I am not usually one for resolutions -- I don't tend to make them, because I know I can't keep them. Yes, I could use to lose a couple of pounds, buy new clothes and update my style (since I really lack any sort of style at all), get a make-over, eat healthier, exercise more, blah-blah-blah
But, this year I do want to change the way I function as a person, so I plan on trying to do the following:
1. I resolve to try my hardest to convince my husband that we don't need cable TV -- we've gone 2 months now without it and we could go the entire year without it. We are thinking of getting Netflix, so then we don't need cable for sure!
2. I resolve to play more with my daughter on the days I am home from work and save the housework for when she is napping. This is hard for me, because I like to throw in a load of laundry, clean the bathroom (okay, I don't really like to do that) or empty the dishwasher and little tasks of the sort throughout the day. But, I would also like to sit on the floor more, color, make-believe, etc with my daughter more....so, I resolve to play more!
3. I resolve to send birthday cards in the mail to friends and family. I have gotten out of the habit of sending 'real' cards and just dropping a quick email. I need to get better at sending snail mail.
4. I resolve attempt meal-planning, so it's not so stressful for me to decide on what to have for dinner 1 hour before we'd like to eat. I am easy to please when it comes to food -- I really like most anything. Now, my husband on the other hand - he's a classic "picky-eater". He is hesitant to try new foods, orders the same food each time you go to a restaurant and is pretty much set in his ways -- he likes his meat, veggie and starch separate and doesn't like his food 'mixed' up (like stew or casseroles, etc). So, it's stressful for me to make dinner -- he would be happy with porkchops each night and I like to expand my flavor palate and I want to encourage our daughter to try new things. So, I resolve to sit down with my husband and plan meals a week in advance.
Lastly,
5. I resolve to invite friends over more often, host playdates and dinner parties and game nights and coffee mornings more. I mean, that's what life's all about right, relationships? I want to strengthen the relationships I have and grow new ones in 2008. I want our new house to be a haven of welcome and comfort....so, invite yourselves over and I'll get the coffee pot on and the crockpot started....
HAPPY NEW YEAR!!
Monday, December 31, 2007
Friday, December 28, 2007
the reason for new carpet....
You know you've married an engineer when it takes 2 months to order carpet -- the carpet we originally picked out a week before we moved into our house. Because, you know, he's not an impulse buyer like I am! I would have had the carpet ordered about an hour after I picked it out, but he had to 'shop around' and look for the best price, talk to people about installation prices, shop around again, run the numbers on how much it's going to cost us, etc... We ended up going with our original choices.
As we were tearing up the carpet and pad ourselves -- to save money -- I almost got sick to my stomach when I saw this....
Yes, the previous owners had a dog and supposedly, he liked to urinate -- like most dogs. Unfortunately, he liked to urinate on the living room carpet and this is the 'gift' we found when we tore up the carpet! Yes -- it was on the ENTIRE living room floor !!
So, now we have new carpet, but the pictures I took don't really do it justice, so I'll have to work on getting a photo for you all.
As we were tearing up the carpet and pad ourselves -- to save money -- I almost got sick to my stomach when I saw this....
Yes, the previous owners had a dog and supposedly, he liked to urinate -- like most dogs. Unfortunately, he liked to urinate on the living room carpet and this is the 'gift' we found when we tore up the carpet! Yes -- it was on the ENTIRE living room floor !! So, now we have new carpet, but the pictures I took don't really do it justice, so I'll have to work on getting a photo for you all.
A Year in Review
So, I know some people send the 'year-in-review' holiday letter out with their Christmas cards and we thought about that......but, by the time you read the review of our year, you'll know why we spared our family and friends the details and decided to just share it all with you:
2007:
January -- husband lost his job/was forced to resign, I picked up more hours at my 2 part-time jobs
February -- I turned the big '3-0'
March -- we decided to put our townhouse up on the 'wonderful' housing market
April -- the toddler turned the big 'terrible 2'
May -- husband found a new job, I cut back my work hours
June -- we did have some summertime fun: ball games, sidewalk chalk, sprinkler, playing at the park, etc.
July -- same as last month
August -- we found out we were pregnant!
September -- we sold our townhouse -- in record time in this horrible market!
October -- we moved in with our babysitter's family for 3 weeks, then moved into our new house on October 23rd, then I miscarried on October 28th at 11 weeks gestation
November -- hubby turned the big '3-3' on Nov 28th and that same night he was at the hospital getting an MRI of his back because he was having foot drop for 3 days, lost internet services twice this month and had to hassle and haggle Comcast to get a technician to fix it
December -- we tore out dog urine-stained carpet and got beautiful new carpet just hours before my family came up to celebrate Christmas! We had a LOVELY Christmas and look to a better 2008!
As we sit here trying to watch a little TV before going to bed, we can see that the picture tube in our 6 year old TV is about to blow -- we still have 3 more days left in 2007 for something to go wrong....
~~~Here's to a positive outlook on 2008~~~~
2007:
January -- husband lost his job/was forced to resign, I picked up more hours at my 2 part-time jobs
February -- I turned the big '3-0'
March -- we decided to put our townhouse up on the 'wonderful' housing market
April -- the toddler turned the big 'terrible 2'
May -- husband found a new job, I cut back my work hours
June -- we did have some summertime fun: ball games, sidewalk chalk, sprinkler, playing at the park, etc.
July -- same as last month
August -- we found out we were pregnant!
September -- we sold our townhouse -- in record time in this horrible market!
October -- we moved in with our babysitter's family for 3 weeks, then moved into our new house on October 23rd, then I miscarried on October 28th at 11 weeks gestation
November -- hubby turned the big '3-3' on Nov 28th and that same night he was at the hospital getting an MRI of his back because he was having foot drop for 3 days, lost internet services twice this month and had to hassle and haggle Comcast to get a technician to fix it
December -- we tore out dog urine-stained carpet and got beautiful new carpet just hours before my family came up to celebrate Christmas! We had a LOVELY Christmas and look to a better 2008!
As we sit here trying to watch a little TV before going to bed, we can see that the picture tube in our 6 year old TV is about to blow -- we still have 3 more days left in 2007 for something to go wrong....
~~~Here's to a positive outlook on 2008~~~~
Wednesday, December 12, 2007
Does Santa come to your house?
I hadn't really thought about the whole 'Santa' thing until recently. Last year, our daughter was too young and just screamed when seeing Santa, let alone trying to sit on his lap. This year, she was a bit more energetic and ran right up to him and plopped on his lap, but then was a bit shy and didn't say much.
A single, child-less friend challenged me this week when he almost chastized me for teaching my daughter about Santa. "So, you're lying to her, telling her this imaginary person is going to buy her presents?", "I can't believe you're going to lie to your daughter and make her believe something that isn't real.".
It got me thinking. My husband and I had decided to teach our daughter that Santa was this man who was bringing presents to her on Jesus' birthday. That in fact, we are celebrating Jesus' birthday and Santa is just the messenger/gift-bearer for Jesus.
Now, that really threw my friend for a loop! He challenged me again, "so, you're teaching her about this imaginary Santa and then expect her to believe in Jesus when she finds out that Santa isn't real?"
WOW.
I don't know -- I give up! Parenting is such a challenge. I knew parenting was going to take physical energy and love and patience, I just never knew that parenting would take such mental energy! At times, I feel like I'm digging myself into a hole and it's getting deeper and deeper. I know there's nothing wrong with teaching my daughter about Santa -- I believed in him and I turned out just fine, right? But, do I separate the two: Jesus and Santa? Or do I teach them together as a tag-team?
I want my daughter to know more about Christmas than just the presents and goodies, I want her to know the meaning of Christmas -- the TRUE meaning. But, how do you do it without getting too carried away with the whole Santa-thing thrown in there?
So, this year we celebrate Jesus' birthday AND Santa.....I have 365 days to decide what to do next year...
A single, child-less friend challenged me this week when he almost chastized me for teaching my daughter about Santa. "So, you're lying to her, telling her this imaginary person is going to buy her presents?", "I can't believe you're going to lie to your daughter and make her believe something that isn't real.".
It got me thinking. My husband and I had decided to teach our daughter that Santa was this man who was bringing presents to her on Jesus' birthday. That in fact, we are celebrating Jesus' birthday and Santa is just the messenger/gift-bearer for Jesus.
Now, that really threw my friend for a loop! He challenged me again, "so, you're teaching her about this imaginary Santa and then expect her to believe in Jesus when she finds out that Santa isn't real?"
WOW.
I don't know -- I give up! Parenting is such a challenge. I knew parenting was going to take physical energy and love and patience, I just never knew that parenting would take such mental energy! At times, I feel like I'm digging myself into a hole and it's getting deeper and deeper. I know there's nothing wrong with teaching my daughter about Santa -- I believed in him and I turned out just fine, right? But, do I separate the two: Jesus and Santa? Or do I teach them together as a tag-team?
I want my daughter to know more about Christmas than just the presents and goodies, I want her to know the meaning of Christmas -- the TRUE meaning. But, how do you do it without getting too carried away with the whole Santa-thing thrown in there?
So, this year we celebrate Jesus' birthday AND Santa.....I have 365 days to decide what to do next year...
Lessons I've Learn (so far)....
Lessons I've Learned From Living in the Country:
Even though I grew up in the country (nearest neighbor: 1/4 mile away) with corn and bean fields all around and I had lots of imaginary friends, I am still learning about life in the country -- after living the 'city' life for 6 years.
IN THE COUNTRY:
1. You can hear nothing, and I mean NOTHING, when night falls -- as I'm trying to fall asleep, I often wonder how I ever learned to fall asleep with the hum of the city.
2. The wonders of nature are so amazing that in the city you really have no idea what you're missing! As the squirrels gather the kernels of corn that my toddler daughter "peeled" especially for them and the red-headed woodpecker sits at one of the bird feeders, I hear other birds chirping away, singing their song as if the world belonged to them.
3. No matter how horrible the road conditions may be and how icy the sidewalks are, when the ice glistens on the snow as the sun rises, the glare is bright enough to wake you up in the morning.
4. You don't need cable TV to get some good channels -- we currently have a large antenna on our roof that was so graciously left by the previous owners of our house, and we can get at least 15 channels -- with pretty good reception! So, we have yet to order cable or a dish or anything of the sorts and I'm all for not paying for cable TV that we won't watch. (we are in a small dilemma on New Year's Day -- our beloved ILLINI are playing in the Rose Bowl and it's not on network TV!!!)
5. I learned just this week that when your internet isn't working, even though we JUST got our cable internet installed, you might want to check if any snowmobilers cut the internet cable line when they were driving through your yard! Of course it's winter and the ground is frozen, so we can't bury our cable line.....so, Comcast came out again today and ran another cable internet line -- this time, he hung the cable in the tree, so maybe the snowmobilers will get a little surprise when they run through our yard -- watch out for a cable hanging in mid-air and don't strangle yourself!
Even though I grew up in the country (nearest neighbor: 1/4 mile away) with corn and bean fields all around and I had lots of imaginary friends, I am still learning about life in the country -- after living the 'city' life for 6 years.
IN THE COUNTRY:
1. You can hear nothing, and I mean NOTHING, when night falls -- as I'm trying to fall asleep, I often wonder how I ever learned to fall asleep with the hum of the city.
2. The wonders of nature are so amazing that in the city you really have no idea what you're missing! As the squirrels gather the kernels of corn that my toddler daughter "peeled" especially for them and the red-headed woodpecker sits at one of the bird feeders, I hear other birds chirping away, singing their song as if the world belonged to them.
3. No matter how horrible the road conditions may be and how icy the sidewalks are, when the ice glistens on the snow as the sun rises, the glare is bright enough to wake you up in the morning.
4. You don't need cable TV to get some good channels -- we currently have a large antenna on our roof that was so graciously left by the previous owners of our house, and we can get at least 15 channels -- with pretty good reception! So, we have yet to order cable or a dish or anything of the sorts and I'm all for not paying for cable TV that we won't watch. (we are in a small dilemma on New Year's Day -- our beloved ILLINI are playing in the Rose Bowl and it's not on network TV!!!)
5. I learned just this week that when your internet isn't working, even though we JUST got our cable internet installed, you might want to check if any snowmobilers cut the internet cable line when they were driving through your yard! Of course it's winter and the ground is frozen, so we can't bury our cable line.....so, Comcast came out again today and ran another cable internet line -- this time, he hung the cable in the tree, so maybe the snowmobilers will get a little surprise when they run through our yard -- watch out for a cable hanging in mid-air and don't strangle yourself!
Wednesday, December 5, 2007
It's been a long, long wait...
It's OFFICIAL: we now have internet at home! It's a good day at our house...the husband and I are zoned out on the computer right now -- his laptop and mine....surfing, blogging and buying stuff on Ebay....what more could you ask for in an evening?
I have so much to say, but will spare you all and only give you some of the highlights. I'll post some warm-weather pictures from the past couple of months later, but today was TOO much fun and I can't wait to share them all with you!
We went to a friend's house and played in the snow -- our first time! Last year, the toddler was too young to understand and enjoy that white stuff, but today was different. At first, we screamed when I forced the snowpants on her -- I mean, really -- "YOU ARE GOING TO ENJOY THIS!". (I really, really wanted to go and play in the snow). But, after we got out there, it was hard to get her to come inside!
Tuesday, November 27, 2007
Happy Birthday, Daddy!
So, I know this post is a bit early -- hubby's birthday isn't actually until the 28th. But, since we are STILL lacking in internet services at our house....I am able to post this weekend, so I'm taking advantage of the opportunity!
'Daddy, I love you SOOOO much -- I love it when you do puzzles with me, read me books, let me jump on you and take me on special errands with you.'
'Daddy, I love you SOOOO much -- I love it when you do puzzles with me, read me books, let me jump on you and take me on special errands with you.'
I love my husband SOOO much -- I love the way that you get down on the floor and play with our little girl, I love it when you start a fire in the fireplace, I appreciate all the financial organizing and planning you do for us and our family, I appreciate the time we have together so much!
Happy Birthday!!
Thursday, November 22, 2007
A catch-up on our life....
Many things have happened in the last several months and I thought I should update everyone here (all 3 of you that read!), in case I make mention of anything in the future and you don't know what I'm talking about!
SEPTEMBER: we sold our house and moved out mid-month into our babysitter/daycare families house. We stayed there for 3 weeks (pictures to come soon) and enjoyed our time there, although there was SO MUCH activity there -- with a total of 4 kids running around, including our toddler -- that we were exhausted when we left. Just to let you all know -- are are STILL friends, close friends at that, with that family. Many people thought we would ruin a friendship by moving in, but we all made it work out wonderfully.
OCTOBER: we moved into our new house mid-month and started cleaning, moving in boxes, unpacking, trying to order new carpet -- I have a thing about carpet -- especially if I don't know what has happened on someone's carpet -- I know what happened on our carpet (a toilet-training toddler and a cat who sometimes over-ate), so we are STILL in the process of ordering carpet. My husband is an engineer, and if you know how an engineer shops, you would understand why we still don't have carpet. I'm fine with living out of boxes for a while longer -- I'm just SO EXCITED to be living in our own house!
I also have never mentioned here on the blog (but find it's time to write about it) that we were pregnant during this entire process. We conceived in August and during the moving process, actually on Oct. 29th, I started to have a little dark-colored discharge. Now, I wasn't even really worried about it -- I had read that women 'spot' all the time during pregnancy. However, I am Rh- a type of blood that begins building antibodies when my blood interacts with any other blood. So, if the baby's blood was positive, my body would think there was something 'foreign' in my body and start attacking it as a safety measure. So I knew I would have to go into the doctor's office and get a shot of Rhogram -- a drug that stops my body from building up antibodies.
Of course, it was naptime at our house and you don't dare take a tired toddler to a doctor's office, now do you? So, I waited until my husband returned home from work. By this time, I had only 'spotted' a couple of times during the day -- no true bleeding. I went into the ER (the same hospital where I work) and waited and waited and WAITED to be seen. When I finally got a room, I told the nurse and doctor, "oh, don't worry about me...all I need is the Rhogram shot and I'll be fine". They asked me questions about cramping or bleeding or feeling sick....no, no, and no. The ER doctor asked me if I wanted to have an ultrasound, just to make me feel better that nothing was wrong. I said, "sure".
Well, what happened next is difficult to talk about and difficult to write about, but I'm sure by now you all know the results: our baby was not alive, there was no heartbeat. I was 11 weeks, we had just told everyone the week before that we were expecting again. I was having a miscarriage. My husband was at home, putting our daughter to bed. I was in the ER all alone. I cried, I called my husband and I called our pastor. She arranged to have a friend go to our house, so my husband could come into the hospital. It was now 10:30PM and I first got to the ER by 6:30PM.
It was a long night, a night I hope to never have to go through again.
That was almost a month ago. At times it seems like 6 months, at times it feels like yesterday. We have our ups and downs, but we look to the future for the chance to try again.....
SEPTEMBER: we sold our house and moved out mid-month into our babysitter/daycare families house. We stayed there for 3 weeks (pictures to come soon) and enjoyed our time there, although there was SO MUCH activity there -- with a total of 4 kids running around, including our toddler -- that we were exhausted when we left. Just to let you all know -- are are STILL friends, close friends at that, with that family. Many people thought we would ruin a friendship by moving in, but we all made it work out wonderfully.
OCTOBER: we moved into our new house mid-month and started cleaning, moving in boxes, unpacking, trying to order new carpet -- I have a thing about carpet -- especially if I don't know what has happened on someone's carpet -- I know what happened on our carpet (a toilet-training toddler and a cat who sometimes over-ate), so we are STILL in the process of ordering carpet. My husband is an engineer, and if you know how an engineer shops, you would understand why we still don't have carpet. I'm fine with living out of boxes for a while longer -- I'm just SO EXCITED to be living in our own house!
I also have never mentioned here on the blog (but find it's time to write about it) that we were pregnant during this entire process. We conceived in August and during the moving process, actually on Oct. 29th, I started to have a little dark-colored discharge. Now, I wasn't even really worried about it -- I had read that women 'spot' all the time during pregnancy. However, I am Rh- a type of blood that begins building antibodies when my blood interacts with any other blood. So, if the baby's blood was positive, my body would think there was something 'foreign' in my body and start attacking it as a safety measure. So I knew I would have to go into the doctor's office and get a shot of Rhogram -- a drug that stops my body from building up antibodies.
Of course, it was naptime at our house and you don't dare take a tired toddler to a doctor's office, now do you? So, I waited until my husband returned home from work. By this time, I had only 'spotted' a couple of times during the day -- no true bleeding. I went into the ER (the same hospital where I work) and waited and waited and WAITED to be seen. When I finally got a room, I told the nurse and doctor, "oh, don't worry about me...all I need is the Rhogram shot and I'll be fine". They asked me questions about cramping or bleeding or feeling sick....no, no, and no. The ER doctor asked me if I wanted to have an ultrasound, just to make me feel better that nothing was wrong. I said, "sure".
Well, what happened next is difficult to talk about and difficult to write about, but I'm sure by now you all know the results: our baby was not alive, there was no heartbeat. I was 11 weeks, we had just told everyone the week before that we were expecting again. I was having a miscarriage. My husband was at home, putting our daughter to bed. I was in the ER all alone. I cried, I called my husband and I called our pastor. She arranged to have a friend go to our house, so my husband could come into the hospital. It was now 10:30PM and I first got to the ER by 6:30PM.
It was a long night, a night I hope to never have to go through again.
That was almost a month ago. At times it seems like 6 months, at times it feels like yesterday. We have our ups and downs, but we look to the future for the chance to try again.....
Happy Thanksgiving!
Top 5 things I'm thankful for this Thanksgiving....
5. my health (okay, I really feel like I'm falling apart these days, but I am still thankful).
4. my friends -- what a blessing they have been, especially this past month
3. my family -- I have one of the BEST families around -- my immediate family, extended family, in-laws -- you name it, we all get along!
2. my marriage -- my husband and I, even though we don't always see things in the same perspective, we can laugh and cry together and enjoy each other's company whether it's riding in the car, sitting in front of the TV or dealing with life's tragedies -- we do it together.
1. My God -- and that He has a plan for me and my family that I can't even comprehend yet -- He has my life laid out and I am confident that it's a good one!!
Happy Thanksgiving to YOU!
5. my health (okay, I really feel like I'm falling apart these days, but I am still thankful).
4. my friends -- what a blessing they have been, especially this past month
3. my family -- I have one of the BEST families around -- my immediate family, extended family, in-laws -- you name it, we all get along!
2. my marriage -- my husband and I, even though we don't always see things in the same perspective, we can laugh and cry together and enjoy each other's company whether it's riding in the car, sitting in front of the TV or dealing with life's tragedies -- we do it together.
1. My God -- and that He has a plan for me and my family that I can't even comprehend yet -- He has my life laid out and I am confident that it's a good one!!
Happy Thanksgiving to YOU!
Wednesday, November 14, 2007
NEW HOUSE
I figured you're all waiting on baited breath for some photos of our new house...so, here they are! (I will fill in the details of what happened between the move-out and move-in in future posts)
Here's the back of the house....LOTS OF LEAVES! It's cedar siding, with lots of full-grown trees, on 1 acre lot in the country...well, at least the closest thing to 'country' in the area that we live!
Here's the back of the house....LOTS OF LEAVES! It's cedar siding, with lots of full-grown trees, on 1 acre lot in the country...well, at least the closest thing to 'country' in the area that we live!
Here's the front of the house
another view of the front -- with the detached garage
I didn't many pictures of the inside of the house-- or at least not ones I really want to post on here. We want to get new carpet in most of the rooms and I didn't get in the house to take some 'empty' room pictures -- most of the pictures I have are full of boxes and clutter!
Here is a photo of our living room with the fireplace. We've lit one fire so far -- it hasn't gotten cold enough yet to light one every night, although it's getting colder around here....so maybe tonight!
Moving Day...
Oh my goodness...I think I got it to work! The internet DOES remember me! :) What a happy day -- my heart is so glad.
So, I will slowly give you all the details of my life in the past several months.....we sold our townhouse at the end of September and we moved in with our babysitter/daycare family for 3 weeks while we waited for the owners of our new house to move out......MANY pictures to follow.
I'm a big girl, I can help move this...
So, I will slowly give you all the details of my life in the past several months.....we sold our townhouse at the end of September and we moved in with our babysitter/daycare family for 3 weeks while we waited for the owners of our new house to move out......MANY pictures to follow.
I'm a big girl, I can help move this...
Oh, packing a POD storage unit with a toddler is LOTS of fun....let me tell you!
I'm BAAAAACK....
Well, I'm trying to be back...if my computer would just work! My mother-in-law so graciously offered to come up and watch the toddler and give me some "me-time" and get away to Panera to use their Wi-Fi. So, here I am, trying to catch up on some internets and trying to get my 1,000,000,000 pictures posted.....but, the internet keeps giving me an error message when I try to post a photo -- it probably doesn't remember me! :( oh how sad.....
I'll keep trying...I have SO much to tell you all!
I'll keep trying...I have SO much to tell you all!
Sunday, October 28, 2007
it's been a long, LONG time....
Okay, I know it's been like FOREVER since you've heard from me, or should I say 'read' about me and my family. Well, we are happy to say we are officially moved into our new house in the country and unpacking and getting settled in bit by bit.
It's been a long 6 months -- from having our house on the market, selling our townhouse, moving in with the babysitter's family and now finally moved into our new house and making it a home.
A lot has happened since I've last been on the blog and I'm hoping to share a LOT of good pictures and stories with all of you in the weeks to come. We still do not have internet set up at our house, we don't even have cable yet -- we have a very large antenna attached to the house that we are able to view the network channels -- good enough for me at this point. We are getting new carpet in the next week or two and doing some other projects around the house (we have a LARGE 1 acre lot now with LOTS of beautiful fall leaves......we NEED to buy a rake!!) So, I'm hoping by next month we will have some sort of technology in our lives again -- like internet and TV.
I will share this picture now -- it's my family. My parents just retired at the end of this summer and my dad's company hosted a retirement party. Here we are......
My sister-in-law & brother, my neice, my dad, my mom & my nephew. My husband, myself and our toddler daughter...a pretty decent photo, huh?
It's been a long 6 months -- from having our house on the market, selling our townhouse, moving in with the babysitter's family and now finally moved into our new house and making it a home.
A lot has happened since I've last been on the blog and I'm hoping to share a LOT of good pictures and stories with all of you in the weeks to come. We still do not have internet set up at our house, we don't even have cable yet -- we have a very large antenna attached to the house that we are able to view the network channels -- good enough for me at this point. We are getting new carpet in the next week or two and doing some other projects around the house (we have a LARGE 1 acre lot now with LOTS of beautiful fall leaves......we NEED to buy a rake!!) So, I'm hoping by next month we will have some sort of technology in our lives again -- like internet and TV.
I will share this picture now -- it's my family. My parents just retired at the end of this summer and my dad's company hosted a retirement party. Here we are......
My sister-in-law & brother, my neice, my dad, my mom & my nephew. My husband, myself and our toddler daughter...a pretty decent photo, huh?Wednesday, October 10, 2007
Hello again...
Okay, I know it's been well over 2 weeks since I've last posted -- this is week 2 of living with the babysitter and family. It's a LOT more activity than we're used to in life. You know there's just the 3 of us: my husband, myself and the toddler. We are used to one child talking ALL the time when we were a little family of three. Now, that we are experiencing joining a family of 5 -- so there's 8 of us total living in one house -- it's rather interesting at times!
I am learning about all the various stages of childhood and preparing ourselves for the path that lays ahead....
There's the pre-teen son -- he's stuck in that ackward stage of being too old and too cool to hang out with his family, but then at times still wants to play with the little ones and be goofy. He is very smart and kind, if you give him the time to 'warm up' to you and the fact that maybe you're a little bit cool too! He also mumbles a lot and you can't understand him most of the time -- I think it's a pre-teen thing?
Then, there's there middle child, their daughter. She is so full of positive energy and spirit. She's goofy, funny and very full of life. She strives for attention, being that she's the middle child, yet is very content playing with our toddler daughter -- as if it was her younger sister.
Then, there's the preschool-aged son, the third child. He's rather loud, but understandably so -- he has to raise his voice to be heard over everyone else! He is by far the goofiest -- doing anything and everything to get any sort of attention. The funny thing is, is that I think he does get the most attention, he just doesn't realize it!
Finally, there's our 2 1/2 year old daughter who has taken up whining -- overtime! She whines when someone looks at her, she whines when the kids want to play with her, she whines when she has to sit and eat meals, she whines almost 24 hours a day (at least her waking hours). I don't know if this is her way to get attention or just her way of dealing with the mass chaos that we've thrown her into! She's used to getting all of our attention and now there's 3 other children to compete with -- it's all a bit overwhelming!
We are surviving and we are SO THANKFUL for the gracious offerings this family has given us. We have been blessed with wonderful friends who have welcomed us into their house for 3 weeks.
We are half way there -- half way to our new home. So, we'll all put up with each other for another week and a half and we'll all walk away with lessons learned....
I am learning about all the various stages of childhood and preparing ourselves for the path that lays ahead....
There's the pre-teen son -- he's stuck in that ackward stage of being too old and too cool to hang out with his family, but then at times still wants to play with the little ones and be goofy. He is very smart and kind, if you give him the time to 'warm up' to you and the fact that maybe you're a little bit cool too! He also mumbles a lot and you can't understand him most of the time -- I think it's a pre-teen thing?
Then, there's there middle child, their daughter. She is so full of positive energy and spirit. She's goofy, funny and very full of life. She strives for attention, being that she's the middle child, yet is very content playing with our toddler daughter -- as if it was her younger sister.
Then, there's the preschool-aged son, the third child. He's rather loud, but understandably so -- he has to raise his voice to be heard over everyone else! He is by far the goofiest -- doing anything and everything to get any sort of attention. The funny thing is, is that I think he does get the most attention, he just doesn't realize it!
Finally, there's our 2 1/2 year old daughter who has taken up whining -- overtime! She whines when someone looks at her, she whines when the kids want to play with her, she whines when she has to sit and eat meals, she whines almost 24 hours a day (at least her waking hours). I don't know if this is her way to get attention or just her way of dealing with the mass chaos that we've thrown her into! She's used to getting all of our attention and now there's 3 other children to compete with -- it's all a bit overwhelming!
We are surviving and we are SO THANKFUL for the gracious offerings this family has given us. We have been blessed with wonderful friends who have welcomed us into their house for 3 weeks.
We are half way there -- half way to our new home. So, we'll all put up with each other for another week and a half and we'll all walk away with lessons learned....
Monday, September 24, 2007
WOW!!
We were packing this weekend (pictures to come...) and we had some GREAT friends come and help us -- Brad, Scott, Brian, my brother, father, father-in-law -- they packed a POD tighter than I could ever imagine!! My mom, mother-in-law, sister-in-law and Michelle helped pack boxes and keep me on track. Alana & Alexa took the little ones (my daughter and nephew) to the park and kept them occupied while the adults were packing and moving. Nothing like some bags of fruit snacks (okay, like 3 bags each) and some bubbles to keep the little ones out of our way!
So, it was officially exhausting to pack our whole house up and into a large box. We are now living on the floor, eating off of paper plates and using plastic silverware and eating out of the cereal box!! We have 4 more days like this, then it's off to the babysitter's house!!! We will just be happy to relax a little once this move is done.
I also now have no internet -- my husband, for some ungoddly reason -- disconnected my internet! My only solice in the days ahead of living on the floor and eating off the coffee table, and he took that away from me!! I am right now, 'stealing' some internet from our church office -- well, just really borrowing it for the time being.
I will be taking a break for a while, at least for a couple of weeks. I have lots of GREAT pictures that I would like to share, but you'll have to wait for those. When I return, I will catch up blog-reading and photo-posting. I have LOTS of exciting things to talk about when I return -- like winning a blogging award from my new internet friend, Corey and other random excitment.....but, you'll have to wait a little while for all of that!!
PLEASE STAY TUNED......
So, it was officially exhausting to pack our whole house up and into a large box. We are now living on the floor, eating off of paper plates and using plastic silverware and eating out of the cereal box!! We have 4 more days like this, then it's off to the babysitter's house!!! We will just be happy to relax a little once this move is done.
I also now have no internet -- my husband, for some ungoddly reason -- disconnected my internet! My only solice in the days ahead of living on the floor and eating off the coffee table, and he took that away from me!! I am right now, 'stealing' some internet from our church office -- well, just really borrowing it for the time being.
I will be taking a break for a while, at least for a couple of weeks. I have lots of GREAT pictures that I would like to share, but you'll have to wait for those. When I return, I will catch up blog-reading and photo-posting. I have LOTS of exciting things to talk about when I return -- like winning a blogging award from my new internet friend, Corey and other random excitment.....but, you'll have to wait a little while for all of that!!
PLEASE STAY TUNED......
The "Invisible" Mother
I received this as an email about a week ago, and then again today -- It is so good, that I wanted to post it and share with all of you out there in the internet!
A Mothers story “I'm invisible”
It all began to make sense, the blank stares, the lack of
response, the way one of the kids will walk into the room
while I'm on the phone and ask to be taken to the store.
Inside I'm thinking, "Can't you see Im on the phone?"
Obviously not. No one can see if I'm on the phone, or
cooking, or sweeping the floor, or even standing on my
head in the corner, because no one can see me at all. I'm
invisible.
Some days I am only a pair of hands, nothing more: Can you
fix this?
Can you tie this? Can you open this?
Some days I'm not a pair of hands; I'm not even a human
being. I'm a clock to ask, "What time is it?" I'm a
satellite guide to answer, "What number is the Disney
Channel?" I'm a car to order, "Right around 5:30, please."
I was certain that these were the hands that once held
books and the eyes that studied history and the mind that
graduated summa cum laude - but now they had disappeared
into the peanut butter, never to be seen again. Shes
going, she's going, and shes gone!
One night, a group of us were having dinner, celebrating
the return of a friend from England . Janice had just
gotten back from a fabulous trip and she was going on and
on about the hotel she stayed in. I was sitting there,
looking around at the others all put together so well. It
was hard not to compare and feel sorry for myself as I
looked down at my out-of-style dress; it was the only
thing I could find that was clean. My unwashed hair was
pulled up in a hair clip and I was afraid I could actually
smell peanut butter in it. I was feeling pretty pathetic,
when Janice turned to me with a beautifully wrapped
package, and said, "I brought you this." It was a book on
the great cathedrals of Europe . I wasnt exactly sure why
she'd given it to me until I read her inscription: "To
Charlotte , with admiration for the greatness of what you
are building when no one sees."
In the days ahead I would read - no, devour - the book.
And I would discover what would become for me, four
life-changing truths, after which I could pattern my work:
No one can say who built the great cathedrals - we have no
record of their names. These builders gave their whole
lives for a work they would never see finished. They made
great sacrifices and expected no credit. The passion of
their building was fueled by their faith that the eyes of
God saw everything.
A legendary story in the book told of a rich man who came
to visit the cathedral while it was being built and he saw
a workman carving a tiny bird on the inside of a beam. He
was puzzled and asked the man, "Why are you spending so
much time carving that bird into a beam that will be
covered by the roof? No one will ever see it." And the
workman replied, "Because God sees."
I closed the book, feeling the missing piece fall into
place. It was almost as if I heard God whispering to me,
"I see you, Charlotte. I see the sacrifices you make every
day, even when no one around you does. No act of kindness
you've done, no sequin youve sewn on, no cupcake you've
baked, is too small for me to notice and smile over. You
are building a great cathedral, but you can't see right
now what it will become."
At times, my invisibility feels like an affliction. But it
is not a disease that is erasing my life. It is the cure
for the disease of my own self-centeredness. It is the
antidote to my strong, stubborn pride.
I keep the right perspective when I see myself as a great
builder. As one of the people who show up at a job that
they will never see finished, to work on something that
their name will never be on. The writer of the book went
so far as to say that no cathedrals could ever be built in
our lifetime because there are so few people willing to
sacrifice to that degree.
When I really think about it, I don't want my son to tell
the friend he's bringing home from college for
Thanksgiving, "My mom gets up at 4 in the morning and
bakes homemade pies, and then she hand bastes a turkey for
three hours and presses all the linens for the table."
That would mean I'd built a shrine or a monument to
myself. I just want him to want to come home. And then, if
there is anything more to say to his friend, to add,
You're gonna love it there."
As mothers, we are building great cathedrals. We cannot be
seen if we're doing it right. And one day, it is very
possible that the world will marvel, not only at what we
have built, but at the beauty that has been added to the
world by the sacrifices of invisible women.
A Mothers story “I'm invisible”
It all began to make sense, the blank stares, the lack of
response, the way one of the kids will walk into the room
while I'm on the phone and ask to be taken to the store.
Inside I'm thinking, "Can't you see Im on the phone?"
Obviously not. No one can see if I'm on the phone, or
cooking, or sweeping the floor, or even standing on my
head in the corner, because no one can see me at all. I'm
invisible.
Some days I am only a pair of hands, nothing more: Can you
fix this?
Can you tie this? Can you open this?
Some days I'm not a pair of hands; I'm not even a human
being. I'm a clock to ask, "What time is it?" I'm a
satellite guide to answer, "What number is the Disney
Channel?" I'm a car to order, "Right around 5:30, please."
I was certain that these were the hands that once held
books and the eyes that studied history and the mind that
graduated summa cum laude - but now they had disappeared
into the peanut butter, never to be seen again. Shes
going, she's going, and shes gone!
One night, a group of us were having dinner, celebrating
the return of a friend from England . Janice had just
gotten back from a fabulous trip and she was going on and
on about the hotel she stayed in. I was sitting there,
looking around at the others all put together so well. It
was hard not to compare and feel sorry for myself as I
looked down at my out-of-style dress; it was the only
thing I could find that was clean. My unwashed hair was
pulled up in a hair clip and I was afraid I could actually
smell peanut butter in it. I was feeling pretty pathetic,
when Janice turned to me with a beautifully wrapped
package, and said, "I brought you this." It was a book on
the great cathedrals of Europe . I wasnt exactly sure why
she'd given it to me until I read her inscription: "To
Charlotte , with admiration for the greatness of what you
are building when no one sees."
In the days ahead I would read - no, devour - the book.
And I would discover what would become for me, four
life-changing truths, after which I could pattern my work:
No one can say who built the great cathedrals - we have no
record of their names. These builders gave their whole
lives for a work they would never see finished. They made
great sacrifices and expected no credit. The passion of
their building was fueled by their faith that the eyes of
God saw everything.
A legendary story in the book told of a rich man who came
to visit the cathedral while it was being built and he saw
a workman carving a tiny bird on the inside of a beam. He
was puzzled and asked the man, "Why are you spending so
much time carving that bird into a beam that will be
covered by the roof? No one will ever see it." And the
workman replied, "Because God sees."
I closed the book, feeling the missing piece fall into
place. It was almost as if I heard God whispering to me,
"I see you, Charlotte. I see the sacrifices you make every
day, even when no one around you does. No act of kindness
you've done, no sequin youve sewn on, no cupcake you've
baked, is too small for me to notice and smile over. You
are building a great cathedral, but you can't see right
now what it will become."
At times, my invisibility feels like an affliction. But it
is not a disease that is erasing my life. It is the cure
for the disease of my own self-centeredness. It is the
antidote to my strong, stubborn pride.
I keep the right perspective when I see myself as a great
builder. As one of the people who show up at a job that
they will never see finished, to work on something that
their name will never be on. The writer of the book went
so far as to say that no cathedrals could ever be built in
our lifetime because there are so few people willing to
sacrifice to that degree.
When I really think about it, I don't want my son to tell
the friend he's bringing home from college for
Thanksgiving, "My mom gets up at 4 in the morning and
bakes homemade pies, and then she hand bastes a turkey for
three hours and presses all the linens for the table."
That would mean I'd built a shrine or a monument to
myself. I just want him to want to come home. And then, if
there is anything more to say to his friend, to add,
You're gonna love it there."
As mothers, we are building great cathedrals. We cannot be
seen if we're doing it right. And one day, it is very
possible that the world will marvel, not only at what we
have built, but at the beauty that has been added to the
world by the sacrifices of invisible women.
Friday, September 21, 2007
Our Little Princess
This is about as close to 'princess' as you will get at our house these days. We have never really been the 'girly' kind here -- no bows or clips in the hair, haven't painted the little nails yet, don't wear that many dresses or frilly clothes. Maybe that's because I was pretty much tomboy-ish growing up and I feel the most comfortable in a nice pair of jeans and a long-sleeved shirt (YEAH for Fall!!). But, at the babysitter's this week, they made a princess crown and painted a 'magic wand' -- just like Princess Presto with spelling power! (from SuperWhy -- our new favorite PBS kid's show!).So, here you all go -- a little princess in our midst.
(P.S. more packing stories and photos to follow -- sorry, I've been SO EXHAUSTED with packing boxes, figuring out what to take with us for 3 weeks at the babysitters and then what to pack in storage -- it's VERY draining!)
Wednesday, September 19, 2007
Sunday, September 16, 2007
"De-Bratting" our Children
I came across several parenting posts on discipling children. Check out this post at Multi-Tasking Moms and this post today on Slacker-moms-r-us....WOW! She spoke my words exactly!!! I have seen too many children signed up for park district classes, preschool programs, swim lessons, traveling soccer and cheer-leading classes -- all at the same time and they are only 5 years old!!! Children these days don't know what the word 'no' means and they are handed way too many things without working for them or earning them. They also don't know how to be bored or have quiet time where they need to entertain themselves.
Now, don't get me wrong, we do buy our daughter cute clothes, but I REFUSE to buy children's clothes at name-brand stores. I shop the clearance rack at Target, garage sales and we LOVE hand-me-downs. It's not that we can't afford to buy name-brand clothing, it's that we choose to spend our money on other things. (and I REFUSE to get wrapped up on "keeping up with the Jones' mentality)
My husband and I both agree that our daughter will probably not like us very much when she asks to have "such-and-such like so-and-so" and we tell her, "no" or "you can buy that with your own money if you'd like". We have also committed to allowing her in only 1 activity at a time -- right now it's parent/tot swimming classes on Saturday mornings.
It's tough being a parent, not because of anything that is out of our control -- it's actually all within our control -- what she watches on TV, what she hears come out of our mouths, what we bring into the house, what we choose to spend our money on and what we choose to partake in as a family.
So, let's all start "de-bratting" our off-spring and change the generation of children we are raising! It can start with me and you...
One of the comments by Beck to this post was VERY good....So, I wanted to update this post and include her comment -- GREAT point!
**I think what actually spoils a child is too much getting of their own way, too high of a self-regard and a certain kind of parental neglect. Add it all up and it spells BRAT.
Saturday, September 15, 2007
Our Moving Story...(continues)
If you've following our life for the past couple of months, you know that we've had our townhouse on the market for ~5 months and we just sold to a couple from Florida, who are moving up here at the end of this month. We have a house on a contingency (that was to expire on Sept. 17th, BUT we sold our house in time to buy that house!!) and now under contract to purchase. Originally, the owner of that house agreed to sell and move by the end of the month -- so, easy transition, right?
WRONG! The owner of our 'new' house now can't move out until the middle of October. The new owers of our house HAVE to move in by the end of this month...so, that leaves us homeless for ~1 month!! But, in this housing market, you do whatever it takes to sell your house, right?
So, we've been contimplating what to do -- rent for a month, go on vacation for a month (my vote is here!) or ask friends to move in with them......
Well, our babysitting family (I will call them babysitting family -- but, they are/were friends of ours first before the mother started babysitting/providing daycare for our daughter) offered an extra couple of rooms at their house for us to stay with them. So, that's what we're doing -- WE'RE MOVING IN WITH THE BABYSITTER!
The kids are going to have SO much fun, I just know it. Our daughter won't know what happened -- going from mom, dad and a cat to having 2 brothers, a sister and a Miss Karen and Mister Scott all under one roof!
I am nervous, only because it kind of reminds me of college days -- having roommates and whatnot. We all do things differently, I'm sure. What about laundry? Cleaning? Cooking? Yeah, cooking -- I am NOT that great of a cook and I'm used to cooking for 2 adults and toddler that picks off of our plates. The babysitting mom is used to cooking for 2 adults and 3 growing school-aged children!
I think we'll just offer to pay them money -- sort of like a bed and breakfast? Except it's bed & breakfast & lunch & dinner!!
So, here they all are.....Jeffrey, our daughter, Holly & Bradley.
WRONG! The owner of our 'new' house now can't move out until the middle of October. The new owers of our house HAVE to move in by the end of this month...so, that leaves us homeless for ~1 month!! But, in this housing market, you do whatever it takes to sell your house, right?
So, we've been contimplating what to do -- rent for a month, go on vacation for a month (my vote is here!) or ask friends to move in with them......
Well, our babysitting family (I will call them babysitting family -- but, they are/were friends of ours first before the mother started babysitting/providing daycare for our daughter) offered an extra couple of rooms at their house for us to stay with them. So, that's what we're doing -- WE'RE MOVING IN WITH THE BABYSITTER!
The kids are going to have SO much fun, I just know it. Our daughter won't know what happened -- going from mom, dad and a cat to having 2 brothers, a sister and a Miss Karen and Mister Scott all under one roof!
I am nervous, only because it kind of reminds me of college days -- having roommates and whatnot. We all do things differently, I'm sure. What about laundry? Cleaning? Cooking? Yeah, cooking -- I am NOT that great of a cook and I'm used to cooking for 2 adults and toddler that picks off of our plates. The babysitting mom is used to cooking for 2 adults and 3 growing school-aged children!
I think we'll just offer to pay them money -- sort of like a bed and breakfast? Except it's bed & breakfast & lunch & dinner!!
So, here they all are.....Jeffrey, our daughter, Holly & Bradley.
The Park...we will miss you!
As we prepare to move, we are starting to do our final visits to some of our favorite spots. Now, I know there will be plenty more parks in our lifetime and plenty more walks to pick up 'natures', as the toddler likes to call them, but it's still a bit sad to visit some of our favorite spots for possibly the 'last' time....
Yes, that's my daughter -- with the crazy hat on -- "it's windy, I have to wear my hat" -- sometimes you don't argue with a toddler!
Yes, that's my daughter -- with the crazy hat on -- "it's windy, I have to wear my hat" -- sometimes you don't argue with a toddler!Wednesday, September 12, 2007
Monday, September 10, 2007
Our new FAVORITE TV shows...
Okay, I will admit that our little 2 1/2 year old toddler probably watches a bit too much TV, according to the AAP regulations. But, there are just SO MANY good programs on -- educational, imaginative and creative shows. Some of our favorites: Dora, Diego, Blue's Clues, WonderPets.
We first heard about some new PBS programs through this website. So, we checked out the new programs: SuperWhy and Word World. They are by far, our FAVORITE programs. Our little one wakes up every morning, "I wanna watch a little SuperWhy". We are using it as a reward program -- she can watch one episode of it later in the afternoon if she has had a good attitude during the day.
This is just a little plug for some great children's programming -- I'm not getting paid to write any of this!
We first heard about some new PBS programs through this website. So, we checked out the new programs: SuperWhy and Word World. They are by far, our FAVORITE programs. Our little one wakes up every morning, "I wanna watch a little SuperWhy". We are using it as a reward program -- she can watch one episode of it later in the afternoon if she has had a good attitude during the day.
This is just a little plug for some great children's programming -- I'm not getting paid to write any of this!
LEAD PAINT AWARENESS!
Click on the link above to learn more about lead paint awareness -- especially since all the popular character toys seem to be recalled these days! Payton has a couple of the toys -- one being the Elmo sprinkler she got a year ago. She was a little over 1 at the time last summer that we used it. Of course, looking back at pictures and memories of that sprinkler, she put it in her mouth SEVERAL times! What to do now? Not much...it's too late, but we are working on preventing her from putting toys in her mouth. She's never been much of 'toy in the mouth' kind of kid, so we're lucky on that aspect.
The above link is also running a contest to win a $100 gift certificate from an on-line toy/clothing company that is all-natural materials, Natural Pod....it would be nice to win!! :)
Sunday, September 9, 2007
My Favorite Things:
My thumb and my blankie -- 2 of my FAVORITE things! What are your favorite things?
Our Little Helper
Helping daddy vacuum my room! We like to get this little 'popper' out -- you know, that traditional toddler toy that they push around the house that makes a popping noise? You know you have one -- I think they are like 30 years old! (they make a newer version, of course). Each time we get out the vacuum, the little toddler has to get out her 'bacuum' and push it right along with us.Saturday, September 8, 2007
New HOUSE!!
I know you've all been waiting with baited breath from some exciting news from our end of the earth...
So, I won't make you wait any longer...
We FINALLY sold our townhouse! We've been on the market since April, and just this weekend we sold it to a couple from Florida. The CRAZY part of this story -- we now have 20 days to move! YES -- only 20 days! You know, we've had our house open for 'business' for almost 6 months and now, in the blink of an eye, we have to move out in 20 days.
I am very excited, however, at the same time, I am sad. We've been talking about moving into a "house with a yard" for some time now -- our toddler daughter is the type who needs some prompting and encouragement before trying or doing new things. So, last night while we were doing the "happy dance" of joy for selling our house, she looked at me and said, "but this is our house"....oh, don't make me cry little one. There's plenty of time for tears when we have to say some final good-byes, but right now we need to FOCUS!!
The house we are in IS her house -- she was born here, she has her room -- the only home she has known, her bathtub, her toy box and all her toys. Now, of course all of her 'stuff' will come with her -- but, I know this is going to be a stressful and a whirlwind 20 days.
Any suggestions on how to reduce the stress and tension as we transition to a new house?
So, I won't make you wait any longer...
We FINALLY sold our townhouse! We've been on the market since April, and just this weekend we sold it to a couple from Florida. The CRAZY part of this story -- we now have 20 days to move! YES -- only 20 days! You know, we've had our house open for 'business' for almost 6 months and now, in the blink of an eye, we have to move out in 20 days.
I am very excited, however, at the same time, I am sad. We've been talking about moving into a "house with a yard" for some time now -- our toddler daughter is the type who needs some prompting and encouragement before trying or doing new things. So, last night while we were doing the "happy dance" of joy for selling our house, she looked at me and said, "but this is our house"....oh, don't make me cry little one. There's plenty of time for tears when we have to say some final good-byes, but right now we need to FOCUS!!
The house we are in IS her house -- she was born here, she has her room -- the only home she has known, her bathtub, her toy box and all her toys. Now, of course all of her 'stuff' will come with her -- but, I know this is going to be a stressful and a whirlwind 20 days.
Any suggestions on how to reduce the stress and tension as we transition to a new house?
Wednesday, September 5, 2007
A Trip to the Zoo...
HAPPY LABOR DAY, everyone! Okay, so I'm just a couple days late. We had a busy weekend of me working, a full Sunday of volunteering at church (hubbie on the sound system, me in the nursery) and then a picnic. On Monday, we decided to go to the local *FREE* zoo. I kept reminding my husband that it's *FREE*. It's definitely not like any big-time zoo with lots of wild animals -- this zoo has a cougar, some wolves, pot bellied pigs, goats, ducks, bald eagle, and some foxes. It was hot, so even those animals were hiding in the shade and didn't come out to see us....our little one didn't seem to care. So, as hubbie was looking at me like "what sort of zoo is this?", I told him, "Oh, we have to go to the best part -- the REPTILE HOUSE!". This is SO worth the wait everyone....
we saw some alligators,
we saw some alligators,
a BIG boa constrictor,
we saw the alligators...again...this time we waved at him/her,
and some turtles!
Here she is watching and waving at the alligator -- our favorite exhibit, by far!
Sunday, September 2, 2007
YUMMO!
Wow -- look at that picture -- you would think that I am a real baker!For those of you who know me, you know that I am the FARTHEST thing from being labeled a 'cook' or 'baker'. I don't do well with measurements -- I like to just toss some ingredients in -- I use a rough estimate and for the most part the food I cook/bake seems to come out to be edible!!
So, I was 'surfing' the internet and have found a fellow mommy-blogger and she had this post on her website about blackberry pie bars. Now, I love me a good dessert bar (I don't do cookies very well)! It looked easy and YUMMY, so I emailed her and asked if she thought I could use blueberries (more popular around here and cheaper -- I am also a frugal baker!) I followed her recipe (for the most part) and they turned out SO GOOD! They were ultra easy to make and it was the hit of the cookout today -- even the pre-teenagers liked them!
Saturday, September 1, 2007
Fashionista?
So, do you think this will EVER be in style? Dora underwear (on the OUTSIDE of the onesie, of course!), Elmo slippers and the now-infamous upside-down glasses! (click on the pictre for a LARGE viewing....)Friday, August 31, 2007
A Bike Ride
Payton got this REALLY COOL bike from her Mae Mae & Papa Bob for her birthday in April. It's interesting -- she is really into books, puzzles, books, talking, coloring, books, art projects and of course, books. She hasn't shown much interest in 'physical' activities -- maybe that's why my 2 1/2 year old is still not walking up and down the stairs (she prefers to crawl!). But, she took an interest in the bike tonight -- on our walk to find 'natures', as she calls it.
Now, tell me you don't just want to SQUEEZE those cheeks and give her lots of kisses -- it's the glasses, isn't it??FREEZIE pops -- AGAIN!
Fun @ Playgroup!
This past week, we were invited to a playgroup with some fellow blogging mommies: Christine invited us to her house (she hasn't shared her blog address with us yet) and we played with William & baby Tori, Kerry and her boys: Jacob & Brett. Amy and Hailey were sick at home, so they weren't able to join us :(
We started the day with donut holes from Dunkin Donuts, went right to ice cream (pretend, of course) and then outside and a picnic. Payton & William playing at the sand table (we want one of those TOO!)This last picture is Payton play farm with Jacob -- we had a really fun day!
Wednesday, August 29, 2007
Tuesday, August 28, 2007
Take Me Out To the Ballgame!!
This summer, we've gone to a total of 4 Kane County Cougars minor league baseball games. Let me tell you -- if you are looking for some good family-friendly fun -- try a minor league baseball game in your area! We watched fireworks after every game, good ball park food (plus, we sneak some snacks in there sometimes) and in-between inning fun! Payton LOVES to go to the ballgames!!!
Here, we rode the tram to the game -- this time, we went with a group from my work -- we rent out one of the picnic decks at work and we can bring friends & family to the game -- we brought Grammy & Papa Bill, Brian and Trina & the daycare-family.
Holly, Bradley & Jeffrey with their new Cougar shirts!
Best Buddies!!
Payton did NOT want to get her picture take with "Ozzie" the Cougar, but afterwards, she told everyone, "I got my picture taken with Ozzie -- see!" "I like Ozzie"
After the game (9:30PM!) and fireworks (10PM) , the 'big' kids went to run the bases . Payton orginially said she didn't want to go, but then once she saw the kids down there, she changed her mind -- imagine that! So, we had to wait in a long line of kids and finally got to the front of the line...
Running around the bases....what fun!
Here, we rode the tram to the game -- this time, we went with a group from my work -- we rent out one of the picnic decks at work and we can bring friends & family to the game -- we brought Grammy & Papa Bill, Brian and Trina & the daycare-family.
Holly, Bradley & Jeffrey with their new Cougar shirts!
Best Buddies!!
Payton did NOT want to get her picture take with "Ozzie" the Cougar, but afterwards, she told everyone, "I got my picture taken with Ozzie -- see!" "I like Ozzie"
After the game (9:30PM!) and fireworks (10PM) , the 'big' kids went to run the bases . Payton orginially said she didn't want to go, but then once she saw the kids down there, she changed her mind -- imagine that! So, we had to wait in a long line of kids and finally got to the front of the line...
Running around the bases....what fun!
Monday, August 27, 2007
Fun at Ka-Ka's House
Payton lovingly refers to her daycare provider as "Ka-Ka". Please know, that this is a term of endearment and nothing else. When Payton was learning to speak, we encouraged her to say each person's first letters: "Buh-Buh" for Bradley (which for a time, he was referred to as 'Bubba'), "Huh-Huh" for Holly, "Juh-Juh" for Jeffrey, "S-S" for Mister Scott, and "Ka-Ka" for Miss Karen. Well, of course "Ka-Ka" was the only name that stuck!!
Payton LOVES to go to "Ka-Ka's" house and misses those kids SO much when they were on vacation or when we stay home on my days off. Here are some photos from Miss Karen's house -- look how much fun they have while I'm away at work!
WOW! Those glasses are really big!
Payton and Jeffrey measuring, mixing and baking...yummy cookies, I'm sure! Miss Karen is known around here for her WONDERFUL, YUMMY, OUT OF THIS WORLD cookies!
Payton LOVES to go to "Ka-Ka's" house and misses those kids SO much when they were on vacation or when we stay home on my days off. Here are some photos from Miss Karen's house -- look how much fun they have while I'm away at work!
WOW! Those glasses are really big!
Payton and Jeffrey measuring, mixing and baking...yummy cookies, I'm sure! Miss Karen is known around here for her WONDERFUL, YUMMY, OUT OF THIS WORLD cookies!
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