I have a lot of trouble with people who don't have common decency. These people fall into many different categories, but here are a few examples:
- People who don't hold open doors for those behind them
- People who leave their shopping carts in the middle of the parking lot
- People who ignore you when you politely smile and nod
- People who throw trash on the ground
Come on!!! How hard is it to walk 10 feet to a garbage can??? I don't know if it is just plain laziness or if people just don't care anymore, but I really don't understand. I mean, doesn't your conscience just EAT at you if you even THINK about throwing your trash on the ground? I know mine does. I feel like I'm going to have a panic attack if I don't find a trash can. And if someone smiles at me or opens a door and I am too distracted to smile back or say thank you until it's too late, I will regret it for the rest of the day.
And don't even get me started on crabby customer service people! It's your JOB to serve the customer. You are getting PAID. If you hate your job so much, please do us all a favor and just quit instead of trying to bring everyone else down with you.
That's another thing. I don't understand crabby people in general. I mean once in a while when you're having a bad day, sure, but there are some people out there who are seriously just permanently crabby. I wanna just hit them with a happy stick or something!
That's what I'm going to do. I'm going to invent a happy stick and start hitting people with it.
First stop, Walmart.
Wednesday, December 22, 2010
Monday, November 22, 2010
November 22nd
Today I am thankful for pajama pants.
I don't know what my life would be like without pajama pants. I would hate to wear jeans all the time. Or khakis, or dress pants. And I'm not a huge fan of shorts, so I would hate to wear them all the time too. Especially in winter.
I think if pajama pants didn't exist I wouldn't wear any pants at all. But then I'd definitely be cold in the winter. I guess I would have to move to a warmer climate as well.
I used to wear pajama pants constantly, at home, at the store, at school, I even wore them to a job I had once (I was gently told I was never to wear them again). I even remember a place I would go where the employees called me PJ for a little while.
Now that I'm a grown woman and I'm married and have kids and all that I try to make myself a little more presentable when I go out in public. That's no guarantee though. Some days are just pajama pant days and there's really nothing anybody can do about it. They should just be grateful I am wearing pants at all.
I don't know what my life would be like without pajama pants. I would hate to wear jeans all the time. Or khakis, or dress pants. And I'm not a huge fan of shorts, so I would hate to wear them all the time too. Especially in winter.
I think if pajama pants didn't exist I wouldn't wear any pants at all. But then I'd definitely be cold in the winter. I guess I would have to move to a warmer climate as well.
I used to wear pajama pants constantly, at home, at the store, at school, I even wore them to a job I had once (I was gently told I was never to wear them again). I even remember a place I would go where the employees called me PJ for a little while.
Now that I'm a grown woman and I'm married and have kids and all that I try to make myself a little more presentable when I go out in public. That's no guarantee though. Some days are just pajama pant days and there's really nothing anybody can do about it. They should just be grateful I am wearing pants at all.
November 21st
Today I am thankful for puzzles.
I LOVE doing puzzles. And I haven't done any since Elijah has been able to grab the pieces. I miss them pretty bad.
I want to start doing another one, but my coffee table is too easily accessible to Elijah and our dining room table is small enough that if I do a puzzle on it we won't have room to eat.
I do have tv trays though, we can eat on those. Hmmm...
Maybe I will start another one. I'll let you know if it survives Hurricane Elijah.
I LOVE doing puzzles. And I haven't done any since Elijah has been able to grab the pieces. I miss them pretty bad.
I want to start doing another one, but my coffee table is too easily accessible to Elijah and our dining room table is small enough that if I do a puzzle on it we won't have room to eat.
I do have tv trays though, we can eat on those. Hmmm...
Maybe I will start another one. I'll let you know if it survives Hurricane Elijah.
Saturday, November 20, 2010
November 20th
Today I am thankful for venison.
Now, I am not a huge fan of venison. I would rather have beef any day. However, when my hubby goes out and kills his own dear and takes it to the butcher and we pick up nearly 50 pounds of meat at a significantly lower price than beef, I am happy :-)
Plus since venison really isn't that tasty, it's more of a challenge to figure out ways to cook it. Oh and it's leaner than beef which is nice because I'd really like to fit back into my old jeans someday.
Mostly I just love having a freezer full of meat. Meat is expensive and now we have enough to tide us over for quite a while. We are incredibly blessed.
Now, I am not a huge fan of venison. I would rather have beef any day. However, when my hubby goes out and kills his own dear and takes it to the butcher and we pick up nearly 50 pounds of meat at a significantly lower price than beef, I am happy :-)
Plus since venison really isn't that tasty, it's more of a challenge to figure out ways to cook it. Oh and it's leaner than beef which is nice because I'd really like to fit back into my old jeans someday.
Mostly I just love having a freezer full of meat. Meat is expensive and now we have enough to tide us over for quite a while. We are incredibly blessed.
Friday, November 19, 2010
November 19th
Today I am thankful for my crockpot.
Here is my ode to my crockpot.
Oh crockpot, how I love you
You cook things oh so slow
When I don't have the energy
I can just throw and go
You make my home smell nice
For all who come to call
You do not make a mess
That's what I love most of all
Oh crockpot, how I love thee
You make me such good food
You make my life so easy
You're a pretty cool dude
The End
Here is my ode to my crockpot.
Oh crockpot, how I love you
You cook things oh so slow
When I don't have the energy
I can just throw and go
You make my home smell nice
For all who come to call
You do not make a mess
That's what I love most of all
Oh crockpot, how I love thee
You make me such good food
You make my life so easy
You're a pretty cool dude
The End
Thursday, November 18, 2010
November 18th
Today I am thankful for carpet cleaner.
Although having children has lessened my concerned about how tidy my home is, particularly how stain-free my carpet is, there are certainly some instances in which I cannot let it slide.
This morning, for example. I was in the bedroom and Elijah was playing in the living room when I realized that he was really quiet... So I called out, "Elijah, what are you doing?" and he responded, "Just making a mess!"
I rushed out to the living room only to discover that he was in the process of squeezing out a tube of sunscreen onto his hands, his pajamas, and the carpet. Wonderful.
The sad thing about this entire ordeal is that he's done it before. And I thought I had moved the sunscreen out of his reach, but Chris and I were picking up around the house yesterday and it got moved again. Fabulous.
Needless to say, the sunscreen is now stashed away, Elijah's butt is sore and my carpet cleaner saved the day.
Although having children has lessened my concerned about how tidy my home is, particularly how stain-free my carpet is, there are certainly some instances in which I cannot let it slide.
This morning, for example. I was in the bedroom and Elijah was playing in the living room when I realized that he was really quiet... So I called out, "Elijah, what are you doing?" and he responded, "Just making a mess!"
I rushed out to the living room only to discover that he was in the process of squeezing out a tube of sunscreen onto his hands, his pajamas, and the carpet. Wonderful.
The sad thing about this entire ordeal is that he's done it before. And I thought I had moved the sunscreen out of his reach, but Chris and I were picking up around the house yesterday and it got moved again. Fabulous.
Needless to say, the sunscreen is now stashed away, Elijah's butt is sore and my carpet cleaner saved the day.
Wednesday, November 17, 2010
November 17th
Today I am thankful for our apartment.
It's right in town so we can pretty much walk to everything (post office, bank, grocery store...). Although now that it's getting cold we don't walk so much, but it's still a very short drive :-)
It's a half block one way to the restaurant I work in and a half block the other way to the store Chris works in. No matter how cold it is, we walk that distance. We really couldn't even park much closer if we tried.
We are above one of the businesses on main street so we soak up a lot of their heat which means we don't have to have ours on very much (so far), so we are saving on electric bills.
We don't have to pay for internet because we pick up wireless from the realty company that owns the building and just happens to be next door!
It's bigger than our first apartment and even bigger than our condo was and much cheaper. Plus it has a huge deck and it's own laundry room with washer and dryer. Did you catch that? We have our own washer and dryer! This is the first place I have ever lived where I have my OWN washer and dryer! Do you understand how amazing this is??? Especially considering the amount of laundry that my children go through...
God definitely had a hand in bringing us to this apartment (and my sister who basically arranged the whole thing), it is just what we need for this stage of life. I wonder where we will go next!
It's right in town so we can pretty much walk to everything (post office, bank, grocery store...). Although now that it's getting cold we don't walk so much, but it's still a very short drive :-)
It's a half block one way to the restaurant I work in and a half block the other way to the store Chris works in. No matter how cold it is, we walk that distance. We really couldn't even park much closer if we tried.
We are above one of the businesses on main street so we soak up a lot of their heat which means we don't have to have ours on very much (so far), so we are saving on electric bills.
We don't have to pay for internet because we pick up wireless from the realty company that owns the building and just happens to be next door!
It's bigger than our first apartment and even bigger than our condo was and much cheaper. Plus it has a huge deck and it's own laundry room with washer and dryer. Did you catch that? We have our own washer and dryer! This is the first place I have ever lived where I have my OWN washer and dryer! Do you understand how amazing this is??? Especially considering the amount of laundry that my children go through...
God definitely had a hand in bringing us to this apartment (and my sister who basically arranged the whole thing), it is just what we need for this stage of life. I wonder where we will go next!
November 16th
Today I am thankful for Netflix.
When we first moved here we decided we didn't want to pay for cable, it's too expensive and most of the stuff that's on tv is just junk anyway. So we decided to go with Netflix instead. It's significantly cheaper and you can choose what movies you get when you want to get them. You can also watch instantly online which is awesome. And they have tv shows in addition to movies. Pretty great I must say.
Of course we miss being able to watch the current seasons of some of our favorite shows, but that's where Hulu.com comes in. Almost every show we watch is on there the day after it airs. Again, awesome.
Best of all, since we don't have any cable we aren't tempted to turn the tv on all day and we get much more quality time together. Awesome.
When we first moved here we decided we didn't want to pay for cable, it's too expensive and most of the stuff that's on tv is just junk anyway. So we decided to go with Netflix instead. It's significantly cheaper and you can choose what movies you get when you want to get them. You can also watch instantly online which is awesome. And they have tv shows in addition to movies. Pretty great I must say.
Of course we miss being able to watch the current seasons of some of our favorite shows, but that's where Hulu.com comes in. Almost every show we watch is on there the day after it airs. Again, awesome.
Best of all, since we don't have any cable we aren't tempted to turn the tv on all day and we get much more quality time together. Awesome.
Monday, November 15, 2010
November 15th
Today I am thankful for sleep. I'm going to go get some now.
At least until the small one wakes up.
Or the cat lays on my face.
Or the big one needs some water.
Or I have to use the bathroom.
Or my hubby steals all the blankets and I get cold.
I should go now. I'm wasting precious sleep minutes. :-)
At least until the small one wakes up.
Or the cat lays on my face.
Or the big one needs some water.
Or I have to use the bathroom.
Or my hubby steals all the blankets and I get cold.
I should go now. I'm wasting precious sleep minutes. :-)
Sunday, November 14, 2010
November 14th
Today I am thankful that Brad Childress was fired and Brett Favre was kicked off the Vikings team.
Oh wait, that is just wishful thinking.
But when, not if, but WHEN it happens I will be thankful. Oh so very thankful :-)
Oh wait, that is just wishful thinking.
But when, not if, but WHEN it happens I will be thankful. Oh so very thankful :-)
Saturday, November 13, 2010
November 13th
Today I am thankful for rearranging. I LOVE rearranging. When my furniture is moved around it makes me feel like I have all new stuff! It's a very easy and cheap way to feel like you've spruced up your living quarters. Very satisfying indeed.
Since we decided to move Zoe from her co-sleeper to the crib, we had to get Elijah a new toddler bed (since he was using the crib's toddler bed setting). So that meant we had to rearrange his room. Then we had to move the crib into our room since Zoe still gets up to nurse in the middle of the night, so we had to rearrange our room as well.
And of course in the process of rearranging you are forced to clean up a little bit, so that always helps. And occasionally you find things you had lost! Mostly I just found Elijah's toys in random places where he had stashed them. What a goofball.
Moral of the story: Rearranging makes me happy (even though my back is likely going to be regretting it in the morning).
Since we decided to move Zoe from her co-sleeper to the crib, we had to get Elijah a new toddler bed (since he was using the crib's toddler bed setting). So that meant we had to rearrange his room. Then we had to move the crib into our room since Zoe still gets up to nurse in the middle of the night, so we had to rearrange our room as well.
And of course in the process of rearranging you are forced to clean up a little bit, so that always helps. And occasionally you find things you had lost! Mostly I just found Elijah's toys in random places where he had stashed them. What a goofball.
Moral of the story: Rearranging makes me happy (even though my back is likely going to be regretting it in the morning).
Friday, November 12, 2010
November 12th
Today I am thankful for date night with my hubby. He took me to the local high school performance of the Wizard of Oz. Very cute.
I am also very thankful to my wonderful parents for babysitting my delightful children so that date night could happen. I guess they didn't know what they were getting themselves into... :-P
I am also very thankful to my wonderful parents for babysitting my delightful children so that date night could happen. I guess they didn't know what they were getting themselves into... :-P
November 11th
Today I am thankful for veterans and everything they have done for this country. And I am also thankful that I am privileged to know so many of these great men and women.
God bless our veterans.
God bless our veterans.
Thursday, November 11, 2010
November 10th
Today I am thankful for Pepsi and all of it's delicious goodness and satisfaction. My mouth is drooling just thinking about it.
We are down to 2 cans right now. I have declared a Pepsi emergency.
We are down to 2 cans right now. I have declared a Pepsi emergency.
Tuesday, November 9, 2010
November 9th
Today I am thankful for odd phrases with unknown (to me) origins. For example, "Let's split this pop stand," "Bit the dust," "Opened up a can of worms," etc...
And yes, I could probably google them, but the mystery of it all is what intrigues me. Plus, I don't google, but that's an entirely different story...
Also, I noticed this evening that there are several involving horses, which I find quite curious. Examples: "Pee like a racehorse," "I'm so hungry I could eat a horse," "That's enough (fill in the blank) to kill a horse!," "Straight from the horse's mouth," etc... Strange.
And yes, I could probably google them, but the mystery of it all is what intrigues me. Plus, I don't google, but that's an entirely different story...
Also, I noticed this evening that there are several involving horses, which I find quite curious. Examples: "Pee like a racehorse," "I'm so hungry I could eat a horse," "That's enough (fill in the blank) to kill a horse!," "Straight from the horse's mouth," etc... Strange.
Monday, November 8, 2010
November 8th
Today I am thankful for burpie rags. I very much like to keep myself puke-free and burpie rags do a pretty fine job at that :-)
Well, for the most part. My children have been known to projectile vomit. In that case I just close my eyes and pray that it doesn't go in my mouth.
Well, for the most part. My children have been known to projectile vomit. In that case I just close my eyes and pray that it doesn't go in my mouth.
November 7th
Today I am thankful for Daylight Savings Time and I wish it would come back. Not only is winter cold and depressing, but now it is cold and dark and depressing.
The only thing good about the end of DST is that you get an extra hour to sleep in. Not so any more when you have kids who don't understand that concept and still get up at the same time they normally do.
I suppose this post sounds rather negative when it is supposed to sound thankful but I am just accentuating how much I hate when DST ends in order for you to understand how much I love it when it is here :-)
Although I do really think that they should switch it all around and have DST in the winter so it's not as depressing and then end it for the summer since it's already light until about 9pm and summer nights are beautiful and not depressing at all. So if anyone knows who I can call to get DST switched around... let me know! And I will be sure to tell them thanks :-P
The only thing good about the end of DST is that you get an extra hour to sleep in. Not so any more when you have kids who don't understand that concept and still get up at the same time they normally do.
I suppose this post sounds rather negative when it is supposed to sound thankful but I am just accentuating how much I hate when DST ends in order for you to understand how much I love it when it is here :-)
Although I do really think that they should switch it all around and have DST in the winter so it's not as depressing and then end it for the summer since it's already light until about 9pm and summer nights are beautiful and not depressing at all. So if anyone knows who I can call to get DST switched around... let me know! And I will be sure to tell them thanks :-P
Saturday, November 6, 2010
November 6th
Today I am thankful for naptime. Not for me, Lord knows I can't fit in a nap anymore. But I am very, very, very thankful for my children's naptime.
Elijah completely conked out this afternoon and took a 3 hour nap. It might have had something to do with the multiple bare-bottom spankings he got before the nap (that's an entirely different story...). Whatever it was, it was great because I got a little me time and Elijah was much happier when he woke up :-)
Zoe, on the other hand, doesn't take naps unless she is being held, rocked, and bounced simultaneously. And don't think you can stop for longer than 2 seconds because she will wake up again. But thankfully she is small and light and most of the time doesn't get on my nerves when I'm holding her. Granted, I can't get anything done around the house, but I can at least have some time to play on the internet, watch a movie, read, whatever quiet activity I enjoy that I can't do when Elijah is awake. Zoe does sleep at night though, bless her heart, so I haven't gone completely insane yet... :-P
Oh yes, I am thankful for naptime :-)
Elijah completely conked out this afternoon and took a 3 hour nap. It might have had something to do with the multiple bare-bottom spankings he got before the nap (that's an entirely different story...). Whatever it was, it was great because I got a little me time and Elijah was much happier when he woke up :-)
Zoe, on the other hand, doesn't take naps unless she is being held, rocked, and bounced simultaneously. And don't think you can stop for longer than 2 seconds because she will wake up again. But thankfully she is small and light and most of the time doesn't get on my nerves when I'm holding her. Granted, I can't get anything done around the house, but I can at least have some time to play on the internet, watch a movie, read, whatever quiet activity I enjoy that I can't do when Elijah is awake. Zoe does sleep at night though, bless her heart, so I haven't gone completely insane yet... :-P
Oh yes, I am thankful for naptime :-)
Friday, November 5, 2010
November 5th
Again, forgot to post during the day and running out of time before bed, but I am determined to keep this up!
Today I am thankful for coupons. I've never been a coupon-clipper in the past, but being broke and having to feed 4 will change that real quick. Today we had to go to Brainerd and I happen to get the grocery ad for Cub in the paper every week.
So, thanks to some fabulous coupons I got buy one get one free on bags of chicken breasts, packages of pork chops, boneless half hams, and 5lb bags of potatoes. Awesome. And also some other really great deals, but those were the best considering on the pork chops and ham alone I saved 27 dollars! Yes, 27 dollars!
Yes, today I am very thankful for coupons :-)
Today I am thankful for coupons. I've never been a coupon-clipper in the past, but being broke and having to feed 4 will change that real quick. Today we had to go to Brainerd and I happen to get the grocery ad for Cub in the paper every week.
So, thanks to some fabulous coupons I got buy one get one free on bags of chicken breasts, packages of pork chops, boneless half hams, and 5lb bags of potatoes. Awesome. And also some other really great deals, but those were the best considering on the pork chops and ham alone I saved 27 dollars! Yes, 27 dollars!
Yes, today I am very thankful for coupons :-)
Thursday, November 4, 2010
November 4th
I forgot to write a blog earlier today and now I am getting ready for bed, so I'll make this a really quick one.
I'm thankful today that my sister invited us over for dinner and made beef stroganoff - one of my favorite meals. Yum! :-) Oh and she also made rice krispie bars - delish!
(And I snuck some Oreos out of her snack drawer...)
Thanks Sis!
I'm thankful today that my sister invited us over for dinner and made beef stroganoff - one of my favorite meals. Yum! :-) Oh and she also made rice krispie bars - delish!
(And I snuck some Oreos out of her snack drawer...)
Thanks Sis!
Wednesday, November 3, 2010
Today I am thankful for...
I've decided to partake in an old tradition and write about something I'm thankful for every day of the month leading up to Thanksgiving (thanks to my sister-in-law Steph for the inspiration). Granted, I've missed a couple days, but I think it will all be ok in the end :-P
So, on November 3rd I am thankful for my husband, Christopher, who is the most amazing man I have ever known and I am continually blown away every day that I got so lucky. Granted, he probably didn't know what he was getting himself into... :-P
This post would have been more meaningful had I written it yesterday because that was the six-year anniversary of our first kiss. Not only was it the same date as our first kiss, but it was the same day of the week (Tuesday) and it was also an election night and we also spent the evening at the same restaurant we were both at six years ago celebrating my dad's election victory. The kiss didn't happen at the restaurant (it happened later, when he brought me home and walked me to the door... I know, cute, right?), but it was still pretty darn cool that we ended up in the same place doing the same thing six years later. Only this time life was quite different :-P
Six years ago I never would have guessed we would be where we are today. We were fresh out of high school, I was going to college, Chris had just gotten home from Basic Training, we had both just gotten out of different relationships. But that fated night of November 2nd, 2004 changed everything. Six years later and we're married with two beautiful children and have been through our fair share of ups and downs.
Now we have certainly had our moments, no marriage is perfect, but through it all I could not ask for a better friend. That is why I am so thankful for my husband. He is my best friend, he's always there for me, always listens to me, is honest with me, encourages me, and loves me more than I deserve. He works all day to provide for our family and never complains about it. He comes home tired, but works up the energy to roughhouse with Elijah who absolutely adores him, and is always willing to take Zoe if I need a little break. And he never fails to make sure that "I love you" is one of the last things we say to each other every time we part.
And of course I am thankful for his personality and sense of humor because nobody gets me like he does and every single day with him is just plain fun because of how dorky we are together. I'm pretty sure we were made for each other... :-D
Did I mention how good-looking he is??? Yeah, definitely thankful for that too ;-)
So, on November 3rd I am thankful for my husband, Christopher, who is the most amazing man I have ever known and I am continually blown away every day that I got so lucky. Granted, he probably didn't know what he was getting himself into... :-P
This post would have been more meaningful had I written it yesterday because that was the six-year anniversary of our first kiss. Not only was it the same date as our first kiss, but it was the same day of the week (Tuesday) and it was also an election night and we also spent the evening at the same restaurant we were both at six years ago celebrating my dad's election victory. The kiss didn't happen at the restaurant (it happened later, when he brought me home and walked me to the door... I know, cute, right?), but it was still pretty darn cool that we ended up in the same place doing the same thing six years later. Only this time life was quite different :-P
Six years ago I never would have guessed we would be where we are today. We were fresh out of high school, I was going to college, Chris had just gotten home from Basic Training, we had both just gotten out of different relationships. But that fated night of November 2nd, 2004 changed everything. Six years later and we're married with two beautiful children and have been through our fair share of ups and downs.
Now we have certainly had our moments, no marriage is perfect, but through it all I could not ask for a better friend. That is why I am so thankful for my husband. He is my best friend, he's always there for me, always listens to me, is honest with me, encourages me, and loves me more than I deserve. He works all day to provide for our family and never complains about it. He comes home tired, but works up the energy to roughhouse with Elijah who absolutely adores him, and is always willing to take Zoe if I need a little break. And he never fails to make sure that "I love you" is one of the last things we say to each other every time we part.
And of course I am thankful for his personality and sense of humor because nobody gets me like he does and every single day with him is just plain fun because of how dorky we are together. I'm pretty sure we were made for each other... :-D
Did I mention how good-looking he is??? Yeah, definitely thankful for that too ;-)
Thursday, October 14, 2010
One to Two
I keep thinking I really need to blog about what it's like to go from having one child to two, and only two years apart at that! I guess I can sum it up in four words...
What. Were. We. Thinking??? Well, the truth is, we weren't thinking. We were actually doing something entirely different, but this is a family-friendly blog so I won't go into details ;-)
It's funny to me because Zoe was not planned or expected in any way. I had always thought that when I had kids I would want them to be close together, and I figured 2 years apart was just right. Well, after I had Elijah that idea drastically changed :-P Anyways, it was shortly after I had come to grips with the fact that Chris and I were going to wait and spread our kids out a little further that I found out I was pregnant again! So much for that idea... But it is what I always wanted, right? Right! :-)
As hectic as it is and as tired as I am I wouldn't trade my beautiful, precious, lovable children for anything. Even after Elijah whines and cries and disobeys, and after Zoe poops and pukes all over me and never lets me sleep... I just love the darn things :-D Thankfully I only have two! :-P
Here is Elijah's caption for the picture, "There's baby Zoe's and Lijah's juss watchin a mooobie!"
What. Were. We. Thinking??? Well, the truth is, we weren't thinking. We were actually doing something entirely different, but this is a family-friendly blog so I won't go into details ;-)
It's funny to me because Zoe was not planned or expected in any way. I had always thought that when I had kids I would want them to be close together, and I figured 2 years apart was just right. Well, after I had Elijah that idea drastically changed :-P Anyways, it was shortly after I had come to grips with the fact that Chris and I were going to wait and spread our kids out a little further that I found out I was pregnant again! So much for that idea... But it is what I always wanted, right? Right! :-)
As hectic as it is and as tired as I am I wouldn't trade my beautiful, precious, lovable children for anything. Even after Elijah whines and cries and disobeys, and after Zoe poops and pukes all over me and never lets me sleep... I just love the darn things :-D Thankfully I only have two! :-P
Here is Elijah's caption for the picture, "There's baby Zoe's and Lijah's juss watchin a mooobie!"
Tuesday, August 24, 2010
4 More Weeks
I just realized it's been 2 months since my last blog. I am terrible at this. I often think "I really should write a blog post soon" but then I can't think of anything really funny or interesting or insightful to write about and the last thing I want is to bore people to death... But I guess you are reading this on your own accord so I really have no reason to feel bad for you.
Let's see, what shall we talk about today? Pregnancy? That is what is consuming all my time and energy (literally) right now. My due date is in just about 4 weeks and I am ready to go! Chris and I are both definitely nervous to go from being responsible for one human life to two, but we are trusting that God will take care of us every step of the way. Mostly I am just excited to meet her already! And of course I am excited to be done being pregnant. Those of you who know me know that I haven't had the most pleasant of pregnancies. Although this one seems to be going pretty well right now compared to when I was this far along with Elijah, so that is a definite plus.
Now I am just really hoping that my nesting instincts will kick in because our apartment is in dire need of a cleaning. Also, we need to get a new bed for Elijah so we can turn his current bed back into a crib for the baby. And that also means rearranging his whole room and probably ours too because I'm sure we'll have the crib in here for a while until she starts sleeping through the night. Luckily we have all the necessities right now (carseat, co-sleeper, stroller, swing, etc...) so we don't have to go out and buy anything in a real hurry (well I guess we will need to get some diapers). Also, we have been really blessed to have friends with little girls that have graciously given us all their old baby clothes so we aren't going to have to buy any clothes for her for quite a while.
So, in short, we are ready for baby Zoe to come! As Elijah puts it, "Baby Zoe gotta get out Mommy's belly!"
Let's see, what shall we talk about today? Pregnancy? That is what is consuming all my time and energy (literally) right now. My due date is in just about 4 weeks and I am ready to go! Chris and I are both definitely nervous to go from being responsible for one human life to two, but we are trusting that God will take care of us every step of the way. Mostly I am just excited to meet her already! And of course I am excited to be done being pregnant. Those of you who know me know that I haven't had the most pleasant of pregnancies. Although this one seems to be going pretty well right now compared to when I was this far along with Elijah, so that is a definite plus.
Now I am just really hoping that my nesting instincts will kick in because our apartment is in dire need of a cleaning. Also, we need to get a new bed for Elijah so we can turn his current bed back into a crib for the baby. And that also means rearranging his whole room and probably ours too because I'm sure we'll have the crib in here for a while until she starts sleeping through the night. Luckily we have all the necessities right now (carseat, co-sleeper, stroller, swing, etc...) so we don't have to go out and buy anything in a real hurry (well I guess we will need to get some diapers). Also, we have been really blessed to have friends with little girls that have graciously given us all their old baby clothes so we aren't going to have to buy any clothes for her for quite a while.
So, in short, we are ready for baby Zoe to come! As Elijah puts it, "Baby Zoe gotta get out Mommy's belly!"
Thursday, June 24, 2010
Sleepwalking?
I'm starting to think Elijah might be a sleepwalker...
Occasionally he will get up in the middle of the night and come stumbling into our room, and we'll lead him back into his room and back into bed and he'll conk right out again without a problem. Now this is no big deal and he may be awake and just needs to be put back down again, but it's what happened the other night that really makes me wonder...
From my point of view: I wake up because I hear Elijah crying and I look and see that Chris is up and is already picking him up and bringing him back to bed. What a great daddy he is, responding to his son's cries so quickly.
From Chris' point of view: I wake up needing to go to the bathroom. I get up and walk around the bed and see a pile of Courtney's clothes on the floor. Trying not to be annoyed that she has once again not put her clothes in the laundry basket, I begin to step over the pile on my way to the bathroom. However, my foot grazes the top of the pile and all of a sudden it starts whimpering. That's when I realize this pile of clothes is actually Elijah curled up with his blankie in the middle of our bedroom floor, sleeping. At least he was sleeping until I kicked him in the head and woke him up.
How did he come into our room and fall asleep on the floor without either of us noticing? Now he definitely has a gate up outside his door every night, who knows where he would go next!
Occasionally he will get up in the middle of the night and come stumbling into our room, and we'll lead him back into his room and back into bed and he'll conk right out again without a problem. Now this is no big deal and he may be awake and just needs to be put back down again, but it's what happened the other night that really makes me wonder...
From my point of view: I wake up because I hear Elijah crying and I look and see that Chris is up and is already picking him up and bringing him back to bed. What a great daddy he is, responding to his son's cries so quickly.
From Chris' point of view: I wake up needing to go to the bathroom. I get up and walk around the bed and see a pile of Courtney's clothes on the floor. Trying not to be annoyed that she has once again not put her clothes in the laundry basket, I begin to step over the pile on my way to the bathroom. However, my foot grazes the top of the pile and all of a sudden it starts whimpering. That's when I realize this pile of clothes is actually Elijah curled up with his blankie in the middle of our bedroom floor, sleeping. At least he was sleeping until I kicked him in the head and woke him up.
How did he come into our room and fall asleep on the floor without either of us noticing? Now he definitely has a gate up outside his door every night, who knows where he would go next!
Wednesday, June 23, 2010
Monday, May 17, 2010
Update
Wow, it has been a while since I last posted. I guess it's time for an update, especially considering how much has changed in the last few weeks!
The biggest thing is that we moved back to Walker, MN! Something we always said we would never do, but God likes to surprise us. It was actually rather spur of the moment considering how big of a decision moving is. But when we got the idea in our head we prayed fervently that if God wanted us to make the move He would open up a place to live and jobs for us, which He definitely did! My sister found us an apartment right in town and she also had the connections to get me a waitressing job across the street and Chris a job at a sporting goods retailer down the block. And to make things even better, our apartment is much bigger than we expected, perfect location, has a great big deck, and we absolutely love it! And the waitressing job is going to make me much more money than I ever could have made at Applebees. Chris hasn't started his job yet, but he is really excited to be working in a "man store" every day :-P
Other news is that we found out we are having a girl!!! We are so excited! We fully expected it to be another boy, but I had a little feeling deep down that it was a girl and it was a huge surprise when we found out! We're very excited to be able to have both, such a huge blessing! Although it is going to be challenging because it's an all new experience for us since we only know how to raise boys up to age 2. I guess we will learn as we go, as all parents do :-P
A couple random bits of good news: We got a new toilet today! When we moved in our toilet was having a really hard time flushing so we told the landlord and the fixer-upper guys came in today and brought us a whole new toilet that flushes beautifully! They also fixed the bathroom fan which didn't work. Also, the realty company we rent from is below us and one store over and they told us we are welcome to pick up their wi-fi if we don't want to pay for internet. Well, we haven't been able to pick it up with our desktop all week, but we moved it to a different room and plugged our wireless adapter into a different port and now we can pick it up! Woohoo! It's not a great signal, but I can sure use the internet, plus it is free! Now if only we could pick up free cable we would be totally set :-P
We've unpacked most everything, but still need to organize a lot, so that's probably what I'll be doing all week since I don't work again until Friday. Busy season doesn't really get going until about mid-June and since I'm the new girl I won't get very many shifts until that hits. But once it hits I won't have much free time, so I really need to appreciate it while I've got it!
Well that's enough for tonight, I will try to update more often now that we are settled in and picking up wi-fi :-)
The biggest thing is that we moved back to Walker, MN! Something we always said we would never do, but God likes to surprise us. It was actually rather spur of the moment considering how big of a decision moving is. But when we got the idea in our head we prayed fervently that if God wanted us to make the move He would open up a place to live and jobs for us, which He definitely did! My sister found us an apartment right in town and she also had the connections to get me a waitressing job across the street and Chris a job at a sporting goods retailer down the block. And to make things even better, our apartment is much bigger than we expected, perfect location, has a great big deck, and we absolutely love it! And the waitressing job is going to make me much more money than I ever could have made at Applebees. Chris hasn't started his job yet, but he is really excited to be working in a "man store" every day :-P
Other news is that we found out we are having a girl!!! We are so excited! We fully expected it to be another boy, but I had a little feeling deep down that it was a girl and it was a huge surprise when we found out! We're very excited to be able to have both, such a huge blessing! Although it is going to be challenging because it's an all new experience for us since we only know how to raise boys up to age 2. I guess we will learn as we go, as all parents do :-P
A couple random bits of good news: We got a new toilet today! When we moved in our toilet was having a really hard time flushing so we told the landlord and the fixer-upper guys came in today and brought us a whole new toilet that flushes beautifully! They also fixed the bathroom fan which didn't work. Also, the realty company we rent from is below us and one store over and they told us we are welcome to pick up their wi-fi if we don't want to pay for internet. Well, we haven't been able to pick it up with our desktop all week, but we moved it to a different room and plugged our wireless adapter into a different port and now we can pick it up! Woohoo! It's not a great signal, but I can sure use the internet, plus it is free! Now if only we could pick up free cable we would be totally set :-P
We've unpacked most everything, but still need to organize a lot, so that's probably what I'll be doing all week since I don't work again until Friday. Busy season doesn't really get going until about mid-June and since I'm the new girl I won't get very many shifts until that hits. But once it hits I won't have much free time, so I really need to appreciate it while I've got it!
Well that's enough for tonight, I will try to update more often now that we are settled in and picking up wi-fi :-)
Tuesday, March 23, 2010
The weird thing about Elijah is...
He loves running on the treadmill!
He climbs up and stands there waiting for Chris to come over and turn it on and then he just takes off! Well, he mostly walks, but he gets up to a jog every now and then. Of course someone is standing behind him whenever he's on it, and we always take out the safety cord so he can't turn it on by myself. That is, except for that one time Daddy left it in... After that the treadmill was "scary" for a little while, but he got over it real quick. He's one tough cookie :-)
He climbs up and stands there waiting for Chris to come over and turn it on and then he just takes off! Well, he mostly walks, but he gets up to a jog every now and then. Of course someone is standing behind him whenever he's on it, and we always take out the safety cord so he can't turn it on by myself. That is, except for that one time Daddy left it in... After that the treadmill was "scary" for a little while, but he got over it real quick. He's one tough cookie :-)
Friday, March 5, 2010
The weird thing about Elijah is...
He has a mild obsession with his feet.
He likes to take his socks off all the time and smile and laugh at his "feet!"
If his pants are too long and they cover his feet, he just about has a conniption fit and yells at me, "Moddy! Fix!"
Yes, he calls me Moddy, not Mommy. Not exactly sure why, but that's what works for him. Plus it sounds a little better when he sings (or yells) his favorite song... "Moddy! Daddy! Mooooddy! Daaaaddy! Moddy! Daddy!"
He likes to take his socks off all the time and smile and laugh at his "feet!"
If his pants are too long and they cover his feet, he just about has a conniption fit and yells at me, "Moddy! Fix!"
Yes, he calls me Moddy, not Mommy. Not exactly sure why, but that's what works for him. Plus it sounds a little better when he sings (or yells) his favorite song... "Moddy! Daddy! Mooooddy! Daaaaddy! Moddy! Daddy!"
Sunday, February 21, 2010
Brother or Sister?
Elijah is getting smarter every day, I can't even keep track of all the things he is learning! He's learning many 2 and sometimes 3 word sentences, and can pretty much tell us what he wants all the time. It's very helpful in the sense that we know what he wants and he doesn't have to cry to get our attention. However, since he knows we understand him he has even less patience with us when he doesn't get what he wants right away.
Also, we are well into terrible 2's. Thankfully he hasn't thrown any tantrums in a while, but he is definitely developing some serious attitude. And he loves to use the word "no." With his attitude he's developing independence which is all fine and dandy except now he doesn't need his mommy so much and he decides when it is time to give hugs and kisses and won't be bothered by them if he is too busy. Little stinker...
I need to get a good video of him soon because the things he is starting to say are just too funny. He's also starting to "read" books. He knows "Goodnight Moon" and "Mr. Brown Can Moo, Can You?" He'll repeat the words and make all the sounds, it's adorable!
Also, he has decided the sex of the baby already. When I ask him "Elijah, do you want a brother or a sister?" he promptly replies, "sister." Too cute! Obviously he has no idea what a brother or a sister is, but it's still cute to hear it.
Although if he's not in the mood to play that game and I ask him "Elijah, do you want a brother or a sister?" he shakes his head and says "no." Sorry kiddo, you're getting one!
Also, we are well into terrible 2's. Thankfully he hasn't thrown any tantrums in a while, but he is definitely developing some serious attitude. And he loves to use the word "no." With his attitude he's developing independence which is all fine and dandy except now he doesn't need his mommy so much and he decides when it is time to give hugs and kisses and won't be bothered by them if he is too busy. Little stinker...
I need to get a good video of him soon because the things he is starting to say are just too funny. He's also starting to "read" books. He knows "Goodnight Moon" and "Mr. Brown Can Moo, Can You?" He'll repeat the words and make all the sounds, it's adorable!
Also, he has decided the sex of the baby already. When I ask him "Elijah, do you want a brother or a sister?" he promptly replies, "sister." Too cute! Obviously he has no idea what a brother or a sister is, but it's still cute to hear it.
Although if he's not in the mood to play that game and I ask him "Elijah, do you want a brother or a sister?" he shakes his head and says "no." Sorry kiddo, you're getting one!
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
Not for the squeamish...
I know I never update anymore. I keep meaning to, but then I think of the energy it would take to sit at the computer, think of something to write about, type.... *sigh* It's just really not worth it.
Right now I happen to already be sitting at the computer and I'm ok with typing at the moment, but not so much thinking. So this is not going to be exciting.
I can't really do anything else besides go back to bed since I feel so awful right now. I'm in the process of trying to get down a piece of bread with peanut butter on it. My cinnamon toast this morning refused to stay down and it tasted so bad coming back up that I had to switch to something else. I have bread every morning. They say you're supposed to have complex carbs, which are in whole grain breads, so that's what I do. Every morning. Although the thought of eating more bread makes me want to punch someone in the face.
But then again there is nothing else that sounds even slightly appealing to me. I can't do cereal because milk makes me sick, I can't do yogurt because it's a milk product and after vomiting up bright pink yesterday I think I will be avoiding it for a while. I can't do anything sweet (muffins, pancakes, french toast, etc.) because, well, gross!
So I eat bread. At least I'm getting my recommended daily serving of whole grains.
Then there's the thirst problem. I'm soooo thirsty! I'm probably dehydrated, that's unfortunate. I keep water with me wherever I go and try to sip on it constantly, but, like most everything else, water makes me want to puke. And of course, if I puke it all up then I just have to start all over again. So although I want to chug, chug, chug, and chug some more water to quench my thirst, I cannot because I will just hurl it all back up again. Oh the joy.
Well I think that's enough whining for today, I am going to give in and go back to bed for a while. Praying this will end soon...
Right now I happen to already be sitting at the computer and I'm ok with typing at the moment, but not so much thinking. So this is not going to be exciting.
I can't really do anything else besides go back to bed since I feel so awful right now. I'm in the process of trying to get down a piece of bread with peanut butter on it. My cinnamon toast this morning refused to stay down and it tasted so bad coming back up that I had to switch to something else. I have bread every morning. They say you're supposed to have complex carbs, which are in whole grain breads, so that's what I do. Every morning. Although the thought of eating more bread makes me want to punch someone in the face.
But then again there is nothing else that sounds even slightly appealing to me. I can't do cereal because milk makes me sick, I can't do yogurt because it's a milk product and after vomiting up bright pink yesterday I think I will be avoiding it for a while. I can't do anything sweet (muffins, pancakes, french toast, etc.) because, well, gross!
So I eat bread. At least I'm getting my recommended daily serving of whole grains.
Then there's the thirst problem. I'm soooo thirsty! I'm probably dehydrated, that's unfortunate. I keep water with me wherever I go and try to sip on it constantly, but, like most everything else, water makes me want to puke. And of course, if I puke it all up then I just have to start all over again. So although I want to chug, chug, chug, and chug some more water to quench my thirst, I cannot because I will just hurl it all back up again. Oh the joy.
Well I think that's enough whining for today, I am going to give in and go back to bed for a while. Praying this will end soon...
Monday, February 1, 2010
Preggers
So most everyone who knows me knows by now that I am pregnant with #2! I figured it's about time I write something about it.
It was a HUGE surprise for Chris and me. I mean, HUGE. In fact, if I wasn't so stinking sick and miserable right now I still wouldn't believe it! It's funny to see how God works because Chris and I have always talked about how we want our children to be close together, but we've known that financially we just can't afford to have another child right now. And this last month especially I have been thinking that I want to wait about another year before we start thinking of having more. Well, apparently God has other plans :-P
Chris is super excited about it, which is great. And he is definitely the best husband ever and is taking great care of both me and Elijah. I am very excited to have another baby, but I am also very nervous. I'm sure that it will be hard to have a newborn and a toddler at the same time, but I know we will be able to handle it, especially with God's help :-) I'm more concerned about where we are going to live, what we are going to drive, how we are going to get more baby furniture, etc. Thankfully, I have time to figure those things out and I know God is faithful.
Right now I am just hoping that I will survive the first half of this pregnancy as I am sick as a dog and I have a toddler to take care of and work to do. When I was pregnant with Elijah I was sick from about 6 weeks to 6 months and puked almost every day. So far this pregnancy I haven't puked, but I feel sick to my stomach all day long and just overall weak, dizzy, and exhausted. I haven't eaten a real meal in about a week and I'm not sure when I will be able to again. I'm living primarily on crackers and toast.
We are praying that I will get over the sickness quickly so that I will be able to get back to normal life and that every day activities like showering and brushing my teeth won't make me want to pass out or throw up. Pray for me!!!
It was a HUGE surprise for Chris and me. I mean, HUGE. In fact, if I wasn't so stinking sick and miserable right now I still wouldn't believe it! It's funny to see how God works because Chris and I have always talked about how we want our children to be close together, but we've known that financially we just can't afford to have another child right now. And this last month especially I have been thinking that I want to wait about another year before we start thinking of having more. Well, apparently God has other plans :-P
Chris is super excited about it, which is great. And he is definitely the best husband ever and is taking great care of both me and Elijah. I am very excited to have another baby, but I am also very nervous. I'm sure that it will be hard to have a newborn and a toddler at the same time, but I know we will be able to handle it, especially with God's help :-) I'm more concerned about where we are going to live, what we are going to drive, how we are going to get more baby furniture, etc. Thankfully, I have time to figure those things out and I know God is faithful.
Right now I am just hoping that I will survive the first half of this pregnancy as I am sick as a dog and I have a toddler to take care of and work to do. When I was pregnant with Elijah I was sick from about 6 weeks to 6 months and puked almost every day. So far this pregnancy I haven't puked, but I feel sick to my stomach all day long and just overall weak, dizzy, and exhausted. I haven't eaten a real meal in about a week and I'm not sure when I will be able to again. I'm living primarily on crackers and toast.
We are praying that I will get over the sickness quickly so that I will be able to get back to normal life and that every day activities like showering and brushing my teeth won't make me want to pass out or throw up. Pray for me!!!
Thursday, January 28, 2010
The weird thing about Elijah is...
He likes to bang his head against the wall.
He stands with his back to the wall and WAM! throws his head back. Then he looks at us and laughs.
Yep. That is my son.
He stands with his back to the wall and WAM! throws his head back. Then he looks at us and laughs.
Yep. That is my son.
Saturday, January 16, 2010
The weird thing about Elijah is...
(I've decided to start a series in my blog detailing random weird things about Elijah. I don't know how often I will post these, but I do know there are plenty of examples to choose from. Maybe someday I can dig these out and show them to all his girlfriends :-P)
The weird thing about Elijah is...
He loves getting his ears cleaned out! Imagine an 18-month-old toddler sitting still through an ear-cleaning. Not a typical scenario. Not only does Elijah sit still, he enjoys it! Not only does he enjoy it, he asks for it!
Ear cleaning is a ritual done after every bath time. Either daddy or I (usually daddy because he is the best bath giver) scoop him out of the bath and into a towel in our lap. We start to dry him off and he immediately points at the container of Q-tips on the shelf and simply states, "ear" (or more like "eeww"). As we pull one out he turns his head to the side and holds as still as a statue in anticipation of the wondrous event.
It's a good thing, too, that he likes it so much. That kid has some waxy eewws.
The weird thing about Elijah is...
He loves getting his ears cleaned out! Imagine an 18-month-old toddler sitting still through an ear-cleaning. Not a typical scenario. Not only does Elijah sit still, he enjoys it! Not only does he enjoy it, he asks for it!
Ear cleaning is a ritual done after every bath time. Either daddy or I (usually daddy because he is the best bath giver) scoop him out of the bath and into a towel in our lap. We start to dry him off and he immediately points at the container of Q-tips on the shelf and simply states, "ear" (or more like "eeww"). As we pull one out he turns his head to the side and holds as still as a statue in anticipation of the wondrous event.
It's a good thing, too, that he likes it so much. That kid has some waxy eewws.
Tuesday, January 12, 2010
"Cheek"
Lately Elijah has had a fascination with lotion. Since he takes after his mommy with eczema troubles we have to lotion him up fairly often, especially his hands and cheeks. Now every time he sees lotion he points to it and says "cheek." I keep trying to tell him, "It's LO-TION, yes we put it on your cheeks, but it is called LO-TION." He doesn't care. To him it is "cheek," or more like "sheek."
So I'm in the bathroom making myself beautiful this morning (yes, it is quite a process) and Elijah walks in holding a little tub of Vaseline (we also put that on his cheeks sometimes). He looks at me, points at the Vaseline, and says, "cheek." I acknowledge him, make sure he knows how brilliant he is, and tell him to go put the Vaseline away.
He goes back into the living room and I continue on with my beautification. He doesn't come back, but I can hear him playing and that is a good sign (it's when I can't hear him that I know he is getting into trouble).
After a few minutes I come into the living room and see Elijah standing at his tool bench, and I assume he is just playing with his tools, so I distract myself with something else. After a little while I meander over to where he is playing and see that he has the lid of the Vaseline off and is about to stick his fingers in there. Mommy instinct takes over and I rush to his side and snatch away the Vaseline. Baby + Vaseline = Huge Mess.
I quickly begin to assess the damage, did he manage to get any out before I snatched it away? He did. He clearly had been digging in it before I happened to walk by. I checked his other hand. There as well. I looked at the tool bench and didn't see any evidence of a mess. With a sigh of relief, I turned back to give him a smooch. That's when I noticed his cheeks.
Apparently, mommy did not understand that when Elijah brought her the Vaseline and clearly stated "cheek" that he was in need of some serious moisturization. Well, if mommy's not going to do it, then he is going to get it done himself! And so he did.
How can I be mad when I have such a smart kid? :-D
So I'm in the bathroom making myself beautiful this morning (yes, it is quite a process) and Elijah walks in holding a little tub of Vaseline (we also put that on his cheeks sometimes). He looks at me, points at the Vaseline, and says, "cheek." I acknowledge him, make sure he knows how brilliant he is, and tell him to go put the Vaseline away.
He goes back into the living room and I continue on with my beautification. He doesn't come back, but I can hear him playing and that is a good sign (it's when I can't hear him that I know he is getting into trouble).
After a few minutes I come into the living room and see Elijah standing at his tool bench, and I assume he is just playing with his tools, so I distract myself with something else. After a little while I meander over to where he is playing and see that he has the lid of the Vaseline off and is about to stick his fingers in there. Mommy instinct takes over and I rush to his side and snatch away the Vaseline. Baby + Vaseline = Huge Mess.
I quickly begin to assess the damage, did he manage to get any out before I snatched it away? He did. He clearly had been digging in it before I happened to walk by. I checked his other hand. There as well. I looked at the tool bench and didn't see any evidence of a mess. With a sigh of relief, I turned back to give him a smooch. That's when I noticed his cheeks.
Apparently, mommy did not understand that when Elijah brought her the Vaseline and clearly stated "cheek" that he was in need of some serious moisturization. Well, if mommy's not going to do it, then he is going to get it done himself! And so he did.
How can I be mad when I have such a smart kid? :-D
Saturday, January 9, 2010
Cherish the moments
I think Elijah knows that I am reading a book that is supposed to help me with my strong-willed child.
He has been abnormally good today :-)
The sweetest thing happened. He was taking a nap and he had only slept about half the time he usually does when he woke up crying. I went to check on him and he was just sad (probably because he hadn't slept long enough) so I picked him up and held him for a while. He was content to be in my arms so I sat down in our little glider and started to rock him back to sleep.
I was reminded at this time how incredibly big he has gotten! Not only because my arm was numb after a few minutes, but I haven't held him like a baby, much less rocked him, in a very long time! I had been in the middle of something before I came to check on him but I decided that the moment was too sweet to pass up. He just laid in my arms, eyes open, tears on his cheeks, and thumb in his mouth, and we rocked. He fell back asleep fairly quickly.
As I rocked, I made a point to cherish the feeling of him in my arms, realizing that it was a rare moment and I may not have many more.
He has been abnormally good today :-)
The sweetest thing happened. He was taking a nap and he had only slept about half the time he usually does when he woke up crying. I went to check on him and he was just sad (probably because he hadn't slept long enough) so I picked him up and held him for a while. He was content to be in my arms so I sat down in our little glider and started to rock him back to sleep.
I was reminded at this time how incredibly big he has gotten! Not only because my arm was numb after a few minutes, but I haven't held him like a baby, much less rocked him, in a very long time! I had been in the middle of something before I came to check on him but I decided that the moment was too sweet to pass up. He just laid in my arms, eyes open, tears on his cheeks, and thumb in his mouth, and we rocked. He fell back asleep fairly quickly.
As I rocked, I made a point to cherish the feeling of him in my arms, realizing that it was a rare moment and I may not have many more.
Friday, January 8, 2010
My strong-willed child
Today I got a new book from the library. (The New) Strong-Willed Child by Dr. James Dobson.
Elijah has been acting out more and more lately, throwing fits, hitting, at times biting. That sounds terrible... He is mostly a good kid and fairly obedient, but he definitely has his moments. He is also trying to assert his independence by choosing to do some things he knows are not allowed, or telling us "no" when we give him direction.
Chris and I have decided that a crack-down is in order. We are not afraid of disciplining our child, in fact we are strong proponents of disciplining in any way necessary. Of course I do not beat my child, but I definitely spank. However, spanking does not seem to faze Elijah one bit. And time-outs are difficult to follow through with since he is so young. Since he is our first child, we get to do all the experimenting on him (that is until the next one comes along and is completely different...) :-)
I've heard a lot of good things about this book, I have no idea yet what advice Dr. Dobson has, but I am definitely looking forward to it. If Elijah is anything like his parents - he is very strong-willed.
Elijah has been acting out more and more lately, throwing fits, hitting, at times biting. That sounds terrible... He is mostly a good kid and fairly obedient, but he definitely has his moments. He is also trying to assert his independence by choosing to do some things he knows are not allowed, or telling us "no" when we give him direction.
Chris and I have decided that a crack-down is in order. We are not afraid of disciplining our child, in fact we are strong proponents of disciplining in any way necessary. Of course I do not beat my child, but I definitely spank. However, spanking does not seem to faze Elijah one bit. And time-outs are difficult to follow through with since he is so young. Since he is our first child, we get to do all the experimenting on him (that is until the next one comes along and is completely different...) :-)
I've heard a lot of good things about this book, I have no idea yet what advice Dr. Dobson has, but I am definitely looking forward to it. If Elijah is anything like his parents - he is very strong-willed.
Thursday, January 7, 2010
New Boots
I have searched high and low this winter for a pair of boots that would satisfy my incredibly picky taste. I am not a girl of many shoes, I prefer to find a pair of shoes that will last me at least several years rather than buying some spur of the moment. Don't get me wrong, in a dream world I would love to buy a pair of shoes for every outfit and then some, but I just can't justify that in real life. I believe I own between 5 and 7 pairs of shoes, but I only wear 2 - my Adidas Samba tennis shoes in the winter and my $3 Walmart flip-flops (which sometimes do last more than 1 year) in the summer. But for several years now I have really wanted to get some boots because my feet are always freezing in the winter when I wear my Sambas. Plus I have been on a kick lately to try to dress a little more feminine, and that means cute boots instead of men's tennis shoes.
So I shopped and I shopped (well I didn't shop that much because I hate shopping, but I did shop quite a bit compared to my normal amount of shopping, which is not at all) and I never seemed to be able to find a pair of boots that was exactly what I wanted - cute, practical, and warm. Plus I didn't have any money, so I was waiting until I got gift cards and/or money for Christmas. However, after Christmas I tried shopping again and still couldn't find anything because all the stores I went to were on their last few pairs of boots and after Christmas they don't get in any new inventory. So I was pretty much out of luck.
Then we were on our way home from up north and my brilliant husband suggests stopping at the outlets in Albertville. Good idea, brilliant husband! So we stopped there and it was a million degrees below zero so we were sprinting from shoe store to shoe store without any luck. Then finally we come to the last store - Skechers. I was a little hesitant because the Skechers boots I've seen in other stores were rather bizarre. However, Chris wanted to go to Wilson's Leather to look at coats and they happened to be just a store apart, so we went our separate ways and agreed that whoever realized their store had nothing first would go and meet the other.
Well, I walk into Skechers and down the boot aisle and I am overwhelmed by cute boots! Then began the trying-on of about 7 different pairs. After all this Chris still hadn't showed up so I had to call him and he was overwhelmed by coats at Wilson's Leather, but decided to come help me choose boots first (what a great husband :-D).
Ok, this story is getting too long, so here they are, the boots I chose.
I love that they are black, I love that they don't have any fur on them, I love that they are relatively simple, I love that they are comfortable, and I love that they were on sale and therefore the cheapest boots I found.
I don't love that the zipper only goes up to the trim so it is quite a feat to get them on and get my pants tucked into them, I don't love that they are not weatherproof, and I don't love that I had to spend money on them no matter how cheap they were.
I still have the box and the receipt because I tend to talk myself out of purchases. I'm interested to find out if I will keep these or not. Any comments?
So I shopped and I shopped (well I didn't shop that much because I hate shopping, but I did shop quite a bit compared to my normal amount of shopping, which is not at all) and I never seemed to be able to find a pair of boots that was exactly what I wanted - cute, practical, and warm. Plus I didn't have any money, so I was waiting until I got gift cards and/or money for Christmas. However, after Christmas I tried shopping again and still couldn't find anything because all the stores I went to were on their last few pairs of boots and after Christmas they don't get in any new inventory. So I was pretty much out of luck.
Then we were on our way home from up north and my brilliant husband suggests stopping at the outlets in Albertville. Good idea, brilliant husband! So we stopped there and it was a million degrees below zero so we were sprinting from shoe store to shoe store without any luck. Then finally we come to the last store - Skechers. I was a little hesitant because the Skechers boots I've seen in other stores were rather bizarre. However, Chris wanted to go to Wilson's Leather to look at coats and they happened to be just a store apart, so we went our separate ways and agreed that whoever realized their store had nothing first would go and meet the other.
Well, I walk into Skechers and down the boot aisle and I am overwhelmed by cute boots! Then began the trying-on of about 7 different pairs. After all this Chris still hadn't showed up so I had to call him and he was overwhelmed by coats at Wilson's Leather, but decided to come help me choose boots first (what a great husband :-D).
Ok, this story is getting too long, so here they are, the boots I chose.
I love that they are black, I love that they don't have any fur on them, I love that they are relatively simple, I love that they are comfortable, and I love that they were on sale and therefore the cheapest boots I found.
I don't love that the zipper only goes up to the trim so it is quite a feat to get them on and get my pants tucked into them, I don't love that they are not weatherproof, and I don't love that I had to spend money on them no matter how cheap they were.
I still have the box and the receipt because I tend to talk myself out of purchases. I'm interested to find out if I will keep these or not. Any comments?
Saturday, January 2, 2010
I love the idea that God will never give us more trouble than we are able to handle (with His help of course). Typically in my life when something goes wrong - everything goes wrong. Then I start to wonder if it can get any worse... And it does.
Today, however, God showed me that not everything is going to go wrong. It was 31 degrees below zero this morning and my 12 year old little Mazda started after only a couple tries. It was a miracle. An everyday miracle.
Today, however, God showed me that not everything is going to go wrong. It was 31 degrees below zero this morning and my 12 year old little Mazda started after only a couple tries. It was a miracle. An everyday miracle.
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