4 (some of this cross-qualify into large families, and twin families)
Families w/ Kids Our Age: 4
Families of Twins: 3
Random Other Families: 3
Cakes/Bakeries: 4
Crafty Inspiration (aka things I'll never accomplish but instead share with my mother/sister to accomplish): 2
I have no idea if that adds up to 80... I would pretend like I'm not going to check my math, but I am... Its 79... so I missed one somewhere...but anywho, there's the general breakdown... you know, just because I thought it would be interesting to know.
I also know that while a large portion of my blog reads are Southerners... I have one in India, one in Mozambique, one in Uganda, one in Australia... and my other reads span from California to Alabama, Maryland to Tennessee.
I am just diversified, oh yes I am!
A Pep For Our Step
“For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, mutual affection; and to mutual affection, love. For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.” 2 Peter 1:5-8
The divine providence of God is that faithfulness creates more… more faith, more wisdom, more
understanding and more like-mindedness with Christ. It brings out the fruits of faithfulness...holiness,
righteousness, goodness, mercy, grace, self-control, perseverance. We are not created complete in our knowledge and understanding of God and Christ upon our salvation...it is instead, that our salvation brings us into God's divine promises and provisions. It is then up to our diligence to further ourselves into a more complete knowledge and understanding of Christ through daily diligence in belief.
The more we read His word, the more it is ingrained in our hearts and minds. The more we embrace and remember His promises. The more we are reconciled with the type of people and the traits of believers that God wishes to grow into fruition in all believers. If we are ushers of Truth, then Truth overtakes our lives. If we put our Bibles down, if we don't join in the fellowship of other believers, if we aren't praying,
worshiping, seeking...then it is not God who has fallen short on His promises of divinity in our lives...it is us who has dropped the ball, spiritually speaking. If we are not doing all we can to further our knowledge,
understanding and time spent in the presence of God, then we are also not getting the fullness of his blessings and the fullness of that which He wishes to grant us... traits that make our lives fuller and better.
For every effort you pour into knowing your Savior, the further He will take you in your development... If you are faithful, you will find more goodness... with goodness follows knowledge, with knowledge we gain self-control, which will grant us perseverance... from perseverance, godliness and from godliness to love. The ultimate of gifts is that of love.. love is not granted in step one of our spiritual journey, although it is no doubt present there. But to see everything to its utmost we must be willing to put the work into developing lasting habits of each of these traits. Godliness comes from perseverance because it is in times when we must wait, trust, persevere that we seek after God the most. We gain self-control from a knowledge of the provisions of
discipleship that are outlined in the Bible. We must walk daily in order to find ourselves in the fullness of Christ eternally.
The divine providence of God is that faithfulness creates more… more faith, more wisdom, more
understanding and more like-mindedness with Christ. It brings out the fruits of faithfulness...holiness,
righteousness, goodness, mercy, grace, self-control, perseverance. We are not created complete in our knowledge and understanding of God and Christ upon our salvation...it is instead, that our salvation brings us into God's divine promises and provisions. It is then up to our diligence to further ourselves into a more complete knowledge and understanding of Christ through daily diligence in belief.
The more we read His word, the more it is ingrained in our hearts and minds. The more we embrace and remember His promises. The more we are reconciled with the type of people and the traits of believers that God wishes to grow into fruition in all believers. If we are ushers of Truth, then Truth overtakes our lives. If we put our Bibles down, if we don't join in the fellowship of other believers, if we aren't praying,
worshiping, seeking...then it is not God who has fallen short on His promises of divinity in our lives...it is us who has dropped the ball, spiritually speaking. If we are not doing all we can to further our knowledge,
understanding and time spent in the presence of God, then we are also not getting the fullness of his blessings and the fullness of that which He wishes to grant us... traits that make our lives fuller and better.
For every effort you pour into knowing your Savior, the further He will take you in your development... If you are faithful, you will find more goodness... with goodness follows knowledge, with knowledge we gain self-control, which will grant us perseverance... from perseverance, godliness and from godliness to love. The ultimate of gifts is that of love.. love is not granted in step one of our spiritual journey, although it is no doubt present there. But to see everything to its utmost we must be willing to put the work into developing lasting habits of each of these traits. Godliness comes from perseverance because it is in times when we must wait, trust, persevere that we seek after God the most. We gain self-control from a knowledge of the provisions of
discipleship that are outlined in the Bible. We must walk daily in order to find ourselves in the fullness of Christ eternally.
Thursday, March 3
hayley's commentary
tadbowl! (tadpole)
beamin! (steaming)
As we are getting her out of the tub...
Me: You need to pick out some panties to sleep in...
Hayley: Mickey Mouse!
Me: Well, those are in the wash... How about Dora?
Hayley: shakes head
Me: Ariel? Jasmine? Smiley Face?
Hayley: nnnnnoooooo
Me: Ma'am.
Hayley: no ma'am... I want some like Ally's.
Me: What?
Hayley: I want some blue ones like Ally's.
Me: Here you go! These are blue!
Hayley: Them not have stripes.
Me: No, you don't have any striped blue panties. What kind do you want? These? These? These?
Hayley: shakes head... Mickey Mouse!
Oh. My. Word. Did I just spend 5 minutes debating underwear choices with a 2.5 year old?
Yes. Yes, I did.
beamin! (steaming)
As we are getting her out of the tub...
Me: You need to pick out some panties to sleep in...
Hayley: Mickey Mouse!
Me: Well, those are in the wash... How about Dora?
Hayley: shakes head
Me: Ariel? Jasmine? Smiley Face?
Hayley: nnnnnoooooo
Me: Ma'am.
Hayley: no ma'am... I want some like Ally's.
Me: What?
Hayley: I want some blue ones like Ally's.
Me: Here you go! These are blue!
Hayley: Them not have stripes.
Me: No, you don't have any striped blue panties. What kind do you want? These? These? These?
Hayley: shakes head... Mickey Mouse!
Oh. My. Word. Did I just spend 5 minutes debating underwear choices with a 2.5 year old?
Yes. Yes, I did.
Wednesday, March 2
Dear...
Dear Pampers,
You know I love you. However, I must request, for the second time that you stop calling my daughter a pre-schooler and you certainly don't need to inform me that she is 31 months old. I mean, I know I registered her for K3... and she will start dance in the fall... and I know she looks like this...
BUT I TELL YOU - PRESCHOOLER SHE IS NOT!
For the sake of mommy sanity, Meghan
You know I love you. However, I must request, for the second time that you stop calling my daughter a pre-schooler and you certainly don't need to inform me that she is 31 months old. I mean, I know I registered her for K3... and she will start dance in the fall... and I know she looks like this...
BUT I TELL YOU - PRESCHOOLER SHE IS NOT!
For the sake of mommy sanity, Meghan
This makes my sides hurt...
Truth: I do not eat M&Ms.
Truth: I used to eat M&Ms when I was little...as in, under 5. There is photographic evidence to this.
Truth: I love the yellow M&M... he cracks me up!
Truth: Here are 2 of my favorite M&M commercials...
Also: Since I can't get the video to imbed... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YEiFIKBPUq8 Get In The Bowl!!
Disclaimer: I do not endorse or know the people who posted these video that I've linked to.. I just love the M&M commercials!
Disclaimer: M&M does not know I have posted this. They do not endorse me or this blog. They probably don't even know this blog exists. If they do, they are probably disappointed to read truth number one. However, they should be relieved by the fact that I am a loyal commercial follower, even if I don't eat their candy.
End Disclaimer.
Truth: I used to eat M&Ms when I was little...as in, under 5. There is photographic evidence to this.
Truth: I love the yellow M&M... he cracks me up!
Truth: Here are 2 of my favorite M&M commercials...
Also: Since I can't get the video to imbed... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YEiFIKBPUq8 Get In The Bowl!!
Disclaimer: I do not endorse or know the people who posted these video that I've linked to.. I just love the M&M commercials!
Disclaimer: M&M does not know I have posted this. They do not endorse me or this blog. They probably don't even know this blog exists. If they do, they are probably disappointed to read truth number one. However, they should be relieved by the fact that I am a loyal commercial follower, even if I don't eat their candy.
End Disclaimer.
Tuesday, March 1
Memory Maker
I am really bad at seeing an ordinary task or project as a special event.
What I mean is, I am really bad at recognizing the opportunity to make memories.
The opportunity to experience something as a family.
To create those little special moments together that are not every day.
Instead, I choose to do the ordinary.
I forget that extraordinary is an option.
I see the chance for uninterrupted productive time instead of the chance to spend quality time uninterrupted.
I forget to choose.
I allow myself to be constrained. To feel forced. Obligated.
I forget that the things that bind me are the things that won't matter.
Things I won't remember. They won't remember.
Things that are every day. Ordinary. Non-obtrusive.
I forget that choosing experience must be deliberate.
I forget that expectations are mostly in my head.
I forget that you don't get today back... ever.
I forget that you don't get first times back...ever.
I forget that when you choose, whether you recognize that you are choosing or not, that your choice is bigger than you. It is always bigger than you alone.
I want to see life lived.
I want to see everyday as an adventure.
I want to capture every smile, laugh and memory with my family.
I want to relish the life we have.
I want to jump into memories.
I want to live without regrets.
Without constraints.
Without one eye on the clock.
And without schedules on the brain.
I want to live it right the first time, every time.
What I mean is, I am really bad at recognizing the opportunity to make memories.
The opportunity to experience something as a family.
To create those little special moments together that are not every day.
Instead, I choose to do the ordinary.
I forget that extraordinary is an option.
I see the chance for uninterrupted productive time instead of the chance to spend quality time uninterrupted.
I forget to choose.
I allow myself to be constrained. To feel forced. Obligated.
I forget that the things that bind me are the things that won't matter.
Things I won't remember. They won't remember.
Things that are every day. Ordinary. Non-obtrusive.
I forget that choosing experience must be deliberate.
I forget that expectations are mostly in my head.
I forget that you don't get today back... ever.
I forget that you don't get first times back...ever.
I forget that when you choose, whether you recognize that you are choosing or not, that your choice is bigger than you. It is always bigger than you alone.
I want to see life lived.
I want to see everyday as an adventure.
I want to capture every smile, laugh and memory with my family.
I want to relish the life we have.
I want to jump into memories.
I want to live without regrets.
Without constraints.
Without one eye on the clock.
And without schedules on the brain.
I want to live it right the first time, every time.
Picking Up...
- I have dropped my ban on Sunkist... I had a really rough week and it hit the spot. I am not, however, buying it in bulk, I have scaled down to a six-pack of the bottles. Thankyouverymuch. ha
- I got my passport! For the first time ever!! It just came in the mail yesterday!
- I have seen Bowen start officially crawling on all fours...instead of her inch-worm tactic of the past few months.
- I went with my girls on their first trip to the cow pasture!
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