Okay, it's 2:15, we're home, unpacked, and the boys are asleep.....even Kev! Big things like this absolutely drain him! He's going to love that I'm writing this, but this is the downside of him being so fiercely protective of the ones he loves. Anything that happens to the boys or I that is even remotely serious affects him deeply. I actually think it's really sweet.
So, he's crashed on the couch, the boys are both in bed, and I am processing. I think the appointment was encouraging....I'm still not sure. We made it to the heart of Philly with no misshaps - big doin's for two small town kids! We gave ourselves tons of time just in case we got lost, so we were an entire hour early, but they got us right in because there was nobody there!
Three different people looked at Jesse's hands, and they all had various things to say. This morning was the first time that we've noticed his bandages were quite oozy with a slight odor (gross, I know). The nurse thought at first that this might mean signs of infection starting, but then later she thought it just might be the medication that was causing the smell. One of the doctors said that he might have to have a skin graft on one of his palms, but the other seems hopeful that he won't. So, we're not really sure what to think yet. We're going to keep taking care of it for a week and then go back in next Wednesday and decide from there.
The plastic surgeon who is also a "hands specialist" - who is the one that counts, in my opinion - said that Jesse's burns are between a 2nd and 3rd degree burn on his palm and one finger. Because they are not a full-blown third degree burn, he wants to wait and see how they heal on their own for awhile. He is hopeful that they will heal just fine on their own - and we are going to pray to that end! :0) Jesse was a little trooper, and aside from giving a couple of grumpy squawk-screams at the nurse who dressed his hands, he was really quite smiley and chatty for most of the visit.
I'm slightly embarrassed but not a bit surprised to confess that we did not play around in the city like I previously posted we might do. By the time the visit was over, we wanted to do something fun for Kaden (because today was supposed to be our family day since Kev has class on Saturday) and because he was so patient and good. So, we went to Cracker Barrel for lunch and then to a (safe, quiet, thug-free) little park to play around on until naptime right in the comforts of our own (semi-safe) little town!
You can take the people out of the country, but you just can't take the country out of the people!
Okay
Here's the deal.
Jesse is going to be seen by a plastic surgeon who is also a hands specialist tomorrow morning at 10:00a.m. We're going to the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia right in the heart of Philly - Kev's real thrilled about that - but supposedly they're the best. Not overly sure what to expect. They may cut away the excess skin from the broken blisters, they may recommend surgery, or they may just look at him and say that all is healing well. We're hoping for this last diagnosis! The blisters were so huge that when they burst, there is a ton of skin that is now laying against his palms and fingers. The doctors just want to make sure that his hands heal correctly and that he'll be able to have full range of motion once everything begins to heal. We are praying for the best.
If the diagnosis is okay - and the visit is not overly draining for all of us - we're maybe going to take in the sights and check things out in the city of Brotherly Love for the day. Kev's not a huge fan of the whole city scene, but I say if we're there, we might as well make the best of it! :0) We've only been there one time in the ENTIRE time we've lived here. Kev's been kind of proud of the fact that we've never driven into the city and was hoping to maintain that record until we moved home! Alas, the poor guy gets to drive right into Center City! Kinda funny.....
Anyhoo, we're all feeling a little fried around here. Both boys are fighting yucky colds and have been a wee bit grumpy these past couple of days. Kev is finally starting to come out of his blech-iness and was able to make up two tests today. I tell you - I am so spoiled. He is such a hands-on, involved Daddy, that when he is out of comission for a few days, my world gets totally thrown. I feel like a single mom! I'm pathetic.
Well, the kids are a-bed, so we are off to eat pie, watch American Idol, and hit the hay early in hopes of a very UN-eventful day tomorrow!
Jesse is going to be seen by a plastic surgeon who is also a hands specialist tomorrow morning at 10:00a.m. We're going to the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia right in the heart of Philly - Kev's real thrilled about that - but supposedly they're the best. Not overly sure what to expect. They may cut away the excess skin from the broken blisters, they may recommend surgery, or they may just look at him and say that all is healing well. We're hoping for this last diagnosis! The blisters were so huge that when they burst, there is a ton of skin that is now laying against his palms and fingers. The doctors just want to make sure that his hands heal correctly and that he'll be able to have full range of motion once everything begins to heal. We are praying for the best.
If the diagnosis is okay - and the visit is not overly draining for all of us - we're maybe going to take in the sights and check things out in the city of Brotherly Love for the day. Kev's not a huge fan of the whole city scene, but I say if we're there, we might as well make the best of it! :0) We've only been there one time in the ENTIRE time we've lived here. Kev's been kind of proud of the fact that we've never driven into the city and was hoping to maintain that record until we moved home! Alas, the poor guy gets to drive right into Center City! Kinda funny.....
Anyhoo, we're all feeling a little fried around here. Both boys are fighting yucky colds and have been a wee bit grumpy these past couple of days. Kev is finally starting to come out of his blech-iness and was able to make up two tests today. I tell you - I am so spoiled. He is such a hands-on, involved Daddy, that when he is out of comission for a few days, my world gets totally thrown. I feel like a single mom! I'm pathetic.
Well, the kids are a-bed, so we are off to eat pie, watch American Idol, and hit the hay early in hopes of a very UN-eventful day tomorrow!
Yuckiness Abounds
We took Jesse to his pediatrician today to have them check out his burns. He's managed to pull or bite his bandages off twice now causing several of his blisters to burst, but we've been able to stay on top of infection. No signs so far. However, after looking at his little hands, the doctor wants him to be seen by a plastic surgeon to make sure that they heal correctly. Fabulous.
Kaden also had a check-up because he's been coughing for about three months straight - mostly right before and after bedtime or after he's been rough-housing with Kev. The doctor determined that he has "cough induced asthma" and gave us a nebulizer with some steroids for him to inhale each night before bed. Joy.
Both boys woke up with runny noses and a case of the grumpies, and Kev is feeling like he got run over by a mac-truck (mack-truck??). Wunder-bar. The flu is flying around here like crazy, and it looks like he might be fighting it. He's reminding me of a walking zombie - yet papers and tests still abound. Poor guy.
And me. Well, I'm doing okay. I've come to grips with the fact that "motherhood" and "guilt" are synonymous terms, and I'm accepting that fact. People have been so sweet about checking in on us and sharing all of their "mother-guilt" stories with me. Makes me feel a little better. :0)
Now they are all a-bed, and I'm just going to sit and stare into space for awhile!
"His mercies are new every morning. Great is Thy faithfulness, Oh Lord." Amen to that....
Kaden also had a check-up because he's been coughing for about three months straight - mostly right before and after bedtime or after he's been rough-housing with Kev. The doctor determined that he has "cough induced asthma" and gave us a nebulizer with some steroids for him to inhale each night before bed. Joy.
Both boys woke up with runny noses and a case of the grumpies, and Kev is feeling like he got run over by a mac-truck (mack-truck??). Wunder-bar. The flu is flying around here like crazy, and it looks like he might be fighting it. He's reminding me of a walking zombie - yet papers and tests still abound. Poor guy.
And me. Well, I'm doing okay. I've come to grips with the fact that "motherhood" and "guilt" are synonymous terms, and I'm accepting that fact. People have been so sweet about checking in on us and sharing all of their "mother-guilt" stories with me. Makes me feel a little better. :0)
Now they are all a-bed, and I'm just going to sit and stare into space for awhile!
"His mercies are new every morning. Great is Thy faithfulness, Oh Lord." Amen to that....
Jesse Update
Well, the day is done and night begins. We'll see what's in store for us.
Jesse took two decent naps during the day and woke up relatively happy. We got quite a few smiles and giggles out of him this afternoon and evening. When it came time to change the bandages the cries began again, but at least there was no screaming. One hand looks pretty good; there are only blisters on two fingers and a pretty big blister on the top of his palm. The other hand looks horrible. It's really swollen and his entire hand is one huge blister. He's asleep now, but he wimpers every now and then, so we can tell that he's in pain.
In the grand scheme of things, we are just so thankful. It could have been so much worse. Still, it's awfully hard to see your little baby in pain and unable to understand what's going on. Poor little guy. So brave.
Jesse took two decent naps during the day and woke up relatively happy. We got quite a few smiles and giggles out of him this afternoon and evening. When it came time to change the bandages the cries began again, but at least there was no screaming. One hand looks pretty good; there are only blisters on two fingers and a pretty big blister on the top of his palm. The other hand looks horrible. It's really swollen and his entire hand is one huge blister. He's asleep now, but he wimpers every now and then, so we can tell that he's in pain.
In the grand scheme of things, we are just so thankful. It could have been so much worse. Still, it's awfully hard to see your little baby in pain and unable to understand what's going on. Poor little guy. So brave.
weekends.........
Oh, it's been a really sad weekend so far.......
I had to rush Jesse to the emergency room this morning for bad burns all over his little hands. I know that accidents happen all the time, but I am KICKING myself that this one happened because of me. I left my curling iron on in the bathroom this morning like I have done SO many times before. Kaden knows not to touch it, so I didn't give it a second thought. He went in to wash his hands and Jesse just scooted right in after him. What is so frustrating to me is that I knew Jesse was going into the bathroom, but I totally forgot about my blasted curling iron being in there and ON.
He grabbed right ahold of that thing with both hands and then couldn't let go of it. The poor little thing was just holding it and screaming over and over again while it burned him. Aagh. That image has been seared into my brain for life, I fear. Kev had class today so I called a friend who - bless her heart - jumped out of the shower and flew over with her hair soaking wet. Her husband took their car and ran over to the school to get Kev out of class, and she drove the boys and I to the hospital and sat with Kaden in the waiting room for two hours. Kaden is playing at her house now, and Jesse has finally fallen asleep.
Our poor little baby screamed unconsolably for two hours straight. We had to keep switching out cold, wet compresses and now both little hands are all gauzed up. Thankfully, he does not have any third degree burns - just pretty bad second degree ones - and it could have been so much worse. He could have bit down on the iron and burned his face really horribly. But this is bad enough. The doctors say that he'll be in pretty severe pain for the next couple of days, and they want us to keep an eye out for swelling and sluggish blood flow into his fingertips, so please pray for him.
Kaden was such a big boy and a huge help. He never lost his cool while Jesse was screaming and while I was crying. He said: "Mommy, you're welcome for me telling you about what Jesse was doing! I'll look out the window for when Miss Charlotte comes and I'll go let her in for you!" So sweet. And poor Kev.....a security guard came and got him out of class. When he had Kev in the hallway all he said was: "One of your sons is burned!" So, my poor husband is imagining the worst while he rushes over to us. Yeesh. After all was said and done Kev said: "These sort of things completely drain me! I'm always close to being sick anyway because I'm always so sleep deprived. But when these things happen, it's like my whole body just shuts right down!"
So the rest of this little week-end will probably be spent pretty close to home. Jesse won't be able to crawl, nor will he be able to suck his thumb or feed himself cheerios - his three most favorite activities. So, the rest of us will need to give him lots of snuggles and babying.
I had to rush Jesse to the emergency room this morning for bad burns all over his little hands. I know that accidents happen all the time, but I am KICKING myself that this one happened because of me. I left my curling iron on in the bathroom this morning like I have done SO many times before. Kaden knows not to touch it, so I didn't give it a second thought. He went in to wash his hands and Jesse just scooted right in after him. What is so frustrating to me is that I knew Jesse was going into the bathroom, but I totally forgot about my blasted curling iron being in there and ON.
He grabbed right ahold of that thing with both hands and then couldn't let go of it. The poor little thing was just holding it and screaming over and over again while it burned him. Aagh. That image has been seared into my brain for life, I fear. Kev had class today so I called a friend who - bless her heart - jumped out of the shower and flew over with her hair soaking wet. Her husband took their car and ran over to the school to get Kev out of class, and she drove the boys and I to the hospital and sat with Kaden in the waiting room for two hours. Kaden is playing at her house now, and Jesse has finally fallen asleep.
Our poor little baby screamed unconsolably for two hours straight. We had to keep switching out cold, wet compresses and now both little hands are all gauzed up. Thankfully, he does not have any third degree burns - just pretty bad second degree ones - and it could have been so much worse. He could have bit down on the iron and burned his face really horribly. But this is bad enough. The doctors say that he'll be in pretty severe pain for the next couple of days, and they want us to keep an eye out for swelling and sluggish blood flow into his fingertips, so please pray for him.
Kaden was such a big boy and a huge help. He never lost his cool while Jesse was screaming and while I was crying. He said: "Mommy, you're welcome for me telling you about what Jesse was doing! I'll look out the window for when Miss Charlotte comes and I'll go let her in for you!" So sweet. And poor Kev.....a security guard came and got him out of class. When he had Kev in the hallway all he said was: "One of your sons is burned!" So, my poor husband is imagining the worst while he rushes over to us. Yeesh. After all was said and done Kev said: "These sort of things completely drain me! I'm always close to being sick anyway because I'm always so sleep deprived. But when these things happen, it's like my whole body just shuts right down!"
So the rest of this little week-end will probably be spent pretty close to home. Jesse won't be able to crawl, nor will he be able to suck his thumb or feed himself cheerios - his three most favorite activities. So, the rest of us will need to give him lots of snuggles and babying.
Out of Context
It's funny how AMAZING ordinary things suddenly become when they are placed in a completely different context. ! All of the married renters just received an email from our landlord a couple of days ago which reminded us that our contracts stated "absolutely nothing" should be stored in either our front or back hallways. If things were not removed by Friday, than they would get thrown away with no questions asked. We also received an attachment with about fifteen photos of all of the things that they were talking about.
Some apartments had a few cleaning supplies outside their doors. Others had a laundry basket or two. Just about all of us had shoes and small things like that. Then came the pictures from the Booker residence. To our amusement (kind of), about 85% of the pictures taken of "illegal stuff" belonged to us! We not only had a basket of shoes in front of our door; we also had not one but two strollers in the bottom front stairwell, a blown up air mattress and a trunk in our back stairwell, and a clothes rack filled with drying clothes in the bottom back stairwell! Over time, stuff has just started to trickle out - EVERYWHERE! Everyone else in our building is either single or just newly married, and then there's us - toting two chitlins and almost nine years of crapola into a two bedroom apartment!
So, anyway....back to my first paragraph. Because we were told that inspection would take place this morning, and because it's pouring to beat the band outside, I brought our double stroller into our living room until inspection is over - and until it stops raining. And then, I guess I'll store it outside - maybe with a bike lock on it. Kev doesn't want it stored outside for fear it'll get stolen, but I will go crazy if this has to be a centerpiece in our living room. Lord, have mercy! Some creative storage options may have to take place here. ANYWAY.....both Kaden and Jesse have played with that silly thing ALL MORNING LONG. We're talking HOURS here! I've done five loads of laundry, made bread, swept my kitchen, sewed a little project, and I'm now blogging! I keep checking in and making sure Jesse is happy and asking Kaden if he's having fun because I'm feeling a little guilty. But he assures me that he's having a blast wheeling either Jesse, himself, or all of his stuffed animals in endless circles! "We're going on trips!"
And here I thought it was going to be a cagey, stuck-inside-grumpy-feeling day for my boys! Amazing!
Some apartments had a few cleaning supplies outside their doors. Others had a laundry basket or two. Just about all of us had shoes and small things like that. Then came the pictures from the Booker residence. To our amusement (kind of), about 85% of the pictures taken of "illegal stuff" belonged to us! We not only had a basket of shoes in front of our door; we also had not one but two strollers in the bottom front stairwell, a blown up air mattress and a trunk in our back stairwell, and a clothes rack filled with drying clothes in the bottom back stairwell! Over time, stuff has just started to trickle out - EVERYWHERE! Everyone else in our building is either single or just newly married, and then there's us - toting two chitlins and almost nine years of crapola into a two bedroom apartment!
So, anyway....back to my first paragraph. Because we were told that inspection would take place this morning, and because it's pouring to beat the band outside, I brought our double stroller into our living room until inspection is over - and until it stops raining. And then, I guess I'll store it outside - maybe with a bike lock on it. Kev doesn't want it stored outside for fear it'll get stolen, but I will go crazy if this has to be a centerpiece in our living room. Lord, have mercy! Some creative storage options may have to take place here. ANYWAY.....both Kaden and Jesse have played with that silly thing ALL MORNING LONG. We're talking HOURS here! I've done five loads of laundry, made bread, swept my kitchen, sewed a little project, and I'm now blogging! I keep checking in and making sure Jesse is happy and asking Kaden if he's having fun because I'm feeling a little guilty. But he assures me that he's having a blast wheeling either Jesse, himself, or all of his stuffed animals in endless circles! "We're going on trips!"
And here I thought it was going to be a cagey, stuck-inside-grumpy-feeling day for my boys! Amazing!
True Confessions
I'm a little sheepish to admit this, but here goes.....I never really used to be a huge fan of little kids. It's true. If you were to place in front of me a baby kitten or puppy and a little baby, I would beg to give one of the little pets a snuggle without giving a second glance to the baby. I have always made newborns cry and I found them - along with toddlers - to be quite gross!
This is one reason why we waited so long to have children. Both of our jobs involved junior high and teenagers - which is the age I always loved most - so when we came home, we liked it QUIET.....and NEAT! I actually sometimes wondered if I was really even cut out to have children. I wasn't sure if I was the maternal type or not. Even during my first pregnancy, I sometimes felt as though a little alien had invaded my body! There were days that I wondered: "What have I done?" We were told that we would probably have fertility issues so we should give ourselves a couple of years. We'd already been married over four years at the time, so we thought - hey, probably in a year or two we'll be ready, so we might as well throw caution to the wind! Well, let me tell ya - we are not infertile!
I remember when Kaden was first born, my mother-in-law was giving him snuggles in the hospital and he started to cry. She immediately said, "Oh, he needs his mother," and promptly handed him over. I can vividly remember a brief moment of panic thinking: "Okay. Here goes. Now the whole world will see that I am truly a fraud, because they're all going to see that I'm just going to make him cry harder!" And then an amazing thing happened. As soon as he was in my arms, he immediately stopped. He knew that I was his mommy. He knew me. From that moment on I knew that I was going to be okay, and I FELL in love. :0)
And in recent years, an even more amazing phenomenon has taken place. I started craving another baby....like REALLY craving one! And even after the birth of our wild child who had major freak out sessions his entire first five months of life, I think that I really want ANOTHER one! Secretly, deep down, I kind of want a really big family! We'll take one baby at a time, mind you, and Kev is kind of feeling like our quiver might possibly be full....but we'll see!
AAAAAAAND to top things off......I'm really LOVING babysitting my friends' kids! Miracle of miracles! I joke that I am a glorified nanny for all of my friend's who have their master's degrees, but I am really falling in love with their children. I am constantly being reminded of the truths in Scripture where Jesus talks about the little children - about what a blessing they are, and about how much HE loves them! I am seeing them through His eyes. I am wanting to savor them, to build into them, and to seek to use these times to bless them and love on them as opposed to merely just seeing these hours as a chance to make a few extra bucks. Good stuff!
This is one reason why we waited so long to have children. Both of our jobs involved junior high and teenagers - which is the age I always loved most - so when we came home, we liked it QUIET.....and NEAT! I actually sometimes wondered if I was really even cut out to have children. I wasn't sure if I was the maternal type or not. Even during my first pregnancy, I sometimes felt as though a little alien had invaded my body! There were days that I wondered: "What have I done?" We were told that we would probably have fertility issues so we should give ourselves a couple of years. We'd already been married over four years at the time, so we thought - hey, probably in a year or two we'll be ready, so we might as well throw caution to the wind! Well, let me tell ya - we are not infertile!
I remember when Kaden was first born, my mother-in-law was giving him snuggles in the hospital and he started to cry. She immediately said, "Oh, he needs his mother," and promptly handed him over. I can vividly remember a brief moment of panic thinking: "Okay. Here goes. Now the whole world will see that I am truly a fraud, because they're all going to see that I'm just going to make him cry harder!" And then an amazing thing happened. As soon as he was in my arms, he immediately stopped. He knew that I was his mommy. He knew me. From that moment on I knew that I was going to be okay, and I FELL in love. :0)
And in recent years, an even more amazing phenomenon has taken place. I started craving another baby....like REALLY craving one! And even after the birth of our wild child who had major freak out sessions his entire first five months of life, I think that I really want ANOTHER one! Secretly, deep down, I kind of want a really big family! We'll take one baby at a time, mind you, and Kev is kind of feeling like our quiver might possibly be full....but we'll see!
AAAAAAAND to top things off......I'm really LOVING babysitting my friends' kids! Miracle of miracles! I joke that I am a glorified nanny for all of my friend's who have their master's degrees, but I am really falling in love with their children. I am constantly being reminded of the truths in Scripture where Jesus talks about the little children - about what a blessing they are, and about how much HE loves them! I am seeing them through His eyes. I am wanting to savor them, to build into them, and to seek to use these times to bless them and love on them as opposed to merely just seeing these hours as a chance to make a few extra bucks. Good stuff!
Simple Truths....
My new favorite verse during this stage of life:
Proverbs 3:3 - "Let love and faithfulness never leave you; bind them around your neck, write them on the tablet of your heart."
An easy verse to memorize. I read it twice and it was done. But, man - it continues to penetrate my heart. Love and faithfulness. Doesn't that sum up motherhood pretty well? And truthfully - doesn't that sum up how we should live every aspect of our lives? This has become my consistent prayer for how I want to approach ALL of what I do.
I am with my boys ALL day - every day. I want them to see a mommy who loves them fiercely, who has a ready hug or snuggle, and who is not too busy to get down at their level and just BE - with them. I want them to NEVER doubt my love for them. And I want to be faithful in EVERY aspect of my parenting - in their training, their correction, their character building - all of it. When they look back at their years of living under our roof I don't want them to ever question Kev's and my love for Christ first and foremost, then our love and devotion to each other, and finally our love and faithfulness to them as their parents.
We will make our share of mistakes. God knows we've made them already. But, He also knows how badly we want to be a success - not in the world's eyes, but in His eyes alone - at this thing called "living." By the world's standards, "success" can be a pretty warped thing. But, Jesus measures success by an entirely different standard. He calls me to love and faithfulness. HE says that "in as much as I have done it unto the LEAST of these - I have done it unto Him." Kaden and Jesse are "the least" of these. Jesus calls me to love and reverance my husband. He calls me to faithfulness in whatever season of life we find ourselves in. If I live well as a wife and as a mother, than I am successful in the eyes of my Savior.
So, to Jesus - easing Kev's stress during this craziness of grad school is a good thing. Playing with Kaden and Jesse and filling their little love tanks is being faithful. Making my home a haven, never ceasing to get to know Kev - to truly know - him, always showing him the respect he deserves, being selfless, and loving him deeply - no matter what.....that is SUCCESS! Being faithful in all aspects of motherhood - even the mundane and the repetitious....even when it goes unnoticed and un-thanked......that is SUCCESS!
I don't want love or faithfulness to EVER leave me. And I want to constantly strive to love more deeply and to be even more devoted, committed, and faithful to my family and to my Savior. I want to be filled to overflowing with steadfast love and abiding faithfulness and committment to all things that please Christ. No matter what.
Proverbs 3:3 - "Let love and faithfulness never leave you; bind them around your neck, write them on the tablet of your heart."
An easy verse to memorize. I read it twice and it was done. But, man - it continues to penetrate my heart. Love and faithfulness. Doesn't that sum up motherhood pretty well? And truthfully - doesn't that sum up how we should live every aspect of our lives? This has become my consistent prayer for how I want to approach ALL of what I do.
I am with my boys ALL day - every day. I want them to see a mommy who loves them fiercely, who has a ready hug or snuggle, and who is not too busy to get down at their level and just BE - with them. I want them to NEVER doubt my love for them. And I want to be faithful in EVERY aspect of my parenting - in their training, their correction, their character building - all of it. When they look back at their years of living under our roof I don't want them to ever question Kev's and my love for Christ first and foremost, then our love and devotion to each other, and finally our love and faithfulness to them as their parents.
We will make our share of mistakes. God knows we've made them already. But, He also knows how badly we want to be a success - not in the world's eyes, but in His eyes alone - at this thing called "living." By the world's standards, "success" can be a pretty warped thing. But, Jesus measures success by an entirely different standard. He calls me to love and faithfulness. HE says that "in as much as I have done it unto the LEAST of these - I have done it unto Him." Kaden and Jesse are "the least" of these. Jesus calls me to love and reverance my husband. He calls me to faithfulness in whatever season of life we find ourselves in. If I live well as a wife and as a mother, than I am successful in the eyes of my Savior.
So, to Jesus - easing Kev's stress during this craziness of grad school is a good thing. Playing with Kaden and Jesse and filling their little love tanks is being faithful. Making my home a haven, never ceasing to get to know Kev - to truly know - him, always showing him the respect he deserves, being selfless, and loving him deeply - no matter what.....that is SUCCESS! Being faithful in all aspects of motherhood - even the mundane and the repetitious....even when it goes unnoticed and un-thanked......that is SUCCESS!
I don't want love or faithfulness to EVER leave me. And I want to constantly strive to love more deeply and to be even more devoted, committed, and faithful to my family and to my Savior. I want to be filled to overflowing with steadfast love and abiding faithfulness and committment to all things that please Christ. No matter what.
What's in a Name?
I'm thinking that our Jesse "Bear" would be better suited with a different name as of late. We originally coined the nickname in his early days when he was such a wreck all day every day. Although he still has an AMAZING temper AND a very strong will (whew!), he's really pretty happy most days now. He's still a tank, so the name fits in that way - AND it's cute....
However, I feel like we have a little naughty puppy on our hands these days! Seriously - this child is into everything he shouldn't be, plus he's totally slobbery - just like a little puppy! When he's rolling all over the floor, the first thing he goes for is our shoes. He muckles right on to them and starts gnawing to beat the band! And if there are no shoes to be had, he simply scoots over to the nearest cord and tries to electricute himself! And he is so WIGGLY! When we go to snuggle him, we have to use all the strength that is in us to keep him from shooting right out of our arms. Plus, whatever body part is accessible, he wants to sink his teeth into like a favorite chew toy! He's wild!
Still....I think "Jesse Bear" sounds nicer and cuter than "Jesse Dog"....... but that's what I'll be thinking whenever I look at him!
However, I feel like we have a little naughty puppy on our hands these days! Seriously - this child is into everything he shouldn't be, plus he's totally slobbery - just like a little puppy! When he's rolling all over the floor, the first thing he goes for is our shoes. He muckles right on to them and starts gnawing to beat the band! And if there are no shoes to be had, he simply scoots over to the nearest cord and tries to electricute himself! And he is so WIGGLY! When we go to snuggle him, we have to use all the strength that is in us to keep him from shooting right out of our arms. Plus, whatever body part is accessible, he wants to sink his teeth into like a favorite chew toy! He's wild!
Still....I think "Jesse Bear" sounds nicer and cuter than "Jesse Dog"....... but that's what I'll be thinking whenever I look at him!
Weekends!
Hard to believe another whole week has gone by since my last "weekends" post. It is seriously crazy how fast time flies! Every Saturday but one during the month of February, Kev will have an all day Saturday class, so this week-end we decided to do a family day trip knowing that we won't be able to get away for awhile.
Well, first of all, on Friday night Kev and I went on a date while some very sweet friends offered to watch our boys. (See previous post). :0) We went to one of our favorite restaurants - Macaroni Grill, and then to a movie. We were trying to decide if we wanted to just get a coffee and walk around one of the nearby parks after supper, but it was so cold, that we wimped out and went to the theater instead! It was really nice to have some quality, uninterrupted time together - just the two of us.
On Saturday, as soon as we all woke up, we threw the boys in the car and drove one and a half hours away to one of my favorite places - Lancaster, PA! I LOVE it out there. It totally and completely soothes me. We went to a place called Shady Maple where they are known for their amazingly massive all you can eat smorgasboards! This is where we ate breakfast, and let me tell you - was it ever delish! After waddling out of there, we just kind of poked around the little shops and different areas out there checking out the farms and watching the horse drawn buggies. And then we came home in time for the kids' afternoon naps.
We had a really relaxing afternoon, made supper together, and just played with the boys until bedtime. Sundays are always pretty tiring as we leave at 7:30 and don't get home until after 2:00, so yesterday afternoon and evening we just vegged and played. After church today, the boys took decent naps. Kev did a little homework, I did a little organizing and rearranging, we drank a little coffee, played a little k'nex and train, and now the boys are p.j'd up and ready to hit the hay all over again! It's been a good week-end. We're refueled, refreshed, and ready for another week!
Well, first of all, on Friday night Kev and I went on a date while some very sweet friends offered to watch our boys. (See previous post). :0) We went to one of our favorite restaurants - Macaroni Grill, and then to a movie. We were trying to decide if we wanted to just get a coffee and walk around one of the nearby parks after supper, but it was so cold, that we wimped out and went to the theater instead! It was really nice to have some quality, uninterrupted time together - just the two of us.
On Saturday, as soon as we all woke up, we threw the boys in the car and drove one and a half hours away to one of my favorite places - Lancaster, PA! I LOVE it out there. It totally and completely soothes me. We went to a place called Shady Maple where they are known for their amazingly massive all you can eat smorgasboards! This is where we ate breakfast, and let me tell you - was it ever delish! After waddling out of there, we just kind of poked around the little shops and different areas out there checking out the farms and watching the horse drawn buggies. And then we came home in time for the kids' afternoon naps.
We had a really relaxing afternoon, made supper together, and just played with the boys until bedtime. Sundays are always pretty tiring as we leave at 7:30 and don't get home until after 2:00, so yesterday afternoon and evening we just vegged and played. After church today, the boys took decent naps. Kev did a little homework, I did a little organizing and rearranging, we drank a little coffee, played a little k'nex and train, and now the boys are p.j'd up and ready to hit the hay all over again! It's been a good week-end. We're refueled, refreshed, and ready for another week!
Being Intentional
This past summer, a dear friend and I were going for a walk with our wee ones, and she told me that she and her husband had not been on a date alone since her daughter had been born several months earlier. Looking back, I clearly remember giving her my "you-need-to-not-neglect-your-relationship-and-you-need-to-make-sure-that-you-keep-investing-in-your-marriage" lecture as we strolled around the block.
Well, dear friend, to my sheepish chagrin - I was looking back over the almost eight months since Jesse's been born and realized that Kev and I have not been on a date alone since his arrival either! Wow - it's amazing how quickly time can slip away. I couldn't believe that it had been eight months since we had done something alone - just the two of us. We've done a ton of fun things together as a family since Jesse's been born - day trips many Saturdays, lots of trips to parks, meals out, and even a few overnights at various hotels. But, it's always been with the boys - never alone.
I feel like we've done a pretty good job at staying connected with each other - always checking in to make sure we're both doing well, having fun family days, making sure that we don't get too busy in the craziness of grad school, having good conversation over meals or after the boys are in bed - but STILL. I am a huge proponent of people investing time into their marriages - quality, uninterrupted, intentional time. You will hear me harp on this until the day I die. We have seen too many marriages merely surviving and existing. We have heard too many couples say that the craziness they are in is "just a season" and as soon as the season is over they will get back on track and back to nurturing each other. I can not tell you how many marriages that I know of - right now - that are on the edge of something tragic happening. Just this past week we got news of some dear friends of ours who have three little kids where the wife - my friend - walked away and said she was through.
This sort of thing does not just happen overnight. The Bible says to "beware of the little foxes....." We need to beware of the little things in our relationships that can so easily become big things. No one is immune. It is SO sad and it is SO scary that we can not afford to NOT be spending quality, intentional time investing in our relationships. And this time that we spend together doesn't have to be any big "to-do." It just has to be simply that - TIME! It is SO easy to make everything else in life have priority over our marriage. Life pulls us in so many directions that sometimes we barely have time to even breathe! But the key thing is to be constantly checking in with each other to make sure we're still on the same track and to carve out segments of time for each other - whether it's talking instead of watching t.v. after the kids go to bed, or asking someone to watch the kids while we go out for a cup of coffee - or even for a walk if we're broke!
Anyway, after the shocker news flash that we got from our friends, Kev and I looked at each other, called some friends with the promise to return the favor, and hit the road just the two of us for a couple of hours. It was a sobering reminder to us that even though we're busy, poor, and whatever other excuses that we can so easily come up with, the effort and the investment is oh so necessary, and we need to make sure that we stay strong no matter WHAT season of life we are in.
Stress is inevitable, busyness will never go away, kids will always have needs, money will always be tight, housework will never get done, tests will always need to be studied for, and to top it all off - we'll probably even return home more exhausted than when we left because of all the planning that went into just getting out the door and because of all of the things that we left unfinished by going......but the investment is worth it and it's necessary.
Okay. My rant is over.
Well, dear friend, to my sheepish chagrin - I was looking back over the almost eight months since Jesse's been born and realized that Kev and I have not been on a date alone since his arrival either! Wow - it's amazing how quickly time can slip away. I couldn't believe that it had been eight months since we had done something alone - just the two of us. We've done a ton of fun things together as a family since Jesse's been born - day trips many Saturdays, lots of trips to parks, meals out, and even a few overnights at various hotels. But, it's always been with the boys - never alone.
I feel like we've done a pretty good job at staying connected with each other - always checking in to make sure we're both doing well, having fun family days, making sure that we don't get too busy in the craziness of grad school, having good conversation over meals or after the boys are in bed - but STILL. I am a huge proponent of people investing time into their marriages - quality, uninterrupted, intentional time. You will hear me harp on this until the day I die. We have seen too many marriages merely surviving and existing. We have heard too many couples say that the craziness they are in is "just a season" and as soon as the season is over they will get back on track and back to nurturing each other. I can not tell you how many marriages that I know of - right now - that are on the edge of something tragic happening. Just this past week we got news of some dear friends of ours who have three little kids where the wife - my friend - walked away and said she was through.
This sort of thing does not just happen overnight. The Bible says to "beware of the little foxes....." We need to beware of the little things in our relationships that can so easily become big things. No one is immune. It is SO sad and it is SO scary that we can not afford to NOT be spending quality, intentional time investing in our relationships. And this time that we spend together doesn't have to be any big "to-do." It just has to be simply that - TIME! It is SO easy to make everything else in life have priority over our marriage. Life pulls us in so many directions that sometimes we barely have time to even breathe! But the key thing is to be constantly checking in with each other to make sure we're still on the same track and to carve out segments of time for each other - whether it's talking instead of watching t.v. after the kids go to bed, or asking someone to watch the kids while we go out for a cup of coffee - or even for a walk if we're broke!
Anyway, after the shocker news flash that we got from our friends, Kev and I looked at each other, called some friends with the promise to return the favor, and hit the road just the two of us for a couple of hours. It was a sobering reminder to us that even though we're busy, poor, and whatever other excuses that we can so easily come up with, the effort and the investment is oh so necessary, and we need to make sure that we stay strong no matter WHAT season of life we are in.
Stress is inevitable, busyness will never go away, kids will always have needs, money will always be tight, housework will never get done, tests will always need to be studied for, and to top it all off - we'll probably even return home more exhausted than when we left because of all the planning that went into just getting out the door and because of all of the things that we left unfinished by going......but the investment is worth it and it's necessary.
Okay. My rant is over.
Friends and Phone Calls
As a rule, I really don't love talking on the phone. I know that some of you are in shock as a result of reading this comment because: (a). I talk a lot, and (b). when I leave messages on your phones it usually takes me several minutes and at least a couple of messages to get my whole thought out. But it's true. On the whole, I'd much rather visit face to face or sit down and write a really long email during a time that it is QUIET around here where I don't have to compete with two jabber walkies.
However, with most of my loved ones, this is just not possible as they live states away from me! And there are a handful of friends where literal years will pass by before we ever lay eyes on each other. Children are born, several moves take place, and all sorts of chapters in our lives are lived out before we are able to reconnect in person.
I'm thinking specifically of two childhood friends who other than attending summer camp with them through our school years and then living together for three short years in Bible school ten years ago, I can count on one hand how many times I've seen them since.
So, when a dear friend "facebooked" me yesterday asking me what time was good for a phone call, let me tell you - all of a sudden my day was completely reorganized around our little phone date that was going to take place later in the day! Baths no longer mattered for the boys, the laundry stayed dirty, supper plans? What supper plans? and suddenly the floor looked clean enough to wait another day to be vac'd! Coffee was made, and we settled in.
I LOVE those random gifts of time that are the next best thing to a face to face chat. Life is so crazy, but really - all that needs to be done is for me to pick up the phone, dial a few digits, and walk back into that loved one's life. I am really not very good at doing this. What I LOVE about these friendships though, is that years can literally go by, yet when we FINALLY reconnect, it's like time just fades away. We simply pick up right where we last left off. Advice is offered and given. Stories are told. Dreams are shared. Struggles are made vulnerable. And we get to know each other all over again. I love that.
And it makes me wonder why we waited so long to catch up with each other.
However, with most of my loved ones, this is just not possible as they live states away from me! And there are a handful of friends where literal years will pass by before we ever lay eyes on each other. Children are born, several moves take place, and all sorts of chapters in our lives are lived out before we are able to reconnect in person.
I'm thinking specifically of two childhood friends who other than attending summer camp with them through our school years and then living together for three short years in Bible school ten years ago, I can count on one hand how many times I've seen them since.
So, when a dear friend "facebooked" me yesterday asking me what time was good for a phone call, let me tell you - all of a sudden my day was completely reorganized around our little phone date that was going to take place later in the day! Baths no longer mattered for the boys, the laundry stayed dirty, supper plans? What supper plans? and suddenly the floor looked clean enough to wait another day to be vac'd! Coffee was made, and we settled in.
I LOVE those random gifts of time that are the next best thing to a face to face chat. Life is so crazy, but really - all that needs to be done is for me to pick up the phone, dial a few digits, and walk back into that loved one's life. I am really not very good at doing this. What I LOVE about these friendships though, is that years can literally go by, yet when we FINALLY reconnect, it's like time just fades away. We simply pick up right where we last left off. Advice is offered and given. Stories are told. Dreams are shared. Struggles are made vulnerable. And we get to know each other all over again. I love that.
And it makes me wonder why we waited so long to catch up with each other.
Random Things
Things I feel grumpy about today:
1. It's freezing outside, and I'm desperate for a walk. We are ALL stir crazy.
2. After MANY nights of staying dry, Kaden peed an ocean in his bed last night.
3. After finally getting our rhythm back from being in Maine, Jesse decided to cry for 1 1/2 hours last night.
4. Jesse is becoming very chatty, which is adorable on the one hand, but it is giving me a major headache on the other. He is SO loud and it's NON-STOP!
5. Kaden decided he didn't feel like napping today.
6. How in the world do I have three loads of laundry to do today, when I was completely caught up yesterday? Oh right.....Kaden's ocean. It's only 3 loads, but still.......
7. I need to exercise. I'm feeling spungy.
8. Sleep. Blessed rest. Where have you gone, my friend?
Things that I feel happy about today:
1. Jesse is officially crawling and is so proud of himself. It's adorable.
2. Kaden is such a big help to me while I babysit my friend's kids. He is very thoughtful.
3. Jesse's adoration for Kaden is precious, and Kaden's love in return is so nice to see.
4. Jesse "painted" for the first time! I put him in his johnny jump up, put a piece of paper on the ground underneath him, painted his toes, and let him go to town! Voila! A masterpiece!
5. My sweet, perceptive husband. He saw my exhaustion this morning and promptly: rubbed my back, made the beds, made us all breakfast, and offered to take us out to supper!
6. I talked with my little brother - home from his honeymoon. And he is SO happy. It's quite adorable. He's a puddle.
7. My dear friend Rachey is planning on flying out to see me! I wicked miss her.
8. My apartment. I love it - I really do. That seems so funny to me, but I'm content here.
9. My boys and their antics. It's crazy, loud, and messy, but I love it.
10. Coffee. I learned to make it myself. And I do. Multiple times a day.
11. My time with the Lord. I'm learning to give him the firstfruits of my alone time, and He's blessing it. He is faithful and He is gracious.
12. My life in general. It's good, it's simple, and I love it.
Yup. More to be happy about than grumpy.
I still would pay a lot of money for a really long nap........
1. It's freezing outside, and I'm desperate for a walk. We are ALL stir crazy.
2. After MANY nights of staying dry, Kaden peed an ocean in his bed last night.
3. After finally getting our rhythm back from being in Maine, Jesse decided to cry for 1 1/2 hours last night.
4. Jesse is becoming very chatty, which is adorable on the one hand, but it is giving me a major headache on the other. He is SO loud and it's NON-STOP!
5. Kaden decided he didn't feel like napping today.
6. How in the world do I have three loads of laundry to do today, when I was completely caught up yesterday? Oh right.....Kaden's ocean. It's only 3 loads, but still.......
7. I need to exercise. I'm feeling spungy.
8. Sleep. Blessed rest. Where have you gone, my friend?
Things that I feel happy about today:
1. Jesse is officially crawling and is so proud of himself. It's adorable.
2. Kaden is such a big help to me while I babysit my friend's kids. He is very thoughtful.
3. Jesse's adoration for Kaden is precious, and Kaden's love in return is so nice to see.
4. Jesse "painted" for the first time! I put him in his johnny jump up, put a piece of paper on the ground underneath him, painted his toes, and let him go to town! Voila! A masterpiece!
5. My sweet, perceptive husband. He saw my exhaustion this morning and promptly: rubbed my back, made the beds, made us all breakfast, and offered to take us out to supper!
6. I talked with my little brother - home from his honeymoon. And he is SO happy. It's quite adorable. He's a puddle.
7. My dear friend Rachey is planning on flying out to see me! I wicked miss her.
8. My apartment. I love it - I really do. That seems so funny to me, but I'm content here.
9. My boys and their antics. It's crazy, loud, and messy, but I love it.
10. Coffee. I learned to make it myself. And I do. Multiple times a day.
11. My time with the Lord. I'm learning to give him the firstfruits of my alone time, and He's blessing it. He is faithful and He is gracious.
12. My life in general. It's good, it's simple, and I love it.
Yup. More to be happy about than grumpy.
I still would pay a lot of money for a really long nap........
Weekends!
Our little family LOVES the weekend. We LIVE for it! Ever since Kev and I were first married, we have always had a "holy day." A day that is all our own with no real agenda except to spend quality time together as a family. Throughout the years, this day continues to look a little different, but we still try to keep it sacred nonetheless.
With the arrival of Jesse, we really try to have NO expectations, but the older he gets the more we are finding we are able to do. It really doesn't take much to make any of us happy. We love to go for adventures, we love to be outside, we love a good cup of coffee, a nice park, or even a store now and then can be fun.
This weekend was a bit chilly, so we didn't do much outside. But all in all, we just had a really nice, relaxing couple of days that were slow and lazy. Jesse is big enough to sit in highchairs at restaurants now and carts at stores, so he enjoys these trips much more than he ever used to. He's actually become quite the happy little camper most of the time!
He received quite a few "compliments" this week-end in our travels. Here are a few: "Wow! You can tell he's a Maine baby - he's as heavy as a moose!" Or, how about: "What a chubby baby! He could stand to go without a couple of meals!" Hmmmm. Oh, and then there was: "His arms remind me of little sausages!" That's our boy!
Anyway, here is a rundown of this particular weekend which may seem boring to some but was very nice for us. We went out to a fun supper on Friday night. The boys were great and Kev and I even got some good conversation in. On Saturday, we just hung around home in the morning and had a leisurely family breakfast and let Jesse have his first nap in his crib before hitting the road. Kaden and I did a little craft together while Jesse slept, which I must confess was an absolute bomb, but we had some quality time which he loves nonetheless.
When Jesse woke up, we ran a few errands and then came home to let the boys get their afternoon naps. Kev and I just puttered - something I love to do - while they slept. I also ran down the road and checked out my favorite little antiquey store. And then we went to a basketball game over at the school when the boys woke up. Jesse was mesmerized by all of the chaos! While Kaden quietly sucked his thumb and took it all in, Jesse's little bald head never stopped moving while he grunted and yelled at all of the action taking place!
Today we had a good day at church - even though there was no heat and we froze half to death. This afternoon was lazy and relaxing. Kev has been making some homemade beef jerky in his new smoker, I cleaned and reorganized things a little, and the boys have just had fun playing with toys and destroying all that I've cleaned! Good times!
Fun, food, fellowship, and also a few things checked off my to-do list! A great weekend!
P.S. Quick Jesse update - He is THIS close to crawling! Life as I know it is soon to change FOREVER.........Oh my!
With the arrival of Jesse, we really try to have NO expectations, but the older he gets the more we are finding we are able to do. It really doesn't take much to make any of us happy. We love to go for adventures, we love to be outside, we love a good cup of coffee, a nice park, or even a store now and then can be fun.
This weekend was a bit chilly, so we didn't do much outside. But all in all, we just had a really nice, relaxing couple of days that were slow and lazy. Jesse is big enough to sit in highchairs at restaurants now and carts at stores, so he enjoys these trips much more than he ever used to. He's actually become quite the happy little camper most of the time!
He received quite a few "compliments" this week-end in our travels. Here are a few: "Wow! You can tell he's a Maine baby - he's as heavy as a moose!" Or, how about: "What a chubby baby! He could stand to go without a couple of meals!" Hmmmm. Oh, and then there was: "His arms remind me of little sausages!" That's our boy!
Anyway, here is a rundown of this particular weekend which may seem boring to some but was very nice for us. We went out to a fun supper on Friday night. The boys were great and Kev and I even got some good conversation in. On Saturday, we just hung around home in the morning and had a leisurely family breakfast and let Jesse have his first nap in his crib before hitting the road. Kaden and I did a little craft together while Jesse slept, which I must confess was an absolute bomb, but we had some quality time which he loves nonetheless.
When Jesse woke up, we ran a few errands and then came home to let the boys get their afternoon naps. Kev and I just puttered - something I love to do - while they slept. I also ran down the road and checked out my favorite little antiquey store. And then we went to a basketball game over at the school when the boys woke up. Jesse was mesmerized by all of the chaos! While Kaden quietly sucked his thumb and took it all in, Jesse's little bald head never stopped moving while he grunted and yelled at all of the action taking place!
Today we had a good day at church - even though there was no heat and we froze half to death. This afternoon was lazy and relaxing. Kev has been making some homemade beef jerky in his new smoker, I cleaned and reorganized things a little, and the boys have just had fun playing with toys and destroying all that I've cleaned! Good times!
Fun, food, fellowship, and also a few things checked off my to-do list! A great weekend!
P.S. Quick Jesse update - He is THIS close to crawling! Life as I know it is soon to change FOREVER.........Oh my!
Learning to Slow Down
Again....
A lesson that I will always need to relearn I am sure. Jesse has hit another stage of life that is making me slow my days down a little bit more, and for this I am thankful. It's the simplest thing really - eating food in addition to nursing, but three times a day I now have to sit down with him and spoon feed each and every bite of food into his mouth. So, for about three twenty minute segments of each day - I sit. And it's nice. Sure, there are times when I feed him while washing dishes or while trying to accomplish something else. I'll wash a dish, insert a bite, wash another dish, insert another bite, - you get the picture. But, I'm really trying to have that be the exception rather than the norm. I can live my days at such breakneck speed, that I forget to savor, you know? And by savor, I mean to REALLY enjoy whatever I'm doing.
I am absolutely shocked that Jesse is almost one! Yes, he has another four and a half months to go, but where in the world did those last seven and a half months just go? Seriously! I need to live for the moment because time is flying at a pace well out of my control - and savoring each and every moment as much as I can is the ONLY thing that will slow the hands of the clock! I need to enjoy the here and now and not wish for that "next stage." I feel like I do a fairly good job at that, but whenever I have "one of those days" it's so easy to lose focus and wish away time by launching into countdowns. "When I get time to myself again," Or "When I get a full night's sleep again." Or how about, "When I can finally get rid of these flipping huge exersaucers, swings, and bouncy seats that come with babies and take up so much room!"
Well, you know what? I'll get these things before I know it and there will come a day when I will LONG for my boys to wake me up and crawl into bed with me in the morning or to have them interrupt my "super important" thing that I'm doing to show me their latest lego creation. I need to live for THIS moment, because when it's gone, it's gone. There's no turning back the clock.
A scattered post, I know. My whole point is this: Jesse is helping me to savor these moments. I'm glad he can't feed himself yet and that he needs me to spoon feed him! I sit and really look at him. And try to make him laugh. And I don't get crabby when he spits his carrots all over me because he's belly laughing at Kaden's antics. And I don't mind that I am continuously grinding cheerios into my kitchen floor. And I tell Kaden to go get a book that we can all read together during these twenty minutes. I'm trying not to think about how I could multi-task every moment, and instead I'm trying to live for THIS moment and to savor it deeply.
A lesson that I will always need to relearn I am sure. Jesse has hit another stage of life that is making me slow my days down a little bit more, and for this I am thankful. It's the simplest thing really - eating food in addition to nursing, but three times a day I now have to sit down with him and spoon feed each and every bite of food into his mouth. So, for about three twenty minute segments of each day - I sit. And it's nice. Sure, there are times when I feed him while washing dishes or while trying to accomplish something else. I'll wash a dish, insert a bite, wash another dish, insert another bite, - you get the picture. But, I'm really trying to have that be the exception rather than the norm. I can live my days at such breakneck speed, that I forget to savor, you know? And by savor, I mean to REALLY enjoy whatever I'm doing.
I am absolutely shocked that Jesse is almost one! Yes, he has another four and a half months to go, but where in the world did those last seven and a half months just go? Seriously! I need to live for the moment because time is flying at a pace well out of my control - and savoring each and every moment as much as I can is the ONLY thing that will slow the hands of the clock! I need to enjoy the here and now and not wish for that "next stage." I feel like I do a fairly good job at that, but whenever I have "one of those days" it's so easy to lose focus and wish away time by launching into countdowns. "When I get time to myself again," Or "When I get a full night's sleep again." Or how about, "When I can finally get rid of these flipping huge exersaucers, swings, and bouncy seats that come with babies and take up so much room!"
Well, you know what? I'll get these things before I know it and there will come a day when I will LONG for my boys to wake me up and crawl into bed with me in the morning or to have them interrupt my "super important" thing that I'm doing to show me their latest lego creation. I need to live for THIS moment, because when it's gone, it's gone. There's no turning back the clock.
A scattered post, I know. My whole point is this: Jesse is helping me to savor these moments. I'm glad he can't feed himself yet and that he needs me to spoon feed him! I sit and really look at him. And try to make him laugh. And I don't get crabby when he spits his carrots all over me because he's belly laughing at Kaden's antics. And I don't mind that I am continuously grinding cheerios into my kitchen floor. And I tell Kaden to go get a book that we can all read together during these twenty minutes. I'm trying not to think about how I could multi-task every moment, and instead I'm trying to live for THIS moment and to savor it deeply.
Super Nanny
I am not.....
But Nanny I've become. :0) Over Christmas break Kev and I were talking about the need for our family to acquire a few more funds to make it to the end of our time here. For Jesse's first months of life I could barely make it to my house that I clean twice a month because he was such a wreck. He was perpetually glued to my hip and screaming at that! But, now that he's an entirely different baby, I've been feeling like I could do a little something else to help.
So, now two mornings a week I'll be watching a friend's two little children - a little boy who is 20 months and a ten week old little girl. And then one afternoon a week I'll be watching another friend's little boy for an afternoon! So far so good. Kev says that this will show me if I truly do want another child or not! Kudos to those of you with more than two children! Holy organization needed to be successful at keeping the day running smoothly!
But Nanny I've become. :0) Over Christmas break Kev and I were talking about the need for our family to acquire a few more funds to make it to the end of our time here. For Jesse's first months of life I could barely make it to my house that I clean twice a month because he was such a wreck. He was perpetually glued to my hip and screaming at that! But, now that he's an entirely different baby, I've been feeling like I could do a little something else to help.
So, now two mornings a week I'll be watching a friend's two little children - a little boy who is 20 months and a ten week old little girl. And then one afternoon a week I'll be watching another friend's little boy for an afternoon! So far so good. Kev says that this will show me if I truly do want another child or not! Kudos to those of you with more than two children! Holy organization needed to be successful at keeping the day running smoothly!
Home Sweet Home
I've got to say - I really do love my teeny little abode. After living out of suitcases for almost a month, it's so nice to be back in my own little space with my own little things in my own little comfort zone. Although this is only home for a short time, I am honestly very content here. I don't think that anything I own decoration wise costs over $50, but it's mine and it's cozy. It really doesn't take much to make me happy. I love simple, natural things, not a ton of clutter, and three boys who continually trash my organization attempts. That's a good life!
Since we've gotten back, I've had so much fun organizing stuff, chucking things, finding new homes for others, and just settling back into our own little rhythm. Yesterday, we had a leisurely morning, we went out to lunch, and then we went to one of our favorite parks and just hung out as a family with Jesse in the backpack and Kaden riding his bike and playing on the playground. That's a recipe for a happy day and a happy home!
Since we've gotten back, I've had so much fun organizing stuff, chucking things, finding new homes for others, and just settling back into our own little rhythm. Yesterday, we had a leisurely morning, we went out to lunch, and then we went to one of our favorite parks and just hung out as a family with Jesse in the backpack and Kaden riding his bike and playing on the playground. That's a recipe for a happy day and a happy home!
Subtle He is NOT!!!
Lately Kaden has been broadcasting to anyone who cares to listen his feelings on whatever meal he is partaking of. He has started becoming a wee bit fussy these past few weeks and loudly states if something is "yucky" or if he doesn't like it. Not only is this quite rude to whomever has made said meal, but it is also quite mortifying to me! So, we've been working with him in having him at least try whatever is put on his plate and then whispering to us if he really doesn't think he can handle. He's been doing fairly well - especially over vacation when I didn't make a single one of his meals. There have been a few mishaps, but we can see that he is least trying.
Well, tonight, I made a chicken pot pie for supper, and instead of putting a pie crust on top, I just whipped up some mashed potatoes and put them on instead. Kaden's not a huge fan of things all mixed together anyway, but the potatoes really threw him for a loop when he's always been used to crust. He twiddled his thumbs through most of the meal, and then finally I had mercy on him and told him that he just had to eat a couple more bites. He'd been chugging water after each bite to wash this horrid meal down, and after I told him only a few more bites, he dubiously looked at his half gone water glass and simply said, "I hope I have enough water for that many bites!" I said, "I'm sure you have enough, Kaden." He just looked back at me and said, "I hope so, Mommy." Drama. drama.
Well, after taking three more nibbles, he held his hand up to his mouth and promptly hurled out his entire meal into his hand and all over his shirt and chair! After the initial shock wore off, he found this to be quite the cool phenomenon that had just happened! He laughed and then said VERY seriously, "Whoa. Mommy, I think I'd better be done right now."
Yup. A raving success this meal time was!
Well, tonight, I made a chicken pot pie for supper, and instead of putting a pie crust on top, I just whipped up some mashed potatoes and put them on instead. Kaden's not a huge fan of things all mixed together anyway, but the potatoes really threw him for a loop when he's always been used to crust. He twiddled his thumbs through most of the meal, and then finally I had mercy on him and told him that he just had to eat a couple more bites. He'd been chugging water after each bite to wash this horrid meal down, and after I told him only a few more bites, he dubiously looked at his half gone water glass and simply said, "I hope I have enough water for that many bites!" I said, "I'm sure you have enough, Kaden." He just looked back at me and said, "I hope so, Mommy." Drama. drama.
Well, after taking three more nibbles, he held his hand up to his mouth and promptly hurled out his entire meal into his hand and all over his shirt and chair! After the initial shock wore off, he found this to be quite the cool phenomenon that had just happened! He laughed and then said VERY seriously, "Whoa. Mommy, I think I'd better be done right now."
Yup. A raving success this meal time was!
Back in Philly....
We have arrived safe and sound! Our trip back to Pennsylvania went so much more quickly and smoothly than our trip home! We did it in ten hours total - eight hours of driving time! So much nicer than our fifteen hour trip three weeks previous! The boys did great - other than Kaden asking every fifteen minutes if we were almost there! Whew - that just about drove me to drink, let me tell ya! And Jesse actually had a span of a couple of hours where we heard narry a squawk. He actually cooed contentedly for quite some time. The Lord knew I needed the sanity, I think!
All in all, we had a really great time. We all were pretty sick for a good part of the time we were home which was a major bummer, so we didn't get to see and do much of what we wanted to do. But, it was good in the sense that it really made us slow down and relax - something we haven't done for quite awhile.
The boys had some great Grammy and Grampy time on both sides of the family, and Jesse really got a chance to bond with them, so I'm thankful for that. Nothing overly newsy to report except that Kev was able to do some Clarion Consulting with some church leadership and was really encouraged by that, AND my little brother got married! That was very sweet and exciting. We were all in the wedding except for Jesse. Kaden was the little ring bearer and other than whispering across the aisle to me that he was hungry he did really well!
Okay - kind of a boring post, but I just wanted you all to know that we are back and posts will be forthcoming at a far more regular rate from now on!
All in all, we had a really great time. We all were pretty sick for a good part of the time we were home which was a major bummer, so we didn't get to see and do much of what we wanted to do. But, it was good in the sense that it really made us slow down and relax - something we haven't done for quite awhile.
The boys had some great Grammy and Grampy time on both sides of the family, and Jesse really got a chance to bond with them, so I'm thankful for that. Nothing overly newsy to report except that Kev was able to do some Clarion Consulting with some church leadership and was really encouraged by that, AND my little brother got married! That was very sweet and exciting. We were all in the wedding except for Jesse. Kaden was the little ring bearer and other than whispering across the aisle to me that he was hungry he did really well!
Okay - kind of a boring post, but I just wanted you all to know that we are back and posts will be forthcoming at a far more regular rate from now on!
Back in Maine
Whew! We have FINALLY arrived back home in the County! This trip was the longest that we have EVER driven. Instead of staying in Bangor first like we always do, we drove all the way up to Houlton - adding an extra two and half hours onto our drive. We were in the car at 4:45 a.m. and did not arrive to my parent's house in Hodgdon until 8:00 p.m! Our boys were troopers, but man, I do not want to do that trip again for awhile! We hit traffic in several places that we have never done before, we drove through a snow storm for about an hour in Massachusetts and counted 19 cars off the road, and there were several occasions where traffic was only travelling about 40 miles an hour so we just crawled along FOR MILES!
We've got this trip down to a science now, though. We knock off about four hours first thing while the boys are still loopy. I don't think that either Kaden or Jesse fell back asleep, but they were completely silent for the first leg! We always get through Jersey and Hartford, Conn. traffic before rush hour, and then we stop at a Cracker Barrel for a big breakfast. We stay there for about an hour and let Kaden pick out one toy from their store. This toy entertains Kaden for the next leg of the journey until lunch, and Jesse naps for at least a little bit of it. We stop again for about an hour for lunch, and then the boys take their afternoon naps during the next leg.
It's long about late afternoon/early evening when we all start to get a little cagey! Finally, at 6:00 we whipped out Kev's laptop and played a little movie for Kaden. Jesse fell asleep again because it was dark, and the last leg of our journey went relatively smoothly. I get so excited once we hit the Maine border, but we're still a good five hours away from home! Miles and miles of trees........I love them.....I've been craving them....and the silence of the country. But five hours of it with cagey boys....whew! It was LONG! :0)
BUT!!! We are home and we are with the craziness of family and friends and it is WONDERFUL! We've been eating and visiting and eating and digging snow tunnels and eating and watching Christmas movies, and playing games, and eating, and having bonfires, and unwrapping presents, and eating and listening to Christmas music and IT IS GLORIOUS!!
Merry Merry Christmas!
We've got this trip down to a science now, though. We knock off about four hours first thing while the boys are still loopy. I don't think that either Kaden or Jesse fell back asleep, but they were completely silent for the first leg! We always get through Jersey and Hartford, Conn. traffic before rush hour, and then we stop at a Cracker Barrel for a big breakfast. We stay there for about an hour and let Kaden pick out one toy from their store. This toy entertains Kaden for the next leg of the journey until lunch, and Jesse naps for at least a little bit of it. We stop again for about an hour for lunch, and then the boys take their afternoon naps during the next leg.
It's long about late afternoon/early evening when we all start to get a little cagey! Finally, at 6:00 we whipped out Kev's laptop and played a little movie for Kaden. Jesse fell asleep again because it was dark, and the last leg of our journey went relatively smoothly. I get so excited once we hit the Maine border, but we're still a good five hours away from home! Miles and miles of trees........I love them.....I've been craving them....and the silence of the country. But five hours of it with cagey boys....whew! It was LONG! :0)
BUT!!! We are home and we are with the craziness of family and friends and it is WONDERFUL! We've been eating and visiting and eating and digging snow tunnels and eating and watching Christmas movies, and playing games, and eating, and having bonfires, and unwrapping presents, and eating and listening to Christmas music and IT IS GLORIOUS!!
Merry Merry Christmas!
Sweet Success......Finally!
At least that's what I call it.
Kev calls it further humiliation. He went out yesterday to take down his deerstand before we head up north. He planned to hunt a little bit more - a final last hurrah before we leave. He wasn't gone more than a couple of hours before he called me and told me that he shot a dog! I was like: "Oh no! How could you?" He said: "No. it's a deer. It's just the size of a dog!" He brought it home to show us in the trunk of the car! Hey - I'm still pleased as punch. It's meat in our freezer and tender at that. He really doesn't want to talk about it, but it's all good!
P.S. - We head for Maine tomorrow morning, so my posts may be sorely lacking for about three weeks. Feel free to pray for our 10 -12 hour drive with a six month old who absolutely despises his carseat! Joy!
Kev calls it further humiliation. He went out yesterday to take down his deerstand before we head up north. He planned to hunt a little bit more - a final last hurrah before we leave. He wasn't gone more than a couple of hours before he called me and told me that he shot a dog! I was like: "Oh no! How could you?" He said: "No. it's a deer. It's just the size of a dog!" He brought it home to show us in the trunk of the car! Hey - I'm still pleased as punch. It's meat in our freezer and tender at that. He really doesn't want to talk about it, but it's all good!
P.S. - We head for Maine tomorrow morning, so my posts may be sorely lacking for about three weeks. Feel free to pray for our 10 -12 hour drive with a six month old who absolutely despises his carseat! Joy!
Feeling Sick....
Yesterday, I woke up with the manliest of voices and today is no better. Jesse has the sniffles, Kevin felt yucky while my brothers were here, and Kaden still can't shake his cough. I am praying that we can kick whatever is going around before we head home. I hate feeling yucky - especially during the holidays.
We were short a couple of people on the worship team yesterday at church, so Kev still wanted me to try singing. Let me assure you, did I ever sound lovely! Most songs I just sang an entire octive lower and sang with the rest of the men!
The kids at church had a teeny little program yesterday where they sang a few songs with us and dressed up like a live nativity. Kaden was Joseph; and Jesse, being the only infant in the church, was a tank of a baby Jesus! It was absolutely hysterical. Kaden sucked his thumb the whole time and looked petrified while the rest of the kids belted their lungs out. And Jesse growled like a little demon, flailed his arms like a madman, and tried to attack the stuffed sheep that was sitting beside him the entire time! Quite the holy family to be sure! It was good entertainment to say the least!
We were short a couple of people on the worship team yesterday at church, so Kev still wanted me to try singing. Let me assure you, did I ever sound lovely! Most songs I just sang an entire octive lower and sang with the rest of the men!
The kids at church had a teeny little program yesterday where they sang a few songs with us and dressed up like a live nativity. Kaden was Joseph; and Jesse, being the only infant in the church, was a tank of a baby Jesus! It was absolutely hysterical. Kaden sucked his thumb the whole time and looked petrified while the rest of the kids belted their lungs out. And Jesse growled like a little demon, flailed his arms like a madman, and tried to attack the stuffed sheep that was sitting beside him the entire time! Quite the holy family to be sure! It was good entertainment to say the least!
Kaden's Quotes
I forgot to add a couple of cute things that Kaden said to me yesterday. I can probably count on one hand how many times Kaden has seen me in a dress. Pathetic, I know, but I am just NOT a girly girl. I try, but I just feel like a numb nut in them. Anyway, I actually wore a dress under my graduation gown yesterday. Kaden was completely blown away by this and kept saying over and over again: "Ooooh Mommy! You look SO pretty!" It was really quite precious. He was also quite taken with my "square hat." So, the rest of the day, he kept asking me if I was going to graduate again someday and wear a pretty dress again. I said, "Well, Daddy will probably graduate next." Kaden's response to this was: "Ohhh. So then HE'LL wear a square hat and a pretty dress!" Wouldn't that be fun! :0)
Surprise surprise!
I graduated yesterday. Besides having the dean need to remind me to flip my tassle to the other side of my cap all went smoothly. And both boys handled the one and half hour ceremony quite well, also. Kaden even said: "I wasn't even bored, Mommy!"
It's kind of fun looking back. I never planned to go back to school when we moved out here. I've always had the desire but figured that would be shelved for this season of motherhood. I literally stumbled upon the knowledge of this program through a conversation while meeting some new friends out here. The very next day I went over to the school to check it out, was told there was a class taking place "this instant," sat in on it, and promptly signed up the very next day! And now, two years later, I'm marching down the aisle in a cap and gown. God is good. Maybe there's a Master's out there for me some day, as well. Who knows?
The kicker of this whole celebration though, was the fact that my two brothers drove down from Maine to surprise me!!!! It was so fun and so special to have them here! They arrived on Friday, and we were all so excited to have them here, that we took a road trip for the day and I completely forgot about my grad rehearsal and picking up my cap and gown! I just blindly followed the guy in front of me the next day and no one knew that I had not a clue!
They left here in the rain today but will be driving home in blizzard conditions, I hear. The things they will do for their sis! That's love!
It's kind of fun looking back. I never planned to go back to school when we moved out here. I've always had the desire but figured that would be shelved for this season of motherhood. I literally stumbled upon the knowledge of this program through a conversation while meeting some new friends out here. The very next day I went over to the school to check it out, was told there was a class taking place "this instant," sat in on it, and promptly signed up the very next day! And now, two years later, I'm marching down the aisle in a cap and gown. God is good. Maybe there's a Master's out there for me some day, as well. Who knows?
The kicker of this whole celebration though, was the fact that my two brothers drove down from Maine to surprise me!!!! It was so fun and so special to have them here! They arrived on Friday, and we were all so excited to have them here, that we took a road trip for the day and I completely forgot about my grad rehearsal and picking up my cap and gown! I just blindly followed the guy in front of me the next day and no one knew that I had not a clue!
They left here in the rain today but will be driving home in blizzard conditions, I hear. The things they will do for their sis! That's love!
Happy Six Months - Jesse Bear!
Jesse had his six month well child visit today. We are pleased and proud to announce that he is back ON the charts both height and weight wise. Granted, he is still the size of a typical one year old, but he is at least porportionate! He weighs in at 20 pounds 12 ounces, and his length is 28 inches! Our little man was so big and brave when he had his shots. He literally cried for like two seconds and then was smiling again! To celebrate, we all went to Cracker Barrel for lunch. (You know us - we'll find any way we can to justify eating out!) Jesse got his very first taste of applesauce - which he promptly gagged on and was most unimpressed. After four or five spoonfuls with the same results, I finally concluded that he really does not like the taste of it and proceeded to eat his celebratory applesauce myself. All in all, it has been a very grand morning!
A Christmas Prayer
This short little prayer was written on one of our Christmas cards. I love it.
Lord.....
let us celebrate Christmas with less hurry,
more wonder;
less worry,
more peace;
less flurry,
more joy.
May this be said of our little family......
Lord.....
let us celebrate Christmas with less hurry,
more wonder;
less worry,
more peace;
less flurry,
more joy.
May this be said of our little family......
Family Christmas
We celebrated Christmas with our little family this past Saturday. We like to have our own little family tradition besides doing things with the extended family, so it was REALLY fun! Kaden's age is so great to really be able to fully enjoy everything.
On our Christmas Eve, we got a special Boz (a silly Christian bear character through MOPS that Kaden LOVES) Christmas DVD with a little Boz stuffed animal that we gave Kaden for his Christmas Eve gift. We brought the air mattress in and camped out in the living room with snacks and our p.j.'s. Then, Jesse woke us all up at 4:30 the next morning, so we all just laid in bed until 6:00 until we decided to just get our day started. We were all fried, but we really had no agenda for the day, so it was fine.
Jesse took his first nap of the day at 7:00 a.m. while Kev and Kaden made pancakes and coffee. Then, we read the Christmas story out of Kaden's Bible. We prayed together and then opened the gifts in our stockings. By then, Jesse had woken back up, so he was able to join in the festivities! Kaden had wrapped a special little toy for him that makes all kinds of noises when you pull on it. Jesse thinks that's pretty cool and attacks it with a vengeance! After we unwrapped our gifts, we all went to Cracker Barrel for lunch and then came home for naps! It was so much fun, and Kaden had such a great time!
His favorite gifts were a little kid's accordian and a backpack that contains his very own tent, sleeping bag, water bottle, whistle, and flashlight. It's set up in our living room, and periodically all throughout the day he disappears for quite some time. We'll peak in, and he's all nestled in his sleeping bag looking up at the "stars" through his roof! It's so cute!
Yep. A great family day. Loved it! I feel like we really took our time and savored it. Kaden did a great job in remembering to say thank you after each gift, and I don't feel like we spoiled him with a ton of presents. He was really thankful with the few we bought him. And, he was also really excited to give us the gifts that were from "him," as well. Having kids really brings back the kid in us! Kev and I were just as excited (maybe more so) than Kaden to celebrate!
And now.......one week until we go HOME to be with our family and friends!!!!!
On our Christmas Eve, we got a special Boz (a silly Christian bear character through MOPS that Kaden LOVES) Christmas DVD with a little Boz stuffed animal that we gave Kaden for his Christmas Eve gift. We brought the air mattress in and camped out in the living room with snacks and our p.j.'s. Then, Jesse woke us all up at 4:30 the next morning, so we all just laid in bed until 6:00 until we decided to just get our day started. We were all fried, but we really had no agenda for the day, so it was fine.
Jesse took his first nap of the day at 7:00 a.m. while Kev and Kaden made pancakes and coffee. Then, we read the Christmas story out of Kaden's Bible. We prayed together and then opened the gifts in our stockings. By then, Jesse had woken back up, so he was able to join in the festivities! Kaden had wrapped a special little toy for him that makes all kinds of noises when you pull on it. Jesse thinks that's pretty cool and attacks it with a vengeance! After we unwrapped our gifts, we all went to Cracker Barrel for lunch and then came home for naps! It was so much fun, and Kaden had such a great time!
His favorite gifts were a little kid's accordian and a backpack that contains his very own tent, sleeping bag, water bottle, whistle, and flashlight. It's set up in our living room, and periodically all throughout the day he disappears for quite some time. We'll peak in, and he's all nestled in his sleeping bag looking up at the "stars" through his roof! It's so cute!
Yep. A great family day. Loved it! I feel like we really took our time and savored it. Kaden did a great job in remembering to say thank you after each gift, and I don't feel like we spoiled him with a ton of presents. He was really thankful with the few we bought him. And, he was also really excited to give us the gifts that were from "him," as well. Having kids really brings back the kid in us! Kev and I were just as excited (maybe more so) than Kaden to celebrate!
And now.......one week until we go HOME to be with our family and friends!!!!!
Sigh
It begins. Actually, it's been going on for quite some time. I knew it would. It should. And I truly am okay with it. He just doesn't need to rub it in!
What am I talking about, you ask? Well, let me enlighten you. The other evening, Kev headed to his night class while Kaden waved to him from the window. As he was driving away Kaden said sadly: "Oh, Mommy! I don't want him to to go." I said, "I know, Honey. But, he's just going to school. He'll come snuggle you when he gets home." To which Kaden replied, "Mommy, he's my favorite."
Now, this didn't phase me in the least, because he gets that expression from me. If I love something, I always say "it's my favorite." So, I responded with: "Me too, Sweety." Well, not to be misunderstood Kaden made sure to clafity.
"No. Mommy. I like Daddy gooder than you."
"Oh. Okay. But, do you still love Mommy too?"
"Oh yes. I just like Daddy gooder than you."
Okay. I can accept that. I know he still loves me. I also know that this is the age where little boys start to really bond with their Daddys, and I am totally okay with that. It's good and healthy.
You know.......I only gave birth to you, had major surgery, and almost lost my uterus because of you. But hey - no hard feelings. Really........ :0)
Just kidding.....kinda'.
What am I talking about, you ask? Well, let me enlighten you. The other evening, Kev headed to his night class while Kaden waved to him from the window. As he was driving away Kaden said sadly: "Oh, Mommy! I don't want him to to go." I said, "I know, Honey. But, he's just going to school. He'll come snuggle you when he gets home." To which Kaden replied, "Mommy, he's my favorite."
Now, this didn't phase me in the least, because he gets that expression from me. If I love something, I always say "it's my favorite." So, I responded with: "Me too, Sweety." Well, not to be misunderstood Kaden made sure to clafity.
"No. Mommy. I like Daddy gooder than you."
"Oh. Okay. But, do you still love Mommy too?"
"Oh yes. I just like Daddy gooder than you."
Okay. I can accept that. I know he still loves me. I also know that this is the age where little boys start to really bond with their Daddys, and I am totally okay with that. It's good and healthy.
You know.......I only gave birth to you, had major surgery, and almost lost my uterus because of you. But hey - no hard feelings. Really........ :0)
Just kidding.....kinda'.
For Those with Toddlers.....
I got this at MOPS awhile back, but I've had it on my fridge for some time and think it's so cute! Well, maybe "cute" isn't the right word, but it's oh so true!
TODDLER PROPERTY LAWS:
If I like it, it's mine
If it's in my hand, it's mine
If I can take it from you, it's mine
If I had it a little while ago, it's mine
If it's mine, it must never appear to be yours in any way
If I'm doing or building something, all of the pieces are mine
If I saw it first, it's mine
If it looks just like mine, it's mine
If you're playing with something and you put it down, it automatically becomes mine
If it's broken, it's YOURS!
Can any of you who've had toddlers attest to this?!
TODDLER PROPERTY LAWS:
If I like it, it's mine
If it's in my hand, it's mine
If I can take it from you, it's mine
If I had it a little while ago, it's mine
If it's mine, it must never appear to be yours in any way
If I'm doing or building something, all of the pieces are mine
If I saw it first, it's mine
If it looks just like mine, it's mine
If you're playing with something and you put it down, it automatically becomes mine
If it's broken, it's YOURS!
Can any of you who've had toddlers attest to this?!
First Snow and All Things Christmasy
It snowed out here for the first time today. When we opened the curtains and blinds this morning, it was so exciting to see a fresh layer of powder on the ground. We've had our tree up since Thanksgiving weekend because we leave for Maine so soon before Christmas, and I spent all afternoon wrapping presents yesterday, so we are truly in full blown festive spirits. Kaden even wrapped a present for Daddy and Jesse yesterday - all by himself! He used about half a roll of tape, but it's all good! We're trying to instill the whole idea of giving being better than getting, so I wanted him to take full ownership in his gift giving this year. It really was fun wrapping together and listening to Christmas music while trying to keep Jesse from slobbering on everything!
Anyway, we've been talking so much about going outside to play in the snow whenever it decides to show up, so he was completely pumped this morning. The only problem is that he has a terrible cold right now. We even stayed home from church this morning because he was up most of the night coughing. He was so bummed about having to stay inside that I decided to just bring the snow inside to him. I went out and gathered bowl after bowl with snow and filled up our kitchen sink right to the brim with the stuff! Then, I put mittens on his hands, stood him up on one of our chairs, and let him have it! It made for a really nice morning. We made mini snowmen, he made "rotten rock soup that's de-lish," (???), and there's only a minor wet mess to clean up, so it was quite a success!
Anyway, we've been talking so much about going outside to play in the snow whenever it decides to show up, so he was completely pumped this morning. The only problem is that he has a terrible cold right now. We even stayed home from church this morning because he was up most of the night coughing. He was so bummed about having to stay inside that I decided to just bring the snow inside to him. I went out and gathered bowl after bowl with snow and filled up our kitchen sink right to the brim with the stuff! Then, I put mittens on his hands, stood him up on one of our chairs, and let him have it! It made for a really nice morning. We made mini snowmen, he made "rotten rock soup that's de-lish," (???), and there's only a minor wet mess to clean up, so it was quite a success!
The One That Got Away
Well, on the first day of gun season, Kev was up at 4:00 a.m. and left to go hunting in the pouring rain. Yuckadoo. You couldn't pay me enough money to do that. However, I do love having meat in our freezer, and we just cooked up our last steak a couple of weeks ago. So, go hubby go! More power to ya! I'll just roll back over and get a couple more hours of shut-eye!
Anyway, he came home absolutely soggy and oh so stinky. Man - wool is potent when it's wet. He'd been tracking the blood of one he shot earlier in the day but couldn't find it. He's pretty sure it's dead by the several pools of blood that he tracked, but he's afraid that he got out his stand too soon and pushed it too hard. This is a major bummer on all accounts. I hate hate hate when a deer gets wounded or when one dies unnecessarily. Plus, Kev is probably going to get sick AND we have no meat in our freezer. Ah well. Live and learn, I guess. He was pretty bummed. But, back out again today at 4:00. Hopefully, he'll have success this time!
Whenever he gets back, Kaden always wants to hear his hunting stories. Kev is always very careful to say that he hunts to get food like steak and hamburger to feed our family - not for sport just for the sake of killing an animal. Anyway, Kaden has an imaginary wolf friend that goes everywhere with him. The other day at breakfast Kaden said: "Hey, Daddy! My wolf friend shot a hamburger in the road and he was really proud of himself!"
Doesn't make a lick of sense, but we just about died laughing!
Anyway, he came home absolutely soggy and oh so stinky. Man - wool is potent when it's wet. He'd been tracking the blood of one he shot earlier in the day but couldn't find it. He's pretty sure it's dead by the several pools of blood that he tracked, but he's afraid that he got out his stand too soon and pushed it too hard. This is a major bummer on all accounts. I hate hate hate when a deer gets wounded or when one dies unnecessarily. Plus, Kev is probably going to get sick AND we have no meat in our freezer. Ah well. Live and learn, I guess. He was pretty bummed. But, back out again today at 4:00. Hopefully, he'll have success this time!
Whenever he gets back, Kaden always wants to hear his hunting stories. Kev is always very careful to say that he hunts to get food like steak and hamburger to feed our family - not for sport just for the sake of killing an animal. Anyway, Kaden has an imaginary wolf friend that goes everywhere with him. The other day at breakfast Kaden said: "Hey, Daddy! My wolf friend shot a hamburger in the road and he was really proud of himself!"
Doesn't make a lick of sense, but we just about died laughing!
Happy Thanksgiving.....A Day Late!
Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!!
I really love this holiday - it's far less commercialized and stressful than Christmas, and it's the one day out of the year when we sit back and take stock of what we are truly thankful for. We want to instill into our children traditions that involve family and relationships and giving as opposed to only thinking about and asking for things for ourselves. I want us all to have a constant attitude of contentment and gratefulnesss for everything that we've been given already instead of constantly looking around and wishing for things that we don't have.
So, only this holiday week-end, here is just a short list of the things that I am SO SO thankful for:
* First and foremost, I'm thankful for my relationship with Jesus and for how - time and time again - He has proven Himself faithful to me. I believe - help Thou my unbelief! His mercies truly are new every morning.
* I'm thankful for my hubby of eight years. He is truly my soulmate and best friend. He takes his roles and responsibilities of husband and father so seriously, and we are partners in every sense of the word in this journey called life!
* For my little Kaden - our tender heart. He daily makes us laugh. He is so sensitive and happy all the time. He is a fabulous big brother, and I really can't even remember what life was like without him. He is the neatest little kid, and already so tender toward the things of the Lord.
* For our wild child, Jesse Bear. He has made our home so full and alive. He is so comical, and it's so fun and interesting to see two little boys who are so night and day in every way! We never have to wonder how he's feeling - he LOUDLY lets us know! He is becoming so expressive and snuggly, and we are just so thankful for this new gift.
* And lastly, I'm thankful for our church family out here who has adopted us as their own, for family and friends old and new, for our cozy little apartment, for this college where Kev has been able to follow his dream, for friends who welcomed us into their home to celebrate with them yesterday, and for our family day today where we're going to get our Christmas tree! Whoo-hoo!!
Truly, there are SO many other things.....the list could go on forever. Bottom line: I'm a thankful girl this week-end!
I really love this holiday - it's far less commercialized and stressful than Christmas, and it's the one day out of the year when we sit back and take stock of what we are truly thankful for. We want to instill into our children traditions that involve family and relationships and giving as opposed to only thinking about and asking for things for ourselves. I want us all to have a constant attitude of contentment and gratefulnesss for everything that we've been given already instead of constantly looking around and wishing for things that we don't have.
So, only this holiday week-end, here is just a short list of the things that I am SO SO thankful for:
* First and foremost, I'm thankful for my relationship with Jesus and for how - time and time again - He has proven Himself faithful to me. I believe - help Thou my unbelief! His mercies truly are new every morning.
* I'm thankful for my hubby of eight years. He is truly my soulmate and best friend. He takes his roles and responsibilities of husband and father so seriously, and we are partners in every sense of the word in this journey called life!
* For my little Kaden - our tender heart. He daily makes us laugh. He is so sensitive and happy all the time. He is a fabulous big brother, and I really can't even remember what life was like without him. He is the neatest little kid, and already so tender toward the things of the Lord.
* For our wild child, Jesse Bear. He has made our home so full and alive. He is so comical, and it's so fun and interesting to see two little boys who are so night and day in every way! We never have to wonder how he's feeling - he LOUDLY lets us know! He is becoming so expressive and snuggly, and we are just so thankful for this new gift.
* And lastly, I'm thankful for our church family out here who has adopted us as their own, for family and friends old and new, for our cozy little apartment, for this college where Kev has been able to follow his dream, for friends who welcomed us into their home to celebrate with them yesterday, and for our family day today where we're going to get our Christmas tree! Whoo-hoo!!
Truly, there are SO many other things.....the list could go on forever. Bottom line: I'm a thankful girl this week-end!
Adventures in Parenting
Today is one of those days where in looking back, all we can do is laugh. So many silly, crazy, scary, and yucky things happened in the span of just a few hours that I just have to write about them and document their happenings!
We went to UNO's for lunch today where hubby was in rare form. First of all, he asked for a side of hot sauce for his sandwich, and as soon as it came, he looks over at Kaden all innocently and asks: "Kaden, would you like a drink of tomato juice?" Kaden - trusting his father completely AS HE SHOULD!!!! - leans forward and takes a nice haul off of Kev's Red Hot! I braced myself waiting.....meanwhile both Kev and I are dying laughing, and I'm feeling like a loser mommy for even finding it funny in the first place. Kaden swallows, looks over at us, and immediatly hangs his tongue out of his mouth and starts chugging his water. We had tears, it was so funny! Not two seconds later, Kev offers him a taste of his other side of BBQ sauce. Genuis that he was being today, he loads up a big scoop on his FORK and puts it up to Kaden's mouth. Well, of course, most of it dribbled out the slats of the fork and went all down the front of Kaden's shirt! When Kev saw this happen, he jerked his arm back and proceeded to spill even more of it down the arm of Kaden's white shirt. Kaden just looked at us like we were crazy today. It's true. Good thing I hadn't done laundry yet, because the story gets better.
Then, after Kaden's nap, Kev had a cup of black coffee sitting on the table. Kaden walked over and innocently asked: "Oh, Daddy! Can I have a sip of your soda?" Kev innocently answered, "Sure, Honey." Again - another long haul. (It was ice coffee - but still....you know when you're expecting to taste one thing and then you get another?" He's not going to trust Daddy much after today! Hubby was an IMP today!
Well, all of those things are nothing compared to MY saga with the boys today. While Kaden napped and Kev was doing homework at home, I decided to go out and do a little shopping with Jesse. I wore him in the backpack because he loves it, and as soon as I walked into the store, all of a sudden, I feel this huge shift, and Jesse slid right out the bottom of my pack! I reached down and grabbed his bum just in time - right before he smashed onto the floor! OH MY WORD!!! What if this had happened while I was walking across the parking lot? What if a car had been whizzing by????? Anyhoo, HE wasn't fazed in the least, but I just about had a bird!
Then - while we were walking through a store, Jesse decided that he wanted to suck on my cheek and my chin. This is his new thing lately. It was keeping him happy and occupied, so I just let him suck away while I was browsing. Upon looking in the mirror when I got home, however, I now see that I have a massive hickey on my face that is VERY noticeable! Perfect for when we go to company's house tomorrow for Thanksgiving. (I'm going to tell everyone that Kev did it! kidding.......)
Finally, when we came home, I sat Jesse in his little Bumbo seat to feed him some cereal, and I thought that I kept smelling a certain odor. (Having Daddy in the same room, I thought nothing of this odor, so I didn't think it necesssary to check Jesse!) Twenty minutes later, I lifted Jesse out of his seat, and to my utter horror, I realized that he had been sitting in a literal puddle of his own poo! It was SO gross! In lifting him out, I also successfully managed to ooze it all up his back, down his legs, and all over my own shirt, as well. Delish. In with the pile of hot sauce and BBQ laundry those clothes went. This is going to be a yummy load of wash, let me tell ya.
And finally, to top off this nutso day, when Kaden woke up from his nap, he came out and snuggled my leg while I was cooking. Just as I was turning to grab something from the fridge, he grabbed hold and gave me a pretty strong "love push," and down to the floor we both toppled with 135 pounds of me landing on 35 pounds of him. After many tears (from him) and a really sore bum (of mine), after baths and clean ups for all of us, and after supper, stories, and beddy-bies, I look back on today and am happy and amazed that we are all still in one piece!!! It was like a regular zoo around here today!
We went to UNO's for lunch today where hubby was in rare form. First of all, he asked for a side of hot sauce for his sandwich, and as soon as it came, he looks over at Kaden all innocently and asks: "Kaden, would you like a drink of tomato juice?" Kaden - trusting his father completely AS HE SHOULD!!!! - leans forward and takes a nice haul off of Kev's Red Hot! I braced myself waiting.....meanwhile both Kev and I are dying laughing, and I'm feeling like a loser mommy for even finding it funny in the first place. Kaden swallows, looks over at us, and immediatly hangs his tongue out of his mouth and starts chugging his water. We had tears, it was so funny! Not two seconds later, Kev offers him a taste of his other side of BBQ sauce. Genuis that he was being today, he loads up a big scoop on his FORK and puts it up to Kaden's mouth. Well, of course, most of it dribbled out the slats of the fork and went all down the front of Kaden's shirt! When Kev saw this happen, he jerked his arm back and proceeded to spill even more of it down the arm of Kaden's white shirt. Kaden just looked at us like we were crazy today. It's true. Good thing I hadn't done laundry yet, because the story gets better.
Then, after Kaden's nap, Kev had a cup of black coffee sitting on the table. Kaden walked over and innocently asked: "Oh, Daddy! Can I have a sip of your soda?" Kev innocently answered, "Sure, Honey." Again - another long haul. (It was ice coffee - but still....you know when you're expecting to taste one thing and then you get another?" He's not going to trust Daddy much after today! Hubby was an IMP today!
Well, all of those things are nothing compared to MY saga with the boys today. While Kaden napped and Kev was doing homework at home, I decided to go out and do a little shopping with Jesse. I wore him in the backpack because he loves it, and as soon as I walked into the store, all of a sudden, I feel this huge shift, and Jesse slid right out the bottom of my pack! I reached down and grabbed his bum just in time - right before he smashed onto the floor! OH MY WORD!!! What if this had happened while I was walking across the parking lot? What if a car had been whizzing by????? Anyhoo, HE wasn't fazed in the least, but I just about had a bird!
Then - while we were walking through a store, Jesse decided that he wanted to suck on my cheek and my chin. This is his new thing lately. It was keeping him happy and occupied, so I just let him suck away while I was browsing. Upon looking in the mirror when I got home, however, I now see that I have a massive hickey on my face that is VERY noticeable! Perfect for when we go to company's house tomorrow for Thanksgiving. (I'm going to tell everyone that Kev did it! kidding.......)
Finally, when we came home, I sat Jesse in his little Bumbo seat to feed him some cereal, and I thought that I kept smelling a certain odor. (Having Daddy in the same room, I thought nothing of this odor, so I didn't think it necesssary to check Jesse!) Twenty minutes later, I lifted Jesse out of his seat, and to my utter horror, I realized that he had been sitting in a literal puddle of his own poo! It was SO gross! In lifting him out, I also successfully managed to ooze it all up his back, down his legs, and all over my own shirt, as well. Delish. In with the pile of hot sauce and BBQ laundry those clothes went. This is going to be a yummy load of wash, let me tell ya.
And finally, to top off this nutso day, when Kaden woke up from his nap, he came out and snuggled my leg while I was cooking. Just as I was turning to grab something from the fridge, he grabbed hold and gave me a pretty strong "love push," and down to the floor we both toppled with 135 pounds of me landing on 35 pounds of him. After many tears (from him) and a really sore bum (of mine), after baths and clean ups for all of us, and after supper, stories, and beddy-bies, I look back on today and am happy and amazed that we are all still in one piece!!! It was like a regular zoo around here today!
A Tender Heart
Kaden has been initiating a lot of conversation lately about Jesus. It's so cool to see his little brain working and thinking through things. One morning at breakfast he was telling Kev that in the night he dreamed about Jesus on the cross. He said, "Do you know what I was dreaming about? Jesus on the cross with that thing on his head with really sharp things on it that hurt Him really bad." We talked about it a little bit and asked Kaden if he knew why Jesus died on the cross that day. He said, "Because He loves me and because sometimes I do bad things."
It's been so cool to dialogue with him about this and to see that he's actually comprehending and understanding things. We don't want to push "the sinner's prayer" on him just so that we can say, Kaden got "saved" today, but we're really feeling like he's beginning to understand and that is just the neatest thing.
His little heart is so tender and he has SUCH a sensitive conscience. Often when I tell him how proud I am of his honesty or of being such a great big brother he'll respond by saying, "Yeah, but sometimes I do bad things." Yup. We all do - many of us just refuse to admit it!
It's been so cool to dialogue with him about this and to see that he's actually comprehending and understanding things. We don't want to push "the sinner's prayer" on him just so that we can say, Kaden got "saved" today, but we're really feeling like he's beginning to understand and that is just the neatest thing.
His little heart is so tender and he has SUCH a sensitive conscience. Often when I tell him how proud I am of his honesty or of being such a great big brother he'll respond by saying, "Yeah, but sometimes I do bad things." Yup. We all do - many of us just refuse to admit it!
Four Nights and Counting....
For the past month or so, Jesse's nighttime sleep has progressively gotten worse. He has gone from sleeping 10-12 hour stretches without waking and nursing to waking up once in the middle of the night (no big deal - we can handle that). Then a few days later, waking up every four hours (hmmm.....okay - growth spurt?), to waking every two hours, to finally deciding that every hour on the hour he would like to awaken and scream bloody murder until someone did something about it.
Finally, at the beginning of this week, I reached my breaking point and told Kev that I was just about ready to have a nervous breakdown unless something changed. I talked to my pediatrician and did lots of reading - so that I wouldn't just be looking at this issue through "baby wise" eyes, and all that I read agreed with what my pediatrician said in that - Jesse should be capable of sleeping through the night by now, and we need to help him learn to "work it out." She said, "Most kids will break the habit in 2-5 days, but there is a small minority that may take two to three months to kick it." Hmmmmm....now what category do we think our little Jesse will probably fall into?!!!!
There are a whole boatload of varying philosophies out there to help parents teach their children to "work it out" from the "no cry solution" of just doing whatever it takes to make them happy to the "let 'em scream it out" until they cry themselves into oblivion. Kev and I talked about this for a few days and tried to decide what our plan of attack would be. The biggest issue at stake was that whatever we were going to do - we had to stick with it! If in a couple of days we couldn't hack it anymore and gave in, then it would all be for naught.
So, four nights ago, we decided to set the pack and play up in the kitchen with a really loud fan, we ran the bathroom fan, we gave Kaden two fans and a radio, and we gave ourselves a fan as well. The plan was that when Jesse woke - from here on out - he would not be nursed, and he would not be picked up unless he got absolutely hysterical. We would go to him every twenty minutes, rub his tummy, and tell him that he was okay, but then we would walk away and go back to bed. It was agreed that I would take the first shift, Kev would go next, and so on. Whew! Was I ever nervous. I knew that this would not be for the faint of heart, but I was ready! I was at the point where I was feeling that I had lost all control!
Well, the first night, I "tanked him up" right before we went to bed at 10:00 so that I would know his tummy was full, and then he was down for the count. Just like clockwork, at 2:00 a.m., Jesse woke up crying. I laid there and watched the clock tick by...five minutes.....ten minutes... until at the twenty minute mark, I went out into the kitchen, rubbed his tummy, and said, "No, Jesse. It's time to sleep." To which he promptly broke out into high-pitched-bloody-murder-I'm-mad-at-the-world-and-I-plan-to-wake-up-the-whole-entire-complex shrieks. Hmmmmm, that went well. I crawled back into bed, put some earplugs in, and told Kev that it was his turn next!
Twenty minutes later, Kev went out and did the same. It was to be my turn at 3:00, but when I rolled over again it was 3:45! Oh man...bad Mommy. But wait - our apartment was silent! I looked over at Kev who was staring up at the ceiling, and he calmly said: "Jesse fell asleep at 3:00." Only an hour! Not for the faint of heart, mind you - but I fully expected about three hours of screaming for this first night! I sank back into blissful sleep overwhelmingly happpy and thankful.
For the past three nights, Jesse has fallen back to sleep before the twenty minute mark each time. I can't even believe that he is not fighting this harder, and I am not holding my breathe - but I do feel that my world is beginning to right itself once more! My sister-in-law was here two nights ago, so we put Jesse in our room. When he woke at 2:00 I begged the Lord to put him back to sleep! PLEASE, LORD! NOT TONIGHT! NOT WITH COMPANY WHO WILL SURELY THINK THAT WE ARE HORRIBLE PARENTS FOR LETTING OUR CHILD CRY! But, thankfully, after just a couple of seconds of fussing, back he went to la la land!
So, we shall see what the future holds. For now, I am catching up on my sleep and am no longer a zombie crabmyster woman! We plan to keep Jesse in the kitchen for a few more weeks, but I am hopeful. And I have never been more thankful for an eight hour stretch of sleep in my life!
Finally, at the beginning of this week, I reached my breaking point and told Kev that I was just about ready to have a nervous breakdown unless something changed. I talked to my pediatrician and did lots of reading - so that I wouldn't just be looking at this issue through "baby wise" eyes, and all that I read agreed with what my pediatrician said in that - Jesse should be capable of sleeping through the night by now, and we need to help him learn to "work it out." She said, "Most kids will break the habit in 2-5 days, but there is a small minority that may take two to three months to kick it." Hmmmmm....now what category do we think our little Jesse will probably fall into?!!!!
There are a whole boatload of varying philosophies out there to help parents teach their children to "work it out" from the "no cry solution" of just doing whatever it takes to make them happy to the "let 'em scream it out" until they cry themselves into oblivion. Kev and I talked about this for a few days and tried to decide what our plan of attack would be. The biggest issue at stake was that whatever we were going to do - we had to stick with it! If in a couple of days we couldn't hack it anymore and gave in, then it would all be for naught.
So, four nights ago, we decided to set the pack and play up in the kitchen with a really loud fan, we ran the bathroom fan, we gave Kaden two fans and a radio, and we gave ourselves a fan as well. The plan was that when Jesse woke - from here on out - he would not be nursed, and he would not be picked up unless he got absolutely hysterical. We would go to him every twenty minutes, rub his tummy, and tell him that he was okay, but then we would walk away and go back to bed. It was agreed that I would take the first shift, Kev would go next, and so on. Whew! Was I ever nervous. I knew that this would not be for the faint of heart, but I was ready! I was at the point where I was feeling that I had lost all control!
Well, the first night, I "tanked him up" right before we went to bed at 10:00 so that I would know his tummy was full, and then he was down for the count. Just like clockwork, at 2:00 a.m., Jesse woke up crying. I laid there and watched the clock tick by...five minutes.....ten minutes... until at the twenty minute mark, I went out into the kitchen, rubbed his tummy, and said, "No, Jesse. It's time to sleep." To which he promptly broke out into high-pitched-bloody-murder-I'm-mad-at-the-world-and-I-plan-to-wake-up-the-whole-entire-complex shrieks. Hmmmmm, that went well. I crawled back into bed, put some earplugs in, and told Kev that it was his turn next!
Twenty minutes later, Kev went out and did the same. It was to be my turn at 3:00, but when I rolled over again it was 3:45! Oh man...bad Mommy. But wait - our apartment was silent! I looked over at Kev who was staring up at the ceiling, and he calmly said: "Jesse fell asleep at 3:00." Only an hour! Not for the faint of heart, mind you - but I fully expected about three hours of screaming for this first night! I sank back into blissful sleep overwhelmingly happpy and thankful.
For the past three nights, Jesse has fallen back to sleep before the twenty minute mark each time. I can't even believe that he is not fighting this harder, and I am not holding my breathe - but I do feel that my world is beginning to right itself once more! My sister-in-law was here two nights ago, so we put Jesse in our room. When he woke at 2:00 I begged the Lord to put him back to sleep! PLEASE, LORD! NOT TONIGHT! NOT WITH COMPANY WHO WILL SURELY THINK THAT WE ARE HORRIBLE PARENTS FOR LETTING OUR CHILD CRY! But, thankfully, after just a couple of seconds of fussing, back he went to la la land!
So, we shall see what the future holds. For now, I am catching up on my sleep and am no longer a zombie crabmyster woman! We plan to keep Jesse in the kitchen for a few more weeks, but I am hopeful. And I have never been more thankful for an eight hour stretch of sleep in my life!
Slowing Down
This past week was way too busy for our little family, and we're all feeling it. Kaden missed his nap two days in a row, and when that happens there is no need to ever have a little daughter to experience high drama - we get it in spades with him! It's kind of comical, and we both feel bad, because it's really our fault that we've caused him to miss his naps, so we try to have a little grace with him. Poor thing. He's going on four years old, but still really requires at least a two hour nap every day and about ten hours of nighttime sleep, as well. Jesse on the other hand, is a completely different story. He's good on four little half hour cat naps. He will sleep between 10-14 hours at night, but doesn't give us much during the day. He still likes a little rhythm though, too, and I can tell that he's a little "off," as well.
So, for this week, we're going to stick close to home. We travelled a lot last week and had the boys in the car a lot, so I just plan to take it easy for the next couple of days. Having said that, we did have a good week, though! I was able to get trained and certified to do some premarital and marital counseling through Prepare-Enrich, Kev did a little hunting, we met with a Mission Board that we're interested in, we spent an afternoon with a family from church that we've been wanting to get to know better, and the highlight for all three of my boys was the fact that we spent an entire day at Cabella's!
Oh my - don't get me wrong - I like the store, but HELLO - almost five hours, people! I put my time in that day. Kev reminded me that if I truly do want a passle of all boys, this is what our family days may look a lot like in the future! Point taken. :0) Neither Kev or Kaden wanted to leave, and Jesse was as happy as a clam riding in the backpack staring at all the dead animals all day. Oh my. Lord, give grace! :0) It really was a lot of fun, though. We got most of our Christmas shopping done - at least for the guys, and had fun playing together as a family, so it's all good!
So, for this week, we're going to stick close to home. We travelled a lot last week and had the boys in the car a lot, so I just plan to take it easy for the next couple of days. Having said that, we did have a good week, though! I was able to get trained and certified to do some premarital and marital counseling through Prepare-Enrich, Kev did a little hunting, we met with a Mission Board that we're interested in, we spent an afternoon with a family from church that we've been wanting to get to know better, and the highlight for all three of my boys was the fact that we spent an entire day at Cabella's!
Oh my - don't get me wrong - I like the store, but HELLO - almost five hours, people! I put my time in that day. Kev reminded me that if I truly do want a passle of all boys, this is what our family days may look a lot like in the future! Point taken. :0) Neither Kev or Kaden wanted to leave, and Jesse was as happy as a clam riding in the backpack staring at all the dead animals all day. Oh my. Lord, give grace! :0) It really was a lot of fun, though. We got most of our Christmas shopping done - at least for the guys, and had fun playing together as a family, so it's all good!
It's a Girl!
My sweet friend Charlotte just gave birth to numero two - a baby girl! After a seven hour labor, Madelyn Elizabeth G. - Meg for short - (how cute is that?) was born! Oh yay - I LOVE babies, and I LOVE that there's another Mommy around here with two chittlins now. We can just be half crazy together!
Other news....
Kev and I went and met with the Regional Director for U.S. Center for World Missions today. Should we decide to take Clarion Consulting and do it as our next step in life, this is most likely the Mission Board that we would be considered missionaries under.
I'm a rotty explainer of things, so if anyone is interested in the whole Clarion thing, go and check out their website and have a little looksee. It's www.clarionconsulting.com. Just a note - because it was originally designed to work with missions teams overseas, the website had to be made to look secular in order to protect the missionaries.
So....that's kind of exciting. It's been cool to see where the Lord has been leading and how He's been confirming our steps. Tomorrow, I'll also be getting certified in the Prepare/Enrich (www.prepare-enrich.com) assessment tool, as well. I would like to begin doing some premarital counseling with engaged couples and maybe even newlyweds here at the school.
We shall see. Who knows what the Lord has in store for us? It's all part of the journey - endings to some chapters and beginnings of others. It's comforting knowing that He's in control and we are not!
Other news....
Kev and I went and met with the Regional Director for U.S. Center for World Missions today. Should we decide to take Clarion Consulting and do it as our next step in life, this is most likely the Mission Board that we would be considered missionaries under.
I'm a rotty explainer of things, so if anyone is interested in the whole Clarion thing, go and check out their website and have a little looksee. It's www.clarionconsulting.com. Just a note - because it was originally designed to work with missions teams overseas, the website had to be made to look secular in order to protect the missionaries.
So....that's kind of exciting. It's been cool to see where the Lord has been leading and how He's been confirming our steps. Tomorrow, I'll also be getting certified in the Prepare/Enrich (www.prepare-enrich.com) assessment tool, as well. I would like to begin doing some premarital counseling with engaged couples and maybe even newlyweds here at the school.
We shall see. Who knows what the Lord has in store for us? It's all part of the journey - endings to some chapters and beginnings of others. It's comforting knowing that He's in control and we are not!
By Hed Is Feelig Stuffy!
I did the typos on purpose. That's how I've sounded all day - I woke up with a yucky cold, and I am completely stuffy and plugged up. Soooo, Katya - that sip of hot chocolate you had at the soccer game yesterday is probably gonna cost ya! So sorry, my friend. Blast. Load up on the echinacea and Vitamin C! Oh man - I hate colds. You feel yuckadoo but not enough to put your life on hold and justify napping or not taking care of your family. I've kind of been in a fog all day.
However, in spite of this mild annoyance, we had a fun family day. A few towns over in a little place called "Peddler's Village" there are a whole bunch of fun little shops and stores, neat little walkways with scarecrows everywhere, and just an all around pretty area to be outside all day. This weekend they are celebrating Apple Festival, so we went and rambled all around and sampled some of the apple wares. Quite delish, I must say.....I think.....everything taked a little bit like cardboard today....but the texture was nice!
It was a bit on the chilly side, but overall, very nice. We wore Jesse in the backpack for the first time, and he really liked it. He took a nice nap, and when he was awake he carried on a lovely conversation with the back of Kev's head! This will be his new mode of transportation, me thinks! Oh, and the kicker of today is that we get to turn our clocks back and get an extra hour of sleep. Bummer for the shorter days, but whoo-hoo for the longer nights!
However, in spite of this mild annoyance, we had a fun family day. A few towns over in a little place called "Peddler's Village" there are a whole bunch of fun little shops and stores, neat little walkways with scarecrows everywhere, and just an all around pretty area to be outside all day. This weekend they are celebrating Apple Festival, so we went and rambled all around and sampled some of the apple wares. Quite delish, I must say.....I think.....everything taked a little bit like cardboard today....but the texture was nice!
It was a bit on the chilly side, but overall, very nice. We wore Jesse in the backpack for the first time, and he really liked it. He took a nice nap, and when he was awake he carried on a lovely conversation with the back of Kev's head! This will be his new mode of transportation, me thinks! Oh, and the kicker of today is that we get to turn our clocks back and get an extra hour of sleep. Bummer for the shorter days, but whoo-hoo for the longer nights!
Feeling Uninspired.....
Yet, it's been awhile since I last posted and I must stay with my new habit of at least posting once a week!
Had some lovely chats with friends from away this past week - Shannon, Esther, and Rachey. That's always nice! I love catching up and learning about the new things going on in everyone's life.
We also had a church retreat this past weekend which was really wonderful and refreshing. The boys did great and Jesse took fabulous naps, so that was wonderful! I was chatting with my pastor's wife and telling her how well Jesse sleeps when the room is pitch dark and completely quiet! Although not a whole lot can be done about the noise except for a few fans, my pastor's wife is now making me blackout curtains that will make his room completely dark. I am soooo excited! Hopefully, this will help in elongating some of those naps!
I guess what I've been really thinking about tonight is someone who comes and goes out of my life who I am constantly absolutely flabbergasted with. This person completely blows me away with the comments they make about people. I am so floored by the disrespect and crassness (is that a word?) that I am left literally reeling and speechless. This person claims to be so godly and in love with the Lord, yet I cannot believe some things that fly out of their mouth. I fear confrontation worse than death and this person COMPLETELY intimidates me. But, I tell you what - if I had the guts to say what I feel needs to be said...man oh man. One of these days, if they catch me sleepless and feeling she-bearish about those I love, they may just get their ears peeled back! I'm really praying about how to handle this......will keep you posted.
Had some lovely chats with friends from away this past week - Shannon, Esther, and Rachey. That's always nice! I love catching up and learning about the new things going on in everyone's life.
We also had a church retreat this past weekend which was really wonderful and refreshing. The boys did great and Jesse took fabulous naps, so that was wonderful! I was chatting with my pastor's wife and telling her how well Jesse sleeps when the room is pitch dark and completely quiet! Although not a whole lot can be done about the noise except for a few fans, my pastor's wife is now making me blackout curtains that will make his room completely dark. I am soooo excited! Hopefully, this will help in elongating some of those naps!
I guess what I've been really thinking about tonight is someone who comes and goes out of my life who I am constantly absolutely flabbergasted with. This person completely blows me away with the comments they make about people. I am so floored by the disrespect and crassness (is that a word?) that I am left literally reeling and speechless. This person claims to be so godly and in love with the Lord, yet I cannot believe some things that fly out of their mouth. I fear confrontation worse than death and this person COMPLETELY intimidates me. But, I tell you what - if I had the guts to say what I feel needs to be said...man oh man. One of these days, if they catch me sleepless and feeling she-bearish about those I love, they may just get their ears peeled back! I'm really praying about how to handle this......will keep you posted.
Changing My Perspective
So, pretty much since Jesse's birth, my goal has been to get his napping schedule to line up to be the same as Kaden's, so that in the afternoon I'll have a little bit of solitude for myself. While I don't think this is necessarily an unhealthy goal - I actually think that in the end, some days it makes me a better mom! - I do think that I have been focusing on this a little too heavily, lately.
I have so badly wanted their naps to line up that I have allowed myself to get really frustrated and even a wee bit resentful at times when I only get snippets of my day to myself. While we were away on vacation, Kev and I talked about this some, and I've talked about it with the Lord a whole lot more. In these past couple of days I've tried to totally change my perspective on this whole idea. While I am still trying to get their naps to line up somewhat, I am now being really intentional to enjoy the one on one time that I get with each boy when the other is napping. Kaden is awake during two of Jesse's naps. So, for one of those naps I make an effort to just be with him and do what he likes to do - play K'Nex, play picnic, read books, do puzzles, have a tea party (it's a little boy set, okay?) - whatever. And then for Jesse's other nap I try to get things accomplished while still visiting and focusing on Kaden through our conversation. Then, while Jesse is awake during Kaden's nap, he and I spend lots of time snuggling and playing rather than lugging him around under one arm and trying to do whatever I can with the other!
I'm also finding that both boys do much better at being by themselves for awhile after I spend some quality time with them. It's like their little love tanks just need to get totally filled up and then they're good to go on their own for awhile! This whole change of focus and perspective has also helped me feel like I'm being a better mom as I really am taking the time to focus on what is truly important in my life!
Another bonus: Kev is going to start giving me one afternoon a week to go out for a couple of hours while he stays home and plays with the boys! I'm going to resist the urge on these occasions to JUST play, and I'm going to go FIRST to a cozy little place where I'll order a yummy coffee and have some quality (and uninterrupted a bajillion times) time with the Lord!
Rewards all the way around!
I have so badly wanted their naps to line up that I have allowed myself to get really frustrated and even a wee bit resentful at times when I only get snippets of my day to myself. While we were away on vacation, Kev and I talked about this some, and I've talked about it with the Lord a whole lot more. In these past couple of days I've tried to totally change my perspective on this whole idea. While I am still trying to get their naps to line up somewhat, I am now being really intentional to enjoy the one on one time that I get with each boy when the other is napping. Kaden is awake during two of Jesse's naps. So, for one of those naps I make an effort to just be with him and do what he likes to do - play K'Nex, play picnic, read books, do puzzles, have a tea party (it's a little boy set, okay?) - whatever. And then for Jesse's other nap I try to get things accomplished while still visiting and focusing on Kaden through our conversation. Then, while Jesse is awake during Kaden's nap, he and I spend lots of time snuggling and playing rather than lugging him around under one arm and trying to do whatever I can with the other!
I'm also finding that both boys do much better at being by themselves for awhile after I spend some quality time with them. It's like their little love tanks just need to get totally filled up and then they're good to go on their own for awhile! This whole change of focus and perspective has also helped me feel like I'm being a better mom as I really am taking the time to focus on what is truly important in my life!
Another bonus: Kev is going to start giving me one afternoon a week to go out for a couple of hours while he stays home and plays with the boys! I'm going to resist the urge on these occasions to JUST play, and I'm going to go FIRST to a cozy little place where I'll order a yummy coffee and have some quality (and uninterrupted a bajillion times) time with the Lord!
Rewards all the way around!
Reconnecting
I had a nice gift today - well, two really - all wrapped up in one! I've been wanting to visit with my friend Shannon for awhile - I've owed her a phone message for some time now, but my days are always so crazy with Jesse. So while Kaden was napping, just as soon as I laid Jesse down, I literally raced to the phone to call her. There's no guarantees these days for how long my wee one stays down, so I figured I wouldn't have much time. Anyhoo, we had a delightful conversation that just kept stretching on and on, and suddenly I looked down at my watch and realized that we had talked for a LONG time and Jesse was STILL NAPPING! Whew! Good times! My Jesse-doo napped for almost two hours this afternoon - a record for him. I think it's probably due to his shots yesterday so I'm not getting my hopes up. But, the Lord gave me a really nice gift in allowing me to have a wonderful catch up visit without tears and interruptions. (Well, once Kaden woke up there were several interruptions - and actually a few tears now that I think of it because he bonked his head on the table) - but overall, it was quite lovely and oh so nice to catch up with this dear friend. Shannie - you are AWESOME through and through. An inspiration to me in many ways - truly. Miss you and love you!
Kaden Q. Bookaroo
I have been craving some quality time with my oldest lately where I'm not holding Jesse with one arm or where we're not listening to Jesse's cries in the background. Last evening, quite unexpectedly we got this! Jesse had just had his shots, so I fully expected him to be extra clingy and crabby. Kev was hunting all afternoon and evening, so I was expecting a long, drawn out evening where I would just have to endure!
However, Jesse was sooo mellow all afternoon and evening. It was so nice! We all went for a long walk and Kaden and I had fun telling stories and just talking about what we were seeing as we were walking. Jesse just sat and chewed on some rings - no squawking or fussing. It was lovely! Then, on our way home, we stopped off at a little playground next door and ran around, slid down the slippy slides, and played pretend for about a half hour while Jesse just sat in his stroller and watched us! After Jesse went to sleep we painted for a long time and then sat out on the front steps and lit sparklers while we waited for Daddy to get home. It was so nice, and Kaden kept saying: "I'm so excited! This is so much fun!"
His little love language is totally quality time, and he doesn't ask for much when Jesse is awake. He adores his little brother and has never shown signs of jealousy or insecurity. But I could tell that he was totally eating up that uninterrupted one on one time last night. Me too. I've missed him.
However, Jesse was sooo mellow all afternoon and evening. It was so nice! We all went for a long walk and Kaden and I had fun telling stories and just talking about what we were seeing as we were walking. Jesse just sat and chewed on some rings - no squawking or fussing. It was lovely! Then, on our way home, we stopped off at a little playground next door and ran around, slid down the slippy slides, and played pretend for about a half hour while Jesse just sat in his stroller and watched us! After Jesse went to sleep we painted for a long time and then sat out on the front steps and lit sparklers while we waited for Daddy to get home. It was so nice, and Kaden kept saying: "I'm so excited! This is so much fun!"
His little love language is totally quality time, and he doesn't ask for much when Jesse is awake. He adores his little brother and has never shown signs of jealousy or insecurity. But I could tell that he was totally eating up that uninterrupted one on one time last night. Me too. I've missed him.
In the Mood to Cull!
Every few weeks this irresistable urge comes over me to throw things away! I cannot stand clutter, and living in this small space quite frequently gives me the feeling of our walls beginning to close in on me. Therefore, to solve this dilemma - I must purge! Kev has been duly warned - when I get in these moods, I can go a little crazy. So, I've been given strict instructions not to throw away anything that is his OR OURS. He didn't clarify this last time, and I got rid of tons of "our" stuff that he was not overly enthralled with me about.
I've always said that I'll let my kids be kids and I will let them play and build forts and leave train sets out etc., but every once in awhile I have to have my place back to myself. This morning, Kaden had his whole train set out in his room - which is fine - his room is his room. But, He also had his entire K'NEX set out with the hundreds of parts strewn all over the floor, he'd built a "bridge" with all of our couch cushions, and he had every single one of his little matchbox cars lined up beside the bridge. That's fine - that's a normal day for us. Usually, he's pretty good about getting one or two things out and then putting them away before playing with other things, but once in awhile he loves to be surrounded by his treasures, and that's fine.
But, for those few hours of quiet napping, I like to put everything back in its place and have my home be the way I like it! Clean and uncluttered. :0) Anyway, when I start to feel this way, I just haul out an empty box, walk through every room of my apartment, and fill this box with things that I never use, that I don't like, or that I don't need. Then I seal it up, mark "Yard Sale" on it and bask in the joy of uncluttering a bit!
I may have problems, but I really do love chucking things. I love simplicity. I love openness and emptiness. And since we've once again brought up the big and necessary baby things that give me sanity such as exersaucers, johnny jump ups, and play mats, I feel the need to get rid of other things! I just filled not one, but TWO boxes of "stuff"; I also hung a couple of bittersweet wreaths up on my walls, rearranged some cupboards, organized a closet, and hung some cute black and white candids up of the boys.
Now I'm just savoring the quietness and neatness, the simplicity and orderliness.....for a few more minutes anyway! Is it a losing battle that I'm fighting? Maybe! But we're all happy! The boys get to be boys and play at will, and I get to organize, throw, and rearrange.......and then for a few minutes each afternoon just sit and savor!
I've always said that I'll let my kids be kids and I will let them play and build forts and leave train sets out etc., but every once in awhile I have to have my place back to myself. This morning, Kaden had his whole train set out in his room - which is fine - his room is his room. But, He also had his entire K'NEX set out with the hundreds of parts strewn all over the floor, he'd built a "bridge" with all of our couch cushions, and he had every single one of his little matchbox cars lined up beside the bridge. That's fine - that's a normal day for us. Usually, he's pretty good about getting one or two things out and then putting them away before playing with other things, but once in awhile he loves to be surrounded by his treasures, and that's fine.
But, for those few hours of quiet napping, I like to put everything back in its place and have my home be the way I like it! Clean and uncluttered. :0) Anyway, when I start to feel this way, I just haul out an empty box, walk through every room of my apartment, and fill this box with things that I never use, that I don't like, or that I don't need. Then I seal it up, mark "Yard Sale" on it and bask in the joy of uncluttering a bit!
I may have problems, but I really do love chucking things. I love simplicity. I love openness and emptiness. And since we've once again brought up the big and necessary baby things that give me sanity such as exersaucers, johnny jump ups, and play mats, I feel the need to get rid of other things! I just filled not one, but TWO boxes of "stuff"; I also hung a couple of bittersweet wreaths up on my walls, rearranged some cupboards, organized a closet, and hung some cute black and white candids up of the boys.
Now I'm just savoring the quietness and neatness, the simplicity and orderliness.....for a few more minutes anyway! Is it a losing battle that I'm fighting? Maybe! But we're all happy! The boys get to be boys and play at will, and I get to organize, throw, and rearrange.......and then for a few minutes each afternoon just sit and savor!
Jesse Update Once Again....
Jesse had his four month check-up today. Joy unspeakable. I am pleased and proud to announce that he is no longer skyrocketing off the charts - he's still off, mind you - but he's "leveling" according to the pediatrician. His head is average, his length is in the 90%, and his weight is 19.9 pounds - the poundage of an average eight month old! But hey - he's leveling!
He had three shots today. We opted out of a couple of the ones that they recommend, but three has still served to give us quite the little grumpy monkey. His reactions to shots have been so different than Kaden's. Quite funny, actually. Kaden would look at us like we utterly betrayed him and then he'd cry as though his heart was breaking. Jesse screams - quite loudly - at the onslaught of the shots, and then proceeds to cry - madly and glare at the nurse until she leaves the room! As soon as she leaves, he stops, puts his thumb in his mouth, and then grumbles to himself for a few more minutes until he snaps out of it!
Okay, I'm off. He's starting to give me the look that he gave our little nurse.
He had three shots today. We opted out of a couple of the ones that they recommend, but three has still served to give us quite the little grumpy monkey. His reactions to shots have been so different than Kaden's. Quite funny, actually. Kaden would look at us like we utterly betrayed him and then he'd cry as though his heart was breaking. Jesse screams - quite loudly - at the onslaught of the shots, and then proceeds to cry - madly and glare at the nurse until she leaves the room! As soon as she leaves, he stops, puts his thumb in his mouth, and then grumbles to himself for a few more minutes until he snaps out of it!
Okay, I'm off. He's starting to give me the look that he gave our little nurse.
Out of the Loop!
Well, in our tenure here as PBU students, I have managed to successfully embarass myself quite royally with some pretty important staff members on campus. One day a few weeks ago, Kaden and I were hanging outside while Jesse napped, and I had our door propped open so I could hear him if he cried. All Penndel residents have been instructed to never leave our doors propped open for long periods of time because there is a rather shady apartment complex next door to ours. While we were playing on the sidewalk, a man came over and asked if I was the one who had opened the door and asked if I planned on keeping it open. When I told him why I had it opened and that I intended to stay right on the front sidewalk within hearing distance, he declared it to be fine but then continued to warn me of the dangers and the importance of being safe. I expressed my appreciation for his concern and then innocently asked if he lived around here or if he worked here. He kind of gave me a half smile and responded: "Um, yes. I'm the head of security." Oh goodness. That means he's also the guy who used to work for the FBI! I apologized and said that I don't really know much staff as I'm not in the typical undergrad program with most students. He asked who I was and I told him my name and then said: "My husband is Kevin. He's in the grad program here." To which this nice man nodded and slowly smiled: "Oh yes.....I know Kevin." Immediately I remember Kev's little hunting escapade on campus last year where all of security was notified. I could feel myself blushing and I nervously laughed: "I'm sure you do!" We both just smiled, and he walked away. Brother!
Then, just yesterday, I was at a soccer game and some friends of ours walked over with this man. They were visiting for awhile beside me, and at one point he looked at me and said hello. Charlotte always teases me for never introducing her to people that are with me, so I wanted to get her back. I held out my hand to this "stranger" and said: "Hi. I'm Amy. I'll introduce myself because Charlotte never introduces me to her friends." Charlotte looked mortified, but the man just graciously smiled and said: "Hello. I'm Todd Williams." Okay....for those of you who are not from here - Todd Williams in the president of our school! He's kind of "the man." Not only did I already make myself look like an idiot but not knowing who he is, but I just kept on digging a hole for myself and continued with: "Oh man. I'm sorry - I'm kind of out of the loop around here. Are you our new principal?" Everyone died laughing and Charlotte said, "Um, Amy - at colleges we call them "Presidents," not "Principals!" Good grief.
So Kev is known around these parts for being the illegal hunter who got the Penndel police and the PBU security involved last fall. Now I'm the blond ditz who acts like the fruit loop in front of some of the top dogs around here!
Then, just yesterday, I was at a soccer game and some friends of ours walked over with this man. They were visiting for awhile beside me, and at one point he looked at me and said hello. Charlotte always teases me for never introducing her to people that are with me, so I wanted to get her back. I held out my hand to this "stranger" and said: "Hi. I'm Amy. I'll introduce myself because Charlotte never introduces me to her friends." Charlotte looked mortified, but the man just graciously smiled and said: "Hello. I'm Todd Williams." Okay....for those of you who are not from here - Todd Williams in the president of our school! He's kind of "the man." Not only did I already make myself look like an idiot but not knowing who he is, but I just kept on digging a hole for myself and continued with: "Oh man. I'm sorry - I'm kind of out of the loop around here. Are you our new principal?" Everyone died laughing and Charlotte said, "Um, Amy - at colleges we call them "Presidents," not "Principals!" Good grief.
So Kev is known around these parts for being the illegal hunter who got the Penndel police and the PBU security involved last fall. Now I'm the blond ditz who acts like the fruit loop in front of some of the top dogs around here!
Still Refreshed.....Yet VERY Frazzled!
Our Jesse seems to have fallen back into a bit of a funk lately. He is napping wretchedly, so he is perpetually tired and grumpy. And now that he is able to flip himself over onto his tummy, he wakes up all throughout the night upset that he can't get back over onto his back. He's been consistently sleeping through the night for 10-14 hours since week six, but these past few weeks, he's been getting up anywhere from one to five times a night! He is also becoming quite the screamer! Whew - it literally curls your toes when he is MAD!! So, we've been doing lots of talking about our game plan strategy! He wakes up from a nap after only 30-40 minutes of sleep sobbing and exhausted, but he just can't seem to get himself back to sleep again. Hmmm. We'll keep you posted on how we plan to keep our sanity! It's amazing - Kaden is completely able to sleep through the tears. I feel so badly for them both, but such is life in an apartment!
Refreshed!
We had such a fun family vacay in Lancaster County this past week. No agenda really, only plans to connect and play as a family. And play we did.
Our hotel had a little kiddie pool area with sprinklers and a mini waterslide that Kaden absolutely loved. Jesse got into the water as well, for the first time, and really loved it. It was so cute - he wasn't fazed a bit if water got splashed in his face or when we almost totally submerged him! We also went on a buggy ride, walked through a corn maze, petted farm animals, did a little shopping, poked around some antique stores, and ate ourselves into oblivion. Good times!
Jesse didn't do so well in his hotel crib though, so for much of most nights, he was in bed with us. It was also interesting trying to get both boys to have their naps in the same room, as well. At home - Jesse naps in a pack 'n play in our room. So, there were a few frazzly moments, but all in all, it really was a really great time.
I love getting away. I love the conversations we have in the car, I love the uninterrupted and undistracted time we have with the boys, and I just really love the break from life for awhile. It's nice to get away and refocus. Much needed.
Our hotel had a little kiddie pool area with sprinklers and a mini waterslide that Kaden absolutely loved. Jesse got into the water as well, for the first time, and really loved it. It was so cute - he wasn't fazed a bit if water got splashed in his face or when we almost totally submerged him! We also went on a buggy ride, walked through a corn maze, petted farm animals, did a little shopping, poked around some antique stores, and ate ourselves into oblivion. Good times!
Jesse didn't do so well in his hotel crib though, so for much of most nights, he was in bed with us. It was also interesting trying to get both boys to have their naps in the same room, as well. At home - Jesse naps in a pack 'n play in our room. So, there were a few frazzly moments, but all in all, it really was a really great time.
I love getting away. I love the conversations we have in the car, I love the uninterrupted and undistracted time we have with the boys, and I just really love the break from life for awhile. It's nice to get away and refocus. Much needed.
Bad Day
Whew!
Today was crazy. Here's why:
~ Jesse cried for most of the day and only took 2 twenty minute naps.
~ I'm missing my friend who just moved away.
~ I washed Kaden's new jacket that we got on a yard sale and somehow ripped a hole in it.
~ In doing laundry, I also somehow flooded our laundry room floor.
~ Jesse had a diaper blowout that destroyed his entire outfit AND Kaden's bedding.
~ .......Just after I had done our laundry!
~ Our house has been in chaos all day as I'm trying to pack, and I hate messiness.
~ I told a friend no to babysitting and am feeling guilty about it.
~ And I trashed the coleslaw that Kev wanted to eat! (Don't feel too bad about that one, but he was irritated! :0)
Yup. It's been one of those days.
HOWEVER......Right now I'm feeling great. Know why? We are going to Lancaster for three nights and are leaving first thing in the morning! We're just feeling the need to get away for a few days and have some family bonding time away from life for a bit. I can't wait. We have absolutely no agenda - we just want to be together and play - with no work and no distractions.
Sweet sanity.
Today was crazy. Here's why:
~ Jesse cried for most of the day and only took 2 twenty minute naps.
~ I'm missing my friend who just moved away.
~ I washed Kaden's new jacket that we got on a yard sale and somehow ripped a hole in it.
~ In doing laundry, I also somehow flooded our laundry room floor.
~ Jesse had a diaper blowout that destroyed his entire outfit AND Kaden's bedding.
~ .......Just after I had done our laundry!
~ Our house has been in chaos all day as I'm trying to pack, and I hate messiness.
~ I told a friend no to babysitting and am feeling guilty about it.
~ And I trashed the coleslaw that Kev wanted to eat! (Don't feel too bad about that one, but he was irritated! :0)
Yup. It's been one of those days.
HOWEVER......Right now I'm feeling great. Know why? We are going to Lancaster for three nights and are leaving first thing in the morning! We're just feeling the need to get away for a few days and have some family bonding time away from life for a bit. I can't wait. We have absolutely no agenda - we just want to be together and play - with no work and no distractions.
Sweet sanity.
Fall is in the Air
Finally!
I think that this is my most favorite time of year. Everything is so bright and crisp, and the air smells so yummy. I love decorating our front steps with different kinds of funky pumpkins and gourds, and what I really love most of all is........BITTERSWEET!
Truly - if I knew how to put pictures up on this blog, I would. I really need to get Kev to show me how to do this. I'm quite computer illiterate, but I'm sure I could figure out how to post some pics. I love love love love love collecting bittersweet berries and making all kinds of crazy wreaths and swags. I love sticking them in sap buckets with other sticks and branches and putting them all over the place. The berries are poisonous to both animals and babies, so one must be quite careful where they display them, but when placed properly - they are just beautious!
Kev dreads this time of year because I'm always on the lookout for the stuff and I'm always begging him to stop and help me wade through the thorns and climb up the trees to get the ones that are the most plump and full. I totally love bringing the outdoors inside. It's my most favorite way to decorate - sticks, leaves, rocks, and berries. I love it!
People out here aren't quite sure what to think of me, but I have at least one converter....my dear friend Rachel who just left me and moved away. So, my friend - you said you'd book a ticket when the bittersweet came on.....come on back for a visit and we shall go traipsing through the forest! Tis the season!
I think that this is my most favorite time of year. Everything is so bright and crisp, and the air smells so yummy. I love decorating our front steps with different kinds of funky pumpkins and gourds, and what I really love most of all is........BITTERSWEET!
Truly - if I knew how to put pictures up on this blog, I would. I really need to get Kev to show me how to do this. I'm quite computer illiterate, but I'm sure I could figure out how to post some pics. I love love love love love collecting bittersweet berries and making all kinds of crazy wreaths and swags. I love sticking them in sap buckets with other sticks and branches and putting them all over the place. The berries are poisonous to both animals and babies, so one must be quite careful where they display them, but when placed properly - they are just beautious!
Kev dreads this time of year because I'm always on the lookout for the stuff and I'm always begging him to stop and help me wade through the thorns and climb up the trees to get the ones that are the most plump and full. I totally love bringing the outdoors inside. It's my most favorite way to decorate - sticks, leaves, rocks, and berries. I love it!
People out here aren't quite sure what to think of me, but I have at least one converter....my dear friend Rachel who just left me and moved away. So, my friend - you said you'd book a ticket when the bittersweet came on.....come on back for a visit and we shall go traipsing through the forest! Tis the season!
Did I Say I Wanted More Kids???
What I REALLY meant to say was that I want more SLEEP!!!!!
Holy Blast, this girl is pooped. For some reason the past couple of nights my boys are not sleeping well. Last night, Kaden was weepy and needy so we pulled him into bed with us. This child does not sleep quietly or still, so he is constantly slinging his legs over me and rolling over and over. Then, from about 1:00 a.m. on Jesse kept waking up every hour on the hour! He would roll over onto his belly and then freak out because he couldn't roll back over. I'd rush into his room because I didn't want to wake up Mom. Then I'd rush back to bed and try to fall back asleep because I was so tired! Then, one time while I was in the boy's room trying to soothe Jesse, Kaden rolled over and fell out of OUR bed! Tons of tears and a huge bump ensued. Oh, it just kept getting better and better! Ah well! :)
They're both napping now, so peace one again reigns. Maybe I WILL have another some day......
Holy Blast, this girl is pooped. For some reason the past couple of nights my boys are not sleeping well. Last night, Kaden was weepy and needy so we pulled him into bed with us. This child does not sleep quietly or still, so he is constantly slinging his legs over me and rolling over and over. Then, from about 1:00 a.m. on Jesse kept waking up every hour on the hour! He would roll over onto his belly and then freak out because he couldn't roll back over. I'd rush into his room because I didn't want to wake up Mom. Then I'd rush back to bed and try to fall back asleep because I was so tired! Then, one time while I was in the boy's room trying to soothe Jesse, Kaden rolled over and fell out of OUR bed! Tons of tears and a huge bump ensued. Oh, it just kept getting better and better! Ah well! :)
They're both napping now, so peace one again reigns. Maybe I WILL have another some day......
Take the Good with the Bad
Wow! I haven't written for awhile. There have been so many things going on my life right now that I feel like I want to write about. Both really great and really yucky! :0)
Good things first!
My Mom is here for an unexpected visit. She caught a ride down with a couple from my church up home who are on vacation, so we get to have a wonderful week together. This is so fun, because we both expected that the next time we'd see each other would be over the Christmas season, and that's going to be CRAZY because my little bro is getting married just a week after Christmas.
My little Jesse bear is an ENTIRELY different little boy that he was even a couple of weeks ago. I was hoping this would happen. I was praying it would happen. And so far - it's true! For some reason, we give birth to WRECKS who can't shake it off until they hit three or four months of age. He is now giving me two pretty decent naps - with very little crying as he goes down, and he is in bed for the night at 6:30! He is just so pleasant and content now! Tons of smiles and coos, and although he was always quite yummy - man, we REALLY like him now!
Other things.....I was trained to be a Clarion Consultant last week. I have tons to write about this, but just let me say that I love love love what I am learning about this. I'm excited about how the Lord may use this in Kev's and my future, and I'm loving how He is using it to change people's lives.
One more - on Kev's fall break in two weeks, he is whisking our little family away for a couple of nights to Lancaster - meals and pool included. WE CANNOT WAIT!!!
Okay, now for the yucky yucky happenings here....
Two of our dearest friends who have lived with us in this complex for as long as we have are moving next Friday. Kev and I will be the last of the "originals" and the ONLY ones with kids. I am SO bummed and I fully intend to be devastated and depressed when they leave. Rachel and I see each other just about every day, we always go for walks together, and we have been raising our youngest babies together since birth. Ahhh, I feel sick to my stomach thinking about her moving.....We all knew that this was a transient place for all of us to be. It's just not fun when everyone leaves before you do. Blech.
Good things first!
My Mom is here for an unexpected visit. She caught a ride down with a couple from my church up home who are on vacation, so we get to have a wonderful week together. This is so fun, because we both expected that the next time we'd see each other would be over the Christmas season, and that's going to be CRAZY because my little bro is getting married just a week after Christmas.
My little Jesse bear is an ENTIRELY different little boy that he was even a couple of weeks ago. I was hoping this would happen. I was praying it would happen. And so far - it's true! For some reason, we give birth to WRECKS who can't shake it off until they hit three or four months of age. He is now giving me two pretty decent naps - with very little crying as he goes down, and he is in bed for the night at 6:30! He is just so pleasant and content now! Tons of smiles and coos, and although he was always quite yummy - man, we REALLY like him now!
Other things.....I was trained to be a Clarion Consultant last week. I have tons to write about this, but just let me say that I love love love what I am learning about this. I'm excited about how the Lord may use this in Kev's and my future, and I'm loving how He is using it to change people's lives.
One more - on Kev's fall break in two weeks, he is whisking our little family away for a couple of nights to Lancaster - meals and pool included. WE CANNOT WAIT!!!
Okay, now for the yucky yucky happenings here....
Two of our dearest friends who have lived with us in this complex for as long as we have are moving next Friday. Kev and I will be the last of the "originals" and the ONLY ones with kids. I am SO bummed and I fully intend to be devastated and depressed when they leave. Rachel and I see each other just about every day, we always go for walks together, and we have been raising our youngest babies together since birth. Ahhh, I feel sick to my stomach thinking about her moving.....We all knew that this was a transient place for all of us to be. It's just not fun when everyone leaves before you do. Blech.
Shleepy Tired
....and if I had to admit it....a wee bit crabby.
Whew! Both of my boys had a rough night last night - for whatever reason - so I was awakened from a (VERY) deep slumber about six times. Not my fave. This girl loves her sleep. So, I feel like I'm functioning in a bit of a fog today.
One thing that I'm learning with two kiddos is that I need to give myself more grace and cut myself a little more slack than I used to. For example: the plan for supper tonight was going to be homemade chicken pot pie, potato rolls, and some sort of fancy delish dessert as Kev's friend has arrived. Instead, we're having fajitas and rice, and maybe cookies if I can get around to making them. Before two, my house would have been immaculate before company arrived. Last night I did a ten minute run through with the vac and gave a swipe at the furniture in the living room. Today I did the dishes in the sink and called it good. Before two, if a friend asked me to babysit on the day company was arriving I would never have dreamed saying yes. Today I thought, "Why not? I'm already half crazy - might as well go all the way!" Yup. I'm just trying to embrace the chaos and just roll with it. Some days are better than others, but I'm learning that I can go a long way in helping myself not get too crazy!
Whew! Both of my boys had a rough night last night - for whatever reason - so I was awakened from a (VERY) deep slumber about six times. Not my fave. This girl loves her sleep. So, I feel like I'm functioning in a bit of a fog today.
One thing that I'm learning with two kiddos is that I need to give myself more grace and cut myself a little more slack than I used to. For example: the plan for supper tonight was going to be homemade chicken pot pie, potato rolls, and some sort of fancy delish dessert as Kev's friend has arrived. Instead, we're having fajitas and rice, and maybe cookies if I can get around to making them. Before two, my house would have been immaculate before company arrived. Last night I did a ten minute run through with the vac and gave a swipe at the furniture in the living room. Today I did the dishes in the sink and called it good. Before two, if a friend asked me to babysit on the day company was arriving I would never have dreamed saying yes. Today I thought, "Why not? I'm already half crazy - might as well go all the way!" Yup. I'm just trying to embrace the chaos and just roll with it. Some days are better than others, but I'm learning that I can go a long way in helping myself not get too crazy!
Big Doin's This Week!
It's gonna be a busy week - but such a good one!
First things first - yesterday Jesse gave his Momma a full belly laugh which was SO cute and yummy! (Never mind the fact that I'm the third person he's given it too - not the first - but hey....I'm secure in my Mommyhood!) So that was just precious!
But, on to the busyness of the week....
Well, on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday I'm getting trained to be a "Clarion Consultant." It's a whole involved leadership and team development process. Kev's already been trained, it's hugely impacted his life, and he loves it. So, I'm just excited to be able to travel this road with him and do it together. Once I'm trained, we'll actually be taking two of our friends through it as a married couple, so that will be great experience for me as an "Apprentice" and tons of fun, as well.
Because of this training, Kev's good friend Eric will be flying in from Florida to be trained as well, so that will be really fun. AND it's potato harvest up home (yup, they still have it) so Mom is going to be catching a ride down with a family up home, and she's coming to visit us for the whole week! GOOD TIMES! She'll get some good Grammy time in, and Kev and I might even get a date out of it!
And the icing on the cake of this week......the hubbies are watching the kids while my friend Rach and I get dinner and a movie tonight. Yup...it's gonna be rough....
First things first - yesterday Jesse gave his Momma a full belly laugh which was SO cute and yummy! (Never mind the fact that I'm the third person he's given it too - not the first - but hey....I'm secure in my Mommyhood!) So that was just precious!
But, on to the busyness of the week....
Well, on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday I'm getting trained to be a "Clarion Consultant." It's a whole involved leadership and team development process. Kev's already been trained, it's hugely impacted his life, and he loves it. So, I'm just excited to be able to travel this road with him and do it together. Once I'm trained, we'll actually be taking two of our friends through it as a married couple, so that will be great experience for me as an "Apprentice" and tons of fun, as well.
Because of this training, Kev's good friend Eric will be flying in from Florida to be trained as well, so that will be really fun. AND it's potato harvest up home (yup, they still have it) so Mom is going to be catching a ride down with a family up home, and she's coming to visit us for the whole week! GOOD TIMES! She'll get some good Grammy time in, and Kev and I might even get a date out of it!
And the icing on the cake of this week......the hubbies are watching the kids while my friend Rach and I get dinner and a movie tonight. Yup...it's gonna be rough....
Another Family Day
Today for our family day we decided to take a drive over to the Lancaster area. Both Kev and I absolutely love it over there - it's very soothing and calming to our souls. So peaceful, so quiet - so much land...and cows...and horses...and fresh produce.....and yummy farm smells. I really love the smell of barns and manure. Weird, eh?
It got us thinking about how much we'd love to own land again someday - lots of land if we're really dreaming. There is nothing that I would love more than to have acres of fields and wild flowers, a garden, a little stream....and I've always wanted really cute chickens that could just roam free all across our land!
I want my kids to grow up being able to just run around outside and to be able to roam and explore and conquer and imagine fun worlds! I'm getting a wee bit tired of the same old backyard with the same few rocks that we can turn over to find the same worms that we let go last week! This is why I love our trips to Lancaster. We just drive and dream and stop at all the little local farm stands to sample their yummy - and sometimes still dirty - produce. I love it!
It refreshes me and refocuses me so nicely - even with Jesse screaming much of the trip home! Good times......
It got us thinking about how much we'd love to own land again someday - lots of land if we're really dreaming. There is nothing that I would love more than to have acres of fields and wild flowers, a garden, a little stream....and I've always wanted really cute chickens that could just roam free all across our land!
I want my kids to grow up being able to just run around outside and to be able to roam and explore and conquer and imagine fun worlds! I'm getting a wee bit tired of the same old backyard with the same few rocks that we can turn over to find the same worms that we let go last week! This is why I love our trips to Lancaster. We just drive and dream and stop at all the little local farm stands to sample their yummy - and sometimes still dirty - produce. I love it!
It refreshes me and refocuses me so nicely - even with Jesse screaming much of the trip home! Good times......
Train 'Em Young!
As hunting season is upon us, I've been wondering what a year's difference will make with our little Kaden. Now that he's three and he understands a bit more about life, will it bother him if he sees that Daddy has shot a deer? How will the sight of blood affect him? Will it make him sad if he sees an animal that we read about all the time in his story books dead on our rooftop? You know - these are questions that I need to think through in order to prepare him for if and when the time comes!! His little heart is so tender and sensitive, I want to make sure that this won't bother him. As his Mommy, I want to protect him from unnecessary sorrow!
Well.....as we were driving through Core Creek Park last night, three deer ran across the road directly in front of us. Kaden pipes up from the backseat: "Hey, Daddy! Wouldn't it be fun to shoot one of those deer?"
Hm. He'll be fine.
Kev's so proud.
Well.....as we were driving through Core Creek Park last night, three deer ran across the road directly in front of us. Kaden pipes up from the backseat: "Hey, Daddy! Wouldn't it be fun to shoot one of those deer?"
Hm. He'll be fine.
Kev's so proud.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)