Category: Uncategorized (Page 130 of 188)

I think I may have missed a month of logging my notes on the children. As usual, the time continues to fly by. Molly celebrated her 5 month birthday on Friday. Five months! I cannot even believe. So here’s the recent skinny on the kids.

Miss M

• Skinny is the name of the game. After taking off on the weight charts after her birth, she’s hit a plateau and has pants sliding off her. But I’m not going to let the doctor worry me on her charts and how she matches up to the rest of the world (this is a pep talk reminder for me). She’s very, very happy, sleeps great and is content when she’s done eating. In a place and time where childhood obesity is such an issue (I just read 1 of 4 children will struggle with diabetes in their life), I think she’s going to be just fine.
• M is a giggly gal and has never met a stranger. Anyone who offers a smile will be met with a grin and perhaps a bit of chatter. She’s quite social. I have no idea where she gets it.
• Best toys ever: feet. Amazing. And they’re always readily available.
• M is scooting around on her tummy when she’s on the floor, but her favorite thing is standing in the exersaucer. I know, I know – KLR has told me it’s not a super thing. But in limited amounts, she’s a happy girl when she can jump and play.
• We’re still getting up to eat once a night, but the 6am chat sessions have started to decrease. Thank goodness! She’s discovered that 7am is best spent under the blankies.
• Toys are starting to be much more fun, as well. She’s got a set of pink balls that make fun crinkly or bell ringing noises, along with a few other plush toys that she likes to squeeze.
• We’re still working on the sitting thing. We’ll sit in the boppy for a little while, but once she discovers those feet down there, it turns into more of a recline. I told her this is more of an intermediate sitting activity, not really for beginners, but the happy feet always win.

H Boy

• The little man just keeps growing up. His vocabulary continues to grow, and he’s regularly recognizing a lot of animals, sometimes by name and sometimes by the sound they make. He’s also trying to repeat back anything in a conversation and is totally in the mimic stage.
• Some of his favorite things: brushing teeth, eating his “fish” (omega 3 vitamin), throwing balls (always!).
• He is also super at following instructions and being quite the super helper – getting his sister’s blanket, throwing away a diaper, picking out a story to read.
• Story reading is actually at an all-time high. Multiple times a day I’ve been instructed to sit beside him for storytime. Well… if I must!
• We’re just recently getting over a sickness (them were some sore buns!), so now we’re making up for lost time in the eating world. For a few days he was eating a snack not even 30 minutes after breakfast! We’re starting to slow down a bit now.
• Favorite foods: yogurt, tomatoes (even though he calls them apples), bananas (always), cracker (he can call those by name, dang nabbit!), muffins, and he’s generally good about eating the veggies.
• I don’t think there’s a prouder moment than today in the nursery when he didn’t clobber another kid for the goldfish crackers in his bowl. He was such a gentleman.
• H enjoys telling everyone in the house “night night” and giving kisses. Daddy, mommy, sister, the dogs… everyone gets their turn.
• And because we’re deep within the mimic stage, we’ve started sitting on the floor, clasping our hands and closing our eyes for bedtime prayers. It has to be the cutest thing I’ve seen all year.
• Out of the blue, H will make my day by just saying “Hi Mommy!” or giving quite the hug. So sweet!

The two of them are quite the peas in a pod. They LOVE each other. In the car the other day they were holding quite the conversation (hopefully not a plot to overthrow their authority figures). If she starts to get a bit whiny, we ask H to sing to her or read to her and once he says, “Hi Sissy!” she seems to know that everything will be ok. Be still my heart.

As a threesome, we’ve conquered the grocery store. M gets to ride in the bjorn, H in the cart. We go early in the AM mid-week so that we have less of an audience if there is a meltdown (and much quicker lines). So far, so good.

So there’s the update. What wonderful blessings!

Today brought 2 different conversations with people I enjoy about current lifestyle changes we’re trying to make. It made me a) quite proud of my efforts and b) quite thankful that I have the opportunity to invest time into making it happen. Allow me to elaborate on my day…

Woke early so that I could put myself together before I was needed by the children. M’s internal alarm went off at 6:45 so it’s a good thing. We had a rotation of kids in bed before I got us all out the door by 8:45 to hit Kroger. I LOVE shopping at the wee hours of the morning. There are no lines. The kids are in better moods. There are no lines and no other shoppers to irritate. Did I mention no lines? 

Thanks to the book I’m reading (Stuffed) I was well aware of all my purchases and the gimmicks employed by the CPG industry. I was not duped. I stuck to my list. Except for the nitrate-free bacon on sale that I stowed into the freezer. We seem to eat bacon by the pound, so it was a wise consumer decision (until we buy it by the pig, but I don’t love pork, so I don’t think that will happen).

I then ventured to an old haunt – Panera – to get husband’s favorite bread and I treated myself to a pumpkin spice latte. Double yay for delish candy coffee and for being able to spoil myself every once in a while. Might I add that I did this with 2 children in tow? Impressive, I know. 

I got approved for a listserv of other local people trying to live wholesome lives, complete with a few new sources of where I can get my food, such as eggs and milk. Super excited.

I was able to squeeze in some yoga while keeping the infant entertained. AND I showered. Win and win.

The salad for lunch (composed of sliced apples, raisens, almonds on a bed of romaine with a homemade poppyseed dressing, courtesy of LBW) made my tummy happy.

A pumpkin roasted in the oven; the muffins are on deck for tomorrow. Seeds are drying to be roasted.

And tonight I will round out my adult-ness and go to book club. I’m not sure I’ve ever mentioned how much I love book club? I do. I’m more than just a mom there. Or a “resource” (at work. That’s a whole other post).

I feel all home-maker-y. Kind of like a could roar. I feel resourceful and empowered. Days like today remind me that I am in control of my time and energy, not the other way around. I’m proud of the efforts to make my home a whole and happy one. Physical health? check. Mental health? Check. Social health? check. Marital check? (did I mention I have dinner for husband cooking even though I’m leaving?). Yup. Check.

Now I’m going to run to the Nazarene’s Twice-blessed sale, purchase some unneeded items but thereby donating a small profit to the childrens ministry. Spiritual and communal health? check check.

Roar.

I knew it would happen… I just didn’t anticipate it would hit quite this soon. The itch for a new project.

Though there has been a great deal of effort on my part, I’m not the type that just enjoys each day as they come with disregard for the future. Don’t get me wrong – I soak in the moments and value the joy of small things, especially in staying with my little ones. I  make a concerted effort to enjoy the present. But when you know me and my personality, it’s clear what I love most:
Goals.
Deadlines.
To-do lists.
Ideas.

Recently I had a goal – a vision, an idea – but it has since been all but dashed. And now I feel, once again, aimless.

Husband, the superman he is, continues to encourage me onward, but it’s lost the luster and zeal. Disappointment has a way of sucking the energy out of you, doesn’t it?

I read a fantastic book recently – This is not the Story You Think it Is. Overall, a fantastic read. It’s about not letting the things outside of your control drive your happiness (this, amid a marriage on the breaking point). She quotes a friend saying, “The only difference between being published and  not being published is being published.” Ah, so true.

Do I want something new and shiny because of an inner drive and passion to do it, or because of some greater reason involving others and circumstances outside my control? Can I be who I’m called to be without a formal recognition of specific acts and visible proof?

This post is much too deep for a Wednesday morning. And sorry about the cryptic nature of “things” and “ideas” – but I’m not ready to fully share. I need my own opinion before I can take on others’.