flying by the seat of my pants

the sippycup chronicles...

2012-02-09T20:57:00.000-08:00

.... I am so thinking of changing the title of this blog again. By my absence, you can guess how busy we have been around here. Life with 3 non-school age children underfoot is busy to say the least. Add to that, a wee bit of kindergarten homeschooling and no mother's day out budget and my world revolves around whose sippy cup needs refilling. But, truth be told, I'm loving it.

Ella Bella Ding Dong was 11 months old today. I didn't realize it until after dinner and happened to glance at the school calendar that we forgot to do today. What does it say about me that I routinely go the entire day without knowing the date? Anyhoo, the kids are flourishing, and that makes my heart full. We've unloaded some furniture since we keep adding humans to the abode. So, space is at a premium.

I went to ease Emory out of my way as I was clearing dinner dishes and she thought she was getting a hug so she leaned in. I didn't correct her. I'm glad that she is so used to getting hugs that she assumes that is what I am doing if I touch her.

Ethan is our most likely to say thank you. I've seriously never met such a grateful two-year-old. I never wanted a boy, but I am so glad God (in His infinite wisdom) knew better what I needed and gave us our E-bug. Still loving his paci, with no steps taken yet towards kicking the habit, he is officially potty trained and sleeping in a big boy bed. And, he still has a month to go before he's officially 2 and 1/2. I think being a younger sibling stimulates his desire to "be a big boy" because none of these milestones have been our idea. The kid literally potty-trained himself. It was A.W.E.S.O.M.E.

Emory is a book worm and can usually be found with a book in hand. She is sometimes successful in convincing her brother to let her read to him, and when she's not, she reads book after book on the couch. Today she was having some serious difficulty opening the van door. I couldn't see her from where I was on the other side and I couldn't step away to help her because I was buckling the baby in. When she was finally able to get the door open I could see what the problem was... she had a book in hand and was attempting to open the door while reading.

The youngest in the nest is such a ham. We love this baby! Always ready with a smile, is a bottomless pit at mealtimes, and can smell an open bathroom door from clear across the house.... Ella Bean is a 21 pound party animal. That kid loves to play in the toilet! We haven't done anything more than pull her away and wash her hands when she's been able to satiate her whim for potty splashing, but she cries as though her heart has been broken when you interrupt her water play.

life...

2011-10-25T06:55:00.000-07:00

What I'm loving....

- homemade honey bran muffins slathered with a friend's homemade pumkin butter. so good!
- spending an uninterrupted hour with my oldest while the littles nap
- my new gym routine. losing weight easily (the first time since giving birth in 2006) and feeling o-so-good
- hearing the thoughts of my middle child. he's putting words together well and communicating better than I thought he would, given that he's a boy and a younger sibling.
- the afternoon sunlight. it goes perfectly with my Bible and a cup of tea.
- my youngest child. I never knew such delightful babies existed.

What I'm struggling with...

- figuring out how to balance all my hats: mommy, cook, maid, laundromat, teacher, wife, personal shopper, friend, daughter, sister... something always gets left unattended and I'm sad to report I think it is usually a relationship.
- the new rebellion I see in my two-year-old. Staying consistent is hard!
- the repeated bouts of copious amounts of snot with my youngest.
- the afternoon nap of the eldest has been completely and utterly laid to rest. Sob.

So that's life as we know it... for the moment.

the whole purpose...

2011-10-19T08:40:00.000-07:00

... of discipline is to stay in fellowship - fellowship with God and other fellow image-bearers. Sin is a fellowship destroyer. Recently, there was a remarkably vague post on Femina about the specifics of discipline, but it held a nugget of gold that I latched on to. How do you know after you've disciplined your child whether or not it has accomplished your purpose of drawing them back into fellowhip with not only you, but also God, or if you have just created a boiling-beneath-the-surface-but-I'll-smile-and-pretend-it's-all-good-or-they'll-spank-me-again* situation with you child?

The only specific that was named in the post was that the author's toddler is asked to give a high-five before the discipline can be deemed complete and effective. The premise is simple - most toddlers won't give you a high-five if they are ticked with you. So, we've adopted a similar approach to ending discipline here. Ethan has to shoot us a high-five, and Emory has to tell us a joke. Both are based on the individual tempermants represented by the kiddos, and neither child will preform the necessary action unless their heart is happy.

That's what we're after anyway, isn't it? A happy, joyful heart is a truly obedient heart. My heart's desire is for my children to know the joy of the Lord. It's hard not to obey someone who fills your heart with joy.

*Cat's out of the bag. We do spank, but it is not our only method of discipline. We love our children dearly and are careful to use this method responsibly.*

Philipians 4:11

2011-10-11T13:09:00.001-07:00

what's goin' on?

2011-10-06T15:15:00.000-07:00

Life has been so hectic lately. I'll start with some bullet points on what we've been up to since my last post:

- We went to the beach for a week. I'll post pictures soon. Fun was had by all.
- We're still chugging along with kindergarten. It takes up a lot of my time, which I totally expected, but it still frustrates me.
- I had minor knee surgery taking me out of the mama game for a few days. We were well cared for by friends.
- Ethan's been diagnosed with an auto-immune disorder. We're still in the process of narrowing down which one. Lots of blood being drawn. He looks the picture of health, you'd never know anything was wrong with him... until he catches a cold that knocks him down for 2 weeks.
- Ella Margaret is still such a terrific baby. Beginning to sit up. Still on an all milk diet, won't touch solids. Slaps the spoon right out of your hand. She'll be seven months on Sunday. She doesn't look like she's hurting too much for nutrition, weighing in at 18 pounds, 10 ounces at her 6 month check up.
- Emory has finally accepted school as part of her day. She is a real trooper. Working really hard at not crying when she's frustrated with a new concept. She's almost nailed it. I really enjoy being her teacher. This is where she and I connect the most.
- Eric is hard at work being a veternarian extrodinairre, a selfless husband, and a fun daddy.
- We've decided to start doing cloth diapers for the 2 diapered kiddos, and I am loving it. It does not add that much to my workload at all. Ethan, in true boy fashion, loves to flush the dirties. It's something I've wanted to do for our children for over a year and my parents made it happen for us. Thanks Mom and Dad!
- Since switching to cloth diapers, we're generating only 1/3 of the trash we had been. We haven't taken our dumpster to the street in 2 weeks. We used to take it twice a week. That speaks volumes to me and is totally worth the microscopic bit of extra work cloth diapering is.
- Because of Ethan's issues I'm working on getting us on a preservative-free, whole food diet. Educating myself has been a slow process. I'm looking forward to eating a cleaner diet and not feeling so sluggish.

What's going on with you guys?

the pox....

2011-09-11T20:02:00.000-07:00

.... my children have contracted an illness known as hand, foot, and mouth disease. Wouldn't you know, it is the same thing as hoof and mouth disease that animals get. Leave it to a veterinarian's pack of kiddos... Fortunately, the dogs and cat are safe since the respective human and animal strains of this virus don't cross that particular species line.

This virus is characterized by an unexplained high fever for about 48 hours. Just about the time the fever breaks and you figure your child has finally kicked yet another fever virus, these horribly painful blisters appear on the soles of their feet, palms of their hands, inside the mouth and throat, and the diaper area. It has not been the most fun my children have ever had, but I think we've found a few remedies that have made waiting this virus out a bit more palatable.

For starters, we don't ever let the Tylenol expire. They are getting their recommended dosages every four hours whether they act like they need it or not. To wait until they act like they need it ensures that you will endure over an hour of holding your screaming child as they writhe in pain over the blisters covering the most random parts of their body. It's amazing to me that a dose of Tylenol seems to keep this monster at bay. Our other remedies include ice packs on the most sore spots, which have tended to be the kiddo's feet, and lots of movies. I think the ice is partly a placebo effect, making the kiddos feel better because Mommy is doing something for them other than chanting, "I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry." over and over as they wail and gnash their teeth while writhing in my lap. I do think the ice has a small numbing effect which has to help the my-feet-are-on-fire-because-they-are-covered-in-blisters symptom.

Here are my babes watching a movie while icing their feet. Yes, we use frozen brussel sprouts as ice packs. The only useful way to use the vile weed, according to my children.

kindergarten...

2011-09-06T21:24:00.000-07:00

.... homeschooling is something I've always been open to. Since Emory won't be 5 until October, yet has been pining away to begin school, we've decided to do kindergarten at home this year. If it goes well, we'll do first grade at home next year. If this is a bust, she'll go to kindergarten at a local classical school.

So far so good. The first week was really, really hard. Emory does well, very well. Ethan has been harder to occupy while I teach Emory, while Ella Margaret either sleeps or is content to be held. I was fairly discouraged until Emory's first soccer practice when I got to chat with a mom who is on her second year of homeschooling and has children the same age as mine, with one extra thrown in there. Our educational approach is very similar (I'm doing a blend of classical and Montessori) and she had some good ideas that have worked well for me.

For starters, I have stopped focusing on getting school done by a certain time. We start around the time I put the baby down for her morning nap and get started on the hardest subjects first. This first session is about 45 minutes. Then, I just sneak in another small session or two throughout the rest of the day. Emory has asked that she has an art project each day, and she usually completes that while I make supper. So far, this system has worked far better.

I've doing weekly thematic units, and I am planning my own curriculum which is a lot of fun but very time consuming as well. If I teach Emory at home next year, we'll definately be purchasing a curriculum. Here is a photo of my little scholar hard at work...

the 15 minute shakedown....

2011-07-19T14:21:00.000-07:00

..... I got this idea off the Enjoying the Small Things blog, bookmarked on the right over there. Kelle does a shakedown to make it look like she's been productive right before DH comes home on the days she's been productively playing with her little ones. I've modified the idea a bit and it has worked so well for us that I thought I'd share. Each evening after dinner around here, my house resembles a primordial cave full of savages. I was tired of it taking me another half hour of straightening up after the kids were finally down before I got to sit down and relax with the dearest. Since I head to bed early right now due to the inconsistent waking times of our youngest, that was leaving me with precious little time for the most important relationship in the house.

Soooo, each night after dinner we have a shakedown. I put 15 minutes on the timer. Baby goes into the swing, happy or not, and everyone who can walk gets busy. My main focus is the kitchen while Daddy and the older 2 go from room-to-room putting things to rights. We have 3 rules for the shakedown:

1. No stuffing or cramming - everything goes back where it belongs.
2. Each room has to be put to rights, this means mama has to get a move on putting dinner away.
3. A room is not clean unless Mama has declared it so before the timer dings.

Having to race against the timer puts everyone in high gear and the motivation is completed with the promise of 3 M&M's if the work is done before the timer buzzes. It's super cute to hear the kids encouraging each other to work hard to get the job done right. This system has brought out the best in our kids, which was our goal - teaching them to work well together. And ain't nothing wrong with a little reward for a job well done.

This works so well that now all I have to do is yell "Shake-down" and everyone gets busy. Ethan will run into a room and overturn something if that room is clean just so he can pick something up. Emory comes running into the kitchen every 30 seconds to make sure there is still time left on the timer. We haven't had to use this during the day (only at the end of the day), but I totally reserve the right to use it twice in one day if things get really out of hand around here.

So far, we've beaten the buzzer each time. Our home is small enough that it can totally be picked up by 4 people in 15 minutes if everyone is diligent. I imagine there are homes out there that would need a bit more time to get picked up. Whatever works for you. I just think it shouldn't always be mama doing the picking up, and there is no reason why cleaning can't be made fun for the kiddos.

soccer mom...

2011-07-15T14:34:00.000-07:00

.... Emory has found her athletic niche. After trying our hands, or rather feet, at ballet, tap, gymnastics, and swim I think we've settled on what may be this girl's calling... athletically speaking. She comes by it naturally. Daddy was a soccer super star, even landing himself a scholarship to Belhaven, which he turned down for the promised land of Mississippi State.

I have to admit to being a little surprised. We enrolled her in this week-long soccer camp to give her an introduction to the sport. I thought fo' sure we'd discover that she hated it. NOPE! Just shows ya what do I know? I'll even admit it felt really natural to pull up to the soccer field and watch her do her thing each day this week.

Her scrimmage team for the week.

my husband is dating a beautiful blonde...

2011-07-14T14:34:00.000-07:00

.... he's also thinking about taking up with a curly headed dude. Good thing we all live under the same roof so I can keep my eye on the competition.

Emory's daddy asked her out on a dinner date for tomorrow night. They've been dating for some time, about 2 years now, but the dates have all been of the breakfast variety. Now, at long last, it looks like the relationship is being upgraded. I think he's teaching her to take it slow! We're making a big deal out of this time they'll have together by encouraging Emory to choose something special to wear tomorrow. There might even be a fancy up-do and some pretties applied to the lips to complete her look. She and I have had a few conversations about the upcoming night out with her daddy and she's totally stoked about the idea of dressing up and going out with an older man.... even if it is her old man!

Next Friday night is Ethan's turn for a "man-date". I smell a tradition developing.....

for the newcomers...

2011-06-29T05:21:00.000-07:00

.... I forgot that some of you might not know my whole story when I wrote #34 on my last post. For those of you who need to be caught up (or just need a refresher course) check out these posts:

Alabaster Boxes

How It All Began

The Original

Enjoy!

34 things....

2011-06-26T14:52:00.000-07:00

.... in honor of tearing another page off the calendar of my life, I thought I'd jot down a couple of things I've either learned about life, or discovered about myself on this journey:

1. three small kids ain't all that bad as long as you remember to breathe through the chaotic moments.
2. if you stay really organized it reduces the number of chaotic moments you experience.
3. those chaotic moments make really funny stories later.
4. in order to not just survive, but thrive, you have to see every spare moment that you get to do something just for yourself as a bonus, not a right.
5. humor diffuses all kinds of stressful moments... it can even stop a toddler fit in it's tracks.
6. if you haven't told your husband very specific ways he can help lighten your load, you can't complain (yet)
7. obedience to God's word really is the only way to have a happy life.
8. if I make it a goal to make life as much fun for my kids as possible, life is more fun for all of us.
9. making life fun for the kids also makes them more receptive to the harder lessons in life.
10. when the kids are running wild giving them a sorting job really helps them to settle down.
11. a lot of times, out-of-control kiddos just need that energy directed a bit.
12. as long as the beds are made I feel like the house is clean.
13. the hours between 1 and 5pm are my favorite time of day.
14. I believe beer was made for summer. There is nothing as wonderful as a cold beer on a hot evening.
15. I love, love, love to eat outside and it is my goal to one day own a really nice patio set and eat outside as many times a week as we can.
16. a cookie can never have too many sprinkles or chocolate chips.
17. dark chocolate is most certainly the nectar of the gods.
18. a fun drink is the fastest way to my heart.
19. my favorite hot drink is a peppermint mocha.
20. my favorite bubbly drink is diet dr. pepper cherry.
21. my favorite adult drink is a gin and tonic.
22. my favorite fruity drink is a Leapin' Lizard from Planet Smoothie.
23. I only drink water because it is good for me.
24. Not only do I love a special drink, but a cool cup makes it taste even better.
25. I am not a shoe gal. In fact I am painfully practical when it comes to shoes, much to my sister's chagrin I am sure.
26. Not only am I practical about my shoes, I'm not very fashionable at all.
27. I am usually the last to know what it going on and I have no idea how or where people get the info they have.
28. I really hate to talk on the phone.
29. the best advice I think you can give a new mom is to pray, pray, pray about everything (even things like sleep training) and then trust your gut.
30. I am thrilled my oldest seems to enjoy reading as much as I do.
31. I really like having 2 girls and 1 boy.
32. We never intended to give all of our children "E" names, it just kind of happened.
33. I never thought I'd have a child with a double name.
34. I will forever be so thankful for June 7, 2003! Without it my husband and children would not have been a possibility.

freaky, huh?

2011-06-22T13:51:00.000-07:00

If it weren't for the obvious 1970's photograph, I'd host a give-away and make you all gues who is who. Indeed folks, it ain't hard to tell you this kid takes after. Most people say she is the spittin' image of her daddy until I whip out this picture.

moments...

2011-06-22T07:06:00.000-07:00

.... that is what I've decided motherhood can summed up as - moments. Both good and bad, everything is just a moment before it all changes again. Gone are the leisurely Saturday mornings of hours spent sipping coffee while reading a good book. Instead they've been replaced with lots of little moments which are so much better. Moments like when the two big kids are happily entertained with coloring, the baby is napping, your cuppa coffee is still hot (remarkable, really), and you get to blog. Moments when the house is the exact perfect temperature (very difficult to achieve during an Alabama summer), all 3 children are napping, and you found a diet dr. pepper cherry you didn't know was hiding in the fridge. Moments such as this morning when the littlest one awakens a full half hour before the other members of the household and you and your beloved get an incredibly rare chance to enjoy just her, all by herself, without the background noise of the bigger kids vying for their fair share of parental affection.

Of course, there are the moments, too, when you've tried to cram in that last errand and you get home at the hottest part of the day, unload 3 hungry children who all happen to be crying, and have to decided who gets fed first. And you're hungry too because while everyone else got breakfast you were making beds and starting one of 10 loads of laundry scheduled for that day. And you're pouring sweat because you live in Alabama and it's hot and humid. And, being hot and hungry, you're desperately close to losing your temper with the first kid who looks at you sideways. But then you remember to breathe, it's just a moment and it won't take long to get the children inside where it is cool (or at least, cooler), feed them, and everything will be right again. At least for a moment. Or the moment that just interrupted the blogging of this post - the moment where you had a show-down, knock-down-drag-out fight with the toddler over a pair of scissors that the preschooler set down for a moment. Because that's all it takes for a toddler boy to get hold of something he really doesn't need to have - a moment.

Older women keep telling me I'll miss these moments. And, I believe them on most days. Treasure the moments, friends. They are fleeting!

what's not to love...

2011-06-21T20:22:00.000-07:00

... about this precious face?

lost in translation....

2011-06-21T20:20:00.000-07:00

.... we were listening to an Indelible Grace cd today at lunch and the song "Jesus Cast a Look On Me" came on. In true Emory style, she began belting out the song along with Matthew Perryman Jones, only with her own little twist...

"Jesus, I've got a cast on me..."

Just too precious not to record.

the pirate story...

2011-05-29T13:36:00.000-07:00

.... mostly just for Mom and Dad, but the rest of you can enjoy it too.

About a month ago I had the kids at Sam's. Ella Margaret was in the Baby Bjorn while Ethan and Emory were in the double cart. I'm pretty sure I had not yet had a shower and had thrown something random on since we were mostly hanging out at home that day. Anyways... we were standing next to the lunchmeat making our selection when Emory announces, "Hey Mom. Look! A pirate." I naturally start to half-heartedly scan the packages close to me to see what she's talking about while I am bouncing in order to keep the bjorned baby happy, trying to keep Ethan from spilling his "example" (what Emory calls samples), and make a wise choice in the lunchmeat we'll be eating that week.

I can't find a package with a pirate on it so I decide to ignore her.

Again, "Hey Mom. Look! A pirate."

I decide to "come to" out of my lunchmeat-selecting-while-tuning-out-the-incessant-chatter reverie, and respond with a "What, Emory?"

Again, this time pointing behind me, "Look, Mom. A pirate."

I glance behind me and there, sure enough, is a gentleman pushing a cart and wearing an eye patch.

Emory asks, "Can we go over there and say 'Argh' to him?"

I whip my head around so fast that the wind my movement creates almost knocks the 1/4 of a bagel bite out of Ethan's hands and hiss, "No we can not go over there and say 'Argh" to that man."

My reaction was a big mistake because now my eldest child senses my fear and she, being who she is, will exploit this and make me regret not playing it cool.

"Why can't I say, 'Argh' to the pirate Mommy?" only this time her voice is a mite louder.

Now my voice has dropped to a whisper, "Because he might be sad that he has only one eye."

"Why is the pirate sad, Mommy?"

"He's not a pirate! And, wouldn't you be sad if you only had one eye?"

"Why does the pirate only have one eye, Mommy?" again, a little louder than before.

"He's not a pirate!"

"Can I ask the pirate why he only one eye?"

"He's not a pirate! " then thinking that the best tactic is to just divert the attention off of the "pirate" and onto something else I ask a little too brightly, "Who want to go get some yogurt samples?".

At this time the gentleman passes us, and as fate would have it, Ethan has finally finished his 1/4 of a piece of a bagel bite example, looks up and upon seeing the eye-patch hollers out, "Yo ho ho!"

Moral of the story? God gives us children to keep us humble.

out of the mouth of...

2011-05-24T18:44:00.000-07:00

.... well, you know.

Every little piece of fuzz or lint, as well as anything creepy or crawly is dubbed as a "pider!" by Ethan. It cracks us up! He'll jump back and say, "Oooo, nathy! Pider!" (Translation: "Ew, nasty! Spider!")

Emory tripped in the kitchen tonight at dinnertime and hollered out, "Mouse!" I think she meant to say "Rats!". She's taking after her Gigi.....

just 'cuz they're really cute...

2011-05-24T11:01:00.000-07:00

while the cat's away...

2011-05-21T06:11:00.000-07:00

.... our daddy works every other Saturday which is a bummer for mama, not to mention the kiddos. It makes the week seem really long. But, it is necessary for his job, so, rather than getting hung up on what I wish was his schedule, I've been trying to make those times extra fun for the kiddos. This mornning, we had whipped cream on our strawberries.... FOR BREAKFAST! If you know me at all, this is a rare treat in our home. But, life was meant to be lived, so here are my babes, living life preschooler style:

changing the title of the blog...

2011-05-18T20:19:00.000-07:00

.... because my life is not made up of the life and times of this family, but rather one Jesus-lovin' mama who is daily flying by the seat of her pants in her attempt to love and live as Jesus did.... and falling rather short of the mark. But that is where He comes in. Jesus, that is.

a good afternoon...

2011-04-27T14:27:00.000-07:00

... that's what is a-happenin' around here at the moment. Daddy is home for the afternoon because some bad storms last night took out the power of most of our city. We have power here at the house, however, so said Daddy is watching cartoons with the big girl while the two littles nap. Ethan's running a fever, probably because we have Ella Margaret's baptism scheduled for this Sunday. Most of the family is expected and my children like to get sick right before we have guests just to make things interesting. Will we are will we not have to cancel our plans and tell everyone to sty home? This is why I don't watch Lifetime; I've got enough drama in my own little corner here.

The upside to the fever is that he's responding very well to a Tylenol/Motrin cocktail (totally used to mock moms who did that!) and he's taking a super-long nap. SCORE! And so is the baby, who we've discovered sleeps soooo much better sans paci. The only sad part to that is she has to cry a bit before drifting off to sleepy town, but she stays asleep longer and has seemed generally better rested, so it's worth it. I have never really gotten used to hearing my babies cry, and I let EM cry even less than I did the other two probably because I feel so sorry for the chaos her life will be given her birth order. She gets held so much more just to keep her happy. I'm such a sucker. Actually, I prefer to think of it as learning as I go and knowing she won't be a baby like this for long at all. Too soon she'll be as big as Ethan and screaming at me, "I do it!" when I try to open her yogurt for her, or she'll be another Emory and begging me relentlessly for worksheets to practice writing her letters.

For now, I've got a super cool big kid to go cuddle with, two sleeping babies, a cup of "Energy" green tea, and my house is the perfect temperature. This can only be achieved in the warmer months with the aid of a fan. And, it only lasts from early afternoon until dusk. I'm off to enjoy it while I can!

What we do when the kids are wound up...

2011-04-23T06:49:00.000-07:00

..... we sort!

And the Starbuck's goes to....

2011-04-20T08:36:00.000-07:00

.... all 3 contestants! I totally goofed up the directions and finally figured out why I wan't getting the responses I had expected. More details to follow, but for now I gotta run. Ethan is dumping out the contents of a brand new box of Cheeze-It's....

Send me your addresses to seskocelas@yahoo.com, gals!

to dream feed or not to dream feed?

2011-04-18T19:29:00.000-07:00

That has been a point of a little concern around here. Dream feeding is that last feed before Mama gets into bed for the night. You get the baby out of the crib while he/she is still sleeping, attempt to feed them without waking them up, and then lay them right back down for the night. Basically, a feeding without an awake time, just for those of you who may not know. I've personally opted not to dream feed with the first two kids, but we considered it with baby number 3. I was always afraid that the baby would wake up too much and then I'd be stuck with a wide-awake kid right when I was ready to turn in for the night.

I've been a little more intentional with Ella Margaret about getting her on a schedule as soon as I could, mostly for my own sanity. I've always been fairly routine oriented (sleep, eat, play) but now I find myself wanting to be able to plan the time we are eating, playing, and sleeping. Some people become more lax about a schedule as they have more children, I become more needy for a schedule, I guess. So, for the first time, I was willing to try a dream feed. I start her day at 7am, waking her if I have to, since she is on a 3 hour schedule. This means our day looks like this:

7am - awake and eat then "play"
8:15am - sleep
10am - awake and eat then "play"

11:15am - sleep
1pm - awake and eat then "play"

2:15pm - sleep
4pm - awake and eat then "play"

5:30pm - sleep
6:30 - awake and fussy time
7pm - eat
7:30 - down for the night

Now, if I give her a dream feed at 10pm, she sleeps until 4:30am. This is a good long stretch of sleep for an almost 6 week old, for sure! She's a real trooper about her night time sleep. Her big sister was too. But, it takes about 30 minutes to feed her. This means, I am getting back into bed at 5am, and the big kids are up at 6:15am. Not to mention the fact that I've had enough sleep to now be really awake. It just wasn't working for me. So, we pulled the dream feed.

Now, Ella Margaret's last bottle is at 7pm (sometimes 7:30 depending on how the day is going) and she gets up anywhere from 1:30am to 2:30am to eat. She passes right back out after eating, and so do I. I think I am barely back in the bed before I am asleep again. I have a friend who is a big believer in the dream feed, but it just doesn't work for me. Go figure. It's all about what factors work together to help Mama keep her sanity! But this also might be why the earliest any of mine have slept consistently through the night without waking to eat was 6 months.

Do you dream feed?

Rainy day fun!

2011-04-15T09:22:00.000-07:00

Works for me Wednesday...

2011-04-14T14:52:00.000-07:00

.... Ok, so this is a day late. But remember, I live in the land of newborn right now, so the fact that I've had a shower and have not cried today is a huge feat. But, I just remember something I did before Ella Margaret arrived, in preparation for my stay in the land of newborn. Are you ready? It's pure genius, I tell you.

Around here, I often misjudge how "into" a certain fruit my kids are. I will buy strawberries and they will eat them as though they are the secret of the universe elixir. So, I will buy them for a second week in a row and my children will snub them as though strawberries are for, you know, common folk. Not royalty, like my children. So, here I'll have a plethora of strawberries because, of course, I bought them at Sam's.

This was causing my frugal husband to develop a rather vicious eye twitch, so I needed a plan. That's when I happened upon an idea that was really my daughter's in a round-about way. If my children are snubbing the current week's produce selection, I just freeze it and use it later for smoothies. I slice it before hand. I have done strawberries, peaches, blueberries, and bananas this way. Just remember to slice it first. Otherwise, it will reek havoc on your blender. When I slice the fruit, I place it on top of wax paper on a cookie sheet so it doesn't all stick together in one big lump. Then, after it is frozen, I transfer it to a tupperware container. It's just a preference, I don't do plastic baggies very often, but I'm sure it would work.

Our favorite smoothie is a half cup each of two different fruits and a cup of any kind of fruit juice that you prefer. Since the fruit is frozen there is no need to use ice to make it slushy. Sometimes I cut the juice down to a half cup and add in a half cup of yogurt. This makes enough for 2 kiddo size smoothies and a small smoothie for the mama too.

Enjoy!

Starbucks Give-away!

2011-04-13T15:34:00.000-07:00

Correctly guess what 3 of the following 5 phrases of Ethanese translate into English and I'll send you a $10 Starbucks giftcard. Happy guessing!

1.) bast opp
2.) it yowt
3.) dit dowt
4.) dod
5.) bee bo

just to keep me in the will...

2011-04-11T09:43:00.000-07:00

... I'm going to use a rare spare moment to post some pictures of the kids instead of folding laundry, vacuuming, or cleaning the bathroom like I should be doing. Enjoy!

Ella Margaret Skocelas

2011-03-12T19:25:00.000-08:00

Meet the newest member of our Skocelai tribe. Ella Margaret arrived at 4:12am on Wednesday morning. Our biggest baby so far, weighing in at 9 pounds and 3 ounces and measuring 21.5 inches long. Incubating for 40 weeks and 5 days will do that to a baby! Her birth story is the most interesting one so far, but also the shortest. On Tuesday I had a normal, post-due date doctor's appointment. Normal, except for the first time in this pregnancy, when I was checked I was actually dilated... to 4cm! Wahoo! I was whisked away in office to a non-stress test to see if there was a pattern to the contractions I was obviously not feeling. It was being determined whether or not I was going to get to go home.

After my doc saw that there was no pattern, he sent me home with the following, "I predict you'll be back here in 12 to 24 hours." That was at noon. I headed to my friend's house to pick up my kids, grabbing lunch for us on the way. We hung out for a bit and I began to notice that I felt a little different. I brought my kids home, leaving Ethan with Eric who had worked a half day, and took the big girl out for a date. There is just something about that girl that I wanted to enjoy by myself one last time before life gets kind of cranked up. I'm so glad I did.

She and I ran to Walmart to get some batteries for the camera (so glad I checked that morning!)
and then went home for supper, which the daddy had prepared. We ate, played, put babies down and I began to feel really restless and energetic - if that makes any sense. At about 9pm, my friend Aimee dropped by with my cell phone I had left at her house. While she was there I started having some mild contractions, but enough that she totally noticed me trying to non-chalantly time them. She asked if we wanted her to stay, but knowing that the contractions could be irregular for a while, we sent her home. She was not gone 30 minutes before we realized we were going to have to call her back. I frantically dusted the house knowing it would be a while before it got done again, took a shower, painted my toe nails, and settled on the couch to time contractions again. At 10:30pm, they started coming every 7 minutes, so at 11:30pm we called the doctor.

I was told to wait until the contractions were painful enough to need pain meds. At this point my contractions were uncomfortable, but not painful. However, within 10 minutes of hanging up with the doctor, they were very painful.... and two minutes apart. We called Aimee and got very nervous because the contractions were really ramping up fast. Although she got here very fast, I had started to get nervous that we wouldn't make it. We blew past her almost as soon as her feet were inside the door, and headed to the hospital.

We made it there by 1am, hitting every green light on our way (praise God!). I got ushered to a room, and checked and we discovered I was only at 5 cm. This seemed so strange to me because my contractions were the most intense I've ever had. At 2am we were finally done with all the initial blood work and admission stuff and I was finally allowed to have some Nubane. Very shortly after that, I got my epidural. That process was over at 2:30am, but I immediately could tell it wasn't working like the other 2 I had with my previous deliveries. I nervously told the nurse that I was still in a lot of pain on my right side, kind of like someone had drawn a line done the middle of my body. She informed me that I was wrong, I was just feeling pressure. I let her believe that for about 10 minutes, trying to talk myself into believing it too, before I told her I could tell her how many contractions I had felt in the last 10 minutes and that my pain level on my right side was the same as it had been before the epidural.

That finally got her attention. In the next hour, I was given two more boosts and another bolus of the anesthesia, none of which worked on my right side. I could tell that what needed to happen was that it needed to be re-done. But, by this time, it was 3:45am and I was fully dilated. The nurse asked me to give a practice push and then she called the doctor in saying, "This one means business." Well, duh. I wasn't there for a tea party. Three hours after we walked in the door we had our little girl, right at 4:12am. There was a bit of drama initially because the cord was around her neck and she was born so fast that she was in a bit of shock and had to be resuscitated. She pinked up after a minute or two and has been doing great ever sense.

So there you have it. The story of the birth of Ella Margaret Skocelas!

the 4th trimester...

2011-03-05T08:09:00.000-08:00

.... officially overdue! Baby Skotch was due yesterday, and here we are, at today, with no real labor going on at all. I've got strangers offering to lift my children into the cart for me at Publix, folks at the gym groaning for me when I walk in the door, and 2 crazy kids completely oblivious to their mamas discomfort. Emory climbed into bed with us at 6:30am, on my side, after removing the obstacle in her way which just happened to be the body pillow holding my belly up. At 6:40am I asked her to please stop wiggling and she asked me if "we" could get up now. I told her that she was welcome to get up, Mama was staying abed until 7am! That was the plan, at least, until I heard the little boy rearranging the location of the rocker from his crib at 6:45am.

Ethan's favorite new game at bedtime is to play whack-my-head-on-mama's-belly-because-it's-cool-how-it-just-bounces-off. I let him because maybe it will cause my water to break one of these days. As Eric was leaving for a short Kid's Market shift this morning he sighed and said, "I can't wait until I'm not always a foot away from you."

We're a little ready to meet this new little person! Until that time, we're baking up some banana bread for a Bethlehem Children's home bake sale Emory is running at our gym, getting some hours in at Kid's Market, and Daddy's taking us out to dinner. He won't tell us where, just that it's a new little place that has only been open a week. Emory and I are having fun taking guesses. So far, she thinks it's a restaurant where you can eat while riding a hippo, and I'm thinking some sort of new sandwhich shop. We'll see!

because it's Saturday morning and the kids are watching T.V....

2011-02-26T06:51:00.000-08:00

I actually have a second to give the bloggy world a pregnancy update. Ooops, spoke too soon. I sat down which means I have a lap that the toddler wants to occupy. Here we go. Ok, now on to the pregnancy update.

Currently we are sitting at 39 weeks and 1 day. There is a small debate about my due date between Dr. and me. I say tomorrow (2/28) and he says next Friday (3/4). I won't get into all the reasons why I "know" my due date is different, but I was there and sweet Dr. Mac was not. But I digress, because at this point it doesn't really matter. I haven't "done anything" which means I have not dilated a bit, not effaced, and baby is sitting so high that my OB won't even consider inducing me in my current state. We do have a tentative induction date set for this coming Thursday, March 3rd, but we're not really planning on meeting Baby Skotch that day. Something tells me this may be my "latest" baby yet.

I got to have an ultrasound yesterday and I am more anxious than ever to have that baby in my arms. Baby is measuring in at 8 pounds and 9 ounces, which we all know can be wrong, but has me nervous none-the-less. The U/S tech did say that all baby's weight is in his/her belly and that the head is measuring small, so it may not be so bad. We'll see. Remember, I've had an 8pound, 8 ounce and then a 9 pound baby. So, they seem to be getting bigger. Ethan had a big ole head, which may have been why his delivery was more difficult than Emory's was. Her head was almost 3 inches smaller than his.

Meanwhile, there are 4 folks around here anxious to meet this kid! Not the least of which is me. Sciatica, prego exhaustion, and mood swings are a bit much to me when there is a 27 pound toddler in the mix. Every bit of normal household activity kind of feels like a marathon to me and I am ready to not to be pregnant any more, to say the least. However, with this beautiful weather we've been having, it's been my goal to pass the time left outside with the babes.

Currently, the littlest is chasing the cat down the hallway with a sword (don't feel sorry for the cat, she started it) and my big girl is completely plugged in to our electronic babysitter. Hubby is off at work and I am wandering around trying to accomplish a few chores and maybe dry my hair at some point. Happy Saturday!

at this very moment....

2011-02-15T10:06:00.000-08:00

.... we have 2 children running fevers, one with a cough and one with a rash and sore throat. Hmmm... I'm still opting to sit on it and give it a day or two before shelling out $60 in co-pays just be told the babes have a virus. So, we've dosed up on Tylenol which seems to be doing the trick. That, and Mom broke out the special juice reserved for sick kiddos - Kool-Aid! Rashes and coughs are still with us, but everyone's spirits are lifted. The weather is in the 60's today, so we've trucked outside, jackets over jammies, to play. Kids are beside themselves with joy. The game of choice is "feeding the goats", which amounts to both children pushing pebbles through the fence to our dogs. That, and cooking up a mean witch's brew in our wading pool that has been left to acumulate water from snow and rain in the past week. Gotta love a good imagination!

a few lunch ideas...

2011-02-03T13:06:00.000-08:00

..... #1
half a whole wheat pita
spread pb inside
use fresh cut fruit instead of jam or jelly
VOILA!

....#2
cut a few slices of whole wheat bread with cookie cutter shape of choice
toast
spread with pb or cream cheese
top with fave fruit
VOILA!

....#3
open a whole wheat english muffin
spread with favorite tomato sauce
top with cheese of choice (we use almost anything we have in the fridge)
toast
VOILA!

As a variation of #3, you can use cream cheese instead if tomato sauce and top with spinach and feta, tomatoes, olives, peppers, you name it!
Obviously, the above options are more kid-friendly, but all can be dressed up to be more grown-up. And, I just came across a splendid idea for making chocolate yogurt. HERE is my recipe for homemade yogurt that is stupid-easy to make. As you may remember, I make every batch vanilla and prefer to flavor individual servings via my mini-chop. Well, to make chocolate yogurt, you add a pinch of cocoa. No need to add sugar if you sweetened your batch of yogurt with honey, like I do. You can top this delectable treat with strawberries, raspberries, or bananas... whatever you're inclined to do. I haven't tried this yet, since I just found this recipe today, well, actually about 5 minutes ago which is what got me so excited about healthy lunches I keep forgetting the share. So, I'm anxious to see if I can pass this off to my kids as a real treat instead of the usually vanilla wafer or fruit snacks they get after meals. We'll see......

unexpected joys in motherhood....

2011-01-29T07:19:00.000-08:00

- finding a pair of socks tucked behind my pillow as I wearily crawl into bed at night
- a rare afternoon nap for me and being awakened with a kiss from the big girl
- smiles when the discovery of a favorite snack is inside a snack-trap
- the countless pacis on my desk, kitchen counter, bedside table, laundry basket, bath tub, etc...
- children's books stacked on my bedside table and far out-numbering the grown-up books
- the happy dance each kid does as they get their one cup of juice for the day upon rising from bed
- hearing the toddler try to keep up as we sing "ABC's" (he just repeats E-F-G over and over)
- seeing the big girl excited by new responsibilities and owning them as hers
- over-hearing the children playing so sweetly and not being allowed to intrude without breaking the spell
- having both kids help me with supper
- smelling a freshly bathed kid and laughing at the crazy post-bath hair
- fielding impatient comments about the impending arrival of a new siblings

trash talkin', four-year-old style

2011-01-25T17:48:00.000-08:00

One thing of note about our eldest is that she does not fail well. At all. In fact, because she didn't answer the phone the "right way" the first time I bestowed the privilege on her, she now completely refuses to answer a phone. This trait, not failing well, is fairly common in first borns. Or, so I'm told.

Once, about 6 months ago, Emory and I had a day where we enjoyed a couple of board games. Now, the thing about the type of board games you play with a preschooler is that you can't "throw" them to "build" the self-esteem of the poor kid. Which card you draw when playing Candy Land is not at all something you can alter in any way for your benefit. Believe me, Emory has tried.

On this particular day, we had played Candy Land and Hi-Ho Cheerio. I had won both games. This was much, much to the dismay of the big girl. After many tears and talks about losing well, being happy for others when they win, and blah blah blah, Emory asked to play another game. I can not remember what the game was, but what I do remember is her cocking an eyebrow at me and asking (rather accusatorily), "You gonna win this one too?"

So, tonight after dinner she wanted to play Don't Break the Ice. We haven't played this one in a long time. And, it's been a while since we've played a game. Anyhoo, it lasted until we played the second round, which Emory lost. I'd lost the first round. When she lost, she did well. No tears, just an announcement that she was tired of playing the game and could we now build a snow fort for the little polar bear man. She announced that we would build forts and the one who used the most ice cubes would win.

We're building and I'm just building a snow fort and minding my own business when she starts in with the "You think you're building a good fort, don't ya? I'm gonna build an even gooder fort than you." A little time passes and she realizes that my fort is gooder, due to the fact that I have the motor skills of a 33 year old, and so she asks, "Can we trade forts?"

Puh-lease!

17 month stats

2011-01-13T14:23:00.000-08:00

(almost) a big brother!

- now sits in a big boy chair at the table
- refuses to eat supper unless he has the same utensils the rest of us are using
- can adeptly use a fork and spoon
- loves olives, apples, and yogurt
- has a vocabulary of about 50 words and phrases, with my favorite being "mam, mam" (yes ma'am), "here a go" (here you go), "nigh nigh" (night night), and "tiss?" (kiss?)
- does not appreciate any delay in being gotten from his crib upon awakening
- still takes a substantial morning nap, great afternoon nap, and is finally sleeping through the night!
- has not yet figured how to climb out of his crib (HALLELUJAH!)
- sleeps with 2 pacis - a feeler and a sucker
- prefers his daddy
- can kick a ball better than he can throw, but is pretty darn good at both
- loves his sissy unless he's busy
- thinks the dogs are the best thing to play with
- is more socially aware than his sister was and already knows the names of most of our friends without prompting
- will not get out of the bath tub without a fight unless you promise to sing "Rock-a-bye, baby" while he's wrapped in his towel
- can brush his own teeth
- can't stand to be left out of anything
- loves to go bye-bye
- will not watch a video unless we are in the car

Warning: this post will contain a bit of mush.

2011-01-03T19:06:00.000-08:00

... now I am not a mushy gal. Not in the least sentimental. The sentimental one is my husband. However, I am not heartless, and occasionally my heart is touched, deeply, by random things. I once cried over the fact that my husband remembered cheese puffs versus cheese curls when he packed me a lunch on a busy Saturday afternoon during Kid's Market season. Granted, I was about 8 weeks pregnant, but my point is, completely random things make me feel sentimental.

Tonight we took down the tree and holiday trimmings in order to make room for all the baby gear that Ethan needs to get accustomed to not being allowed to touch. Two months practice should do it. Anyhow, I was working the kitchen while Eric was taking the ornaments off the tree and it reminded me of the time we were dating and I could not find the time to get my Christmas tree down. I was working and in school, both full time, and I was a bit stressed that this tree would still be in my apartment mid-March.

Well, my knight in shining armor came to my rescue. I arrived home after a very full day to an empty tree stand sitting on my dining room table. Well, it was devoid of a tree, but had been filled with tulips, my favorite flower. Touching, isn't it? There is even a picture of it somewhere in a drawer.

Tonight my valiant man has, without a word of complaint or a moment's hesitation, taken down a tree, put half the kids to bed, unloaded the dishwasher, and is just now relaxing in his chair. What a guy.

what i done today...

2010-12-23T20:40:00.000-08:00

.... made an apple pie, a pecan pie, a whiskey hard sauce for said pies, prepped the twice-baked potatoes, prepped the green bean casserole, made the potato salad, researched a killer recipe for the beef tenderloin we'll be having, worked out, colored with the babes, swept the back patio, washed and changed sheets on all 3 beds, fed the children 3 full meals, vacuumed the house, laundered and put away folded towels, played outside with the littles, went on a magical adventure to a desert complete with drinking a magic potion to turn us all into monkeys (somehow necessary for our trip to the desert on my bed), welcomed my baby brother into town, helped consume a Zaxby's family pack for dinner (and there are still leftovers!), made hot chocolate, took jammied kiddos on a ride to look at Christmas lights, showered, blow-dryed my hair (!), put babies to bed on time (complete with rocking, singing, stories, and cuddling), double checked "Santa" presents for any neccesary assembly and/or batteries before 11pm tomorrow night, and blogged. WHEW!

a hard week....

2010-12-19T08:35:00.000-08:00

It's been a hard week around here. Long story short, our big girl has had some sin struggles (don't we all!) that we as her parents have not known how to deal with wisely or kindly and the littlest one had a serious reaction to an MMR vaccine. So, life around here was hard, tempers were short, and kids were out of control. I'm home this morning from worship, letting the toddler catch up on some rest and just take it easy. I wrapped a few gifts while I listened to the following sermon on the goodness of children: http://www.trinity-pres.net/audio/sermon10-09-19.mp3.

Some of my favorite oneliners were:

"The gospel is not a ride at Six Flags that you must be a certain height to ride; Jesus welcomed babies into His presence."

"You think you would die for your children? Well, Jesus already has."

I have had another nasty look into my own heart this week and seen once more my need for Jesus, not just daily, but moment by moment. I've been selfish, easily frustrated and impatient, and have regarded my children as a hinderance and nuisance to what I think is important for me to get accomplished. Thankfully, God so desires my devotion to Him that He sent an illness into our home that baffled doctors and could not be cured by tylenol to make me slow down and re-evaluate my calling as the mother of these kiddos and the wife of my beloved. Thank God for His redemption!

oh, the things that come out of that girl's mouth!

2010-12-16T13:47:00.000-08:00

Today at naptime, Emory and I had the following conversation...

Emory: "Mommy, I don't feel like I'm four."
Me: "Well, what do you feel like?"
Emory: "I feel like a psychiatrist."

It has become our habit that when one offends another in our household seriously enough to warrant asking for forgiveness, that we also ask God, in front of the offended one, for His forgiveness. The parents do this too in order to model that everyone is in need of the forgiveness God offers us in Christ, and to model humility to our four-year-old. So, I completely forget the offense, but when Emory was praying and asking God for His forgiveness one day earlier this week, she cried out in a loud voice:

"LORD! Please forgive me for being so sinful and miserable!"

Cathecizing is paying off.

pictures of the babes...

2010-12-11T18:58:00.000-08:00

It's been cold in our house in the morning, so here's how we've been watching our wake-up cartoons - all bundled up!

We've had another visit from Buddy and this time he wrapped the kids' bedroom doors!

The night Emory and her daddy headed out to buy presents, Ethan felt a bit left out. I had been washing dishes and he there had been too little noise in the house for a little toddler boy. When I peeked out the kitchen this is what I found. Guess he was trying to figure out how to follow them.

Christmas with a four-year-old...

2010-12-08T07:40:00.000-08:00

.... adds up to very little secrets to be kept from mommy or daddy! Last night Emory and her Daddy took a jaunt out to do a little shopping. While they were out, Emory was warned that if she told Mommy the stores they went to, she would be able to figure out the presents she was getting. So, mums the word, right? Immediately upon arriving home I was greeted with, "Mommy, guess what I saw at Barnes and Noble?" And later as I was laying with her in bed reading bedtime stories I commented on how good she smelled. She replied, "Yeah, I tried some testers in the lotion store." Guess I'm getting a book and something that smells yummy!

And yesterday the kids had a check-up. Normally we forgo the flu vaccine, but I was asked by my OB to make sure everyone got it. So, Emory was given a choice by Dr. Petelos to take the shot or the nasal mist. She looked at him, cocked an eyebrow and said, "The shot. I don't drink through my nose so we are not spraying anything in there!" Good thing he is a wonderful pediatrician and thinks she's awesome, just as we do.

And I am loving Ethan's exclamation of "YOOK!" every time he seems a house or lawn decorated for Christmas. And I thought he wouldn't notice. Shame on me. His declaration is made even more endearing as it is said around his beloved "pappy". (For the record, Emory called the paci an "a-bee" when she first started talking. I LOVE the names toddlers give to treasures.)

Happy Christmas! More terribly adorable photos of my babes to come........

evolution of a christmas card photo....

2010-12-02T14:37:00.000-08:00

turns out...

2010-12-01T21:01:00.000-08:00

.... Buddy is sometimes naughty! Look what Emory woke up to this first morning of December.....

holiday doings...

2010-11-23T18:42:00.000-08:00

... Due to the fact that I am not hosting Thanksgiving this year, I have been completely freed up to focus on Christmas. We've already begun listening to Christmas music, donned a holiday outfit or two, and we've even had a visit from Buddy. Who is Buddy? Here at tribe Skocelai, we choose to believe that Santa assigns each family an elf. This said Elf makes the families gifts and makes occasional visits to the home during the season to keep everybody's spirits up. How much does he do? Depends on your elf. Ours is fairly low-key, choosing to make his rounds only once or twice a week. I do know of elves who visit every night, they must be getting an extra dose of sugar each night.

Why do elves visit at night? Because elves never sleep, or at least not as much as we do. That's how they got the grand job of making toys for Christmas. Otherwise, it would never get done.

Last night our elf, Buddy, showed up and decorated our house. He left some things out, like the wreath, because they were in a different storage unit, our smaller shed. So, when we left cookies for his thank you gift we hid his thank you note to test his smartness. We can't decide if he just didn't know that the wreath was missing, didn't know where to find it, or wanted to just to give us a jumpstart on the decorating. I'm thinking the latter because he also left a dryer full of clean holiday dish towels for me to fold and put away (thanks for that, Buddy).

So, the house is completely decorated, the cookies have been baked and left for Buddy to enjoy tonight, and the big girl is completely psyched. Her favorite part of the deco was a holly garland that Buddy wound through the rail on her daybed while she was sleeping last night. I was awakened this morning by the following whisper, "Mom, there's a bush growing in my room." She and I had fun discovering what Buddy had done in each room.

I'm interested to see if Buddy remains this tame or if he gets a bit more elfish as the season progresses. I hope he doesn't get too terribly naughty!

2 very unrelated pieces of information...

2010-11-22T13:30:00.000-08:00

... since I know you are all waiting with baited breath - we've officially decided on a baby boy name. Asher Cohen it will be. Asher is just a name we liked and Cohen came from a late night we spent scouring the internet for good boy names. It's Gaelic which satisfies a deep need the daddy has.

And next, I love the way my big kid's brain works. While at Walmart today she announced, "Mommy, do you remember that Joseph's brothers did not know who he was? Neither did Cinderella's sisters." This was out of the blue and totally unrelated to what we had been talking about. She's a nut! And, I love the thought that this literary coincidence seems to have been rolling around in her brain for a while.

opening the floor...

2010-11-13T06:15:00.000-08:00

We can't decide. And while we have 14 weeks left, that's not long at all when you're trying to decide on a good baby name. Sooo... We are decided on Ella Margaret for a girl, but boy names elude us. Currently, the top pick is Asher Cohen. Give me some ideas, people. After this I turn to FB!

another giveaway!

2010-11-12T17:01:00.001-08:00

check this one out!

http://allisonlewisphotography.blogspot.com/2010/11/announcement-and-giveaway-with-cause.html

I will probably be late to my own funeral...

2010-11-11T19:44:00.000-08:00

... in fact, I've actually asked Eric to have me wheeled down the aisle of whatever church my funeral is held in. I want him to wait until the service has already begun, and I want to be sitting up and waving. Yep. Because I never had it together in this life, so why should I now?

Some things never change. When Ethan was 4 days old I got a rude awakening as to just how not-together I was going to be as mom to 2 kids. The hospital I delivered in offers free breastfeeding support groups where you can meet with other moms, weigh your baby before and after feeding to see what they are actually taking in, and there is a licensed lactation consultant there to answer uestions (ok, so we all know what that word is supposed to be, but the letter that words starts with doesn't work ever since I spilled coffee on my laptop. Or rather, since the toddler I was holding while checking the weather so I would know how to dress my kids for the day spilled my cup of coffee on the keyboard. But, I digress.)

I went to my first support meeting and actually ran into a friend who had delivered the same day as me at the same hospital. Good times. I was met with a noxious diaper upon retrieving my screaming infant son from the carrier. So, I did what every good mother does. I looked in my big fat new baby diaper bag for a diaper. No diaper. Checked for wipes. No wipes. I had to ask my friend, who was a first time mom and was therefore much more prepared than I, and she supplied my needs.

Flash forward almost 15 months to this past Monday. I had the kids at the gym and had taken our bag with us. You know, the "diaper bag" that is not really a diaper bag but I do keep diapers in it. As well as cups, snacks, books, crayons, and other junk to keep my kids happy while we are away from home. When I picked the kids up from the gym nursery the very sweet nursery worker informed me, "Um, just so you know. Ethan had a dirty diaper and there were no diapers in his bag. There weren't any wipes either. I put some in there for you. I'm afraid you might be out and need them and not have them."

Some things never change.

Another favorite thing...

2010-11-08T05:24:00.000-08:00

.... is hearing the prayers of children. They are so honest, sweet, and can be incredibly faithful. No wonder Christ exhorts us time and time again to have the faith of a child. Last night Emory prayed for us before supper and this is what she had to say to the Lord:
(Daddy had been gone on his annual man's trip drinking beer and not bathing for a couple of days in the woods with his college roommates.)

"Dear God, thank you for this food. I missed my daddy today in worship, but You gave him back to us! Thank you for giving me such a wonderful family. And, God, did You know we are having a new baby soon? Amen."

Precious.

a few of my favorite things...

2010-11-03T17:22:00.000-07:00

.... last summer we were blessed to actually complete a kitchen re-do and laundry room add-on. The ideas we had we'd been kickin' around since we were engaged, and it was fun to see it come to fruition. Unlike myself, I did research to find time-and-space-saving tips on a budget. This was a very modest kitchen make-over. Yet, it did include getting the washer and dryer out of my kitchen and provided me with a dishwasher. So, here's my favorite feature of my kitchen: my large, single basin sink. It of course, has the faucet that can come out of the holder and acts as a sprayer. I love it! Because we have a new computer and we can't find the photo software for our camera, I'll share an image I found on the web...

Why do I love this sink? It holds a ton of dishes and it is deep so you can't see the dirties until you get up close, thereby decreasing the amount of time I actually load my beloved dishwasher. It is so large that I can bathe my big girl in it, although I don't. I did bathe my newborn son in it, though, to save on the bending over the tub and my post-partum belly. I can fits up to 4 large stock pots in there at one time. I can de-bone a chicken in the thing. I am so pleased with this purchase and still remains my favorite feature in the kitchen. So much so, that if we ever move, we will replace the kitchen sink in a new house if it is not a large single basin sink.

What's your favorite item in your kitchen?

it's beginning to look a lot like....

2010-11-03T13:34:00.000-07:00

.... I'm actually pregnant! I don't think I've done a baby stats post, so I'll give it a whirl. This kid needs some attention too.

How far along: 24 weeks. I actually had to use BabyCenter.com to look this up because for some reason, I can never remember.
Weight Gain: around 9 pounds, depending on if I've had a good couple of days. I still tend to have bouts of terrible morning sickness every now and then that last for 2 or 3 days and I'll lose about 4 or 5 pounds each time. A week later I find them again.
Cravings: fresh vegetables, soup, real fruit smoothies minus the sugar
Aversions: sweet drinks, fried foods
What do I miss: being able to "suck-it-in"and my own jeans
What I'm enjoying: Ethan blowing bubbles on my belly and Emory's odes of love to "Ella".
Gender: don't know, but I think girl. Heartrate is all over the place so no indicator there.
Names: pretty set on Ella Margaret for a girl, we think Asher Thomas for a boy but that's still up for debate.
What sets this pregnancy apart from the others: I'm still sick and I'm still working out just as hard as I was pre-pregnancy.

Emory at 4!

2010-10-27T15:10:00.000-07:00

At four, this gal is amazing! What a difference a year makes. Emory's "skills" include:

- using scissors, and almost being able to cut a complete circle
- lacing correctly and not just jumbling up the string on a lacing card
- play "Go Fish" by the rules
- communicating more effectively and crying less when she's frustrated
- manipulating her brother so effectively into doing something that he actually thinks he's in control and it was his idea
- dressing herself completely, including buttons, zippers, and shoes
- taking a shower by herself
- holding her own in a phone conversation
- finishing a color sheet
- hanging out and entertaining herself while I take an afternoon nap
- getting her own snacks, and feeding her brother while she is at it, while I hit the shower
- opening the van door and buckling herself into her carseat
- calling the dogs in, or letting them out (can't wait til she can be trusted to feed them too!)
- brushing her teeth. start to finish

At four, she is seeming so grown-up to me. Though I know she is still small, she is more of a pal to me and I don't mind her company at all while Ethan takes his afternoon nap. I used to worry about not having any time to myself to complete chores or just re-charge when the nap was gone, but it was fruitless to worry. Turns out, she's great company, and even a help to me sometimes. She's amazing and I am so glad she is my big kid!

She's independent, which I am mostly thankful for, and such a thinker. This week alone, she's asked some really hard questions... "Why did God choose to love me and make me part of His people?" is my personal favorite this week. It really is a privilege to be this kid's mama.

pimpin'

2010-10-26T20:06:00.000-07:00

Ok, so I don't usually pimp products, but I'm gonna. I can not expound enough on the benefits of using Arbonne's make-up primer. I haven't had any in a little over 6 months, but I've just modestly replenished my supply. They've changed their packaging and it makes me even happier with the product. Technically, I am a consultant, but I don't really commit to selling the product. But, I can get you hooked-up if you are interested. I'll tell you more tomorrow why I love the primer so much. It's much too late now to do it justice.

Also, sometime before this week is out, expect a post about a "typical" day in my life, complete with photos! Just something fun I saw on a far more glamorous blog and thought I'd copy. Happy Tuesday, I'm off to bed.

wookie or wookiee?

2010-10-20T13:12:00.000-07:00

Today while the kids were eating a snack and I was being productive cleaning up the breakfast mess (yes, a lot of time expires between when the meal is actually eaten and when the aftermath is cleared away), I said to my kids, "You guys are the 2 best kids God has ever made." Emory remaked, "God made Ella too." Ella is the baby in my tummy who can not be a boy! Emory refuses to call the baby just baby. It is always Ella. Anyways... I said, "You're right. So actually right now in the kitchen are the 3 best kids God has ever made." To which Emory replied, "We'll soon have two of something. 2 girls or 2 boys, unless you're growing a Wookie in there."

What I think about while rocking Ethan before nap time...

2010-10-17T12:41:00.000-07:00

... "I wonder if the little table from Emory's class at church will fit into the van. Sure would make life easy. Should we have the tenderloin on Monday or should we have the meatloaf first? How long has it been since we've had meat? I need to get the bread out of the freezer to thaw before Emory's birthday dinner on Tuesday. Did I remember the half-and-half? I think I did. Need to check that when I put Ethan down. I really need to get that tupperware lid out from under the changing table. I might need that soon. What is that noise coming from Emory's room? I sure hope she sleeps today. I am not up for a show down. Sure am glad Eric was willing to sort today. I did not want to do it. I wonder if any one commented on my last FB status. I'll check when I put Ethan down. I wonder if I can justify a Thanksgiving turkey shirt for Ethan. Emory's from last year should still fit. I wonder if I should try to match them. But, do I really want to be that Mom? Yeah, I think I do. I can not believe we are having another baby. Where is that kid going to sleep? We need to figure that out soon. I really wish we could paint the living room. That yellow is so ugly. What was I thinking? Argh, this kid is so heavy. I think it's time to put Ethan down."

waiting is hard...

2010-10-12T13:39:00.000-07:00

....especially if you are almost 4 years old and it seems that everyone around you is getting their baby sister before you. Mind you, we do not know if we are getting a baby sister, but Emory has her mind made up that is what is growing inside my belly. Yesterday a good friend of mine had her baby girl. Thinking Emory would be excited for this little girl's big brother, who happens to be one of Emory's fav friends, I spilled the beans before bed time. Big mistake. Big. Huge! Emory ended up crying herself to sleep because, "Everyone is getting their baby sister before me!" Oh, little girl, are we really going to be this dramatic about it? Apparently so.

I was hopeful that a good night's sleep would be enough to hit her reset button, but it didn't. Today I've had to reset the attitude myself. Over and over and over. And Emory fights D.I.R.T.Y. "I don't like the new baby's name." is her favorite way of declaring her displeasure. And when that doesn't work she tries, "Mommy, I hear our baby crying. She's saying 'When will I be big enough to come out?' She really wants out Mommy." Like I don't want him/her out too, but we all have to wait kid.

I really hope this baby is a girl. For all our sakes!

a short rant...

2010-10-08T19:06:00.000-07:00

.... It all started when I pregnant with baby #2 and we'd discovered "it" was a boy. People would look at Emory and then remark, "Well, you're done then. Lucky you."

WHAT?!

Who made the rule that the goal of child-bearing is one boy and one girl? What about those of us who kind of like having kids and don't mind a house-ful of ankle biters? Sure, there are days (today would be one) that I am so ready to be done with parenting for the day that I say no when the big girl asks for more songs and tell her it's time for bed and to hush. But mostly, I enjoy being Mama, as long as I got a full 8 the night before. I can get by on a sweet 7, but 8 is much much better for the family.

Now that I am finally showing, I am getting all kinds of comments about the length of time between what will be the younger two children. Now, this was not a planned pregnancy, but neither is it unwanted. I could live without the nausea and mind-numbing fatigue, but in the end we get another sweet smelling member of the Skocelai tribe, so it's all good.

I get that some folks only want 2 kids or even 1, and that's cool. I think it's very wise to know your limits and operate within them. Some people would love more and it's just not happening for them. That's a sad place to be and I hurt for them. But my word! Strangers treating me like I am out of my mind for being pregnant is starting to get old. I got news... God controls the circumstances, all of them, and sometimes we end up somewhere we never expected to be. I can sulk that family planning was taken out of our hands or find a way to rejoice in His plan for us, knowing it to be perfectly unflawed.

Rejoice! And again I say, rejoice!

Let's ask Eric...

2010-10-06T20:31:00.000-07:00

I'm stealing this fun little game off I Love Mr. Pibb's blog. You ask your husband the following questions and everyone gets to see how well he pays attention.

Obviously, in these questions, I am "she."

1. She’s sitting in front of the TV, what is on the screen?
Grey's Anatomy
He's quick to let me know how much he hates this show.

2. You’re out to eat, what kind of dressing does she get on her salad?
Vinaigrette

3. What’s one food she doesn’t like?
Anything processed, specifically Hamburger Helper.
This causes him great pain as he is a processed food addict, with Ham. Helper being his most favorite.

4. You go out to eat and have a drink, what does she order?
BEER! or red wine, specifically a Cabernet
He is right. Obviously, this is when I am not pregnant.

5. What shirt size does she have?
M
True.

6. What shoe size does she have?
9
Nope.
7.5
Nope.
Am I way off?
yep.

7. What’s her favorite type of sandwich?
Diplomat Deli Reuben, hold the Russian dressing
That is correct. And, amazingly specific

8. What would she eat everyday if she could?
a hamburger
9. What is her favorite cereal?
that Kashi twig stuff with fruit in it.
He really calls it my twig and berries cereal and it is my most favorite. The twiggier the better!

10. What would she never wear?
a thong. or a shirt with a cartoon on it.
I laughed out loud at this one. It's very true, but I would have never come up with this answer.

11. What is her favorite sports team?
Mississippi State
but only because Montevallo doesn't have a football team!

12. What is something she does that you wish she wouldn’t do?
talks at night... to me
hey! I've birthed you a 9 pound son!

13. What is her heritage?
German
and right proud of it too

14. You bake her a cake, what kind of cake?
anything without icing.
This is really only true if the cake is store bought. He forgot that I have been known to nearly consume an entire carrot cake with cream cheese frosting on my own.

15. Did she play sports in high school?
Softball.
Nope, that was intramural in college.
Soccer.
Yep, but that's not all.
Volleyball?
Yes.
You didn't swim in high school.
Nope.
Not basketball?!
Yep.
Well, it was a small school. There wasn't much to choose from.

16. What could she spend hours doing?
Reading blogs or books while drinking coffee.

17. What is the unique talent that she has?
That crazy Dwarf voice you do.
He hates that voice. The kids love it.

18. What is her type of coffee?
Barnie's Pumpkin Spice.
Forever indebted to J. Cox for that one!

If you do a post like this, be sure to let me know in the comments. I'd love to see your husband/boyfriend's answers!

House Rules...

2010-10-06T18:15:00.000-07:00

.... according to Emory:

1.) Mommy's lap must never be empty. If it is ever vacated by a sibling, you must throw all your energy into claiming Mommy's lap for a spell.
2.) If Mommy sleeps too well, she may start to think about adding another sibling. We must avoid this at all costs. If she is in bed by 9:30pm, you must plan to wake her up at 1am and refuse to settle back down. I'll handle the 4am shift.
3.) Mommy likes a challenge. Don't be too content to eat the same foods over and over. Periodically refuse to eat a favorite food.
4.) Mommy has to learn not to leave the bathroom door open. This means you must keep a keen ear listening for the bathroom door to open and not close. Every time she forgets and leaves the bathroom door open, you must punish her by playing in the potty. Be sure to be very messy and get potty water all over everything. Mommy loves to wipe up messes.
5.) Per Mommy's love of wiping up messes, she adores it when you bring her the dog's water bowl, but only if it is full of water.
6.) Keep a close eye on Mommy's body language. If you get the vibe that her back may be sore, you must insist on being held all day long. She'd bever admit it, but she loves to hold a heavy baby when her back hurts.
7.) And since Mommy loves a challenge, if you can tell she is especially tired or has a lot to do, refuse to take a nap. She loves this!
8.) Mommy loves a tease. Even though she is the one who carried you in her womb for 9 months, birthed you, fed you around the clock, and generally tends to your every need, make sure you say "Dada" first. As an added bonus, completely refuse to say "Mama" until you are over 18 months old.
9.) Always be super excited to see Daddy when he comes home, but don't be willing to give Mommy the time of day when she comes back after being gone for a while. Do, however, give her hell when she tries to leave.
10.) If you ever spot a pile of folded laundry, you must scatter it all over the house. Mommy loves this game. She leaves that pile for you to find.

Follow these house rules and your life here will be charming.

in the background...

2010-09-27T08:31:00.000-07:00

... of my home this morning as I mosey about trying to make sense of the giant pile-o-stuff I brought home at 1:00am last night from Kid's Market is this:

"Can you find a B-word?"

For some reason, this phrase being repeated over and over and over on Nick Jr. this morning is starting to make me giggle and come up with some words of my own. Has nothing to do with the 4 hours of sleep I was treated to last night, I'm sure.

Must be doing something right....

2010-09-22T05:16:00.000-07:00

.... We have the pleasure and privilege to be attending a little month-long parenting seminar at a friend's church on Tuesday nights in September. Last night's session was on discipline, and was a much needed reminder and source of encouragement. One of the highlighted points of the evening was Dad's authority. A question was raised about the all-too-familiar threat of some moms, "Just wait 'til your Father gets home." and it's appropriate uses. It is no secret that Daddies generally command more authority around the home. And if not, then their administration of discipline is at least usually more painful.

On evening, not too long ago, I sent Emory to sit on our bed during supper. This is our go-to waiting spot for the administration of that extra-special love of discipline (see Proverbs - there's a whole lot of "if you love your child, you must discipline him/her" in that book!). Daddy decided that he would administer the lovin' and give a tired Mama a break. As he walked into the room he was greeted with a wail of, "No! Not you!"

John 3:16

2010-09-22T04:57:00.001-07:00

Emory style: "For God so loved the world, that He gave His only forgotten Son...."

an interesting glimpse...

2010-09-17T17:56:00.000-07:00

....into the mind of my big girl. We ran a couple of errands this afternoon after naptime and one of those errands was to drop off some clothes in a Hannah Home drop-box.

Emory asked, "Is this place Hannah Home?" (The drop-box is located in the parking lot of a gas station.) "No, this is just where they have a little mailbox for people to put things in for Hannah Home."
"Mama, do people live in Hannah Home?"
"Yes, Baby, they do?"
"Who lives there, Mama?"
"Women who have mean husbands take their children there to be safe."
"Some ladies have mean husbands?"
"Yes, Honey, some husbands and daddies are very mean."
"Our Daddy is kind."
"Yes, God gave us a very kind Daddy."
"He's even kind when you're not there."

That's good to know. Never thought to wonder about that.

A Giveaway!

2010-09-16T13:12:00.000-07:00

To help a very worthy cause. My friend, Jama, and her family are seeking to adopt a baby domestically through the Lifeline agency here in Birmingham. Since that is the agency my family used eons ago when my parents were involved in foster care, I can't help but be interested. Jama is doing applique to raise money for their adoption. To get the word out about her little business, she's hosting a giveaway, here, on her site. Check it out!

a little bit of comfort on a hard day....

2010-09-15T11:58:00.000-07:00

.... this morning marked one of my biggest parenting failures yet. I won't go into the morbid and gross details, but I will tell you it was U.G.L.Y. However, it did lend itself to a frank and good discussion with my daughter on sin - hers and mine - and our desperate need for Christ daily. So, all was not lost. But, I still wished we could have accomplished the great discussion without the ugliness it took to get us there today.

It's interesting that there was so much sin flowing in our home this morning. Our catechism question for the week is #29 "What is sin?" (For those who don't know: Sin is any lack of conformity to, or transgression of, the law of God.) We've been discussing what "lack of conformity to" and "trangression of" are. Today, during our post-incident discussion, I callled what we'd each done sin for the first time. I really don't think I've ever told Emory she was in sin. I've told her she is wrong, made a poor or foolish choice, or just plain disobedient.

It went well. She even stopped me at one point to tell me we needed to confess our sin before we sleep tonight to get rid of the sin in the camp. That is a reference to the battle of Ai that Israel lost because of Achan's "hidden" sin. (Thank you Jamie Soles!) So, I feel comforted that she was really listening.

While she has bounced back, I've nursed my wound most of the day. "How could I have treated her that way?" and, "Will I ever be able to please the Lord in my parenting?" has rung through my mind most of the morning. During nap time, I switched on a sermon I've been meaning to listen to. The pastor was preaching on grace and obedience and was so what I needed to hear today. The following really had my number, "We do not just have the gifts of God, we have the Giver Himself."

And praise God that we do!

more cute stuff about my kids...

2010-09-10T19:58:00.000-07:00

.... Ethan, being a boy toddler, is frequently drawn to grosser things than the two gals he's home with all day long. So, he frequently hears Emory and I exclaim, "Oh Ethan! EWWWWW!" So now, he will do something that he knows is going to get a reaction - like lift the potty lid, peer into the trash can, or put his big sister's toes in his mouth - look at me, flash a wicked grin and say, "Ew?"

When I send Emory to put her dirty clothes into her hamper I will inevitably hear her giggling and then she'll appear holding random items Ethan has thrown in there when no one was looking. Today it was one of his chunky cars and a red comb. I get a kick out of seeing her enjoy her baby brother's quirks.

Today on the way home from a friend's house, we passed a small farm with horses out to pasture. I asked Emory what she would name her horse, if she owned one. She replied, "Probably Walrus."

Just life...

2010-09-08T18:50:00.000-07:00

No deep thoughts tonight, just what life looks like right now. I'm one day away from being 15 weeks pregnant and I am really ready to begin feeling more human-like. However, if all goes well tomorrow, it will have been the first full week I've not thrown up in a while! Now, if the general yuckies and fatigue would give way to that second-trimester-honeymoon, everyone in this house would jump for joy. Still haven't gained anything, and in fact, I wore a pair of pants the other night that didn't fit before I was pregnant. Go figure. My dream of not battling baby weight once this kid arrives may actually come true. Usually, by this point, I've put on about half of what I'll gain.

Ethan is cracking us up these days. He and Emory have kind of begun playing together. I don't have to monitor nearly as closely as I was when they are in the same room. She is making good choices and even showing some inclinations to be kind to her baby brother. It looks as though she may have figured out life is more fun when she is making him laugh intead of making him cry. I've even caught her really enjoying him, which is such a blessing to me. I'd love for these two to be friends. This morning they were playing a game where they were each holding one end of his blankey. She would lead him from his room, across the hall, to her room, and then back again. This went on for about 10 minutes, both of them laughing hysterically. It was a treat to watch.

Ethan loves to watch her and imitates everything she does - from trying to jump like her to twirling like she does when she dances. He'll do the most random things and then wait for us to laugh at him. Today Emory was reading books on the couch with her legs dangling over the edge. Baby wierdo toddled over and sucked on her bare big toe for a moment. At first, Emory did not know what to do and then when I started laughing at him, she relaxed a bit and let herself laugh at him too. He, of course, was eternally proud of having secured another laugh from his fan club.

He loves to stack things, throw whatever he can get his hands on, and would practice getting into a chair and sitting down sucessfully for hours. He and Emory are very different that way. At his age, once she mastered a new skill she wasted no time on moving on to the next skill to master. Ethan will master a new skill and then practice it over and over and over just for the simple pleasure of success. He gets really proud of himself and I've even witnessed him clapping for himself when he's not aware he's being watched. He's just such a delight to have around.

Emory has been reading non-stop. She's begun to recognize some words by sight and will tell you how many of a certain would is on a given page. Her favorite word right now is "zoo". I think it's the first word she's recognized that starts with a z, so I think it's an extra cool word to her. We were reading Lyle Lyle Crocodile the other day and she blurted out, "There are 3 on that page." She was referring to how many times the word zoo was used. Seems a little Rain Man-ish to me, but at least she's on the right path to learning to read. If she keeps it up, she might have it mastered before she makes it to kindergarten.

Her most favorite place right now is the library. We have the best story time and children's librarian, Ms. Laura, at our library. She knows my kids by name, makes it a point to speak to them and me after story time, and she's terribly gifted at working with young children. She remembers what we've been reading and asks Emory what she thinks about certain books. Reading accounts for about 80% of what we do with our playtime, with riding our tricycle accouting for the other 20%. Even Ethan will come sit next to us as we read. He still won't let me read to him like she did at his age, but he will sit by us and turn the pages of a book over and over and over while we read book after book. And, he won't be fooled by a board book. No sir, he wants a book with pages, just like sister. On the upside, I feel like he is learning earlier than she did how to treat a book with respect and care. He's surprisingly gentle with the pages and has only tried to tear them once, and that was on a 4-hour car ride home from Mobile when I felt like tearing the pages of a book myself! Maybe it's his tempermant, or it's the benefit of seeing us and how we use them. Whatever, it's working!

So, that's life in a nutshell. Silly boys, little girls who love to read, and a mama who's glad to be puking less.

another top ten...

2010-09-06T18:23:00.000-07:00

.... Top 10 ways you know you are a "real" mom:

10. Nursing bras are your regular bras.

9. You finally part with all those cute clothes you wore on your honeymoon because you realize you will never again fit into them or they are no longer practical.

8. Consignment season gives you a high.

7. Your three-year-old tells you to zip it up and when you ask, in atonishment, where she heard that phrase your husband gently points out you say it. Regularly.

6. By the time you are expecting your third child, ultrasound photos don't get framed or hung on the fridge. They stay in the bottom of your purse which is where you stashed them on your way out of the doctor's office to pick up your other children.

5. Comfort food is anything you didn't have to make.

4. You finally see the beauty of elastic waist bands.

3. Any time away from your kids with your spouse is considered a date. Sitting down to order is not necessary but a really good bonus.

2. You know a "Potty Time" song, "Brush Your Teeth" song, "Go to Bed" song, and a "Clean Up" song.

1. Grocery shopping by yourself is such a luxury it warrants stopping for a special drink to enjoy while you're out. Just make sure you toss the cup before coming home so you don't get busted by the big kid.

some recent musings from my oldest...

2010-09-06T18:11:00.000-07:00

.... She has recently noticed that there are no women in front of the congregation during worship and has asked why. Thankfully, she was appeased with my answer of, "Because God wants it that way." because I wasn't really sure how to expound on it.

At lunch one day this past week she was eating carrots sticks. A snack she regularly enjoys. I guess not on this day because she held up a carrot stick and announced, "I'm pretty sure they will eat these in hell."

We've begun singing the doxology as a family before dinner as kind of a family blessing. Of course we all know that the last line is, "Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost." This got translated in an odd way in Emory's brain. One night after her bath she took off down the hallway in just her towel. On her return flight to the bathroom, she spread her arms out wide, making the towel seem like eagle's wings and announced, "Look Mom, I'm the Holy Goat."

yanked from Molly Piper's blog...

2010-08-17T18:47:00.001-07:00

.... this is too good not to share. These are Molly's words regarding the birth of her twins.

I’m a big fan of the epidural. Abraham always comforted me against the haters by saying, “The most natural thing for a human to do is avoid pain. Thus, an epidural is natural childbirth.” I love him.

Happy Birthday, Ethan!

2010-08-13T05:02:00.000-07:00

How do you celebrate one of the most amazing little boys ever to enter this world? You start with filling his playroom with balloons to play with, then you add a little bit of chocolate chip waffles for breakfast - complete with a candle, of course. Then, you add a dash of a trip to a splash pad for the morning with a whole bunch of friends, not forgetting the boy's favorite lunch - PB&J with a side of blueberries. Top with blue cupcakes for him and his buddies. Next add in an extra long afternoon nap. Stir in a bit of his favorite dinner, hot dogs, cheese, and watermelon and don't forget the made-from-scratch chocolate cherry cupcakes for dessert. Alternate each meal with a small gift, leaving the biggest gift for after dinner. Voila! Happy birthday, Ethan!

Honey and Cream Cheese Filled Fig Muffins

2010-08-10T08:14:00.000-07:00

TO DIE FOR!

To make the filling:
3/4 c. low-fat cream or neufchatel cheese
2 tbsp. honey
1 tsp. lemon zest
1/4 tsp. vanilla
Combine well and set aside.

For muffins:
2 c. flour (I used 1 c. white and 1 c. whole wheat)
1 and 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
2 large eggs
1 egg white
3/4 c. packed brown sugar (I used only 1/2 c.)
1 c. buttermilk (or plain yogurt, sour cream)
1/3 c. olive oil
1 and 1/4 c. figs (my fig source was low so I bought chopped dates)
Combine dry ingredients and whisk. Combine eggs and brown sugar in another bowl and whisk until sugar is dissolved, about 1 minute. Add buttermilk and oil to wet mixture. Stir to comine and then add to dry ingredients. Be careful not to overmix. Fold in figs (or dates!). Fill muffin cups half-way full. Add a generous teaspoon of the filling and then add just enough muffin batter to cover. Filling should not be visible. This recipe calls for a sprinkle of sugar over the tops of the muffins, but I omitted that step. Bake at 425 for 15 minutes. ENJOY!

I had enough batter for 12 "regular" sized filled muffins and 6 non-filled mini muffins. This morning Ethan ate a regular size muffin (and an apple!) while Emory stuck to one mini muffin. Go figure. But, even the sugar addict in the house (Eric) said that these were good. So, what a winner. Very healthy, high in fiber, low in calories, and even satisfies those who prefer junk food! What a winner. This recipe came out of an Eating Well magazine that I totally swiped from my parents and am considering subscribing to myself. I have a few more recipes to try before I make that decision, but I'll let you know....

to Gigi's house we go...

2010-08-06T15:52:00.000-07:00

.... I did it! I packed up two children, drove 250 miles to Mobile (which means 4 hours in a car), and have spent almost 4 days soaking up some grandparent and uncle fun. My brother lives next door, and my sister's husband is down here completing a summer legal internship - so Emory has LOVED all the extra folks to perform for. My favorite moment so far was when I asked her to pick up a toy Ethan had dropped in the car and she responded, "No, I am not responsible for his stuff." Typical attention overload and sleep deprivation three-year-old style. I've decided to expect poor behavior and only address what is truly abominable, 'cuz that just comes with the territory when visiting grandparents.

Ethan has a nice room to himself upstairs and Emory and I am sharing the "purple room" which makes her super happy. Turns out, it is not so bad sharing a bed with her if said bed is queen size! She loves being a "lady" and being included in most adult activities. Yesterday we bummed around, and discovered a rockin' sale on carseats. I knew we were going to need one for Emory since we've been borrowing one that needs to be returned. Planning to stock up, I was thwarted when I was told the carseat didn't actually go on sale until today. Turns out that worked out to my advantage. I was able to come home and research the carseat and found out it was the number one rated safety seat. After checking Ethan's carseat, I discovered his expires in December, so now I was able to get 2 for a great price. Half-off ain't bad for a Graco Nautilus.

This carseat is the ultimate carseat. Cupholders, toy caddies, and it will be good until my children are 100 pounds. It converts from a carseat with a 5-point harness to a high-back booster to use with a shoulder belt, then to a regular booster. Score! Neither child should need another carseat. While I was inspecting expiration dates, I discovered (to my delight!) that the infant seat is good until December 2013. I was afraid it was expired since we acquired it 4 years ago and it was a hand-me-down. Must not have been too old....

But the story gets better... I was under the impression that both carseats were charcoal grey, which suited me fine. However, when we pulled the second carseat from it's packaging, we discovered it was pink with purple flowers! My girl could not be happier with her new ride. God is good!

I got treated this afternoon when my Mom took us to the crisis pregnancy clinic she works for and allowed me an ultrasound. Emory even got to take some pictures. I am 10 weeks and 1 day, and this precious baby was kicked back, one hand behind his/her head and sucking it's thumb. Baby never wiggled once, and has a very average heartbeat, right smack in the middle of the normal range. Good news for the Mama.

We're headed back tomorrow, and we're all anxious to see our daddy again. Ethan just wants to be home. He has not handled being away from home well. Won't let me out of his sight and screams if the dog moans, the kitty meows, or anyone looks at him. He's been sleeping A LOT, completing confirming for me that he crashes when he can't deal. Poor guy, he and his sister are total opposites. This has been just what the doctor ordered for her - a change of scenery - and she's thriving. The boy is having panic attacks because nothing is as "it should be".

Well, off to Mom's famous spaghetti, a phone call to daddy before his big poker game, and maybe to sneak out for some ice cream. I can fudge, I've lost half of what I considered my baby weight once we got here. Sucks to be sick, but it's good for the waist line!

baby news...

2010-08-03T18:13:00.000-07:00

.... heard a tiny heartbeat today - always exciting. Got the news that there are a couple of factors in play that get me an extra ultrasound next visit! Decided against the name Ellis and are back to the drawing board. Ella Margaret and Asher Knox are key contenders right now. Still haven't made the switch to maternity clothes, but my doctor declared, "You've got a little pudge!" today, so we're getting there. Only gained 3 pounds so far, and this is by far the longest it's ever taken me to show. Plus, I'm gaining more slowly than with the other two kids. Chalk it up to never being able to stop long enough to eat. And, my go-to remedy for naseau (which is all afternoon long!) is a couple of glasses of really cold water every time I start to feel sick. Really seems to help.

That's it on the baby front.

A new twist...

2010-07-21T19:25:00.000-07:00

... on a Bible verse Emory has been learning in Sunday school. I was quizzing her Sunday night and she asked me to start her off. The verse is Psalm 150:6 "Let everything that has breath praise the Lord."

I started her with, "Let" and she quickly jumped in with, "Let me people go!"

After laughing heartily at her, which she did not appreciate, I decided to give her a few more clues.

"Let everything that has breath..."

She shouted, "BREATHE!"

Oh well....

Negotiations...

2010-07-21T19:22:00.000-07:00

.... our local mall now has a candy kiosk. Since Daddy-O had just recently been yearning for some good, quality, candy-store variety gummy bears, we picked up a pound. Daddy is not the only one who loves gummy bears. Since they were super-pricey at $2.99 per quarter pound (I know!) we've been doling them out in 5 gummy bear increments after meals. During lunch one day this week, Emory was lobbying for just a few more bears. "How about 6 today, Mama?" "You know, I think 5 is a good number Emory." "You know what else is a good number, Mama?" "What's that Kiddo?" "Ten."

At CFA this week, I had to ask Emory to eat 3 bites of nugget before heading off to play. We all know what I really meant. Deadpanned, she looked at me and said, "I've already had one, so that just leaves 2, right?" Nice try.

food advanced...

2010-07-16T19:24:00.000-07:00

.... is what I've dubbed our big man. He might not be as physically active as his buddies, but the boy can eat! It's nice to be able to hand your 11 month old a slice of watermelon, still on the rind, and he devours it! At a recent birthday party he downed three slices in addition to several pigs-in-a-blanket. I don't even pack food for him any more when we go out. Tonight he and his sister split a chicken quessadilla at Jason's Deli. He ate more than her.

The boy is also talking a lot earlier than Emory. Shocker! Especially since you would wonder if he ever gets a word in edgewise. But, he's really not the silent type. His vocabulary includes:

"Tank-too" for thank you
"ba" for ball
"Dah-dee" for daddy
"Mah" for more or eat
"bye" for bye-bye complete with the wave
"dis" for here you take it (when he wants to hand you something)
"uuuhhhhh!" at the top of his lungs means MINE I think
"ah dah" for all done

And, he will shake his head for "no thank you". Emory wasn't talking at all, just signing, by her first birthday. However, Ethan prefers to talk and has yet to sign anything. Interesting.

The boy is completing our family more and more each day and it is hard to imagine him as a big brother. He's been our baby for 11 months now. Seems so sad that he'll be de-throned so quickly. But, if anyone can handle it, he can.

2010-07-13T18:35:00.000-07:00

Dearly We're Bought

Taken from the Gadsby Hymnal # 102
Words - Joseph Hart, 1712-1776

Come raise your thankful voice,
Ye souls redeemed with blood;
Leave earth and all its toys,
And mix no more with mud.

refrain:

Dearly we're bought, highly esteemed;
Redeemed, with Jesus' blood redeemed
Dearly we're bought, highly esteemed;
Redeemed, with Jesus' blood redeemed.

With heart, and soul, and mind,
Exalt redeeming love;
Leave worldly cares behind,
And set your minds above.

Lift up your ravished eyes,
And view the glory given;
All lower things despised,
Ye citizens of heaven.

Be to this world as dead,
Alive to that to come;
Our life in Christ is hid,
Who soon shall call us home.

© 2005 Red Mountain Music
http://www.redmountainmusic.com/

How's that one hit 'ya? Not just bought begrudingly, but highly esteemed!

the day the planets aligned...

2010-07-02T20:07:00.000-07:00

Today was one of those days. The good kind. I "slept in", which really means I ignored the pleas of my children to get out of bed and get them something to drink until 7am. There weren't really pleas, just repeated whispers. After a fun breakfast of yogurt that was still frosty from having been frozen in the deep freezer ("Mom's giving us ice cream for breakfast!"), everyone had clothes on and teeth brushed by 8:30. A record. Then, it was a quick nap for the bubba, while Emory and I prepared ahead most of lunch for our friends who were coming at 11am. At 10:00 I woke the baby, loaded everyone into the car, and Emory got a big girl haircut. We got home, and since everyone else was running behind, I had half an hour for the big girl to indulge in some ~~brain mushing~~ cartoons while I got to play with the baby. Alone. For half an hour. Huge.

Our friends arrived and we visited and ate amongst the chaos of feeding and tending to a collective group of 5 children (3 of them under 1 year), and then we headed outside to burn off some energy. After everyone left, my children went down for long naps with no resistance, I got the house restored in a whopping 15 minutes, indulged in reading and a little chatting with a friend. After the naps were over, everyone snacked eagerly, and allowed themselves to be loaded up again for a run for new sneakers for the big kid, a bank visit, and a Publix stop. Dinner was hot dogs, chips, and fruit.... and the big girl asked for seconds! Since she regularly survives on air, I was happy to oblige.

No one needed baths, so it was a family dance party before donning pj's, brushing teeth, and hitting the 'ole sack. I snuck back into the first one's room to "sneak a song" and just cuddle. By 9pm, I was in my pj's with a cup of tea and The Help while the dearest watched soccer. And now, at 10pm, I am blogging about a good day and about to retire to a bed with clean sheets. Oh Happy Day!

how life feels right now...

2010-07-01T20:04:00.000-07:00

a little boy watching the big boys play basketball in the street...

2010-07-01T19:11:00.000-07:00

backyard ice cream!

2010-07-01T19:06:00.000-07:00

Incidentally, Ethan's first cone, too! No instructions necessary.

He's food advanced.

don't judge a book by it's cover...

2010-07-01T13:02:00.000-07:00

... a sweet friend sent me a link to a John Piper clip about whether or not mothers should work "outside the home". She had posted it on Facebook and got quite a few comments. I am always amazed at how emotionally charged any issue regarding parenting can be. That being said, I do have a few personal comments to make.

I am a stay-at-home mom. I've always wanted to be a SAHM. It's my dream, and I'm living it now. I considered my days working full time to be filling the gap until I had kids. I've never had aspirations to be anything other than a great mom. I'm guessing I'm one of the lucky ones. Friends have told me so. While I certainly do have bad days, and some seasons have seemed to hold more bad days than good, that was also true when I was working. I don't mind the mundane aspects of motherhood. I feel a lot of pride when I tell people how I spend my days. My only regret is that there isn't another adult in the house to enjoy these kiddos with me. Joy multiplied and all that.

Now, do I believe that just because someone works outside the home or doesn't love motherhood as much as I do, is wrong? Not really. My only opinion is that if you have been blessed with children, they do need to be your primary calling. I do believe that if you are working (and by "working" I mean a 40-hour work week) because you can't stand your kids, or being "cooped up" all day, and it is not a financial need, then something is wrong and you need a priority shift. If you have a 20-hour/week job to earn fun money or explore a creative outlet and you can do it without stringing your kids out -go for it! A lot of my friends do this. I've done this.

I want us to remember that it is not the staying at home part that is required by God. It is raising your children up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord that is required by Scripture. I do think working full-time makes this harder, but I also think it can be done. I also think a mom can stay-at-home with her kids and not come remotely close to fulfilling her calling. If she spends all day on the computer, gabbing on the phone, or watching TV while ignoring the crying baby and the fighting siblings, she is no better than the mom who schelps who kids off to day-care because she "doesn't do kids". And, yes, I've had mamas verbalize those thoughts to me when I was a teacher in a daycare. Mothers who thanked me for taking care of their kids because they didn't want to do it. I can't think of a single working mother that I know and call a friend who fits into this category. Any working moms I know have exhausted other avenues before returning to work.

So, my point is. Be gracious to those mothers who are working (especially those within the Body). You may not have the whole story. And, don't just assume any SAHM is doing her duty. She could be abdicating behind closed doors. Simply put, don't judge a book by it's cover.

it's happening, i can't stop it...

2010-06-25T07:24:00.000-07:00

.... though, goodness knows I've tried. It's not that it's a bad thing, I just want to be young forever, and this is evidence that I'm not gonna be. What's happening to me? I'm becoming my mother.

Want evidence? Here you go:

- I drink a pot of coffee all by myself, every day.

- I've recently begun to think that an elastci waist-band in a pair of jeans makes perfect sense. Although, no, I do not own a pair... yet.

- My 2nd and 3rd children will be 18 months apart, just like the 2 brothers directly below me in the Steffler clan line-up.

- I carry a large cup of water with me wherever I go.

- And, just today, I've discovered I have an addiction to bags. Not that I need all 100 that I own, but I can't stop buying them.

Yep, it was the bag one that enlightened me. I'm my mom.

feelin' dusty...

2010-06-24T08:36:00.000-07:00

... Psalm 103:13-14 "As a father has compassion on his children, so the Lord has compassion on those who fear Him; for He knows how we are formed, He remembers that we are dust."

So, yea, I'm pregnant. And, no, we weren't "planning" this right now. Don't get me wrong. We did want more children, just wanted them a tad later. Yes, I am excited. Yes, I am overwhelmed. Yes, I am scared. Yes, I am happy.

No, I am not scared because my Ethan and Ellis (baby #3, boy or girl) will be "close". I am scared because I am discovering how frail I am. Spiritually speaking. I do want this baby. I am not afraid of what it will cost me in terms of physical labor, time to myself, and room in a tiny house (remind me of this in about 30 weeks!). I am afraid of failing my children. And my husband.

There are so many days when I feel inadequate with the two I have now. I answer questions more irritatedly that I wish I did. I wave my kids off more frequently than I should. Emory hears, "Just do what I told you to do!" far more than any child should. I let exasperated sighs escape when I tend to Ethan's dirties, or when he just needs a cuddle off my time-table. Geez. Who wants a mama like that?

Yet, I have the promise of the Spirit of God to refresh me when I am weary and no one seems to be cooperating at bedtime. I have the promise of the Spirit of God to fill me with joy and come up with some way to make my children laugh when I am feeling more sour than a Tear-jerker. I have the promise of the Spirit of God to grant me wisdom when the big girl is acting out for attention, yet the baby has had seemingly none for days.

And, I have a delightful husband who will take a 2am feeding. Who doesn't complain when dinner is a PB&J, as long as it is served with a smile. Who gives the kiddos a bath and handles bedtime while I play on FB. Who doesn't mind hunting down his clean clothes out of the dryer.

So, I close with Philipians 4:13, for Pete's sake... "I can do ALL THINGS through Him who gives me strength." (I'm guessing this means even juggling 3 kids in a 3 bed/1 bath house!)

more from the funniest three-year-old on the planet...

2010-06-18T07:34:00.000-07:00

... We've joined the pool. Two weeks ago I paid a large sum of money, suffered the humiliation of posing for a photo badge, and voila! we have tons of fun in the sun at least twice a week. It is Emory's all-time most favorite thing to do. (Yesterday she even swam to me, several times, with her face IN the water. Cool stuff, I tell you.) When we made our maiden voyage to the the cement tub of dreams, I impressed on Emory the importance of obeying the lifeguards. "THEY are the boss of the pool. You must do what THEY tell you to do. THEY will blow their whistle at you if you do not follow the pool rules." So, as all children are wont to do, she was running on the deck of the pool. In all fairness, it is incredibly hard not to do when at the coolest place in the world. Seems like torture to me, but I do get the wisdom in it. And, like all lifeguards are wont to do, one of them casually hollered, "Hey! Stop running." Emory stopped, turned to look at him, looked front again, and skipped to her destination. (Evidence of sharing genetic material with a mama who did cartwheels to the front of the class in first grade.)

At church a few weeks, Emory was running a-muck, and our Aimee corrected her. "Emory, my children aren't allowed to do that, and I bet your daddy doesn't want you doing that either." Aimee was right. Our darling cherub looked her dead in the eye and said, "Well, my daddy is not talking to me right now." Luckily, Aimee has enough sense of humor to have relayed the story with a smile.

And most recently, a desperate attempt to reach the tootsie rolls:

just for my parents...

2010-06-16T13:02:00.000-07:00

.... Emory and I had a discussion today about where people who do not love Jesus go when they die. Big stuff for a 3 year old, I am aware. Rather than terrify her with the idea of physical torture, I tried to emphasize that the real tragedy for those who die before accepting Christ is that they can never ever get to God again.

Here is how the conversation went:

E: "Are people who love their sin more than they love Jesus in heaven?"
M: "No, they go to a place called hell, where God can not go because the people there are wicked. They never get a chance to love God again and they can't ever get to Him again."
E: " So, people who love their sin more than Jesus go there? I don't want to love my sin more than Jesus. I want to love Jesus more. And my snack. And my cup. Do we know anyone there?" (I'm guessing she meant hell.)
M: "I don't think so, baby, but it is a real place."

Later on when we were in Ethan's room, he pitched a fit when I took his bottle away because he was dumping out it's contents on the rug and himself (can you see where this is going?).

E: "Mommy, is Ethan sinning right now?"
M: (oblivious to where she is headed) "Yes, baby, he is in sin right now."
E: "He needs to go to hell."

Score! Two points to the mama who is endearing her children to each other!

Do you see it?

2010-06-09T20:59:00.000-07:00

No? Well, here, how 'bout now?

Still can't see it? How's this?

Now can you see it? Yes! That's right! My children consumed the same thing for lunch today. Ladies and Gentleman, we've almost arrived....

tsk, tsk.....

2010-06-08T13:31:00.000-07:00

I have a friend. I have a friend with a baby. I have a friend with a baby that Emory adores. Never mind that God has provided the kid with her very own baby brother, she prefers Isaiah. I guess it's only fair. There are times I prefer someone else's kids too.

Emory has decided that Isaiah is the baby to which all babies must be measured. As we were headed to the pool yesterday I heard Ethan creating an all too familiar sound. The sound of the velcro on the headrest on the reversible car seat being peeled off. Here is the ensuing conversation:

Mommy: "Emory, do you hear that noise? Do you see what Ethan is doing? You used to do the same thing when you were a baby."
Emory: *clucks her tounge* "I bet Isaiah doesn't pull on his carseat head rest."
Truth be told, Isaiah is a little imp. Eric calls him a lephrechan. He has that gleam in his eye. The one that surveys a room and within seconds is planning a bit of mischief. He cracks me up. It might actually be that Isaiah teaches Ethan a few things about mischief. Ethan strikes me as a happy to play by the rules kind of guy, while Isaiah seems bent on finding out if those boundaries really are there. I know a certain little girl like that. She's a delight and maddening all at once. Let it be known, that lephrecans can be trained to play nice, but you must never let your guard down. And you must hold the upper hand by always maintaining eye contact and NEVER let them see you falter or they WILL exploit your weakness.
Now, Ethan is up to his own mischief. Mostly, when left on his own because mommy is running around like crazy to get ready for VBS, which we are hosting at our house this week. Need proof?

crackin' me up!

2010-06-04T07:52:00.000-07:00

Emory is so much fun these days, when she's not using her powers for evil. Let's just say that the same personality quirk that makes her so darn funny also makes her so darn maddening at times. Here are some of my most recent favorites:

On Sunday she was trusted to grab her own quarter and put it in her church bag. The place where we keep a pen, a snack, a piece of gum to keep her ~~quiet~~ happy, and her offering. When the plate was passed we rehearsed for the bazillioneth time that we do not take money out, we put money in, and quickly because others are waiting. She has a fetish for money (sorry future Mr. Emory) and she takes great delight in eye-balling all the different monies people put in. She will even grab it out to inspect it. If she's not doing that, she's having a hard time parting with her precious quarter. That I understand all too well. However, this particular Sunday I realized her quarter was REALLY shiny, and gold. Upon inspection, it was indeed a Chuck-E-Cheese token. Eric and I had to hardest time controlling our laughter.

When we were leaving the Ulimate field last night to go home, Emory spotted a dog. It was laying down and facing us. She stopped, moved a little closer to me, and whispered, "be careful of that lion, Mom." I guess if you're 3, a Vizsla could be mistaken for a female lion.

And lastly, when daddy was leaving for work, I was outside putting something into the car. Emory had followed me, and was standing on the sidewalk waving goodbye. I grabbed Bubba and brought him out to wave to Daddy too. Since he has mastered the art of waving "bye-bye" (Ethan, not Eric), I wanted to show him blowing kisses too. Not to be outdone, Emory began blowing kisses too. Daddy returned one and Emory, in a rather exaggerated reaction, threw her head back, and grabbed her cheek. Then she casually looked me in the eye and said, "That one got me."

terribly productive.....

2010-06-02T07:55:00.000-07:00

.... My friends, I have no idea how it happened, but I have been terribly productive today and it is only 9:43am. So far today, I have gotten up, fed the children, dressed the children (Emory's hair is even combed!), and went to the store. I've fallen hook, line, and sinker for Publix and it only took 5 days. That's quite a fall. By 8:15am, I had pulled out a wee bit of extra cash for the week to jump-start my stockpile-o-savings and was selecting the cleanest "car cart" with buckles that actually work. Turns out, unlike Walmart, Publix believes in taking care of their buggies.

I spent $53.81 and saved $48.45. Not bad. We are stocked up on soup, granola bars, juice boxes, and swimmie diapers. My favorite buys from today are the Del Monte fruit chillers (pack of 8, I think) that I nabbed for $.49 each, the Kid Cuisines I got for $1.20 each, and the swimmie diapers I scored for a sweet $5. The gal at the service counter remembered my kids' names (always earns brownie points with me) and there is a precious, and I do mean precious, older black gentleman (think he's a bagger?) who followed me out to the car to tease me a little. That ranks him pretty high in my book.

So, now the wee one is in his bed, the big one is playing outside, I have nothing left on my to-do list today except play with my children.... so, I think I will get to it and go play "Publix" with Emory.

And, guess where you'll be finding me about 8am each Wednesday?

a whole bunch of photos...

2010-05-27T19:56:00.000-07:00

(The delicious mess left after eating a ton of yummy strawberries from the VFM.)

fighting for restoration....

2010-05-24T09:10:00.000-07:00

It's a long story, and another post, but today I'm fighting to take back what is rightfully mine as a child of the King. I woke up grumpy, easily irritated, and even not feeling too great. Just down in the dumpos for no good reason. YET, in His grace, I am being reminded to pray for help rather than muddle through in my own strength. This morning I told the Lord that I refused to be a grumpy momma today. I won't settle for just making do. I'm a child of the covenant, have 2 pretty terrific kiddos to call mine and spend today with, nothing really pressing to do, and a whole array of cool stuff to pull out and enjoy with the babes. So, we're pushing back the Sam's run until after lunch, filling up the pool, and heading out after the wee one is up from his morning snooze.

And did the grumps just magically disappear? Heck no! But, I will not allow evil to have it's way. At least not today, and not on my turf. I can not tell you how many times already I have already cried out to the Lord to literally, and radically, change my perspective from being irritated to being able to enjoy the mess Emory is making as she fills her pool, the chalk she got all over over her body as she traced her hands and feet (by herself!), and the mulch we tracked in when we came inside. Today, that's praying big!

these are a few of my favorite things...

2010-05-22T15:48:00.000-07:00

.... seeing the man-cub crawl! He seems like such a different kid now that he can get to where he wants to be on his own. And, there are few things sweeter than walking in the door and being greeted by my baby boy making a bee-line for me.

.... having cool conversations with Emory. She's just one of my all-time favorite people, and for good reason. One of my recent favorites was today at lunch I asked her what made God's people "different" not entirely sure of what she would say. Her answer was so much better than mine would have been, "We get to go to God." She nailed it.

.... having a big girl who is not afraid to speak the truth to me. Yesterday I was being petty and easily annoyed as I was getting her dressed for the day. At one point I must have sighed, because Emory looked at me and said, "You want to spank me, don't ya?" Again, she nailed it.

.... watching daddy and his son "wrestle" on the floor. Ethan does love me, but he really loves to play with his daddy. I don't get nearly the squeals that daddy does.

.... having our home so full of people we love that we are bursting at the seams. We had such a house-ful this weekend that some folks were even sleeping on an air mattress in the kitchen. I love it!

.... watching my family enjoy my children. Honey for a mother's heart.

I promise photos are coming soon!

let me just say...

2010-05-19T18:32:00.000-07:00

... that every bit of hard work that went into getting this family ready for the beach was entirely worth it. Emory was delightful, Ethan slept like a champ, and the spirits were a-flowin'. I discovered our friends are even way-cooler than I thought. The house was huge, beautiful, well-stocked, and closer to the beach than any beach-front condo I've been in. And, I even lost a bit of weight, though I have no idea how. It was the perfect vacation!

Pictures to come (and they are adorable!).

a day in the life of the man-cub...

2010-05-13T17:53:00.000-07:00

Breakfast

Playtime

Lunch

Mischief

Dinner

just life...

2010-05-13T15:59:00.000-07:00

... So, today has found me scrambling like mad to get the errands accomplished that will unload the junk in the rear of my car so that we can fill it all back up again when we leave on Saturday for the beach. Five wonderful days of the beach, good food, no housework, my husband, sweet friends, and, did I mention, the beach! I've made a vat of black bean and corn salsa and am toting it down with the world's best tortilla chips in order to consume it with plenty of beer in those lazy afternoons when you're freshly showered after a day in the sand and surf and you can't decide which local haunt to try for some fresh seafood. We're going with another couple that have a boy Emory's age, so we all will have someone to play with. I'm anticipating heaven on earth. Did I mention that I will be consuming beer? That's actually huge, since the last two times I was beach bound I was also in my third trimester. So I won't be, huge that is.

Ethan is officially 9 months old today. As of 2 weeks ago, he was 24 pounds. He wears 24 month clothes and size 5 diapers. And, he is finally crawling. Like, the real kind of crawling, making it from one room to another. So added to the chores necessary for getting a family of 4, one of whom happens to be an infant, ready for the beach, I've had to re-do all the baby proofing. Corners have been covered with padded do-dads, I've put Emory's markers (which live in a box on the floor of the kitchen) up higher but where she can still get to them ~~without buggin' me~~ on her own, and I've even had to vacuum! He's been so much happier today, and even skipped his afternoon nap in lieu of trying out this cool new trick he has finally mastered. It's his 9-month-aversary, so I let it slide.

Emory has had quite the week. She and I spent Monday afternoon at the doctor's office where we learned she had a smoldering ear infection, may have mild asthma, and was so "backed-up" that her stomach was behind her lungs. I even got to see the x-ray for myself. The doctor was fairly astounded that she hasn't been complaining about either the ear, or her bowels. The down-side to having a child with a high pain tolerance, I guess. After a few days of oral antibiotics for her ear and a bronchidialator for her asthma, she is a new kid. The first night on the new asthma medicine, she slept for almost 13 hours. This kid has not slept consistently through the night for over a year.

Enough of her ailments, she's also had a neat week spiritually. After wondering aloud if she'd get splinters in her buns from her from her coffin when she dies, she asked me if she would indeed go to heaven. "Well, do you love Jesus?" "Yes ma'am." "Do you believe He is the Son of God?" "Yes ma'am." "Do you think you can be good enough on your own or do you need Jesus?" "I need Jesus."

Good enough for me.

And Eric... did I mention he has 5 whole days off work and he's going to spend them with us?! I am so looking forward to hanging out with him.

Have a happy week and I'll see you when we get back.

quite a show...

2010-05-11T20:52:00.000-07:00

... For her 3rd birthday, Emory received a ball pit from us that has stayed on the shelf since about 2 weeks after her birthday. I really and truly have forgotten about it, unless it is 3am and I am feeding Ethan and looking around the room trying not to make eye contact lest he think it's playtime. She spotted it the other day and has ~~incessantly nagged~~ repeatedly requested some time with it. She enjoys it, to be sure, but not as much as a certain little baby boy who REALLY loves balls. He can spot one in a room in a second!

Since all little boys seem to have their obsession, I'm gonna go ahead and call it now.... Ethan is going to love balls. Footballs, soccer balls, baseballs, I don't think it is really going to matter. Some boys like airplanes, for some cars are their thang, and for other, trains melt their butter. While Ethan can truly do some damage with a car, especially to a block tower his sister just painstakingly built, I think it will be balls that will call his name.

I've got some great photos and even a video, if I can get my computer to cooperate. It's balls. You'll see.