Blessed in the Midwest

Look Alikes

2012-02-11T18:47:00.000-08:00

We spent some time, yesterday, looking through old family photos and came across this picture of Jon (sorry for the poor quality, it is behind a glass frame and taken with a cell phone) and I immediately felt like I was looking at O, at the age he is right now. The hair. They eyes. The cheeks, the nose, the chin... I also compared the photos to M at a similar age.

My verdict is that the boys really take after Jon,

but I still think M looks a lot like photos of my dad as a little boy.

And, I know what O will look like as an adult.

My Memories Suite Giveaway Winner

2012-02-02T10:12:00.000-08:00

Congratulations, Tanya H, who said:

And I liked My Memories on FB.

You are the winner! Please e-mail me and I will send you the directions to obtain your FREE My Memories Suite Scrapbook software!

Not to worry, if you didn't win, but would like to receive $10 off of the software, you can still use the special code: STMMMS57239 to take $10 off of the My Memories Suite Scrapbook software.

Giveaway Reminder!

2012-02-01T06:27:00.000-08:00

Just a quick reminder to enter the giveaway for My Memories Suite Scrapbook software!

It's a simple as visiting MyMemories.com and leaving a comment, here.

Prayer Ring | Weekly Meetings

2012-01-31T03:00:00.000-08:00

We had a MOPS meeting shortly before Christmas, and a panel of moms shared some ideas for celebrating advent with their children. There were so many great ideas shared, and one of them was to use Christmas cards to create a prayer ring, they use the ring to have their children pick someone to pray for at meal times. This is definitely something that can be done year-round. So here you have it. If you sent us a Christmas card during 2012, we're praying for you! I usually ask M to pick someone, and he always insists that we pray for the same two little boys that share a babysitter with him and also himself - but we're getting there - and it is also helping him to learn who some of our friends are that are far away (Cherie, he is now familiar with you and your hubby!).

::: ::: :::

I am still working through the 52 Bites. For this week I had chosen to establish a morning routine, establish an evening routine, and a couple of others. I will share more on these topics next week. This week I was hoping to elaborate a bit more on the first three projects completed.

I shared about decluttering (and rotating) the kiddo's toys, last week. Due to the length of the post, I did not touch on weekly meetings with your spouse nor a family mission statement.

Do you meet with your spouse weekly? If so, what time do you meet? Do you have a plan for the meeting? Our meetings have taken some tweaking to make them successful, so here are a few pointers:

pick a time that you are not tired [no need to be cranky...]
have an agenda [even if it's informal] with topics like: what is coming up this week (month), what is not working in/missing from, the budget, how are we doing budget vs. actual, what is on your wish list, what needs more prayer (this is especially important for us now that we are contemplating vehicle and home purchases).
set a time limit
listen to each other
keep an open mind
dream together, set goals

We actually used to "meet" only monthly, but for us we found this to be too stressful, and sometimes too late in the game. Meeting weekly might be a bit overkill, but it allows us to keep talking about the big picture, encourage each other to stay focused on being good stewards of our resources, and stay on the same page.

During our weekly meetings, we also schedule: monthly date night, our day off, and our family weekend. Typically we are always together as a family on the weekends. During the Weekend to Remember marriage conference we decided it would also be beneficial to each have a day of the month that we have "off". Even if we are at home, we have the option to do our own thing, tackle our own to-do lists, etc. But at the same time, we make sure that at least one weekend in the month is 100% focused on our family being together and enjoying that time.

::: ::: :::

I think it is safe to say that I have been practicing with the DSLR quite a bit lately. And, that the subject of my practice are my littles. Need proof?

Did you catch the My Memories Suite Scrapbook software giveaway? Be sure to enter!

(Also, I'm aware that O should really wear a bib. He chooses not to... It's not worth the battle.)

Giveaway | My Memories Suite Scrapbook software

2012-01-30T12:49:00.000-08:00

You may remember that last week I mentioned I was in the market for reasonably priced software for editing, creating collages, digital scrapbooking, etc.

You can imagine my excitement when I was contacted by MyMemories to try out the My Memories Suite Scrapbook software and giveaway this software [$40 value!] to one of my readers.

What I Love

User-friendly, I just downloaded the software (Mac and Windows compatible) and started playing; within minutes I had created a new header for my blog.
I can drag and drop my photos direct from iPhoto (where I currently do all of my editing) in to the page I am designing.
I can export my pages to JPEG files and create images (e.g. my new blog header)
SO many options for embellishments, text design, etc.
Pre-designed templates are available, or if you are feeling super creative you can begin with a blank page and design away.

Here's a little collage I created with some photos of M&O:

Aren't they sweet? I was going to put a verse from Dueteronomy in the middle, but when I went to biblegateway.com this verse from Ephesians was the verse of the day. So fitting, given the way this "photo shoot" went, and as a reminder to the boys as they continue to grow.

How to Enter to Receive a FREE Download of the My Memories Suite

Visit My Memories and choose your favorite digital paper pack or lay out, then leave me a comment telling me which one you choose.

For extra entries you may:

Please leave a separate comment for each action you take. The giveaway will end on February 1st at midnight (CST) and the winner will be randomly chosen & announced on February 2nd. Thank you for entering!

::: ::: :::

If you need this software now, as in you needed it yesterday, and are too anxious to see if you win, you can use the special code: STMMMS57239 to take $10 off of the My Memories Suite Scrapbook software. You can use this code at any time - if you do, I might be able to buy a mocha at Starbucks, or something...

Decluttering the Kiddos Toys

2012-01-24T03:26:00.000-08:00

Last week, I introduced the 52 Bites (simplemom.net) project that I am diving in to. I am excited to say that I accomplished all three tasks chosen for week one (declutter and rotate children's toys, family mission statement, and plan weekly meetings my spouse). This post is going to focus mainly on the kiddos toys, and I am adding it to my (somewhat sporadic) Toddler Tuesday series. I will touch on the other two topics in separate posts, so please follow along!

Getting Started - Sell or Donate

I chose to tackle the boys's toys(es) first, because they overwhelm me and have been on my mind for quite sometime. A few weeks ago we took some time to clean out the closet in our guest bedroom, which was just full of bins and boxes, from our move, that never got unpacked. Mostly? You guessed it. Toys. And baby stuff. Most of it went to Goodwill (a carload full).

Quite a few of those items were still in tubs or boxes because they are toys that, frankly, get on my nerves, and in the interest of simplifying just went. Because they are "stuff". The rest of the baby toys went back in to that closet.

I made another round through the house and gathered items that right away just spoke to me, begging to go to Goodwill. This time it was toys that they rarely, if ever use; that only hold their attention for ten seconds at a time; that we have multiple of.

Sort, Organize, Simplify, and Rotate - Reclaim Your Space

I love being mom. I love toddlers. I love a house that looks like we do life with toddlers. Finger prints smeared on the glass, sippy cups in the middle of the living room floor, scraps of breakfast under the table, and even the not-so-gentle reminder of a matchbox car to the bottom of a bare foot.

I don't love looking at chaos.

On any given day, this is what our living room looked like. The boys (ahem, 18-month-old, I'm looking at you...) dump out all of the toys and every book and it seems that is the extent of their creative play. Overstimulated much?

Reclaim your living space. When the kiddos are either not home, or in bed, sort. The main areas that had been taken over by toys were our living room and our basement area. I made one pile of toys that needed homes in the "play area", another pile for Goodwill, and another pile of toys that could stay in the living room. I also set aside items for a busy bag (puzzle books, sticker books, etc) and a pile of items that they have yet to grow in to.
What stayed? The boys have a small kitchen and toolbench in the living room. The accessories for those two toys stayed in a decorative basket, under the sofa table along with a small stash of wooden building blocks, the boys's matchbox cars, nesting blocks, a football, and a small musical tractor.
Books. I have a basket of books on every floor of the house. I left one basket of books in the living room, as that is usually where we spend our time between having supper and putting the boys to bed.
Rotate the toys. I plan to switch out the few toys that are in the basket, once every couple of weeks. I will tell you, those nesting blocks hadn't been played with in months and now that they are one of the only options downstairs, they use them for everything. Building castles. Serving me "coffee" and of course their intended use of stacking and nesting. I put together a large bin of toys that is out of the way, but readily available in storage. At the same time, I put together the bin of toys-to-grow-in-to (100+ piece puzzles, card games, etc).

Ta-da! Peaceful looking living areas (let's not talk about my lack of home decor, k? K.).

Oh, and about that vacuuming, it should be much easier now that I can see the floors.

And with the simplified living area, hopefully we'll do more of this...

Making the Best Use of Space

Initially I thought I needed to purchase all types of toy organization systems. As it turns out, once the sorting was done, I had more space than I thought, I just needed to use it more wisely. For example, I have a set of plastic drawers in the boys's closet that had miscellaneous toys in it, but usually they were emptied and the toys ended up in other areas of the house, because none of them had been given a true home. I originally had their various building blocks in canvas bins that were basically overflowing. I moved the blocks to the plastic drawers, where they fit perfectly, and that opened canvas bins for more smaller toys.

I also had some unused compartments in the changing table. I used that as extra book storage. That way, the books are still easily accessible to the boys, but can also be used to store books for rotating the baskets throughout the house.

The toy room in our house was jam packed with their big-ticket toys and we were at the point where maneuvering the room became difficult and thus not that exciting to play in. The problem is this is where the most exciting toys in the house are located, and where I originally envisioned spending peaceful time with the boys. We moved the playhouse to their bedroom and that really freed up space for playing and re-discovering toys.

Introducing Chores

One of the "52 Bites" is to develop a chore system for the kiddos. With that in mind, once I found a home for our toys, I tried to put pictures and labels on certain drawers and bins to help create a clean-up system that would be easy for everyone. {Also? Because nothing is more frustrating than spending your week getting organized just to find everything put away somewhere else within 24 hours.}

The idea for the "picture labels" came from a post over at The Pilot's Wife {Taming the Toys}

::: ::: :::

One thing I did not tackle was our art and craft supplies - wrangling the toys was enough for the week. We keep one drawer full of craft items in the kitchen, and an easel located close-by. Otherwise, everything else is in the basement. I am thinking that, if I can get organized and motivated, I will plan a couple of projects for each week and have a basket with the needed supplies.

::: ::: :::

I wish I would have had a system in place for toys, from the beginning.

What are your tips and tricks for keeping toys from becoming chaos?

How do you teach your littles about cleaning up and chores?

the first attempt

2012-01-22T09:46:00.000-08:00

Remember when I was ~~hoarding~~ saving Amazon gift cards so that I could purchase a DSLR?

photo credit: Amazon.com

She's here. But, she's just a newborn, so I am still trying to figure her out. In the mean time, I tried my hand at some photos of the boys. I wish we were still having that 50+ degree weather that we had earlier in the month, being outside would have made the whole episode a lot easier. O wanted no part of participating for photos, and M did okay for a while, but ~~eventually~~ after two minutes, they had lost their temper and I had misplaced my patience. Though, upon editing the photos, I realized I had a few that I really liked. Looking forward to having some printed up...

::: ::: :::

I am looking for recommendations on reasonably priced software for editing, creating collages, digital scrapbooking, etc.

Recommendations?

Mom, I love your tillwee... {and other funny stuff}

2012-01-21T18:54:00.000-08:00

M has been saying some really fun things lately, and I love how literal kiddos are at the pre-school age.

This last week we ventured out to the grocery store, and as we were leaving, I could not find M's hat, so I quickly grabbed my North Face headband and put that over his little ears.

As we were leaving the store, the following conversation took place:

M: Mom, that is your headband.

Me: Yes, you can use Mommy's 'til we find your owl hat.

M: Mom, I really love your tillwee.

::: ::: :::

Other cute conversations this week...

M: I am not happy.

Me: Why not, bud?

M: Bepause I am sad.

---

Dad: M, what did you do today?

M: Went to chiropractor! And Starbucks!

Me: None of the above... (he was with a babysitter that day)

---

M: {while riding in the backseat} Mom, I think I love Jesus. [pause] Do you think he plays football?

---

Disclaimer... I might be a bit biased to the cuteness of all of the above based on the fact that I could hear his little voice, oh, and, because I'm his mom... ;)

52 Bites

2012-01-17T06:37:00.000-08:00

Remember last year, when I blogged along with the Simple Mom Project: Simplify? I was a big fan. Having a weekly goal was just what I needed to complete a few household projects, and most of those areas have stayed organized since (even though we are in a different house, I was able to carry the principles forward).

Tsh Oxenreider's new eBook, "One Bite at a Time: 52 Projects for Making Life Simpler" is one that a couple of friends and I have decided to read, and apply, to this upcoming year. There are 52 "bite size" projects that you can tackle, according to your needs. There is no specific order, and you can make it a goal to complete one per week, or heck, if you are ambitious, a few per week. Or, maybe one per month. You get it.

My approach was to (1. purchase the book) take the list of 52 items, put them in to an Excel document and give each a goal date and/or make a note. I have not given all 52 items a goal date, at this point, because I think as I work through the process, some steps will come in a natural order. And, inevitably, life will continue to change as the days pass, and one project might become more relevant than another. Also? Some just scare me and I will probably avoid them (start a compost pile?).

And then, others, for us are somewhat started (eat whole foods on a budget) or finished (make a debt free plan, use the envelope system).

Projects Selected for Week of 1/16:

Create a Family Purpose Statement: this is something we have been talking about for quite a while, and this is a good motivator to get it done.

Plan Weekly Meetings With Your Spouse: something we are already decent at, but need to continue to develop the habit.

Declutter (and Rotate) Your Children's Toys: the toy collection in this house has been overwhelming me for the last couple of months, so this was the ideal place to begin!

Check back with me next week to see how this goes...

Being content...

2012-01-16T05:18:00.000-08:00

Last night I took a slight break from The Hunger Games trilogy (I'm about a quarter of the way in to book number three) to dive headfirst in to Calm My Anxious Heart, for a Bible study group that I am a part of. On one of the first pages the author lists a recipe for contentment:

Right away I posted this to facebook, I felt it was worth sharing.

Some left me feeling convicted with a great deal of room for correction, and others left me feeling blessed because I know God has grown me in those areas. I think a lot of these points leave us open for reflection, as well.

Never complain about anything - not even the weather. I need a lot of work here. I would love to say that I don't really complain. But. I do. Even if it is the little things, I realize that my complaining can chip away at not only my mental state of being, but also the well-being of those who have to hear it. Most specifically my family and friends.
Never picture yourself in other circumstances or someplace else. Grain of salt. I agree, 100%, that we should not be fantasizing about a different lifestyle or what life would be like if this or that were different. But, in our journey to debt free, we had to picture ourselves debt free. We had to have a goal date in mind. We needed a plan for a debt-free lifestyle. We had to be driven to make those changes for the benefit of our family, and because God commands us to be good stewards. That being said, we embraced the portion that God had given us and did not sit around wishing for someone else's portion or someone else's lifestyle. Was/is it hard watching friends buy beautiful new homes? Or new cars? Or the latest gadget? SURE! (at least for me) But, I have learned to convert that in to joy for the people I love and that they are being blessed.
Never compare your lot with another's. I think I touched on this a bit, in the above point. I think it is so hard not to compare. Especially in the age of facebook and twitter. Again, convert any feelings of envy in to joy for others being blessed. And, perhaps use that to try to be a blessing for others. Reading The Millionaire Next Door really helped me get through struggles that I was having with comparison.
Never allow yourself to wish that this or that had been otherwise. Here is one that I need to reflect on, because I can honestly say that I am not even sure if these types of thoughts cross my mind during the day. But I do believe that Satan is very active in our subconscious thoughts. I think it is so important to be aware of thoughts like this and correct them. And, I know that there have been times in my recent past that these thoughts were prevalent in my mind. When we first moved from Des Moines, I would have done anything to wish that the situation were otherwise. Making a conscious effort to end those thoughts and replace them finally allowed me to move on and invest in relationships and activities that I would have otherwise missed.
Never dwell on tomorrow - remember that tomorrow is God's, not ours. Okay, who even has time to think about tomorrow? Kidding, kidding. This is another one to just be meditating on, and be conscious of.

Year in review...

2012-01-08T13:16:00.000-08:00

It has been so fun to see some friends and other bloggers highlighting their memories of 2011, and I thought that it would be fun to do the same here. While sometimes the days seem long, time really does fly. And, in 2011 we went from having a small toddler, barely able to string a few words together, and a small baby to having a little boy that we can hold a conversation with and a small toddler who is beginning to talk. Oh, and in the middle of it all we relocated, again...

Before diving in to the month by month recap, I want to mention one thing. This morning in our small group at church we were discussing with each other our biggest highlight of 2011 and what we foresee as our biggest challenge in 2012.

Highlight of 2011: Amongst many abundant blessings, becoming DEBT FREE!!! {other than that pesky mortgage in Des Moines, but hey that's Baby Step 6, anyway}

Biggest challenge for 2012: Replacing one, or both, of our vehicles and buying a home. It's tough to say if all of those things will happen in 2012, but if God wills it, we will keep working hard at it - and do it the right way this time. {I still remember sitting at the kitchen table, crying, when we began talking about selling our Outlook. And, then I remember specifically writing this post after realizing how silly crying over a car truly was. And you know, I've grown quite fond of our little junkers over these last couple of years and realized how truly blessed we are, because so many have to go without.}

January
Started out with warm temperatures and sunny skies as we traveled to Mexico with our family and close friends.

February
When I think about winter in our rental home last year, mostly what I remember is a lot of snow, and feeling stuck at home a lot, and feeling so ready for spring! But, we traveled again to the Wisconsin Dells for a long weekend. The indoor waterparks proved quite the escape from the gloom and doom of winter (I'm a summer girl).

March
In early March we mourned the loss of, and celebrated the life of, my uncle, who unexpectedly passed away at the beginning of that month. I still remember coming home from that very quick trip to Michigan, to be with our family, and my mom-in-law had done ALL (well, with the exception of the cloth diapers) of our laundry. Pretty sure I'll never forget that. It might be one of the only times, since M's birth, that all of my laundry, except for the clothes on our bodies, were clean at the exact same time. I did a lot of organizing (this is around the same time I made the most fabulous binder ever, and I'm proud to say it is still in use), and spent a lot of time talking about toddlers. And, I had a birthday.

April
Busy, busy, busy in April. We attended the Dave Ramsey Entreleadership Simulcast. I traveled to Ames with a group of my girl friends to celebrate VEISHEA and the 90th anniversary of the Alpha Epsilon chapter of Sigma Kappa. We celebrated Easter at our house and my parents came in for a visit. It was right around that time that our family was blessed with Jon's new job and we started making the preparations to relocate.

May
We played outside. The end.

I still remember M loved to walk down to a small neighborhood close by and see the boat that someone had in a small out-lot next to their home. It was a run down old thing, but M thought it was so neat. We would also take afternoons to go down to the river front and see the boats in the small marina.

I also went to Des Moines with a small group of friends to attend Women of Faith. It was a fun bonding experience but more than anything I remember the rainy, kind of frightening, drive home. But, maybe that's because I don't like to drive at night, and I don't like to drive in the rain, and the combination of both raises my blood pressure (and that's saying a lot).

June
We moved. We spent the month mostly becoming acquainted with the area. And, I think I went to Target a lot. Just because I could.

July

My baby boy turned one. And started walking. And, I started making a more concerted effort to overcome some of M's picky eating habits (more or less, to get him to eat anything but goldfish and milk).

August
Most notably, we celebrated five years of marriage. Cheers to many more to come! We also traveled to Galena for a week with family.

September
As per the norm, for us, we spent much of September in Ames, cheering on the Cyclone football team!

Coach after the big victory over the Hawkeyes

October
We began taking O to the chiropractor to try to solve his recurring ear infections. We quickly discovered the benefits of Chiropractic care and now we all go in for routine adjustments. I am still blown away by the changes I have seen in the boys, and both Jon and I truly feel better, too.

November
We celebrated Thanksgiving with our family in Iowa and had our cookie baking extravaganza.

December
M turned THREE! We became DEBT FREE! We celebrated the birth of our savior! We traveled to Florida! M went for his first Harley ride! We went swimming, outdoors! We went jogging in the warm Florida sunshine! We drank a lot of Starbucks! Oh, and we became DEBT FREE! WOOT!

Reads in Twenty Twelve

2012-01-03T04:24:00.001-08:00

Last year, I posted a list of books that I wanted to read in 2011. I strayed from the list, but am thankful I put the list in writing. I did read a few from the list, eliminated a couple of the novels that I lost interest in, and carried some forward to my 2012 list. To learn more about the listed titles, you can click the photos, which link to Amazon.com. Photo links are affiliate, opinions are my own.

2011 Reads - Fiction

Atonement Child by Francine Rivers

This was phenomenal. But, everything I have read by Francine Rivers has been. I started Atonement Child during the boys's nap-time one afternoon, with the intent to read for twenty minutes. Let's just say I finished it by the end of the same night.

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

I saw the trailer for this movie, want to see it, decided I needed to read the book first. SO GOOD! Books two and three of the series should be arriving on my doorstep, tomorrow. Maybe teenage lit, but I thought there was a lot of good symbolism in this book, and I will read it again, and save it for my children.

2011 Reads - Non-Fiction

Wild at Heart by John Eldredge

I have mentioned Wild at Heart a few times on my blog. I can't say enough about it.

What's Eating Your Child? by Kelly Dorfman

A blogger that I follow wrote a book review on WEYC? right around the same time that I became incredibly frustrated by O's recurring ear infections. I quickly ordered myself a copy, and it has helped me move mountains with M's picky eating and O's ear infections.

2012 Reads - Non-Fiction

Outliers by Malcom Gladwell

I have already started this book, since I bought in in 2009. So far, so good.

11 Indispensable Relationships by Leonard Sweet

To say I started reading this in 2011 is a lie. It's another title I started in 2009 (are we noticing a trend here? woops). Time to pick it back up and read it!

Radical by David Platt

Oh, hey, started this one, recently. This book is definitely growing my faith.

Decision Points by George W. Bush

You may notice this book is not new to my list.

3:16 The Numbers of Hope by Max Lucado

Love and Logic Magic for Early Childhood by Jim Fay & Charles Fay

Calm My Anxious Heart by Linda Dillow

Starting with a Bible study group next week, which I am so excited about. This is the book selection, thus a guaranteed read for 2012.

The Sacred Marriage by Gary Thomas

We purchased this book at the marriage conference we attended and plan to read it together. Our church also just created a list of recommended reading for the "Total Family Fitness" series they are teaching, and this was listed under the marriage category.

Five Love Lanuages by Gary Chapman & Five Love Languages of Children

A title that I am very familiar with, and have talked a lot about. I think this will be important for all of the roles God has given me and it's time to study up! I may add The Five Love Languages of Children to this list, depending on how I feel about this.

2012 Reads - Fiction

The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald

Also saw that this is coming to the theater. One of my all-time favorite novels. Though, I haven't read it in years and want to relive it in my imagination before Hollywood permanently fixes the imagery in my mind. Perhaps this should not be the only fiction on my list, because I seem to fly through those and really take my time on the non-fiction. But, I do technically have the rest of the Hunger Games trilogy on my list, so that's three.

I intend to read more this year.

Which means that I am going to have to shut off the train wreck on ABC called "The Bachelor".

And, actually, after seeing the season premier, I am sad for those people.

...

Anyway.

...

Anyone want to partner up and read any of these with me?

Are they already on your list? What is on your list?

Actually, my list could go on an on, and another potential add-on is Boundaries by Dr. Henry Cloud. I read most of the way through the book a couple of years ago, and have been really wanting to finish it! I also have a copy of Tithing by Douglas Leblanc waiting to be read and reviewed for my blog.

Cookie Baking Extravaganza

2011-12-10T05:42:00.000-08:00

A bi-annual tradition of baking cookies and making Christmas goodies, with my mom-in-law and sis-in-law, is beginning to take form as we continue to get together the day after Thanksgiving and bake the day away... And then package them up and give them away... Recipes are not necessarily consistent from year-to-year, but here is a peek at what we made this year.

And. This was before we were even done...

Here's what we made:

My personal fav & super simple: White Chocolate Peppermint Fudge via Taste of Home
Oreo Truffles but, be warned:

Can.not.stay.away.from.them.

Rolo Turtle Pretzels
Standard Peanut Butter cookies (ask your mom/aunt/grandma/cousin/Betty Crocker cookbook, she probably has a recipe)
M&M pretzel rings (ring pretzels with some melted almond bark poured in, topped with a couple of M&M's)
Frosted sugar cookies (from a pre-mix, we'll pretend the resident three-year-old decorated them, even if it was me...) Does anyone have a yummy sugar cookie frosting recipe to share? If so please do.
Winter Marshmallow Creatures, that I shared with you yesterday.
Ginger Snaps Cookie Balls via Kraft
Nutter Butter Cookie Balls via Kraft
Chocolate Billionaires via Taste of Home {these are as rich as the name implies & taste like a "grown up" version of a Little Debbie Star Crunch treat}

And, lucky for you, none of the above recipes have calories. So bake, melt almond bark, and eat up!

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas...

2011-12-09T21:01:00.000-08:00

I wish that I could write a post on my fabulous Christmas home decor, but have not done much to decorate this year. It's really not my forte, and I have yet to figure out where, in this house, I can set up our nativity set that little hands won't get to it. They have left the tree alone, but there is something enticing about barn animals... I haven't even gotten as far this year as I did last year, because O is mobile, curious, and mischievous this year... Totally fine with this, there are many years ahead to decorate! For now, we'll go with the decorations that they make...

We "kicked-off" our holiday with a visit to Marion for their Christmas in the Park celebration. There were horse and buggy rides available, as well as visits with Santa in the park - and both looked so fun! But, the boys are still a bit too young to stand in the long lines, in the cold weather, so we hit up the library instead. M, with much assistance from yours truly, crafted a penguin ornament, O worked on his not-eating-the-crayons skills by coloring scraps of paper.

The finished penguin is hanging on the tree, and he's cute. The snowman on the right is a project we did with a couple of new friends. I put small dots of Elmers glue on the circles and gave M cotton balls, and he dutifully put them all in to place. He was very excited about the "googly eyes" and picked out the colors for the hat, mitten, and scarf. (Note: I printed off an extra and cut out the hat and mittens to use as patterns for tracing on to cardstock. Alternatively, the kiddos could just color it themselves. We used small yarn pieces for the scarf.)

For M's birthday, we had a small family party. Since the majority of the guests were adults, I decided on "Snowman Soup" as the party favor. It was an idea I had seen on Pinterest. As I drilled down to the actual link, I found that it was a blog post showing which stamps the blogger had used. I essentially recreated the idea* with items I could print off of the internet. I would love to give credit where credit is due, but I simply Googled snowman & snowman soup images to find the prints. I quickly discovered that Ghirardelli Peppermint Bark** is phenomenal and addicting. Yummy in my tummy.

And, last but not least, this handsome little dickens. My mom-in-law and sis-in-law have a tradition of baking/making Christmas goodies on the day after Thanksgiving (it's more of a bi-annual tradition, really...). I gathered my ideas off of Pinterest (obviously!) and this was one of my favorites.

Here is the link, you have to scroll down to "Winter Marshmallow Creatures". There are quite a few neat ideas on this site. The only thing that I altered was to use Wilton candy making products, instead of the "Make'n Mold" brand.

I have good intentions to post more about our cookie baking day, and post some recipe links. Check back!

Also, I have to add that I have a love/hate relationship with the person who first decided to crush up Oreos, mix them with cream cheese, form them in to little round shapes, and cover them in almond bark. Just saying.

*For my Snowman Soup baggies, I used Swiss Miss dark chocolate hot cocoa packets, Christmas Jet-Puff marshmallows, the Peppermint Bark and a small candy cane. I tied the goodie bags with bakers twine. You know, 'cause bakers twine is so stinkin' cute.

**affiliate link (actual product was used)

Interview with a 3-year-old

2011-12-06T19:03:00.000-08:00

Today, I had an interview with my favorite three-year-old. Here's the video.

This was so fun, and M loved it! He was a bit distracted, and some of his answers were blatantly false, but most were exactly what I expected. I'm sure most of these answers could also change tomorrow. But, I plan to keep doing this for years to come, with the same questions, to see how things change.

I got the idea here, via Pinterest.

Here are the questions and answers:

What is your favorite color: yellow
What is your favorite toy: a puzzle
What is your favorite fruit to eat? vegetables {false!}
What is your favorite TV show? Dora
What is your favorite thing to eat for lunch? nuggets
What is your favorite outfit (shirt)? "That one!"
What is your favorite game to play? football, baseball, basketball
What is your favorite snack? strawberry strip
What is your favorite animal? moomoos
What is your favorite song? "B-I-B-L-E"
What is your favorite book? A Goofy book (a Mickey Mouse Clubhouse book he received for his birthday)
Who is your best friend? Gracie (me: Which Gracie? M: Kade's Gracie)
What is your favorite cereal? Mom, I'm three... (we don't eat much cereal here, not sure he knew what I was talking about...)
What is your favorite thing to do outside? my sandbox
What is your favorite thing to drink? water {also, false!}
What is your favorite holiday? favorite holiday.
What do you always bring to bed with you? moomoos
What is your favorite thing to eat for breakfast? nuggets {false, again!}
What do you want for dinner on your birthday? a cupcake {oooh, me too, buddy!}

Note: the link for the "strawberry strip" is an affiliate link - genuinely his answer and a healthy, yummy snack we all love!

28 minutes...

2011-12-05T10:33:00.000-08:00

I just looked down at the clock a couple of minutes ago and it said "12:02 PM" and I texted Jon and said "28 minutes until we have been parents for three years..." and then I teared up. I still remember his birth day like it was yesterday.

In three very short years, our little man has taught us so much about life, ourselves, and our faith.

The memories of the days in between that birth day and today are mostly fuzzy, because time moves by so quickly. Thank goodness for blogging and scrapbooking, I have a pretty good record of those three years so that I can turn the fuzziness back in to clarity!

It is so fun to make birthday's special, and now that I have children of my own, I hope to keep them special days for them, for as long as possible. We celebrated with family over the weekend, so today is all about the four of us. I know some parents make special breakfast for their kiddos, but my M is a particular little guy, and every morning he asks for toast and milk. So, we added some yogurt with sprinkles and I called it his "Happy Birthday Breakfast!"

Then we were off to Kindermusik, where the class sang him "Happy Birthday" - and he thought that was a pretty big deal! - and to the Starbucks drive-thru where we picked up his favorite milk and a birthday cake pop. I would loved to have taken him on a little date inside, but I wasn't about to manage two toddlers, by myself, in a Starbucks. Nope. [To all who enjoy their peace and quiet at the coffee shop, you're welcome.]

We have a special afternoon/evening planned for him, and I am pretty excited! Here's to hoping he and his little brother take a good nap. Between the Halloween candy [that is now gone], the Christmas cookies in the house, and M's birthday celebration, I'm pretty sure nap time means treadmill time.

Happy birthday to my little man, whom I love all the way up to the moon, and back. I cannot imagine life with out him in it!

Giving Thanks

2011-11-23T10:00:00.000-08:00

I am in the midst of reading Radical: Taking Back Your Faith from the American Dream
by David Platt, right now. It's one of those reads (for me, at least) that I want to read in one setting, but my mind starts racing while I am reading it, and I just have to set it down and let it soak in. But, as I have been reading this week, and seeing facebook & blog posts about what people are thankful for, or grateful for, what comes to mind for me is simply:

I am thankful for God's Providence.

But, I am also grateful for a number of other things, but if I had to answer the question right here, right now, at the forefront of my mind is our marriage. We attended the Family Life Weekend to Remember retreat last weekend, and it was truly amazing. We were very blessed in our time there.

Another thing that comes to mind is friends. The friends that have been around for what seems like forever, and the ones that I am still getting to know...

Our family, and that my sister and I live close to each other again.

Our health. While we battle with the little germs and viruses here and there, we are truly blessed and healthy. Thankful that God spoke to my heart about taking O to the chiropractor and the very obvious changes to his health. (Now, if only we could get over that teething thing...)

In 26 days...

2011-11-09T06:29:00.001-08:00

New post on the boys, here.

WIWW {armour edition}

2011-11-02T04:49:00.000-07:00

Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people.

Eph 6:10-18

This week there are no outfit photos. It was a fun and fast-paced week for us, and my mind was everywhere but remembering to take pictures of what I had on. I have been preparing to lead a Community Event (leadership training) for the Northern Iowa area MOPS leaders, that took place on Saturday. Once again, I felt super-prepared and ready, but when Friday approached, Satan began his attack. This time it was you are wasting their time. There is nothing that these women will take away from the training that they don't already know. Are you sure about the timing of your event? You probably only have one hour worth of material to discuss. Those ladies are going to be SO bored. They are never going to attend another leadership training after they attend yours.

I left Cedar Rapids with words of encouragement ringing in my ears, shocked that I would ever believe Satan's lies. E-mails of encouragement, and facebook posts were patiently waiting for me to read. I was blessed with new relationships! And. I know that the Holy Spirit was SO present in with this group. Thus, success.

AND THEN! I noticed a pattern. Satan has been attacking my thoughts and my patience level a LOT lately. But, I am also at one of those points in my faith walk where I feel that I am growing tremendously in my relationship with Jesus. Our church has been doing a series called "Roots: The Essential Relationships For Life" and we have really dug in to understanding the trinity, Satan, the church, one another, the lost, etc. And the messages have been those where I am furiously writing notes and actually going back to them after the service. They are messages that I can apply in my life daily, and have challenged me to re-evaluate my life style. So, of course Satan is on the attack.

Realizing this brought the verse above to mind. To continually clothe myself in the armor of God and take my stand against the devil's schemes. I was thinking back to my post about toddler extra curriculars and realized how insecure that post sounded, and that's not me. {Though it did help to write it down so I could look back at it and laugh at myself a little!} Here is what I clothed myself this week:

“Pray diligently. Stay alert, with your eyes wide open in gratitude. Don’t forget to pray for us, that God will open doors for telling the mystery of Christ, even while I am locked up in this jail. Pray that every time I open my mouth I’ll be able to make Christ plain as day to them. Use your heads as you live and work among outsiders. Don’t miss a trick. Make the most of every opportunity. Be gracious in your speech. The goal is to bring out the best in others in a conversation, not put them down, not cut them out.” - Col 4:2-6 (did you notice the reminder to be "alert" and be constantly in prayer from the Ephesians passage above? neither did I until I wrote this post).

"Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come:The old has gone, the new is here!" - II Cor 5:17

"I eagerly expect and hope that I will in no way be ashamed, but will have sufficient courage so that now as always Christ will be exalted in my body, whether by life or by death. For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain. If I am to go on living in the body, this will mean fruitful labor for me. Yet what shall I choose? I do not know! I am torn between the two: I desire to depart and be with Christ, which is better by far; but it is more necessary for you that I remain in the body." - Phil 1:20-24 (awesome reminder to be so intentional with our time, words, and actions).

What have you clothed yourself this week? I would love to hear!

Happy Halloween, brought to you by Thomas and Friends...

2011-10-31T12:36:00.001-07:00

WIWW {and a little bit about the weekend}

2011-10-25T20:23:00.000-07:00

Cardigan: J.Crew (Jackie cardigan) I purchased this one about six years ago, wear it a ton and it is still looks brand new. It's a little pricier, but it's classic and it seems to be lasting forever... On that note, most of the staples in my closet seem to be J. Crew from way back in my working days, and it's because you are buying a quality item. But, there are always discount codes and sales, so take advantage!
Button-up: Old Navy (similar) I purchased this at the end of spring/beginning of summer, when I had a coupon. I had looked at it a few other times, and finally caved. Then, I wore it. And felt like a farmer. Hopefully this look is a little bit more subtle.
Belt: TJ Maxx (um, $4. Yup.)
Denim pants: Gap Outlet (are we noticing a trend)
Ring: H&M (went there this weekend. spent an hour and a half, at least.)
M constantly tells me, when I wear anything in addition to my wedding ring, "Mom, see ring? Mom, you see ring? See ring? M have ring?" Especially this one.
Shoes: Payless (AGES ago, long before I became a mom, they are wedges and have been around long enough to go from in style, to out of style, to back in style. I'd like to think that makes them vintage. But, more or less just a good buy. similar)

This weekend was kind of a whirlwind of activity. Friday afternoon Jon took the boys out to the farm to do chores and ride in the combine, and I ran away to Chicagoland for the weekend. Visited two of my very best friends. Spent Friday night catching up with one (eating some authentic Italian food and enjoying a glass of wine, or two), followed by Starbucks and some shopping on Saturday. Then it was off to a baby shower for my other friend. SO fun. Baby showers are the best. I could ooh and aaah over baby gifts all day long. Just something about fresh baby clothes, blankies and gear really gets me.

So, back to the shopping on Saturday. And the painting in the background of my photo. Y'all. Have you ever been to "Home Goods"? I died. Given unlimited funds, I could have gone CUHrazy in there. And, need to go back. Stat. It is owned by TJ Maxx, but it is all ... well... "home goods". Anyway, picked up the snazzy painting above. It just would not let me leave with out it. I mean, it begged. And then so did I. And it came home with me. Also? A little trip to H&M finished off the pre-noon activity. Now, time to meet Baby C (in eight short weeks!).

Quick update on the boys...

2011-10-21T04:48:00.001-07:00

Can be found here... Enjoy!

WIWW... a word on tunics

2011-10-19T11:26:00.000-07:00

Toddler Tuesday: The Extra-Cirriculars

2011-10-18T03:00:00.000-07:00

I have been struggling with balance lately. The balance between staying at home during the day and the desire to be out. The struggle between staying indoors and tackling the to-do list or going outside and enjoying the sunshine. The balance between planned activities for the boys and "free play". A lot of it has to do with moving again. Trying to make new friends again. Discovering all the activities available for small children.

I feel like where we are at, there is so much. And, I don't know when things begin, where to sign up, what we should be doing.Are my children missing out on a great opportunity? It's overwhelming. And it tempts me to do nothing at all (that's kind of what I do when I get overwhelmed, I shut down).

And then there were mornings like yesterday's. M wakes up at 5 a.m. to go potty. Cries every time we try to put him back to bed. I decide, I'm wide awake anyway, mine as well get up with him. Leave for Kindermusik around 8:40, M decides he's tired. Doesn't want to participate. We leave class to re-group and try again. M hides behind O's stroller, I quietly lean in to encourage him to join the group, he smacks me across the face.

Cue: Judgmental glances from other moms.

Instinctively my hand grabs M's wrist, harder than I intend or would like. My heart cracks a little bit. M's eyes get wide. He screams. My mind races: what do I do? what would that mom do? does she think I hurt my children? do we leave, or would that make a scene? will they think I'm too extreme? will they think I'm a pushover if we stay? don't they realize he was up at 5 a.m., and really, I mean really, he's a very sweet boy? do they understand that we're just having a bad morning? Shortly thereafter, M climbs in to O's stroller and starts acting like he is a baby, and he's the oldest child in the class. The example setter. I look at my watch, still so.much.time.left.

Then comes the quiet song. The one where you hold your child on your lap and rock. And M snuggles right in. Hugs my neck tight, snuggles his little face in to the crook of my neck and my face gets warm and my eyes fill with tears. He whispers, "I love you, too, Mommy." I turn my head and fight off the urge to have a good cry right there in front of everyone (because then maybe they would really think I was crazy). And I feel convicted. My son is two. Soon to be three, but still two. And I love him so much. And I realize why do I care what these people think? I don't.

And then I think "over programming". I'm going to be on the run with these boys for the next eighteen years. From one extra cirricular to another. I need to slow down and savor these moments where we don't have to be anywhere or do anything that we don't want to do at any certain time.

In His perfect timing, He used MOPS to send this message to my inbox. I'm going to pray over this message, and pray that you'll take the time to look at it. Because I think its relevant whether you are a mom, or not. Meet God right where you are at.

Pumpkin Goodness

2011-10-17T17:31:00.000-07:00

sorry... camera phone.

A couple of weeks ago, Jon was out of town on a Friday night for a conference, so I baked the night away. Earlier in that week I had purchased four cans of pumpkin because every ounce of my being was craving pumpkin flavored things, even though it was still practically 90 degrees outside.

Topping my list was pumpkin scones. I was going to double the batch and send some to friends, but I had to make sure they turned out worth a darn first (read: I am absolutely not domestic and I am shocked that they did not taste like dirt). So, now that they turned out a success, watch your mailbox, Heidi (also, this post is for you).

Pinterest is like my new Google. I typed in "pumpkin scones" and found a beautiful photo of Starbucks look alike pumpkin scones, and a somewhat confusing to follow recipe (the only thing I changed was replacing half of the flour with whole wheat flour). Now, my frosting didn't turn out as beautiful as that of the scones pictured on the recipe site, but I'm assuming those aren't real scones anyway. And mine, combined with a steaming cup of cinnamon spice coffee, were so stinkin' yummy. {if I were to change one thing, it would be using milk in the icing because I think refrigerating these puppies was kind of a bummer}

So yummy that now this is on my wishlist. Gasp I am either becoming slightly domestic or old. Because the other items on my current wishlist are queen size white sheets and an area rug.

In other news: Last night I ordered the Leap Frog LeapPad for M for Christmas. And, I am so excited about it that I'm not sure I'll be able to wait that long to give it to him. Ridiculous.

Faith Growing Reads

2011-10-13T05:30:00.000-07:00

At the beginning of October, I had the opportunity to speak at a MOPS Community Event (leadership training) for the greater Des Moines area. The theme of the event was "Your Life Speaks" and my speaking topic was simply "Lifestyle Evangelism". A broad topic, but as soon as I really put my hands together in prayer about what to say the Holy Spirit took over for me, in a big way. In the weeks leading up to the event, I would be sitting in church listening to the message, sifting through the verses in the Bible and I would hear "this would be good for MOPS" or "use this for your MOPS talk".

I have had opportunities to speak to crowds in the past. Hello, Master's degree. It was either paper writing or presentations, every day. And there were two semesters of teaching intro-level accounting at Drake. But this opportunity was different.

I have always loved sharing my faith in conversation, even if it is a complete stranger. You never know who's life may change when you let the Spirit speak through you. There is passion in conversation about Jesus. It's inevitable.

So, I spoke to this group of Mom's. A few days prior, Satan really started pushing against me. You're probably the youngest mom there. They don't care what you have to say. Who are you to speak about your faith, when you fail all of the time? You have the least leadership experience of any of these people. Your oldest kid is only three, how could you really have anything to teach these people.

Well, lucky for me, Satan, this isn't about ME.

The night before, as I dutifully picked out my outfit, gathered my belongings and quadruple checked the address of the church it came to me that I should bring in some of the books {other than the Bible} that have grown my faith "Faith Growing Reads", if you will. And, because these four books have had such a great impact on my life, I thought I would share them here, too.

Love & Respect
During our first year of marriage, I worked and traveled for work, a lot. I lived and breathed my day job with a little bit of time to sleep and squeeze in some exercise. On one of these late evenings, I was listening to Life 107.1 and a Focus on the Family segment was on. The talk was moving enough that I immediately ordered the book they were talking about, Love & Respect by Dr. Emerson Eggerichs. This book really grew my faith, most importantly in the area of being a wife and serving my husband. An eye-opener that I am so thankful God placed in my life in the very beginning of our journey as husband and wife.

Successful Christian Parenting
Coincidentally (but not, because God planned it), on another late drive home from work, mid-pregnancy with M, another Focus on the Family segment was on, this time John MacArthur, from Grace To You ministries, discussing his book Successful Christian Parenting. I loved this at the time, and still do, because it is not a "if your kid is strong-willed" or "if your kid is sensitive" or "change your child's behavior by doing this". It was simply, no matter who you are, where you are from, or what special needs you may have this is what the Bible says about parenting. I love anything that can point me right to a verse in the Bible for reference. In fact, now the book's title has changed to "What the Bible Says About Parenting".

Fearless
Max Lucado has the ability to grow my faith every time he opens his mouth or picks up a pen. But, of all of his books, that I have read, "Fearless" had, hands down, the biggest impact on my faith. I think as women we tend to fear {worry} more about things, both big and small. Many times, our fears or worries are so unrealistic and Satan is planting stories and ideas in our heads.

"Fearless" was placed in my lap by my amazing Bible study small group back in Des Moines. When this book was placed in my lap it was a very visible sign of God's perfect timing. Because we started reading it in January of 2010 and life in Des Moines was, for the most part, stable. But during the first six weeks of reading and studying this book along side of the Word, God rocked our world.

Jon's job security changed. The house we were planning to buy fell through. We started taking "Financial Peace University". We moved two hours from "home" and left our church family and friends, my sister, and life as we knew it to start a new journey. Oh, and all the while I was just about to give birth to sweet O. God knew all of this was going to happen, and He also knew that we could handle it with more grace because of the words he had given Max Lucado for this book.

Financial Peace
Dave Ramsey. The man's work has changed our family tree, if you will. Everything that you will read in Financial Peace is common sense, there is nothing in this book that is revolutionary information. But Dave has a way of teaching it to you and presenting the information that compels you to change and be a responsible steward of the gifts that God has given to you. And, speaking for Jon and I, to simply GROW UP. We started FPU at the same time as "Fearless", once again not aware of the rapid change ahead of us. We started it at a time where we did have fear. Fear of not having enough.

A little bit of "What I Wore Wednesday" {scarf style}

2011-10-12T03:58:00.000-07:00

So, if you follow a mommy-blog or two, you'll know that there is a Wednesday link-up over at the Pleated Poppy Blog called, "What I Wore Wednesday". There are a handful of blogs I will check out on Wednesday, knowing that 1) I like their style and 2) I am going to like their ideas and get out of yoga pants ~~at least once~~ a few times during the week. {Actually, in all honesty, last summer/fall/winter I was in a serious funk of dressing in sweats. My main excuse is that in the late summer I had just had a baby, so I wore what was comfy and hid the tummy mush. My second excuse is that I was training for a half-marathon and if I put on my running clothes first thing in the morning, it was good motivation to get that day's training run done (even if it happened at 8 p.m. and I wore those clothes all day). My third excuse is that it just became habit.}

And then, I started looking in the mirror and not really loving what I was seeing. I decided to try the 30 x 30 challenge that Heidi and Kelsey had participated in, in the fall, conjured up by Kendi @ Kendi Everyday. Once I started photographing my outfits, I realized that a lot of what I was wearing wasn't really my style at all. I would look at the pictures and not feel that good about them. The challenge taught me quite a bit actually...

One, that it is okay to get a little bit dressed up during the week, even if I am a SAHM. It makes me feel better about myself, which leads to a better mood for taking care of my babes and being more productive at home. And that it's not shallow to care about your appearance. You know, so that when you go to the grocery store, you don't have to do the "duck and hide", you can actually give a confident "Hello!" when you see a friend or acquaintance. So, recently I "30 x 30'ed" myself again, mostly to spend a bit more time in my closet figuring out what is "my" style versus what I think is cute on others or at the store on a mannequin. And, because frankly, it's really easy to get dressed in the morning when your favorite basic pieces of your wardrobe are right in front of your face.

Also, the little bit of money I have received from taking clothes to consignment has been fun! And, if you are in my area, be sure to check out the local Goodwill for some other cute lil duds.

All of this to say... Today I am posting just a little snippet of an outfit that I wore, a couple of weeks ago, to go to dinner and a movie with a couple of mom-friends. The main thing that I wanted to photograph is this cute, and super simple, way to tie a scarf, that I, of course, found on Pinterest and quickly copied.

Inspiration from Basic Cravings via Pinterest.

Bathroom photography by me. You're welcome.

Scarf ... not sure, Target, years ago?

And, just because I said I was getting "dressed up" doesn't mean it didn't still involve a sweatshirt and tank. Hey. I wore jeans.

Perhaps I will keep these posts a habit. Maybe.

Little Pumpkins

2011-10-10T10:17:00.000-07:00

We have had quite a whirlwind of a week, around here. Actually, the whirlwind kicked off back on September 30th, when M woke up in the morning crying because his "ear was broken". Sure sign of an ear infection. In the mean time, O's nose had been runny, but he was sleeping well at night, so I wrote it off... Until that morning.

1 pediatrician visit + 2 toddlers = 3 ear infections

That's right. M had one, and O had two.

Sunday morning, M's face broke out in to hives (including his eyelids) as did his inner thighs. Comfy, no?

Monday, back to the pediatrician to make sure the hives weren't the sign of something besides a reaction to the antibiotic. O feeling good. M back on prescription as directed.

Thursday, O's prescription causes break-your-heart-to-change-his-diaper rash and starts running a fever.

Friday, O naps almost all day.

Saturday, O doesn't want to be awake at all. Call pediatrician, he tells us to head to quick care quickly. Go to quick care and sure as the sun rises in the east (or is it west? I should google my facts before posting.) O perks right up and makes me question my gut instinct that he is sick. Sit in the waiting room for an hour (mind you, only one patient ahead of us) trying to prevent O from touching anything.

Finally get called in where the nurse proceeds to take O's weight in kilograms and his temperature in Celsius. Forgive me for sounding abrasive here, but this is America and we're still not on the metric system. Right?

You know, now that I look back on it, it really doesn't bother me. But when I have been worried about my little babe for two days and then sitting in a waiting room for an hour, just give me his flippin' weight and temperature in terms that I can immediately understand. For real.

Longer story longer, both ears still infected. Switch prescriptions.

Fold hands, bow head, and pray.

Pray that he's healthy by Thursday for his well-child visit and pray to stop feeling guilty that there is something (anything?) that I could be doing differently to stop these ear infections.

Luckily, my sister had already asked if she could take M for the weekend and go on some adventures. So, O was able to get lots of one-on-one time with Momma and rest in a quiet house and I think he's really on the mend. And M had SO much fun!

We are considering taking O to see a chiropractor. It may not solve any problems, but it certainly won't do any harm. I guess we'll see. I'm still thinking that some of the problems related to the excess fluid (ahem... mucus) have something to do with nutrition, but in the past week approximately 5,000 people have told me that tubes worked wonders for their children. Excuse me while I go wallow in guilt for not even thinking of having them put in when his adenoids came out {though in my defense it was never suggested, either}.

One thing I know, for sure. We will be slowing down this week. As much as I love MOPS and truly enjoy being out an about with my boys, enjoying this GORGEOUS weather, we'll be staying home this week. Avoiding the viruses (half, half, of M's Kindermusik class was out this week and the receptionist at the quick care facility mentioned how many fever/lethargic cases they have seen in kids in just the last couple of days) and enjoying some quality time, just us. Resting and restoring our health.

Oh, and... I updated my "About Me" page, finally.

A word {or more} on potty training...

2011-09-28T19:18:00.000-07:00

On September 6th, we embarked on a new journey in to "big-boyhood" for M. That's right. We started potty training.

Originally, my plan was to wait until the weather turned crummy to potty train so that I wouldn't be penned up inside for two or three days while I attempted to potty train. But, alas, on the Tuesday after Labor Day, I took M's morning diaper off and he promptly told me, "Mom, no diaper. I want unnawear. We go store buy M unnawear." And he hasn't worn a diaper since {although... I consider Pull-Ups diapers & we do use those every now and again}.

That Wednesday night I had a Mom's Night Out event and one of the mom's told me "you can officially say your kid is potty trained when you can take them out in public without an accident".

As well as M caught on to potty training, I would say that today was that day for us that I can say my son is potty trained. Might seem like small potatoes to some of you, but I consider it quite a milestone!

You see, today we went to MOPS and M told the childcare volunteer that he had to go potty. Again, maybe small potatoes to you, but that is the first time he has told a stranger that he had to go potty. At past MOPS events, I have put a Pull-Up on over M's "unnawear" and come back to find it soaking wet (or dry after a wet one had been changed).

I can say that for quite some time now, we have been accident free & mostly dry overnight, though I haven't braved taking away the overnight Pull-Up. Usually his first words in the morning, though, are "I gotta go potty!"

I have no secrets or tricks of the trade.

I didn't: read any magic books, make him run around naked for days, or make any fancy-dancy sticker charts.

I did: stay home for two days straight {minus a sanity run to Starbucks for a Pumpkin Spice Latte}, pump him full of fluids until he figured out how to pee-pee on the pot, encourage and praise him, clean up a bazillion accidents (just in the first couple days), stay calm, and play Pandora's "You Are My Sunshine" station in the bathroom.

Also, I highly recommend:

via inchbug

Apple Picking Extravaganza

2011-09-18T19:57:00.000-07:00

We started last week off with an exciting Monday filled with the first fall session of music followed by a trip to the local apple orchard for some apple picking and a picnic with new friends.

Jack & Jill

Very proud apple pickers...

He was such a good sport!

Lovin' every minute of it...

Enjoying fresh apples. Delish!

We also had a great weekend with some very dear friends... More to come on that.

End of Summer Update

2011-09-13T11:47:00.001-07:00

A little update on the boys can be found here... Enjoy!

A day in the park...

2011-09-08T10:15:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago, we had some family portraits taken (and, in the interest of saving time and resources, Owen's "one year" pictures).

Neat story about these photos? They were taken in the same park as our engagement photos (little did we know, back then, that we'd end up back there with two little boys to have more pictures taken).

Here's a little peek... How handsome are the men in my life?

Photos by Jackie Petersen Photography

Jackie was super easy to work with, especially given that a certain little boy was really just not that interested in having his picture taken. I went in with the hopes of just one good family picture, and I think we captured it.

And, can we talk about how once the toddler knows what the camera does, instead of smiling they make the "cheese face" instead of flashing their cute little grins? Pretty sure for most photos M just took of running. But Jackie still managed to capture the spirit of my young men.

Can we also talk about my indecisiveness on outfits for photos? And how I was at the mall at 8 p.m. the night before shopping for new shirts for both O and myself because I totally changed my mind about the look of the photos? And how, after purchasing three separate shirts for O, I ended up putting him in a white undershirt we already own?

And, how awesome this picture frame is that I thrifted from a garage sale this spring for two dollars? I have big plans for it... Someday. For now, it was a fun photo prop.

Worth It

2011-09-02T07:39:00.000-07:00

My current song obsession (as in, I play it over. and over. and over. and over)...

It speaks to me about myself...

It speaks to me about a spouse...

It speaks to me about my children...

It speaks to me about my friends...

It speaks to me about Jesus.

Love's not a feeling
Love's not convenient
But I know love will change your life
Love takes sacrifice
Love cuts like a knife
Sometimes love will make you cry
Love's not easy
But it's worth it
Love is a hunger
But love won't leave you empty
See it's the language of the heart
Love can steal your pride
But love won't let you hide
It takes everything you've got
Love's not easy
But it's worth it
What you gonna do when the bottom falls out
And you're left with nothing but your fear and your doubt to hold to
Who will hold you?
Where you gonna run when it's all on the line
And you're looking for someone to save your life
To save your life
Love can hear you
Love can heal you
If you let it inside
Oh, remember now
Love's not easy
But it's worth it

Multiplying Messes...

2011-08-31T06:30:00.000-07:00

Last night, stayed up way too late.

Finished re-vamping the to-do list at least one hour past bed time.

Realized about twenty things that still need done aren't even written on the list yet.

Went to bed feeling overwhelmed and anxious. Fell asleep praying for peace, confident that God will step in when I am out of strength, if I just lean on him.

Dreamt that the messes in my house were multiplying and every time I tried to tackle one task, another one exploded in my face. My floors were covered with stuff and every time I tried to pick up there would be more stuff. Coincidence? I think not. However, I woke up also feeling very blessed for all of this stuff.And, all of these things "to-do".

Now... off to go put a load of laundry in the dryer - you know, that load that you have to wash twice because you left it, wet, in the washer for so long that now it needs washed again? Yeah. That one.

Seven Links Challenge

2011-08-26T19:08:00.000-07:00

I spent the last two days in West Des Moines in some seriously boring training to keep my CPA license active. painfully b.o.r.i.n.g. Literally, my fully charged cell phone battery was dead by noon from spending my morning on twitter. shhhh don't tattle.

I also happened to peek over at Letting Our Light Shine {Hi, Mar!} because it had just been too darn long since I had seen a blog update from her, so I just needed to check... Come to find out I was tagged in her Seven Links Challenge. Which, according to her digging, "...was created (I'm still not sure by whom) to connect bloggers from all over the world to share old and forgotten posts that deserve recognition..."

The rules are this:

The blogger who is nominated (me, in this case) must publish 7 links from his/her own blog; one for each of the categories below.
The blogger then nominates 5-7 more bloggers to take part, and the beat goes on...

It is one of those Friday nights that sweat pants & comfy couch are incredibly exciting, so without further delay:

Most Beautiful Post

I'm not sure what it is, but I don't feel like I have written any beautiful posts (especially after Mary's picture she posted of meeting her sweet babe for the first time, none of mine compared). I didn't start blogging right away when M was born, because at the time - and no offense to anyone - I was still of the mindset that blogging was silly. I stand here, today, corrected, and almost addicted to it! I digress. I came across Sixteen Months or a Lifetime, when I was overcome with the feeling that in 16 short months, M had become my world and it seemed like he had been in my life forever.

A little preview:

the gapped teeth kill me! photo via {cb}h

"Matthew is a couple weeks shy of being sixteen months old, and I can barely remember life without him. If there is one thing I have been reminded of lately is that Matthew belongs to the Lord and we have been the lucky parents chosen to train him in the ways of the Lord and introduce him to Jesus..."

A little disclaimer, I moved many of my posts that get in to specifics on the boys or our family to a private blog, mostly for their privacy (since they aren't old enough to tell me whether or not they'd really want to be on my public blog...) and protection. So, if you want to read the rest, you are probably already listed on the permissions, and if you're not, I'd love to have you read it, I just need you to e-mail me first!

Most Popular Post

This wasn't the post that received the most comments, but it was, according to blogger, my most viewed post. Show Us Your Life - Christmas Tour of Homes which I am sure was so popular because I linked up to Kelly's Korner. To all who bothered, I apologize if I disappoint... My domestic skills leave a lot to be desired.

Most Controversial Post

I tend to shy away from blogging about issues that may end up controversial. You see, I am not afraid of those conversations, I just prefer to have them face to face so that you can see my passion and not assume my tone in text on your computer screen. That being said, I think one of the most controversial issues that I have touched on with my blog is toddler eating issues. My "Picking Your Battles" post didn't seem to create controversy on my blog, but rest assured, it is a hot topic. Forcing your child to take a bite of food that makes him gag, cutting back and potentially removing milk from your toddlers diet, ear infections potentially caused by milk intolerance - there are a lot of opinions out there on health and nutrition for children and I tend to get very caught up in all of it. So, for me, its the topic that creates a great deal of controversy within.

Most Helpful Post

I tend to write quite a bit about faith, and where I am at on my journey with Jesus on this earth. And, faith is a topic that I could talk with people about for hours on end. Be warned, if I enter a faith conversation, I could stay up all night until the sun comes up the next morning talking about it. However, going through the Project: Simplify series via Simple Mom was, dare I say, life altering for me. I have looked at my home, getting organized, and leading a simpler life much more seriously, ever since. My attitude about living simply was so changed by this series.

Most Surprisingly Successful Post

Definitely the "Just Needed Someone to Believe..." post. Sometimes I blog with a purpose, to talk about one specific topic. Other times, I hop on and it is just a journal post, that I am not to shy to share with friends and strangers. This was a journal post. Just a day with some heavier thoughts on my mind to put out there and lighten the load a bit. {Little do you all know, I journal via a private blog and every once in a while when I get brave I share snippets on this little diddy}. While the post didn't receive a lot of commentary, I wasn't actually expecting any at all and was so humbled by the love you ladies left me. xoxo

Post That Didn't Get the Attention it Deserved
This one. None of ya'll even wished us a happy anniversary. (wink, wink)

Post That I am Most Proud of
To be honest, my initial instinct was to say my "Marathon Monday" posts from when I was training for last years Des Moines half-marathon. However, I am taking myself back to the post where I finally kicked my homesickness to the curb and decided catch up with the Lord and figure out why in the world he lead me to Muscatine, "Adjusting and Finding Blessings".

And let me take a moment to give some glory to God on this one (updates in italics):

"When the move first came about, I was very positive about it, knowing that this is God's plan for our family and that He would use me here for His glory. Then, Satan (in the form of hormones and immature self-pity) started turning my view negative. We miss Gloria Dei and are struggling to find a church home. Shortly before we found out we were moving again, I believe we really had found that home and such a wonderful group of people to spend time with. I miss my friends and have missed some special events in their lives recently, and that is hard.I have missed even more in the last year, and it is still hard. It will always be hard to miss out on joyful moments with friends. Thankfully, one day we will all be together in heaven and the only emotion we will know is PURE JOY. I am eager to find friends here, and apparently expect that to happen overnight.It didn't happen over night, but I know I made some forever friends in Muskie. After a tearful evening of feeling sorry for myself, I remembered the positive attitude I had before we got here. Remembered that God is so much bigger than the negative feelings that I am having. That He will lead us to a church home. That He will bring women into my life that I can lean on.Amen. Because He did just that. That I am here right now, I should live every day to make Him known, and that this life was meant to let his light shine.Just coincidence, or a God thing, that one of the best friends I made in Muscatine writes a blog called "Letting Our Light Shine"? And, that most importantly, our time here (on Earth) is so temporary." I have been reminded of that on four separate occasions in just the last week.

And, because Mary quoted Bill O'Reilly, I am going to steal her words here as I ask seven others to participate:

"On that note, here are the 5-7 bloggers that I am nominating to pay this challenge forward. I won't be offended if you choose not to participate. It is a little narcissistic to bloviate about your own past posts, after all. (Yes, I did just channel my inner Bill O'Reilly.) But who among us doesn't like to go back and revisit our own personal history?"

Hickstionary - I owe you all of the credit for starting a blog. Until I started following yours, I was lost in the point of blogging at all and now I totally get it. I am so thankful for this digital scrapbook of life.
Yellow Brick Beauty - because you are awesome and I love ya!
Words of Williams - Love their general outlook on life, their inspiration to be stewards of God's gifts, and because if you're not reading their blog, you should.
The Dillinger Family - because I miss your blog posts terribly... (and you)
The Iowa Farmer's Wife - because even though I barely met you when I was in Des Moines, through your blog I feel like I know you and we'd be good friends in real life! And, because you truly inspire me to be a better mom.

Be Quiet, Momma...

2011-08-23T14:26:00.001-07:00

A new update on M, here.

Let's be real...

2011-08-23T12:43:00.000-07:00

Sometimes I kind of cut loose and have a little fun. Not often, and not usually. But today... I am exhausted. Today, I feel like complaining. I won't. {or maybe saying I'm exhausted and that I feel like complaining is complaining. Oops.} It's my own fault. Jon had his 10-year-reunion on Saturday night and ~~instead of being a responsible mom and knowing that life doesn't slow down just because I am um... dehydrated...~~ I am paying for it, still (that was Saturday... this is Tuesday). And? I have been kicking myself ever since walking myself through the "grow up" lecture and the "you are a terrible example" talk, ever since. Not that I did anything out of hand, because I didn't. But still. Anyway.

Today, I stumbled across these:

via


via

Not that either of these things excuse my behavior, but they do remind me to let it go, stop kicking myself and change going forward. Also, to drink a few extra glasses of water and down a couple of extra Tylenol.

Toddler Tuesday: Activity Bags - Pipe Cleaners

2011-08-16T12:48:00.000-07:00

With our recent vacation, I knew in advance that I would need to be creative with some activities for M. I didn't want to pack a bunch of bulky toys, but I knew that along with vacation would come a lot of down time. In a non-childproof home, down time is just plain stressful. Stressful and vacation should not go together.

I ~~brainstormed~~ Googled & Pinterested ideas for toddler busy bags that would be great for on-the-go and not as bulky as packing the boys's favorite toys. One of the many ideas that I found were just plain-old pipe cleaners. They were a hit and kept M busy for an entire meal out. Honestly. It was the most well-behaved he has been at a restaurant in a long time.

throw them in a pencil pouch or a zip-loc and away you go!

Actually, it was the most well-behaved the adults have been at a restaurant in a long time, seeing as the pipe cleaners were a big hit with them as well. Uncle J made M a race car, which M zoomed all over until it fell apart. Luckily, Uncle J appears to be a pipe-cleaner mechanic as well and quickly repaired the car. Pappi made M a camel, and Nana made glasses. M could not get enough of them, but he also requested that I wear them too, and being the good sport that I am... {it's a good look for me, no? sorry, they are limited edition}

Today I will...

2011-08-15T11:50:00.000-07:00

hold my babies a little closer, for just a little bit longer...

be thankful for dirty diapers...

appreciate my sometimes scattered-brain and my tendencies to procrastinate...

and today, I will be grateful for God's protection over my little family.

You see, today I left the house feeling sorry for myself. Having difficulty snapping out of vacation mode back in to "I am Mom hear me roar" mode. Instead of having up to five sets of additional adult hands that are not normally with me during the day, I am back down to my own two hands. Instead of golfing away the morning and lounging away the afternoon it's back to the nitty gritty.

But, I'll tell you, what I really wanted to do today was divide myself in to multiple parts. To go see new life in Des Moines. To chat over coffee with my "daughter" in West Des Moines. To drive to Chicago to see my two best-Erica's. It will happen soon, but my heart was hurting this morning.

About ten minutes in to my drive to Matthew's swimming lesson I realize there is a cloud of dust ahead of me and that the five cars in front of me are slamming on their brakes. I think to myself, "awesome... another annoying construction delay" and just as quickly as I have that thought I am upon one of the worst crashes I have seen with my own two eyes. And suddenly my heart is hurting for the people involved. It is racing for the people who pulled over so quickly and are running to help and call 911. It is questioning, "Do I need to stop, too? Is there anything that I can do here?" And then my heart is rejoicing, for God's hand protecting my vehicle and the precious lives in the back seat and sending his angels to fly over our car.

If I had not had to change two dirty diapers instead of walking out the door when I wanted... If I had not been wasting time on Pinterest... If I had not forgotten my wallet and turned around to go get it... If I had turned right instead of left when leaving our street... If I had remembered to take the back roads to 380... Would that have been us? And instead of feeling sorry for myself that I can't always do what I want and be exactly where I want to be, I was crying for a stranger, and shaking from a close call, and being so thankful for abundant blessings.

Please pray for the people involved in the crash today. Please pray prayers of thanksgiving for God's protection over you and your family and thank Him for the little things. Squeeze your loved ones a little bit tighter and hold them a little bit longer today as you hug them.

O Update!

2011-08-14T18:45:00.000-07:00

See more about O at 13-months-old, here.

Random

2011-08-13T11:35:00.000-07:00

Some fun things that I have running through my head to blog about...

Updates on the boys - long over due and awaiting a couple of photo edits and uploads.

Details on decor and party favors from O's birthday party - very much over due and might never happen, ha!

A couple of DIY projects that I have actually completed - okay, the lamp still needs a shade on it... Coming soon.

Our trip to Galena - relaxing, beautiful, and basically perfect.

Time spent reading through and reflecting on the book of Deuteronomy.

More about five years of marriage.

Consider this my blogging to-do list. Unfortunately... it all has to come after I tackle the to-do's for the family and the home.

Five years ago...

2011-08-12T11:37:00.000-07:00

Five years ago, Jon and I danced our first dance as husband and wife to this song...

Five years later, he still makes me laugh like this...

Today, on the way home from a week of vacation, our two little boys were babbling away in the backseat, making us laugh and bringing tears to our eyes. Jon and I looked at each other and I think we both realized that as awesome as these last five years have been, the best is yet to come!

I try to remember to thank God for my husband every single day.

We are abundantly blessed.

Song and prayers...

2011-08-02T05:08:00.000-07:00

Lately, M has been really catching on to songs on the radio, his Kindermusik songs, and praying. He tries so hard to sing along, and it is especially fun to hear him trying to sing the lyrics to Chris Tomlin or songs on K-LOVE.

The other night at supper time he tried so hard to say the prayer without my help. Of course, I didn't think to video tape it, so I had him try again, mid-supper. I think he was a little bit thrown off by the mid-meal prayer, but I thought I'd share...

In case you can't understand him, the first part he says "be our guest" and then he says "let these gifts".

Getting in to you...

2011-07-30T08:57:00.000-07:00

When I was nearing the end of my college career, my faith was at a crucial point. My relationship with Christ really started to change during the last couple of years at school, and as I neared graduation and started dating my now husband, I really understood this thing called "taking a leap of faith". Suddenly I was transitioning in to adulthood. {I know some of you did this much earlier than I did, but I was blessed and lucky to have my parents support both from the moral and financial stand point. So, during college, my rent was paid for, my food was paid for, my car was paid for, and my insurance was taken care of. I was pretty much responsible for paying for the non-essentials like clothing and my bar tab, ha!}

In what seemed like a matter of days, I was going to be paying my own rent, buying my own groceries, paying for my own insurance, and working more than full-time J-O-B. God, did I pick the right career? God, did I take a job with the right employer? God, am I living in the right place? God, is this relationship going to work? God, I am going to miss my friends so much. God, am I really going to be able to afford rent, groceries and a car?

And I remember right around that time being introduced to the music of Relient K. I was so in love with their music that I bought all of their CD's, but there was one song that I would listen to over and over:

Just the other day, I was listening to "The Message" channel on Sirius and this song came on and memories came flooding back to me. And I love how, in this song it's the honest question from a new believer to Jesus, "Do you know what you are getting yourself in to?" Yes, in fact, he did. He died on the cross knowing exactly what he was getting himself into.

But what hit me this time wasn't so much this deep need for putting my hope in Christ but it was the part that said "when I finally ironed out all of my priorities, and asked God to remove the doubt that makes me so unsure of these". I know that my life is supposed to look different if I am a Christian. And, when I was in my late teens, early adulthood, I was scared for my life to look different. I was scared to live for anyone but myself.

Now I am scared that my life doesn't look different. And so, I need to iron out my priorities and live for God. I'm getting in to Him, because He is essential to survive.

I'm not sure what that all means, but I do know that I am hearing the message loud and clear!

A fun skirt...

2011-07-25T13:05:00.000-07:00

You know what? I really thought about trying to find a more creative title for this post, but I couldn't come up with anything original. But, I just had to share something fun for today... Another "look for less" if you will (if you remember my little gem of a purse) inspired by Pinterest.

Way back when, before the weather was even really that warm, I had seen this outfit, which was available on Etsy via the shop lexm and kind of fell in love with the skirt.

On a whim, I happened to be at the Tommy Hilfiger Outlet (husband, if you are reading this, it was like a month ago, and I used my allowance) and found an almost identical (but not quite as cute) skirt for around $30, and of course it was on sale and I had a coupon, so I probably spent not even $20...

For the longest time I couldn't figure out what to wear it with, and the first time I did wear it I got home and realized the shirt was all wrong. Then I found this "slouchy" tank on the Target clearance rack (my second home) and threw the look together to come up with...

And, I was a big fan of the look, sans jewelry. Kind of nice. And, the ~~really dirty~~ unwashed hair with a little touch of the curling iron? I was actually a fan of that, too!

I wore this to church. As it turns out, it is not a kid-toting-church-wrestling kind of outfit. It's probably more of a summer-night-out-with-the-husband-babysitter-at-home-with-the-kids kind of outfit. By the time we left the skirt was very wrinkled from two little boys taking turns squirming in my lap, and I constantly had to pull up the tank top while holding two squirmy kids (did I mention the church we went to didn't have child care? 'Cuz it didn't.)

just for grins...

Food for thought...

2011-07-19T13:13:00.000-07:00

I am pleased to say that we are still making progress on the picky eating front!

I don't have a lot of time right now to post some of the photos and details that I want to go more in depth on, but I do want to answer a couple of questions, share a couple of ideas and keep up my posts on this topic.

First, though, I was thrilled with doctors appointments on Friday. I have cut O's milk intake back quite significantly after suspecting that maybe, just maybe (perhaps?), the mucus issues, ear infections, strep throat, etc could be related to a milk irritation. Now, I have no proof, but I do think it helped.

At the ENT, his nasal passages were clear (HURRAY!!!) and he took a look at his ears and said that tubes would not be a consideration right now (yeah, he should say that after he just put my son under anesthesia and scraped out the adenoids, right?).

Then, at the pediatrician, I found out that M is in the 50th percentile for weight (double HURRAY!!!). Clearly my concerns that he was not eating enough were unfounded, but the concern for the enough being of the right stuff is still valid.

We also found, at the pediatrician, that O's ears looked great (triple HURRAY!!! If you're happy and you know it clap your hands!)

And, while at the pediatrician, I was able to confirm that it is just fine for both M & O cut back to two glasses of milk per day.

Each night since last week, M has taken a bite of radish. It is still not something that he enjoys, but each night he shows less resistance than the night before, the gag reflex is going away and there are hardly any tears. It cracks me up because he is beginning to know that there will be a radish on his plate every night. He immediately grabs it now, looks right at me and says "Momma take bite radish!"

I always take a bite to show him that it is okay and that I think they are yummy. I also show him to put it right to his molars and chomp away. Otherwise he lets it sit on his tongue and I think that is part of his battle with picky food is getting past the initial shock to his taste buds.

I am also becoming more comfortable and accepting of the idea that overcoming the picky eating battles is going to be a long and slow process, but one that will be well worth it in the "end", if there ever is one.

We are still goldfish, pretzel and "junk food" free. We are down to about 16 oz of milk per day. (If that seems like a lot, it was more than twice that, before.)

Over the weekend we were away from home and he did encounter some Oreos, but I think that was about it, and he still did great.

He is back to eating more of the foods he used to eat without screaming, like grapes, strawberries, etc.

He is learning to respond to his hunger cues by asking me for food. Honestly, he has never really asked me to eat before, unless he sees something as he's walking through the kitchen or at the grocery store. Now, he is asking for cereal in the morning, and at lunch time he will ask for toast or chicken nuggets. He hasn't really snacked much, but the couple of times that he has he asks me for applesauce (of the unsweetened variety, of course).

Some things that are working for us, as we slooooooowly make our way to eating healthier (together, might I add!) are:

Vacuum dried Snapea Crisps from Snack-Salad

Athenos Whole Wheat Pita Chips with Roasted Red Pepper Hummus (woot, woot! He likes hummus!)

As we continue on this {very slow} path, I am hoping to phase out chicken nuggets and phase in to grilled chicken and expand his tastes to some other meats as well.

Another food I tried this week, without success, was Feta cheese.

O on the other hand has had radishes, feta, green bell pepper, and grape tomatoes added to his food repertoire this week. He has actually resisted a couple of the items but after a few bites, he seems to start shoveling it in, as usual. I am so interested to see if he remains open to trying new things as he grows more attune to what is on his plate.

One other item of note for this week: Did you know that gummy vitamins lack ALL (yes, ALL) of the essential B Vitamins? Shouldn't they come with a disclaimer on the label?

What vitamins do you give your tots? I need to find some new ones.

Also, I am thinking about writing a post on how I feel anti-Gerber these days. I won't go in to it now... But I'm just sayin'...

How 'bout?

2011-07-18T11:47:00.000-07:00

Matthew has been saying some really funny {to me} stuff lately, and I thought I should be writing them down as each day passes so someday I can remember what is was that made me giggle... A few that I can remember:

Two Sunday's past, we attended a new church. On the way there, M decided he wanted to wear sunglasses (which never happens). When we dropped him off at the day care, he refused to take his sunglasses off, and rather than fight the battle we just let him keep them on.

Shortly into the message, we could hear a toddler crying that sounded very similar to M. Jon snuck out and walked past the toddler room to find that it was not M. But when he came back to his seat he wrote down on the bulletin "He has his sunglasses on yet." Hilarious, just picturing it was making me want to laugh so hard - but I'm not sure the pastor would have fully understood my giggles... He proceeded to wear them on the way home as he mowed down a little snack (obviously this picture was pre-junk food elimination).

Me: Matthew, there are zero minutes left until bed. Dadda will take you upstairs to say prayers.

M: How 'bout... Momma say prayers?

Me: No, Matthew, Dadda is going to take you upstairs to say prayers.

M: (more firmly) How 'bout, Momma say prayers!

And then we went through that about two more times only because it was making Jon and I laugh so hard, on the inside of course, that we had tears streaming down our face.

I wish you all could hear him say "How 'bout?" I realized just how often I say that as a preface to something else. Too funny to hear M throwing that phrase around these days. He has also been using the phrase "Right..." a lot lately, for example, if you tell him that something is yellow, he will say "Yellow, right..." or that something is a square, he'll say "square, right..." I'm not certain where that came from.

This morning, Matthew was playing with his little mouse figurine, and he told me "Mom, Mouse have time out," and proceeded to set the mouse in the "time out corner" where he pointed to Mouse and said "Now, sit there!"

A few minutes later, M walked back over to Mouse and said "Mouse, get up now? Mouse, you understand me?" {This kills me, usually when I have M get up from a time out I explain to him why he was in time out and how to correct the behavior and then make him look me in the eyes and say "I understand, Mom".}

Today he had his first swimming lesson since moving, and the class he is in is a bit too advanced for his skill level {a bit of telephone miscommunication between myself and the registrar at the Y, apparently} but the instructor allowed us to stay since there was only one other kid in the class. Anyhow, for part of the lesson they had to swim from the shallow to the deep end, with only a noodle under their arms.

Needless to say, M was quite a bit slower than the other little guy in our class. But the whole time Matthew kept cheering himself on saying "Good job, Matthew! You did it, Matthew! Matthew swimming!" He refers to himself in the first person quite often. But, at least I know he is self-confident ;) As a side note, it is quite fun to have the older child (we'll call him "T") in M's lessons because I can already see that M wants to do exactly what T is doing, and I think it gives him something to strive for. We did "sit dives" today, and watching M try to imitate exactly what T was doing was so cute. Personally, I miss rounds of "The Wheels on the Bus" and "Little Green Frog". Ha!

And, my final cute M'ism for the day... At the beginning of "Toy Story 3" there is a scene where a train falls off the track and down a cliff, and M told me this afternoon "Where train go?! Where train go?! Where train go?!" {He has chosen not to nap this afternoon, so he is "resting" to a movie.}

First Birthday Festivities: Part 2

2011-07-17T19:19:00.000-07:00

After the birthday celebrations on Tuesday, we continued to go about our week and I crafted, sewed, and created the week away in preparation for our family party on Sunday.

On Wednesday we went to music as usual and everyone sang Owen "Happy Birthday". Poor guy just looked so confused...

Early, like really early, on I picked a nautical theme, focusing on the colors of orange and turquoise. I have to admit, the inspiration for the idea and everything moving forward, was a cupcake that I had seen on Pinterest via From the Fence Post. I realized that I did not get a good photo of the cupcakes, maybe it had something to do with playing hostess! Here is the photo from Pinterest,

However, I made mine a bit differently. I left off the pretzel fishing pole, mostly because by the time the 11th hour had arrived, I did not have the time or patience to tie dental floss to two dozen pretzels. Also, I love how the baker of the above cupcakes used the sprinkles and died her frosting blue. I used spray-on food coloring, so my cupcakes had white frosting with dashes of blue, it still turned out really cute!

Anywho. This cupcake sparked the nautical theme and I went from there. I knew that I wanted to do something low key on a Sunday afternoon, so we grilled burgers (compliments of Sievers Family Farms, of course) and hot dogs and the rest of the menu was Pinterest inspired.

The "silver"ware, inspired by Party Frosting via Pinterest


Beginning of the food table set up...

In addition to the burgers, we had a standard veggie tray {though originally I had thought about making these cute cups, and this cute veggie dip}. The waffle cone fruit, green bean bundles and twizzlers were all inspired by Pinterest as well.

The green bean bundles were a HUGE hit (I was shocked by the number of compliments, but no worries, all, I remain humble in my kitchen and domestic abilities). They were so easy to make, and I am taking them to a Mom's Night Out appetizer exchange on Tuesday, if I don't eat them all before I get there. Please check out the link, the photo there is much better. Clearly pictures of the details were not my priority on Sunday.

In addition to what is pictured above, we had cucumber salad and of course goldfish, for snacking. Owen had his birthday cake, which was a giant version of the cupcakes, and we served Red Velvet Cake Ice Cream as well. I took another cue from Pinterest and approximately one hour before the party I scooped individual servings of the ice cream in to cupcake liners so as to avoid the chaos and mess of trying to dish it as people were ready to eat. I will definitely do that again, though I admit, I almost forgot all together that I even had ice cream to serve.

Saving some of the decor and the party favors for another post, because that was one of my favorite parts (okay, and also I still need to upload some photos).

Digging in to the gifts... O wasn't too interested, but M was.

"What is going on here, people? Why are you all singing this silly song again?"

"You expect me to eat this? Gross."

Our only family photo of the day. Sweaty from playing outside and a little bit overwhelmed. Good thing we have real family pictures coming up, soon!

No specific activities were planned, but there was a lot of playing in the sand table and running around the yard, playing in the new Play Hut system, and of course it wouldn't have been a real party without a lesson in rolling down the backyard hill, from Pappi {though, the credit for such an idea actually originated at his sister's house with M & O's second cousin}.

Owen checking on the big kids...

M & G cheesin' for the camera

Pappi's lessons for the kiddos...

Devising a plan of attack...

Radishes

2011-07-14T03:23:00.000-07:00

I feel like we have had a break through already, and I think consistency was the key.

Yesterday at supper time I gave Matthew a plate with nugget-sized chunks of grilled chicken, strawberries, rice crackers and radishes (the look similar and I put them in the same compartment of the plate). He did not like the look of the grilled chicken and started yelling "no nuggets! no radishes!" and cried and ran to the couch and started asking to watch TV.

I told him no TV until he had eaten. Once he relaxed I lured him back to his supper plate with snappea crisps (vacuum dried snap peas with a touch of sea salt, they are really yummy!). He told me again "no nuggets". I changed the grilled chicken to actual breaded chicken nuggets - because I feel like me having switched the usual to something new and scary was sensory overload and he was not going to touch a thing on his plate at that point.

Once I switched that out he gobbled up the nuggets, which was a step in an of itself because recently he has barely even touched those and I feared he was starting to eliminate those as well.

Then he - and this is HUGE - picked up a radish slice and told me, "Momma I eat radish!" and proceeded to stick it in his mouth and immediately yank it out and set it on the plate. I took that as my cue and I quietly walked over and asked him to just take one bite of the radish. He said "no" and I put him in my lap and pressed the slice down against his bottom teeth until he had essentially bitten in to it. He looked at me terrified, so I took a piece of radish and showed him to put it in his molars, chew it up and swallow.

Though there were still a couple of tears involved while he was chewing, he did chew it and swallow (which was progress from chewing and spitting it out, the night before). But the best part...

He was so proud of himself.

I, of course, praised him up and down and immediately he said "Momma! I did it! I did it! I eat radishes!!!"

And then - this is GIGANTIC - he picked up another slice of radish and ate the whole darn thing!

Another important item of note - I kept his milk intake to a relatively reduced level yesterday as well, and there were no goldfish, pretzels or sugar snacks in his day. He gobbled his breakfast, asking for seconds. And, gobbled up his lunch including fruits he hasn't touched or shown interest in, in quite some time.

I was planning to have him take one bit of radish every night for two weeks and then introduce something new. With the progress we have made in just 48 hours, I'm thinking that two weeks from now he'll be eating them like they're Oreos (or, at least, here's to hoping).

My confidence level in all of this has sky rocketed since a few days ago. So has his.

Oh, and yesterday, at lunch, I skipped the Diet Coke. See, Momma is making progress, too.

Disclaimer & Conclusion: I am obviously far from being a medical professional. I am only documenting the above to share what is working for me and offer some encouragement to momma's of the picky-pants kiddos. I also DO plan to talk to his pediatrician about the milk thing. But my guess is, that maybe it's not an irritant, but that there was just far too much in his daily routine, before. And, too much junk in his daily routine before. Also, insisting that he try one bite, and making it mandatory, instead of an option, is not going to scar him or damage him psychologically for life. In fact, it will expand his taste for healthier, fresher, options.

I am praying that this journey continues to go so smoothly.

Picking your battles

2011-07-13T04:35:00.000-07:00

I have to begin this post by saying that I am not even sure why I am blogging this. Mostly, I use this blog to document all of life's blessings, the big and the small.

I know that there are more serious problems in the world that I could address and blog about, but when I step in to my own little world, something that is bringing me a great deal of anxiety, as of late, is M's appetite, or lack thereof and O's chronic ear infections. My mind is racing with a million thoughts about all of this. I will talk about the picky eating and the ear infections with anyone who will listen or who I think has a piece of advice or two to offer.

Also, I have decided that with both of these issues, it would be really helpful to journal about it. For M, to keep track of what he IS eating during the day rather than focusing on what he is NOT eating during the day. For O, to back track to when these infections began occurring and what the frequency really has been. Honestly, I cannot even remember the number of infections, but what I do know is that it seems like he is constantly on an antibiotic {however, two of those instances were for croup and strep throat, though that should also raise a red flag, maybe}.

I figured if I was going to journal it, and as long as it doesn't get too personal, this would be a great place because I think other mom's are one of the greatest gifts that God has given to us for general support, ideas we haven't thought of {heck, your pediatrician might have told you the complete opposite as mine} and well, because if these prayers aren't too trivial for you, you could lift up my boys.

I really realized that M's eating was causing me anxiety when I started crying during prayer about it. You see, I get that he is two. I get that he is picking a battle, and that this is one that he feels like he can win. I get that I need to let him just be a kid.

But I feel like allowing these habits to continue on the downward spiral they are on, and call a bowl of goldfish "supper" and say "at least he's eating something" is like strapping him in to the car seat and only buckling the bottom and not clasping the harness. Or, letting him stay up until midnight because it would just be too much of a fight to put him to bed.

You see, I don't think that it is just that he is two, that he wants to pick a battle and win it, for a change. And I have gone through what feels like one million different stages with this:

When he turns three, he will be easier to reason with. It will be easier to explain to him that he needs to eat a certain way to be healthy.

All I care about is that he sits politely at the dinner table, he doesn't have to eat if he doesn't want to. Scratch that, he's two, he's not going to sit at the dinner table very long.

At least he is eating something.

I don't want to force him to eat, if he is not actually hungry then I am forever damaging him from understanding hunger cues and he's going to have food battles his entire life.

He is a super taster.

He has texture issues.

I go back and forth and round and round with these thoughts, daily, weekly, monthly. The thing is, I can't help but wonder if there is a food irritant in his diet that is causing him certain cravings. Before you think I am crazy --- which of you momma's reading this did not have cravings or aversions during your pregnancy. And, those cravings or aversions? Most often related to a vitamin, mineral, nutrient that your body is lacking at that point in time.

Also, I know that I just need to eliminate certain things right now. The crunchy, salty, sugary, sweet, empty calories that keep his tummy full but do not fuel his comfort and health.

Yesterday was day one, and I already saw a huge difference. And honestly, the battle was not nearly as difficult as I thought it would be. Part of me thinks that milk is a huge irritant in M's system. Not that he is allergic. However, rest assured, I will not totally remove milk and dairy from my childrens' diet unless I seek opinions of a medical professional first.

Anyway, yesterday I let him have a glass of milk when he woke up, a 1/2 glass at nap time, and a glass before bed. In between I tried water with lemon and lime slices and watered-down V8 splash. One thing that started raising a red flag with me over the last six months or so is that M does not ever drink water. His cup is always full with milk.

I also completely cut out goldfish and pretzels (the foods he has been basically living on). He also did not get to have sugary fruit snacks.

My biggest battle was milk. Rather than fight with him I offered water and told him that "Super Why" and "McQueen" both drink lots of water to stay hydrated and energized. It actually kind of worked.

Then, I put a few slices of radish on his dinner plate. I made sure there were other foods he liked on his plate, like Nutella on whole grain toast, and mandarin oranges. He ate all of his toast and left everything else untouched {note: he ate the sweet and slightly crunchy food}. About 15 minutes later I took a radish slice to him (thinking it's white and crunchy, just like most of the foods he has been eating) and through some tears he finally took a bite out of it. His gag reflex kicked in big time. This breaks my heart. And all at the same time, I know that he needs to experience these different types of foods or this cycle of eliminating foods from, instead of adding to, his diet will continue.

I am not concerned about having the smartest, most athletic, most successful child. But, I AM concerned with both of them being as comfortable and as healthy as possible. Through prayer, first and foremost. Second, through more attention to what they eat and how they react.

The issue on O's ears is a whole other blog post.

This is a journey that I will probably blog about more frequently. Obviously picky eating is normal in our culture. And, I am okay with him eating the same foods over and over, if that is what he wants to do, as long as they are more nutritious choices. And before you give me the "Meanest Mom of the Year" award, I do intend to let him "just be a kid" and have a little dessert treat every now and then. Once habits improve.

A very convicting moment in all of this... As I reflect on M's eating habits, I realize they are my own. So, as I blog through this journey, I will reflect on that as well. I want healthy children, but I also want them to have a healthy mom. I can't improve their habits if I don't improve my own.

First Birthday Festivities: Part 1

2011-07-11T14:01:00.000-07:00

O turned one last week and I feel like we celebrated for a week! Well, not really, but it would have been okay with me if we did!

We kicked off O's big day by heading out to see the other M & O! We needed to make a pit stop at the grocery store on the way, and M spotted the "car" cart right away, so O took his first spin in a "car" cart. I think he enjoyed it.

Once we got to our friends', we dove in to the toy bins in their new play room and then soaked up some sun.

Serious toddler conversation happening here...


"Too cold!"

That evening we had our immediate family over for pizza and "cake" {actually frosted sugar cookies since I knew we were having cake at his family party on Sunday}. I just wanted a relaxing little celebration of year one before having a crowd on Sunday.

O wore the same hat that M wore for his 1st birthday. For about five seconds. Then, after giving it just a bit of thought, dug right in to his sugar cookie. He ate about a quarter of it, I'm not sure he really enjoyed the sweet flavor. For every vegetable that M will not eat, O will. Opposite taste buds. Or something.

O received all sorts of fun presents from the family. Above left is a really fun "playhut" pop-up tent system that is already a hit. Above right, one of my favorites, a "rain stick" (for lack of a better term), and then a fire engine simulator and our very own little tikes swing. The swing had to go immediately to the basement because M insisted he needed to swing. I'll have to employ the engineer husband to figure out how to rig that up in our treeless back yard. Ha!

When I wake up in the morning...

2011-07-04T21:09:00.000-07:00

O will be one-year-old.

photo via my sweet friend, Beth

And that felt like yesterday, to me.

also via Beth

Happy Birthday, sweet baby boy. You are growing so fast and I love you more every day.

Happy one-year to a little man that is laid back, spunky, happy, sweet, and speaks loud when he wants to be heard. You are a mover and a shaker, but still don't think walking is quite fast enough to be the preferred mode of transportation. You love to bounce to music, clap your hands, giggle, wrestle with your brother, dig in the sand, and drool. You are a lovey-dovey little guy and you adore your big brother and watch his every move {except for when he pushes you, which is basically the only time you ever cry}. God has big plans for you, little O, I just know it.

Wee hands...

2011-06-29T04:16:00.000-07:00

Yesterday on Pinterest, I saw this photo, originally posted over at Oak Ridge Revival blog. I've needed to see this, one of those moments where I know God was speaking directly to me.

~~I will be putting this on a giant post-it note on my bathroom mirror so that I see it every morning.~~ Somehow, I intend to make this cuter and hang it in my house as a gentle daily reminder.

A little gem...

2011-06-28T10:47:00.000-07:00

When I find a bargain, it makes me happy. Especially when it comes to purses and shoes, of course. EVERY time I look for a new purse, I am drawn to the ones that run well over $100. Always. So of course, when I started pinning away, I came across this beauty

And, she was only $395 via Monserat De Lucca

Yeah, so not in my price range (and frankly, it's not that cute).

On Friday, I found this beauty at TJ Maxx

For $29.99. She's not quite the same as above, but it's far more satisfying to have $365.01 still in my possession.

I think I'll keep her.

And since most of you could care less about the above, this is for you...

xoxo

Board books and baby blankets...

2011-06-27T15:19:00.000-07:00

This weekend I co-hosted a baby shower for my sweet friend, Shelley, who is going to be one amazing momma.

In prepping for the shower and purchasing baby gifts, I discovered something...

No, I don't have baby fever. yet. {Seriously, two children aged two and one running around this house is enough right now. I have an acquaintance from college with 18-month-old triplets and every time I want to pull my hair out of my head I think... How does she do it. Clearly God poured her a taller cup of patience. I digress, back to the point, here}.

I discovered...

That I am addicted to...

Board books and baby blankets. Specifically receiving blankets. And do prints keep getting cuter and cuter. Just two and a half years ago, when Matthew was born, I feel like the only thing you could find for boys was blue striped blankets. And, I was so anti-blue.

Also, I intend to buy board books for the rest of my life. Just so you know.

Also, also, I have pictures. They are still on the camera.

What We've Been Up To...

2011-06-23T20:32:00.000-07:00

It's late... I should be going to bed, but I wanted to just take a moment to get caught up on what we have been up to since the end of May! I will do that mostly with {unedited, eek} photos! At the end of May my mom was in town and we celebrated her birthday and spent some time with her throughout Memorial Day Weekend. We also celebrated my FIL's birthday at a very yummy Japanese Steakhouse!


Birthday dinner, birthday boy not pictured!

We spent the last of our "free time" in Muscatine taking advantage of little things that we were going to miss. Frequently, M would request to "go see boats". One Saturday afternoon, we were lucky enough to see a wedding party take the restaurant paddle boat away from the dock for a little cocktail hour. I had said to Jon shortly thereafter, the only thing that would top off this trip for M is if we see a train. Probably ten minutes later, a train went by. As it passed, M kept saying "Bye, Bye 'Boos!" (Caboose). We went to go see boats a few days in a row during our last week there.

We spent some time at the park with friends...

And then moved in to this little beauty. We are still renting, so I don't know how long we'll call this house "home", but here is a little sneak peak...

Abby and I spent a few Saturday mornings garage sale-ing, and I have a whole list of DIY projects to do, now... Thank you Pinterest for fueling my creative fire... Another sneak peak photo...

M has been really in to stickers and water color paints lately. I happily oblige.

Speaking of paint, we made this little card for Dada for Father's Day. I had seen a similar idea on Pinterest {albeit much fancier, matted, and framed} and thought it would be fun to make this photo a yearly tradition as the boys and family grow. I painted M's hands with green finger paint and he kept telling me "Good job, Mama, good job!" Thanks for the encouragement, sweet boy!

And on Monday sweet baby O had an adenoidectomy. Took the wind out of his sails for a couple of days, and M didn't exactly know what was going on, but he was very aware that O was not feeling well and wasn't going to play with him. In fact, on Monday, every time O had his eyes open he was whimpering and crying. M kept hugging him, or patting his leg, saying "I know, Be, I know". It hit me that when the boys cry, I usually comfort them by gently saying "I know, I know" meaning, "I know it hurts/you're hungry/you're mad/you're tired/it's tough to communicate when your a little guy..." So precious. Yesterday O was finally starting to feel better and M decided he needed to get in some snuggle time.


Is it weird to anyone else that these two are nearly the same size?!

We started Kindermusik this week, and mid-July we'll pick back up with swimming lessons. Swimming lessons are hard core *wink,wink* this time being twice a week instead of once. It actually brings a tear to my eye that this is M's last session of lessons where I will get in the pool with him. Things I look forward to: meeting mom's in the area{I am having a great time exploring, but y'all, I need some adult interaction during the day, holy smokes I miss it!}, finding a church home, a date to Cars 2 with M, and MOPS beginning again!

I recently became a part of the Field Leadership team in Iowa and had the pleasure of spending an afternoon/evening/night with some new friends. God knows precisely the moment to place people in our lives, and I am truly blessed to be a part of this group. I cannot wait to see the adventures in store!

Since becoming a parent...

2011-06-15T04:03:00.000-07:00

Since becoming a parent, it seems like I have so many day-to-day situations turn in to faith analogies. Yesterday, in particular, discipline and patience.

Yesterday afternoon when M woke up from his nap, instead of coming downstairs, I suddenly heard him playing at his train table. I went upstairs to see him and he was getting a bit frustrated because he had taken nearly every train car that he has and had a giant train going. Mind you, the cars attach by magnets and the heavier the train gets, the stronger the engine's magnet has to be. Each time he would try to move the train forward, somewhere in the middle the line of cars would break. M has two engine cars. One, not such a strong magnet. The second, strong magnet. He was using engine one. I tried to switch to engine two, and being the particular little man that he is, he freaked. Fine, continue to use engine one, but it will create more frustrations for you.

Do we do that in our lives? Use engine one, because we like engine one? Engine one is comfortable, we always use engine one. But things fall apart? We have too many train cars for engine one to pull? Then God comes in and tries to correct our path and make our ways straight, but we don't like engine two. Engine two is new and uncomfortable.

photo via

Trust in the LORD
with all your heart
and lean not
on your own understanding;
in all your ways
acknowledge him,
and he will make
your paths straight.

Proverbs 3:5-6

Shortly after nap, we ventured outside to get some fresh air. M was riding his bike and I had asked him specifically to stay on our street, which is offset from the main road and there is no traffic to worry about. However, the main road is full of construction trucks because we are in a new development. Enough to make this momma's heart skip a beat each time M got a little to close to making a wrong turn. Also, the lawns in the development were being mowed at this time, and M loves himself a John Deere mower, so that is exactly where he was steering his bike.

I stopped him approximately three times and explained to him that for his safety he needed to stay on the big street and that it was not safe to ride his bike next to big trucks. I know that he comprehended what I was saying, but those green mowers are so enticing. And big dump trucks are every little boys dream. Upon the third time of explaining to him that he needed to be safe and stay on our street, I let him know that if he disobeyed again we were going to have to put the bike away for the day and go inside.

Not two minutes later, he was steering for the main road again so I simply picked him up off of his bike and with my free hand picked up the bike and carried it to the garage, toddler kicking, screaming and crying all the way back {little brother watching with "what in the world?" written all over his face}. As I put M's bike back up high on it's hook in the garage, I explained to him that when we don't follow the rules and place ourselves in dangerous situations there are consequences and he could try again tomorrow.

Again, my thoughts went to our father in heaven. He is always watching, protecting and wanting to yank us backwards when we get too close to danger. We can listen to his warnings, but we have free will and sometimes we put ourselves in to situations that are dangerous; that are filled with Satan. When God tries to remove us, we are kicking and screaming and it is hard to see that he is leading us away from temptation and delivering us from the evil one.

For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD,

“plans to prosper you and not to harm you,

plans to give you hope and a future.- Jeremiah 29:11

And my final analogy for the day {can you tell that these boys put me to the test every day? I was in bed by 8 p.m. yesterday. Yep.}... M was in a lousy mood for quite a while after the bike incident. And, it was bath night. Shortly before bed time I asked M to head upstairs for bath and he adamantly shook his head no and started crying again. "You will head upstairs immediately, or there will be consequences." Still no movement for the stairs. "Now! 1... 2..." Red faced and crying M finally started making his way to the stairs. I went behind him, almost having to push as he took each step. And with each step I was thinking about our faith walk.

Sometimes it's just really tough. Being a Christian makes you different. Sometimes, not all the time, it is easy to get caught up in worldly things and we don't let the light of Jesus shine quite as brightly as at other times. We are placed in situations that, to us, seem difficult, or miserable, or just too hard to understand. Keep faith. What is waiting for us at the top of those stairs, albeit difficult to climb, is an abundance of blessing. At the top of the stairs for M was a bathtub full of warm water to splash and play in, a warm cuddly towel to snuggle in and cozy jammies to rest in. At that top of the stairs for us is hope. Heaven. Blessings.

days 7 through 12

2011-06-13T10:41:00.000-07:00

Continuing the 30 day photo challenge...

day seven. fruit.

This is my photo of fruit, because it just represents my day, it seems. One of my challenges is to entice Matthew to eat vegetables. I found this little plate at Target and he has fun eating out of the different compartments and finding the monkeys underneath. Since I know chances are very high that he won't touch the veggie compartment, I just stick to approximately ten peas and hope that one day, he'll eat them. But, he gobbles his fruit! One of his favorites right now is pineapple. Mostly, I think he just likes to say the word "pineapple".

day eight. a bad habit.

Generally speaking... my bad habit daily seems to be too much time on the computer {as I sit here and randomly blog... Um, yeah...}

day nine. someone you love.

this man.
{obviously, I did not take this photo. it's a wedding photo and pretty sure the photographer is no longer in business.}

day ten. childhood memory.

This is almost like cheating, because I don't remember this at all. My sister found it recently and I just love it. This is us with my grandpa, who passed away when I was around two. This just proves to me how important pictures are, because I was just too young to remember him, but I can see here that he sure did love us! {oh, and I think that I see so much of Matthew in my face in this photo, and now that Owen is getting older I can see some of him, too.}

day eleven. something blue.

This photo was going to be of these baby blues, but I had to post this instead. I have a weakness for frappuccino (okay, well coffee of basically any nature). I always look for the packages of the "light" version when I grocery shop and can never find it. So. Imagine my delight when I discovered that our local Target carries them. And imagine my, even greater, delight that Target is only five minutes from my house. Oh, the little things in life...

day twelve. sunset.

I didn't get this one. I was out of town last night for a leadership retreat and forgot all about it. I would like to take a good one of the view of sunset from our new home, so you may have to allow me to play catch-up.

And with that... Time to end the bad habit for today and shut down the computer.

HUGS!

.blessed.: eleven months

2011-06-10T19:14:00.000-07:00

.blessed.: eleven months: "This handsome little guy was eleven months old on the fifth. If you'll remember, at month ten, I predicted he'd be walking by now. And, he's..."

photo challenge... days 5 & 6

2011-06-07T04:37:00.000-07:00

day five. from a high angle.

The boysies are sharing a bedroom now. It is working out shockingly (is that a word? shocking is the only way I can describe it.) well! In fact, they are sleeping later this morning than they have in MONTHS of being in separate bedrooms. This picture is a view of their bed time routine. Jon had been in the garage getting boxes unpacked and clearing space for our vehicles. In the mean time I was giving the boys their baths. Typically, I get O out of the tub first and quickly put a new diaper, yummy smelling lotion and fresh jammies on while M plays in the tub (where I can still see him, of course). Then I will set O in his crib and get M ready. In the excitement of sharing a room, M wanted nothing to do with getting ready for bed, and then Dada came upstairs so we didn't get far before I decided it was just time to go get the camera and snap a shot of "the guys"!

day six. from a low angle.

I saw an adorable photo on Pinterest {see, told you, I get everything there lately. Need a good Nutella recipe? Check Pinterest. Need to see how to decorate your whole home in Chevron? Check Pinterest.} I decided to attempt to recreate it. Only, I had to do this one on my own by basically setting the camera on the floor and using the timer. It didn't turn out awesome, but with a 2 1/2-year-old you don't get retakes sometimes. Fish Kisses is one of our favorite night time books, it goes through the way different animals say goodnight, so there is a lot of snuggling involved!

Also, I'm kidding about the Chevron. I believe it is a trend that will fade, quickly.

My 30 days of photos...

photo challenge... days 1 thru 4

2011-06-06T20:13:00.000-07:00

Does it annoy anyone when people spell through "thru"? Just curious...

Anyway, lately, I get all of my brilliant ideas via Pinterest. If you have yet to discover the Pinterest world, holla and I will invite you. Okay.

So, one day I came across a photo of a 30 day photo challenge, and I pinned it. And then Heidi chimed in, so I decided, go for it...:

Originally via

I'm certain the idea is to get better at photography. Well, maybe. Anyway, I'm still saving for that "profesh" camera, and well, you know... Me and my point and shoot decided to give it a whirl, mostly because I thought it would be a fun way to journal life for 30 days. So. Here goes...

day one. self portrait {oh, my fav...}

Back in February, when I decided to embark on the 30 x 30 challenge, I realized... I do not like photos of me. Every time I uploaded photos for those blog posts I just felt a little bit... Ridiculous. Honestly. I loooove me some style blogs, don't get me wrong, but I am just not a style blogger. Each time I look at pictures of myself I can find one thousand things wrong with it and every once in a while, something good about it. When I went to Women of Faith I was really, really, moved by the female vocalist in the band Selah. And, it was then that I realized, I am caught up in outward appearance and achieving what I believe to be beautiful. I need to be focused on what is inside of me and how I let that light shine that beautifies the outward appearance. That being said, I was not really excited to take this photo or post it.

Lucky for you all, I probably hadn't showered in the two days leading up to this photo, so a shower that morning was mandatory :)

day two. what you wore today {oooh, my second fav...}

Oh Thursday, moving day {hence the huge cardboard box as my backdrop}. I wore super comfy workout shorts with a sort of cute top. That is all. Oh, I also wore sandals that day. And sweat. A lot. Oh, and stayed up unloading a U-Haul until 2:30 a.m.

day three. clouds {thank goodness I am not photographed, oh, but there were NO clouds and also, I was moving. No big deal, not even sure where my camera was.}

day four. something green

Strangely enough, there were many symbolic green items in my life this day (okay, actually I cheated. I forgot all about taking pictures this day, so the next day I thought about "green" things). Lessons from left to right:

One of the most valuable treasures that God gives you on this earth is a close friend. You are having an impact on people, even when you never knew it.
Change is inevitable. These green bins just saw us through another move. I have never been one to resist change. Honestly. But, when I got married and M was born I started planning for life in Des Moines. I knew exactly what community we'd eventually settle in. I knew what church would always be home. I knew what school my children were going to, who they would be friends with and heck, who they would marry, someday! And then God rocked our world. He continues to do so, and I'm just gonna go with it!
Empty your brain. I am the type that I try to keep a mental to-do list because I am just so sure that I can do it all and all the while remember it all. Lately, life has just really taken over and my brain is not quite there. This little green notebook has been my mini-brain lately! Thank you little green notebook.

.blessed.: 2 1/2 "IT'S MINE!"

2011-06-05T19:17:00.000-07:00

.blessed.: 2 1/2 "IT'S MINE!": "Just my baby one short year ago... So much excitement the last six months have held for my little man. Some of my favorite parts about 2..."

It is the Veteran...

2011-05-30T05:48:00.000-07:00

Taking a little time out from my blog hiatus to thank all of our veterans that are still with us today, those that have died for our freedom and those who are currently protecting our freedom! {and special thanks to my dad :)}

I received this e-mail yesterday with all sorts of photos about remembering that there is more to Memorial Day than backyard BBQs and a day off from work poolside...

It is the
VETERAN, not the preacher, who has given us freedom of religion.

It is the

VETERAN, not the reporter, who has given us freedom of the press.

It is the

VETERAN, not the poet, who has given us freedom of speech.

It is the

VETERAN, not the campus organizer, who has given us freedom to assemble.

It is the

VETERAN, not the lawyer, who has given us the right to a fair trial.

It is the

VETERAN, not the politician, who has given us the right to vote.

It is the
VETERAN who salutes the Flag,

It is the
VETERAN who serves under the Flag,

God bless them all, and be PROUD to be an American!

Hiatus and five minute facebook.

2011-05-24T10:05:00.000-07:00

I'm grounding myself from my blog until further notice. Ha! Just kidding, a little. I am going on blog hiatus until we are settled in to our new home. I keep thinking of all these things I want to blog about and then I have to tell myself "no! no, no, no. pack."

That being said - I caved. I signed back up for facebook. But, I'm instituting a five minute policy. I will only allow myself five minutes a day. You see, during my time away, I found that I was really missing the good things about facebook... seeing pictures from some of my girl friends and missing being able to update relatives that live far away. And, with moving again, I realize the true value behind having it to stay connected. I still want them to see my boys grow up and why should they have to check my blog if they are already logged on to facebook. But, I still hesitate because of the status updates that I simply do not want to see. Thus, the five minute rule. I will only log on if or when someone comes to mind that I am curious how they are doing. And only five minutes per day are allowed.

At church, on Sunday, during a discussion of family discipleship the pastor mentioned using facebook to stay in touch with parents/grandparents/aunts/friends-that-are-family to help you in your journey to maintain a Christian home. And he said "I know, I know 'facebook is a tool of the devil'. But anything can be a tool of the devil if you let it be." True. It's all about being a steward of your time.

Thank you to the sweet friends who let me know I was missed via messages on my wall or texts saying that you missed me on facebook - love you too :) But don't be offended if I don't write back on your wall. I'll probably call you or e-mail you instead.

Without further delay, I send you all a big hug and will be back later, gater.

Grocery-less meals...

2011-05-20T04:28:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, I blogged about being in a blogging funk. Today, I bring you randomness.

With our move quickly approaching (eeek) I am trying to use up as much food in the house as possible. I am of the opinion that moving the contents of the fridge, freezer and pantry is just kind of annoying. Minus a few staples, I did not buy any groceries this week in an attempt empty said areas. I post this not because you are moving, but because I feel like this can maybe inspire you to use up some ingredients in your house and maybe save a couple of dollars on your grocery budget next week (wink).

Here is how dinner for the week turned out:

Monday night:
Thin spaghetti w/marinara and mozzarella. For the marinara I used a can of Hunt's tomato sauce and Wildtree Spaghetti Sauce Blend. (*used up only the can of sauce, we will probably have spaghetti again next week, get excited*)

Tuesday night:
Seafood Stir-Fry. Shortly before Easter, I seriously botched up a simple recipe for making birds nest treats by buying the wrong type of Chow Mein noodle. So, I had two packages of stir-fry noodles in the house. I used one package of the noodles and in another pan I sauteed 1/2 bell pepper*, 1/2 red onion*, and broccoli in Wildtree Butter Flavored Grapeseed Oil. To the vegetable mix I added two Tilapia fillets and frozen shrimp. Kept over medium heat until fish and shrimp were thoroughly cooked. Once served I added Wildtree Pacific Fusion Sauce. Yum.

*We have been using E-Mealz lately. I may have blogged about this in the past, I don't remember. But I LOVE E-Mealz. I love that the meals are super easy and super yum. But mostly, I love that my grocery list prints out for me and gives me the total cost and that it stays in line with the cash in my grocery envelope. All that to say, all of the meals that come with the plan involve fresh produce. Most times I can use up the vegetables making the meals for that week. Usually, I chop up the vegetables and freeze the unused portion. In making the stir-fry, I was able to use chopped bell pepper and chopped red onion from the freezer. Such a time-saver! How does that old saying go? Chop once, cook many times? (Or maybe that was measure twice, cut once. Whatever.)

Wednesday night:
Buffalo Chicken Wings (left over in the freezer from the Superbowl, ha!) with noodles and broccoli. The noodles were left-over plain noodles from Tuesday night. Not my finest work of culinary art. But, the noodles are gone and so is the bag of wings in the freezer.

Thursday night:
Banana Oatmeal Hotcakes and Scrambled Eggs. It seems I buy bananas in bulk around here. Some weeks we run out immediately, other weeks a couple of them start to get soft and start to turn brown. When they do that, I peel the banana and put it in a ziploc in the freezer. We use them for multiple things. These hotcakes, banana bread or every once in a while we let one thaw slightly and put it in the food processor. Tastes like ice cream. Yum. Okay, back to the meal.

These hotcakes are actually slightly nutritious. I say this because they came from a Hilton Head Health recipe. Rather than re-type the H3 recipe, I found an identical one on the Mayo Clinic Health website {see, I told you... healthy}. In the interest of using up ingredients already in the house, I replaced canola oil with Wildtree Butter Flavor Grapeseed Oil (mentioned above) and plain yogurt with strawberry Go-Gurt (ha!).

Also, I always double the recipe, I figure if I am going to spend time making pancakes from scratch, I am going to have some in the freezer for breakfast throughout the week.

For the scrambled eggs, I sort of create the smorgasbord of scrambled eggs. Thursday night I used six eggs, 1/4 cup of skim milk, 1/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese {approximate, I pretty much dumped what was left of the bag in the bowl}, and a few spoonfuls of light sour cream. I mix it all together and then fry it. I have been known to add other random items to scrambled eggs... cottage cheese, cream cheese, margarine. You know, whatever can make them tasty and less healthy (wink, wink).

Friday night: Well, don't let me knock your socks off with creativity. We are having chicken nuggets, mac 'n' cheese, and broccoli. I am broccoli'ed out.

Also, I started reading through the book of Deuteronomy yesterday, using an online study guide {for now} and did some journaling along with it. I am excited to share what is speaking to my heart.

Blogging funk...

2011-05-19T04:07:00.000-07:00

Friends, I cannot think of anything to blog about these days. Well, no, I take that back. I think of many things to blog about and then think ... that's better left for my personal journal. Mostly, I think it is that sometimes life just becomes busier than usual and blogging takes a back seat. Also, I usually end up blogging based off of photos I have taken and the camera has not made it out of my purse and connected to the computer in quite some time.

April 2010

Our routine has been rather mundane with the sunshine, lately! That is a GOOD thing! We have spent our mornings with the usual (play dates, MOPS, swimming lessons) and our afternoons soaking up the sun. Selfishly, the first thing we do is go for a walk - it's the only time I seem to fit in any exercise lately based on our new schedules. I'm hoping once our move is over we are able to establish a routine that allows me to fit in my early morning workouts (note this: I am actually looking forward to 5 a.m. workouts?! I guess it's true that you don't know what you've got till it's gone). Then we proceed to swing, slide, color with sidewalk chalk and M loves riding his "bike", which is actually the cutest little wooden scooter that I bought last spring. This little scooter shows me how much he has grown in a year, because last April he couldn't figure it out and was slightly small for it and now he has nearly outgrown it. {Oh, well hello, House We Still Own. It's up for rent again on August 1st. Spread the word, people!}

This last weekend I went to Des Moines for Women of Faith. First of all, I was so excited to see Angie Smith speak (do you read her blog, Bring the Rain?) I began reading her blog while I was pregnant with Matthew, and when I was home by myself one evening I was going back to the posts related to her daughter, Audrey, and I cried. The kind of tears that take your breath away and leave you with pink puffy eyes. But, I was so encouraged by her faith. When she posted that she'd be at Women of Faith, I was so excited. I mean, I already knew I wanted to attend, but this was the frosting on the cake.

Anyway, she did not disappoint.

That being said, there was a lot of unexpected emotion that hit me at Women of Faith, that is still running through my mind begging to be digested. I feel like I have not quite had the alone time to sit and truly reflect on all of that, and it may result in a blog post or two, and it may not. It depends on how it all processes. But I know it is going to help me grow in my faith and those things are hard not to share.

Also, have you all caught on to this hype about the world ending on Saturday? Maybe not. But it has been all over twitter. It is said multiple times in the Bible that no one knows the hour, not even the Son. If Jesus does not know, I am not putting my faith in any human to tell me when the world is coming to an end. And then, I am embarrassed to admit, when I first saw news of the world ending on Saturday my heart kind of sank. (Given more than five seconds to process, I was over it) But, really, when I think about it, my heart should REJOICE! Because I know that I will be saved. I know that my family will be saved. My family will all be together in the kingdom of Heaven and it will be glorious beyond comprehension. But I got to thinking, two things. One, I need to grow closer with Jesus so that any inkling of heaven is exciting and not scary. And second, was my heart sad because I have not shared Jesus with everyone that I encounter? I'm not talking about screaming the Gospel from the street corner, but does the life I live let His light shine, always? I will never be perfect, Jesus knows that, but I could do better. A lot better.

Turn off the TV and...

2011-05-12T03:52:00.000-07:00

A while back, Jon printed Chapter 4 [Principle 1] "Feed Your Mind Good Stuff" from Tim Sanders book "Today We Are Rich: Harnessing the Power of Total Confidence". Our good friend Dave {okay, we're not good friends with Dave Ramsey. Obviously. It just feels like it} wrote the forward, and I think through that and twitter, Jon had found that you could download the pdf of the chapter for free.

The chapter begins with the discussion of two people. To summarize, one wakes up early and spends time in God's Word, prays, and does a devotional. Before work she spends time talking with a friend who went through the same morning routine. Person two wakes up, reads a slew of blogs, the newspaper and turns on main stream media. During the day he is constantly connected to the media and is sucked in to social networks like facebook and twitter. And, he complained of depression. One mind diet was good. The other mind diet was bad. Person one didn't completely ignore world news. Rather, she spent about 15 minutes a day getting caught up on headlines and then moved on.

Sanders continues to discuss the psychology of our conscious and subconscious. Essentially, garbage in equals garbage out. Or put more pleasantly, "As he thinketh in his heart, so is he" - Proverbs 23:7. What you think about you bring about. What you think about is mostly driven by what you spend time consuming with your mind.

On Monday, I told Jon that I was going to stop watching "Criminal Minds". Call it a guilty pleasure, but when you only get four channels on your television in the first place, you start to make show choices that surprise you. {Side note. There are so many "cop" shows on television. How many versions of murder can we create and then make out to be entertainment?} Actually, that habit began when I was nursing O and just felt like sitting in front of the television for an hour every night. I was also going to stop watching what we call the "Spouse Killer Show" formally known as "20/20" and "Dateline".

That turned in to us leaving the TV off every night so far this week. Now, being that it is Thursday I can promise you we'll be watching "The Office". But, that comedy is far from garbage (wink, wink).

It is amazing how peaceful it is with the television off, all night long. I have to admit that yesterday was a long day for me. M is hitting the jealousy stage with O, and every time that I have to do something specifically related to O {make a bottle, kiss a boo-boo, change a diaper, feed him} M suddenly needs me to "hold hand, Mom" or "up, Mom, up. I want up." Or, "I need applesauce". And, that all involves a lot of whining and tears and me finding myself tired. Quickly. By the time they are in bed I want nothing more than to sit in front of the television and let my mind go numb.

I don't want to be productive. The dishes are done. I have put away my two loads of laundry for the day. The house is mostly picked up and fairly clean. The checkbook is balanced. There are no fires. But, maybe just maybe, turning off the TV will allow me to do some of the "fun" stuff that I always say I don't have time for.

I was sure that last night I was caving and loafing in front of the TV. Instead, I sewed. I am quickly becoming close friends with that little, but mighty, machine. I need some serious lessons though, I still can't seem to cut my fabric in a straight line and I have been "making up" my own patterns. Last night's project was going to be a cover for my Bible. I screwed up the height and was very disappointed that I had spent so much time on the project not to be able to use it. {And, as I mentioned earlier, my patience were thin.} As luck would have it, a little trimming of the length and it was just right for my 'purse' Bible. A bit more inviting now, no?

As with my other sewing projects to-date, I am still learning. When I expressed my disappointment last night that I had messed up the project, Jon quoted me something from Thomas Edison about learning by error. I hate to compare my sewing to the genius of Thomas Edison, but hey...

Oh, I'd post a tutorial for this, but I can't even cut or sew in a straight line yet.

boys will be boys...

2011-05-09T19:19:00.000-07:00

Because clearly this is what play-dough was intended for...

My view on post-nap walks. Little men.

...and how the view on my post-nap walks make me feel...

And things that happen in a split-second.

M was finger painting away this morning, when he decided that it would be way more fun to squish all of the paint in his hands. All of a sudden he was painting his face. What the heck, he had already made a mess so I grabbed my camera. Five seconds later he painted his tongue. Thank you Crayola, for your dedication to non-toxic art supplies. And yes, I was supervising the whole time. Matthew is becoming more "boy" by the day. Yes. It's true. He has recently discovered farting on purpose and fake burping.

I pray for their future wives, often. And now, I feel that it is also necessary to publicly apologize to them. I assure you I am trying to teach them manners, but it is so hard not to laugh...

Maybe, just maybe, there will be pink, tutus, hair bows, and prom dresses in my future. And maybe there won't. But I sure do love my boys.

.blessed.: Sunny days are sweepin' the clouds away... {10 mon...

2011-05-06T12:47:00.000-07:00

.blessed.: Sunny days are sweepin' the clouds away... {10 mon...: "Fine. I admit it. We have had PBS on a lot lately, it seems. Mom of the Year, I know. I'll be receiving my award on Sunday, I'm sure. Owen..."

A little bit more sewing...

2011-05-04T10:52:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, as if I don't have enough on my plate right now, I set aside the zero-fun to-do list and whipped up a little crayon holder for M. There are many, many mistakes (as in, my lines aren't quite straight and I really need to get a rotary cutter) and the tutorial I used was for standard crayons and this little gadget ended up being too small for the twistables. But, I heart twistables. They ~~aren't eaten by~~ seem safer for the wee ones. Just have to keep practicing!

Sewing and sleeping...

2011-04-30T14:50:00.000-07:00

While my mom was here for Easter, she gave me a few sewing lessons on my new machine.

A couple of months ago, I had free-handed a pattern for a baby bib, and wanted to put dark blue bias tape around the edge. I ended up using a zig-zag stitch instead, because I didn't sew the big quite right to allow for a narrow bias tape. Anyway... here's the finished product. I couldn't get my model to look at the camera.

A long way from Etsy worthy, but everyone has a beginning, right?

Then I learned how to put the finishing border on a quilt, corners and all...

I know, look out Martha, right? (wink, wink)

M insisted that this needed to be his "bankt" at nap time, the same day. Also, he has recently (by recent, I mean in the last month or so) discovered that life goes on after he goes to bed at night. So, he typically stays in his room for about thirty minutes "reading" books or playing with his cars and then quietly sneaks out in the hallway to check on his mom and dad. He must have been very tired the other night, because he did not make it far:

In other news: Owen can almost walk. Check it out!

.blessed.: Easter Week

2011-04-27T04:03:00.000-07:00

.blessed.: Easter Week: "My photos are a bit out of order, so this post may be a bit out of order! Easter week was so much fun, and yesterday I had the post-crowd le..."

The whole earth trembled and the veil was torn...

2011-04-22T04:13:00.000-07:00

Just need someone to believe...

2011-04-21T17:47:00.000-07:00

This morning as I finished up my workout I glanced at the cover of the May 2011 Runner's World Magazine and the title "BOSTON FEVER: Why Everyone Wants In" caught my eye...

It got me to thinking...

I need to subscribe to this magazine. {Wait, that's not the point.}

I just want to run a marathon someday, I don't desire to qualify for Boston. Also, I doubt I could. Oh, and I'm really not sure when "someday" is.

Then I took myself back about ten years. A time when running a mile seemed daunting. When working out was only for athletes.

And, I have never been an athlete. I have always been awkward in sports. I was that girl. You know. The one who was always picked last in PE. {I hated new units in PE for that very reason. The athletic two that get picked as team captain, and then the rest of the class lines up on the blue line. Captains pick. First, most-athletic-kid. And then most-athletic-kid whispers in the ear of captain "pick so-and-so". And then it happens. There are two people left standing on the blue line. And then the awkward, "I guess I'll pick her". Gee... I'm flattered. No, really. And, oh by the way, I'm all grown up now and I could beat you in a race *wink*}

I remember in sixth grade, I really wanted to try out for Cross Country. Running. Even then, I knew that I needed to lose weight (I went to a relatively small school. Kids were mean. Maybe they were mean if you went to a big school, too. I wouldn't know.) and I knew running was a good way to do that! I remember asking the coach how often practices were. And I remember that look. The one that said "you could never run cross country".

Fast forward to college.

Suddenly I was meeting friends who *gasp* worked out - for fun. "Hey, Mary. Do you want to go to the rec today?"

"What is 'the rec'? Oh, the gym. No, thanks, I don't play sports."

But then, the freshman fifteen hit, times two.

Suddenly this working out thing caught on. And, I had people who believed in me. That worked out with me. That pushed me forward. And, I set a goal to run a 5K {without stopping to walk}. About three years later, I finally did it. Because someone believed in me. I just needed someone to believe in me. My husband was with me, every step of that race, and when I felt like I couldn't breath, he believed in me.

Because he believed in me, I ran a 20K a year later. And then, I ran another 20K. And I completed a half-marathon. Because he believed in me, he pushed me out the door when I didn't feel like doing the long run on the weekend. I become doubtful and I become lazy. But he believes in me.

Don't we all just need someone to believe in us?

God did. He knew that we just needed someone to believe in us, because we are undeserving and broken sinners. We don't feel worthy. We are doubtful. We get lazy. We don't believe that we can run the race set before us. We don't believe that we are worthy. But, we have been reconciled to God through his son. Jesus wasn't the embarrassed kid in PE. He was the only son of God, humiliated, beaten, betrayed and crucified to give us hope, to cleanse our sins and to push us to the finish line when we don't believe we can finish the race.

Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. - Hebrews 12:1-2

Toddler Tuesday: Snack Attack

2011-04-19T10:32:00.000-07:00

M is a snacker. He is a rather picky eater, and he does not like to sit in his high-chair for a meal for very long at all. Don't get me wrong, I'm not opposed to snack-y stuff like Cheerios and Goldfish, but lately I have come across some very neat options, that I didn't know about before, that help me to increase his veggie and fruit intake!

Photo via

Revolution Foods Organic Mashups. I found these at Babies R Us. M's favorite flavor so far is the fruit and veggie smoothie carrot mashup, which also contains mangos and apples. I love these for on-the-go, especially. When you twist off the lid the top is a straw and they just suck the food right out of the pouch (think, Capri Sun sans mess). Speaking of on-the-go, I recently learned of Go-Go Squeeze Applesauce.

photo via

I was introduced to these by a friend, who purchased them at Costco. Recently, I found them at Wal-Mart. M really enjoys the apple strawberry flavor and always asks for "treat!". The great thing about both of these products is that they are 100% fruit/vegetable with no added sugars. And again, the Go-Go Squeeze has been awesome for on-the-go. I brought one to give to M after his swimming lesson today and it kept him occupied {and mess free} while I finished getting dressed.


photo via

Another product that we keep on hand are Brothers-All-Natural fruit crisps (plain ol' freeze-dried fruit). They are a good substitute when ~~you~~ the kiddos are in the mood for a crunchy treat. They were another Costco find, for us, but you can order them through the Brothers website (linked below photo) or through Amazon. I have also found the Fuji Apple flavor at Babies R Us. My favorite part about this product is that they partner with Disney...


photo via

M goes crazy over the Buzz Light Year package, now that he is old enough to understand the cartoon characters. The apple and pear pieces are soft enough that I also let Owen gnaw on them.

What are your favorite snacks for the little ones? Where do you find them?

Camera Shopping.

2011-04-18T18:03:00.000-07:00

I have been saving for a new camera. I feel like I have been saving for forever. But, the truth is, I have not been very diligent about saving for said camera. But, every time I sit down to edit photos, or go somewhere that I wish I was taking better quality photos, I am reminded of my lust for a DSLR.

I know I want Canon. For no reason other than I have become brand loyal. I love my "point and shoot". I am familiar with the functions. I know nothing about photography.

I know I want DSLR. I know nothing about photography.

In case you have not gathered yet, I know nothing about photography.

So, if you were me, and you wanted a nice DSLR, and you were ordering from Amazon (I have been saving in the form of gift cards and personal funds), and you were willing to buy used, but you were not wanting to save for it until your kids turn 18, and you knew nothing about photography, what camera would you buy?

I only want it for my personal use. But I need recommendations. And I need a visible goal so that I am diligent in saving.

2011-04-18T17:38:00.000-07:00

Today I babysat M&O's second cousin. She is 18 months old. That means I had a 2 1/2-year-old, 18-month-old and 9-month-old, and they all lived. And so did I. But, I have to hand it to day care providers because, I'm exhausted. {I told Jon, today was great, but it was good birth control!}

On Saturday I made it Ames to celebrate the 90th anniversary of our sorority. It was so fun to see faces from years past, as well as hear stories from alumna of the 1940s. It was amusing to me some of the rules that we complained about as collegiates, only to hear an alumna of the 1950s talk about being required to wear skirts to class, and if the skirt was tight fitting they had to wear a girdle...

After the anniversary celebration, we decided to head out in campus town. I'm pretty sure we thought maybe we would still fit in. We didn't. Why does 21 now look 18, but when I was 18, 21 looked so mature?

It was so nice to spend time with some of my best friends and get caught up. But, the time is always to short... {I'm thinking that the striped shirt in this photo might be considered for retirement from the closet. I was told, by a total stranger, that my stripes really need to go the other direction. It actually made my cry a tiny bit and jet for the bathroom! Ha, now I am laughing about it but still a little unsure about the shirt!}

On to some other random stuff to blog about... Last Tuesday M's swimming lessons were canceled, so we stayed home (in jammies, most of the day) and did some activities. The first was a little poem about five snow flakes and we worked on some counting...

I had also found an Easter Egg Hunt activity worksheet, where you are supposed to color in all of the Easter Eggs you can find. M did point out the various eggs to me, but this turned in to just a fun Easter coloring worksheet, and I printed a few copies.

The same day we broke out the markers and M went to town coloring. I asked him to draw a circle, his attempt is on the left. I'd say he did pretty good. Then I asked him to draw a heart and I got a red blob. I also asked him to draw a boat, and it is tough to tell here, but I am sure he attempted the sail *wink.

Today, we finger/Q-Tip painted. M loves painting, and it is one activity that he doesn't mind getting his hands dirty. He's fairly particular about the cleanliness of his hands, but I think there is something about all of the fun colors (that turn in to not such fun colors when mixed together).

While M and his cousin were in their booster seats painting, I made footprints for making little penguins. I think the footprints would have turned out better if they had stood on the paper, but given their ages, this was a much cleaner route!

I could not find the white finger paint {note to self}, so I used white paper and tried to free hand the white portion of the penguin. Sad attempt, I know. But, I am just not type A about this type of thing. I also put their little fins going the wrong direction, they should have been pointed down.

The idea for "Footprint Penguins" came from Meet the Dubiens. Check out that blog, I could spend hours sifting through her posts. So many fabulous ideas!

After nap, we decorated some Easter Eggs. I used the alphabet letters to put names on a few of them and had to help peel the backings off of the foam stickers, but overall they did great!

Here are M's eggs. He chose the row of three bunnies himself. When he was done putting them there he told me "THREE!" Proud mom moment (it's the little things, I tell ya). I am not sure who the second egg is for, but those were the letters he wanted, and the placement he wanted.

M's cousin also brought over a tent, which we put up in the foyer. I put some stuffed animals, a couple of blankets and a stack of books in there. They were in and out of it all day. Duly added to my wish-list for the boys!

Our day was busy, but I found that giving them 10 minutes of something to do, followed by 15 or 20 minutes of free play, followed by 10 minutes of something to do (repeat all day long) really eliminated the need for me to have to give M time-outs every five minutes because he didn't feel like sharing his toys. Ha!

Yes, little O was a part of our day as well - but I think he's a bit young to be finger painting and decorating Easter Eggs. He spent his day attempting to master the art of walking. I had a few people call today, and I ignored their phone calls and sent text messages to the effect of "I have three children, two and under cannot answer!" Sorry.

We were so much more than friends...

2011-04-16T03:44:00.000-07:00

A little glimpse in to the life of College Mary...

This weekend is VEISHEA, but more importantly (at least in my opinion) it is the 90th Anniversary of the AE chapter of Sigma Kappa...

A place where I made some of the best friends, and some of the best memories, in my life.

Some of these friends that I see frequently, and some that I go for months {or years, as in the case of tonight} without seeing, but can hop right back in to conversation with and feel as if they have still lived down the hall from me all of this time...

The ones that know me and love me just the same.

The ones that, if it weren't for they bond that ties us, I might never have met. That might never have made me laugh, wipe my tears...

Or become my best friends.

My SK Sisters!

I cannot wait to celebrate 90 years of memories tonight, and for a brief moment, relive the college life.

my favorite memories
Pita Pit and a Diet Coke
studying for a final on the Mickey's patio
Going out in an outfit the is comprised of four different closets, none of which were your own
Starbuck's or Tarracino runs, nearly every morning
the Chitty gang
banana fights
Roll call
candle passings
Buck burgers in the summer time
facial expressions during chapter meetings
staying up too late solving all of the world's problems
Daisy Head Mazy
how old the alumni seemed {wink, wink}
themed house parties
FAC
class pictures on bid day
and so many more...

Going Deeper...

2011-04-09T13:21:00.001-07:00

I feel compelled to sit down and write at the moment. This morning I met with a group of girl friends, to discuss the book that we are reading "Having a Mary Heart in a Martha World" by Joanna Weaver.

We started discussing our faith and what faith looks like. One of my friends asked about a story in the Old Testament that she is having a hard time wrapping her head around and really believing is true. It is a story that is well known by most Christians {and probably by a lot of non-believers}. One that I have honestly never questioned, but wanted to have the answers for.

You see. I believe it is true because the Bible is a book that is God breathed and is the inspired Word of God, left to His people as our hand book to life. You know how you get a new TV, or a new iPod or a new cell phone and it comes with an instruction manual? But, you promptly file the instruction manual (or throw it away, if you're me) and you don't look at it again until you need it. Something went wrong. Something isn't working the way you wanted it to. So you quickly hop on Google and find the answer, which many times comes right out of the instruction manual that you thought you didn't need? That's the Bible. Our very detailed instruction manual to life. Call me naive, ignorant or lazy, but I don't question whether or not it is true. I just believe that with God all things are possible - and that is how this particular story came to be.

Faith like a small child. It just is.

On the same token, I also believe that we need to be careful to just believe anything we hear. We need to go back to our Bible and really study it and learn it. If we stand for nothing, we will fall for anything. So, yes, I do believe it is okay to have questions. But I also believe it is okay that we do not have the answers.

During our time together this morning I kept thinking, there has never been a time when I really questioned God. And then the topic of baptism and non-believers was raised. What if someone dies and has never heard of Jesus? What if someone is a good person but chooses not to believe in Jesus? Questions with a difficult answer.

And what is our job? Is it our job to save people? No. Jesus already did that. Can we lead them to the cross? God calls us to tell others about Jesus. To be his disciples. We cannot manifest Jesus in anyone else's heart. But we can let his light shine. We can live a life worthy to be called a son or daughter of Christ. We can pray for each other.

I just kept thinking, I haven't ever doubted him. But, then I remember that one time. Or that thing I didn't understand. Or things I still don't understand. I remember the people closest to me that are hurting. That are longing. That are wondering if God is really there. And I try to encourage them. And I pray that when trials come my way I will be as faithful.

I decided I needed to read back in my journal. And I found this, from a post that I titled "Let the Waters Rise":

I am feeling like a failure today. I feel like I have no clue how to raise these boys. I am feeling like they deserve better than me. I am questioning Him and His plans for some very special women in my life. Women who I know would be amazing wives and phenomenal mothers and why their paths have not lead them there yet.

I just keep feeling like I could throw up because something is off today. There is a mountain of laundry waiting for me, dishes to be done, and other responsibilities to fill and I want nothing to do with any of them. I want to escape from here, for the sun to shine down and for responsibility to go away.

But, that's not going to happen. I am going to pray for contentment. I am going to pray for God to send me a close girl friend to live near me. I am going to pray for warm weather to come back sooner than expected. I am going to pray for Him to strengthen me and lead me as a wife and a mom. I am going to pray that He will show me how He would have me use my time.

Hebrews 13:5 "Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said 'Never will I leave you. Never will I foresake you.'"

I am not sharing this with you today in need of prayer. You see, I wrote this, and then I kept moving. I kept praying and I counted my many blessings. And then... I FORGOT I even wrote this until I came back to it. And then I remembered that day. And the many deep breaths it took to fight back tears and the sick feeling in my stomach. Satan is powerful. But not more powerful that my heavenly father.

And today, I am joyful. Joyful that some of the unwritten prayers in the above passage have been answered. Today, I am faithful. Faithful that some of the unwritten prayers in the above passage WILL be answered. Today, I am thankful. Today, I am blessed.

Project: Simplify - Hot Spot #5

2011-04-08T09:18:00.000-07:00

Well, I made it! Five hot spots later, and I'm feeling really good about "Simplifying" and am going to continue picking at least one hot spot/week. This week, the hot spot was "pick your own". One of the areas of our home that has bothered me since we moved in is the "office" area. We don't have a separate room to hide our computer and the like, so it occupies a wall in our living room.

While I really do love our Crate & Barrel shelving set up, we originally purchased them in white, because the system was in place in the same room as Matthew's nursery, at our old home, and all of the furniture matched. In the living room they clash with the (already tacky) hunter green wall and the dark wooden furniture (which also clashes with the light oak shelving already in place).

Being that our living room is the primary entertaining area of the home, I have been wanting to make the office area look a bit more welcoming or at least a bit less offensive. I wasn't exactly sure how to fix the problem, but I had already purchased a couple of organization items in white, so I bought a few more, and without further delay, here are the before and after photos:

Not exactly phenomenal progress, but I do feel that it looks better. The before picture really doesn't even show the entire mess, because when I photographed the area it wasn't originally for Project: Simplify. Once done, the bins on the second from the bottom shelf are not quite big enough to hold the binders and file folders as I had hoped. I also realized, after uploading these photos, that I need to do something about the visible cords. Ick. {Oh, and the stray laptop hanging out below!}

What are your thoughts on "masking" office space? How would you spruce this up, without spending a lot of money?

.blessed.: 9 months and 2 going on 20...

2011-04-07T17:47:00.000-07:00

.blessed.: 9 months and 2 going on 20...: "My baby boy is nine-months-old already. And my other baby boy is growing way too fast. Owen will go to the pediatrician for his well child ..."

Life lately...

2011-04-04T19:13:00.000-07:00

No Toddler Tuesday post tomorrow! I have been finalizing a couple of tax returns today and just realized that I did not put a post together... But, I thought I would just post a quick update tonight, before I head off to read for Book Club on Saturday!

We had quite a week and weekend. Wednesday, the boys had their Easter photos taken. I'm not big on formal "portrait studio" pictures, but when there is a time crunch and my favorite photographer friends live a couple of hours away, off to Target we go (and it's not like I mind a really good excuse to peruse the aisles of Target). M is old enough to know exactly why we were there, and old enough to make up his mind that he did not feel like participating in said event. But, the photos are priceless and I wish there was a way to post them here. I was looking through them again tonight and M's facial expressions crack me up. I am afraid that he may have inherited some of them from me (what can I say, we wear our heart on our sleeve). Dear friends, if you think I am giving you a dirty look, I assure you I am not. I just make a lot of faces when I am deep in thought. Sometimes, they are unfortunate. I love you. Really. I do. Once pictures were over, we went to good old Chick-Fil-A and M was able to burn off some steam in the play place.

On Friday, Jon and I were able to attend Dave Ramsey's EntreLeadership Simulcast. The day started off very frustrating for me. It was just one of those mornings. The morning was rush, rush, rush trying to get the boys out the door to the babysitter and as I was grabbing the keys, I knocked our key rack down, which hit the bowl of food Jon had poured for the cat and then broke the key rack. No big deal really. Just move on. But, in the midst of the mess, I set the diaper bag on the dryer on the way out the door and never went back for it. So, I drove 15 minutes to the sitter to realize O had no bottle and no food. What should have been a 15 minute drop off, allowing me to be to the Simulcast 30 minutes early, turned in to an hour of driving back and forth and a stop to fill up on gas. All because I got flustered in a single moment. And, I am a prompt person. Sometimes too prompt. Usually the first person to get somewhere. Usually the person waiting when everyone else arrives. I cannot stand being late.

I was humbled on Friday morning. I was frustrated and the lyrics to the song "This is the Stuff" kept playing through my head. And then the husband sent me a funny text message and I laughed. Tears of frustration welled in my eyes, but I never let them out. My blood pressure returned to normal, and I arrived. Before Dave even came to the stage. Didn't miss a beat. And none of this was a big deal. Just one of those mornings that my patience were tested.

I'd be lying if I didn't include that during my drive back and forth between home and the babysitter I wasn't thinking to myself "I am a stay-at-home-mom. I am not a leader. I am not an entrepreneur. I have no business attending this event. What in the world am I even doing right now? Who do I even think I am?"

But, I will tell you... This EntreLeadership event was for everyone. I am a leader. I am a mom. I want to lead (train) my children in the way of the Lord. This event motivated me to really re-evaluate myself as a whole and develop character. I will post more on the event later. But, it was a good one. I recommend.

And, as if digesting EntreLeadership weren't enough... On Saturday I attended the MOPS Leadership Summit with three of my girl friends. Another awesome event that I hope to write about more, in the future. Here's a fun picture, though! My favorite part about events like the summit and EntreLeadership is meeting new people, from all different walks of life!

Then on Sunday, we had another great message at the church we attended and had a fun brunch with Nana, Pappi, and Auntie Jenna. After brunch we took advantage of some GORGEOUS spring weather and walked along the river.

Our littlest man has learned to pull himself to standing and is just all over the place. Most recently he has taken an interest in pulling books off of the shelves. Look out world.

Excuse the poor photo quality on the last two photos - taken with the phone. Excuse the randomness and lack of editing on this post. Last minute, and off to bed!

Toddler Tuesday: Easter Activities

2011-04-01T04:08:00.000-07:00

UPDATED TO TO INCLUDE NEW LINKS!
(then hop back down to my Project: Simplify post for today!)

This week I have been thinking about Easter activities. Related to how to share the story of salvation and reconciliation with the father through Jesus, with the little ones. Also, other holiday related learning activities. Here are my thoughts:

Songs:
Jesus Loves Me

Like so many other mommies, I have sung Jesus Loves Me to M & O over and over again since they were born. I have even changed the words to make a little song for them that ends with my favorite thing, a kiss on the nose *smile*. Over the weekend I practiced the song with M, having him repeat every two words. I love hearing him say "Jesus" and "loves me" sounds like "of ME!"

Other suggestions?

Books:
My First Bible Easter Stories
Owen's Marshmallow Chick by Kevin Henkes
(of course! O got this from his Aunt for Christmas and it is so cute!)

Other suggestions?

Activities:
Construction paper eggs (pretty simple, I am going to cut Easter eggs out of construction paper and then cut separate strips of paper, circle punches, etc and give M a glue stick and some little pom-poms and pipe cleaners and have him decorate away. I love "busy" activities.)

Printables. I am on the hunt for new printables for Easter. If I find some good ones, I will post the resources.

*UPDATE*

Over at Totally Tots today there are some printables for John 3:16. Some a bit "too old" for the two-year-old crowd, but there is a mini book that can be cut in to flash cards and some coloring pages (print up a few on some scratch paper and voila!). A great Easter, and every day, activity!

Browing Pinterest this morning {oh my gosh, I think I could spend all day on Pinterest but I won't go on and on about it} and a friend had posted a link to Kids' Easter Coloring Pages from Disney's Family Fun (and how have I not known of this site). Check them out!

Dying eggs... I almost bought a kit but I wonder if M is too young. I think we'll give it a shot!

Easter Baskets:
Hobby Lobby. I found the cutest baskets for 50% off. M gets Elmo (EM-oh) and Owen's basket is a monkey. I found three-packs of Dr. Suess board books at Sam's Club, so they are each getting those and their own Melissa & Doug puzzle.

Also, we found the CUTEST Easter Eggs at Sam's Club. One package has eggs shaped like race cars and the other package has eggs shaped like safari animals. The bummer? They are filled with jaw breakers, atomic fireballs, and double bubble. Really? I am going to empty them and put something a bit more toddler friendly in for the egg hunt.

*UPDATE*

These are SO going in M's Easter basket and making their way to the MOPS Easter Egg Hunt.

Photo via No Fuss Fabulous

I also want to make felt eggs that will hold little toys like matchbox cars and include those in the egg hunt.

What are your Easter traditions?

In other news, I was looking for a couple of pictures to add to the post and came across M's 6-mo pictures and thought these were fun to look at (less than two years between these two photos). I love my sweet boys.

Project: Simplify - Hot Spot #4

2011-03-30T12:25:00.000-07:00

Pantry and Refrigerator

When I saw this weeks hot spot, I thought, "I have this in.the.bag." You see, we moved just under a year ago and went through the process of clearing out kitchen clutter then and I tend not to keep much more in our fridge and pantry than staples and what we are going to use for meals for the week [I was wrong]. But, I will let the before and after photos do their talking:

For the refrigerator, I was actually a bit shocked at how much was in there and how disorganized it was. I started by taking things out one-by-one until the fridge was empty (I figured this would make me move quickly, so as to get everything back inside in a timely fashion). Frankly, I was appalled and embarrassed at just how dirty the fridge was! I just didn't notice until everything was out. If it was expired/just plain old it was tossed. Then, everything was just categorized and I *gasp* used the crisper drawers for their intended purposes.

The pantry had been organized, at one time, and after a few trips to Sam's Club and an assortment of plastic containers [I am not a clepto, nor did I purchase most of these, they just show up - if they are yours feel free to claim] things just started getting put where I could fit them. So, this is more of a rearrange. The Goldfish and oatmeal found a home in the pantry, instead of with servewear and the Fruit Crisps made their way back to the "food side" of the pantry. Snacky foods were moved to the top shelf and everything else found a more appropriate home.

We also have a lazy Susan cupboard which contains larger items (vinegar, oil, etc) and drink mixes (coffee, tea, hot cocoa). Not much to photograph, though I did come up with a handy little solution for the boxes of drink mix. I had multiple boxes taking up space that just had a packet or two each in them. I found this little stainless steel container to be used by the sink for a sponge/SOS pad, etc. I was not using it so I cleaned it up a bit and put smaller bags of tea and Crystal Light in the front and larger packets of hot cocoa in the back. Much easier to see now (the little packets of Crystal Light were actually a surprise that I found floating loose on the shelf). Little packets of Truvia in a container to the right and coffee accessories in a container to the left.

The spice rack received little to no attention (I basically just turned it all back to facing me so I could read it). I am not much for the kitchen, threw most of our spices out when we moved, and haven't accumulated much since...

I did most of the work on this while the boys napped on Monday (they have been phenomenal nappers this week). I was finishing up after Matthew woke up and I could hear him chatting away in the living room. I peeked in and I found him propped on the couch reading himself a book out loud. MeltMyHeart.

I will be linking up with Simple Mom on Friday, until then, happy reading!

(P.S. Eric, from Words of Williams, guest posted over at Sievers CPA today. Check it out!)

Toddler Tuesday: Brought to you by The Iowa Farmer's Wife

2011-03-29T19:26:00.000-07:00

A double whammy today! In case you can't tell, I very quickly whipped up today's post and didn't have much to offer for resources, etc. I do hope to add to that, but what I really wanted to do today was introduce you to The Iowa Farmer's Wife. Adrienne is such an inspiration to me as a mom, and I find so much encouragement from her as she shares her adventures through motherhood. My favorite posts are her Tot School and Muffin Tin Monday posts.

I asked Adrienne to share her methods for planning activities for her toddler, her resources and how she seems to stay so organized! Here is what she had to say...

I decided to homeschool Peyton before she was born, but I wasn't sure when to start, what to use, how to go about it, organization skills. Basically, I was at a loss. Once I entered the blogging world, I found more and more resources and more and more moms who homeschool. I stumbled upon 1+1+1=1 and Confessions of a Homeschooler and they have both been extremely valuable resources. Obviously at 22 months old, our schedule is pretty lax. I don't really have a "set" schedule and we like to get out of the house as much as possible. There is a bit of organization involved, though.

On Sunday evenings I plan what I'd like to cover that week. We've done letter A, Valentine's Day, St. Patrick's Day, Letter S and winter theme, and a few random themes as well. Some weeks we don't have a theme at all, we just do activities. After I've decided what to do that week, I print out everything I need. I figure out what needs to be laminated and cut and spend about an hour getting all the materials ready. A lot of times I have her "build" something out of paper. This is really a cut and paste activity (me cutting, her pasting), but it involves cutting out shapes and such beforehand. Doing it beforehand allows me to have everything ready and keep her attention. It probably takes me 1 to 3 hours per week of preparation time, but most of that time is spent looking for the things I need on the internet and preparing the materials.

I'll plan out the week with certain activities on each day, but if they don't happen that day I don't stress about it. I also try not to push the activities on her. If she gets disinterested, we move on to something else. Some activities only last 30 seconds, while others keep her busy for 20 minutes. At her age, her attention span isn't long enough to focus for the duration of some activities, but sometimes she surprises me!

Even though we're not technically "homeschooling" her, yet, this really helps me see what I need to do in a few years when we're really doing school. I almost use this as a practice round and look at works for people. I research educational toys and products and get most of our books from the library. Reading is so important and we like to read her an array of books. We also have a devotional book that we read her 2-3 times a week before bed. It has a devotional for letters A to Z and questions that even she can answer. It also has a verse that she repeats after me. I've spent about $30 on educational materials. Confessions of a Homeschooler has a CD of alphabet curriculum and Carisa at 1+1+1=1 has a members only section that I joined.

Other than that, I type what I'm looking for in a search engine and weed through until I find what I'm looking for. It's great reading other blogs of moms with tots because you can find so many neat and creative ideas. Homeschooling your toddler doesn't have to be full of planning and letter-learning activities. Honestly, I try to make sure we color, paint or use markers each day, read a book and get out of the house to do something fun. If I can do those 3 things, I think she's learning something.

Here are a few of the resources we love:

1+1+1=1

Confessions of a Homeschooler

Totally Tots

Itsy Bitsy Printables

File Folder Fun

Christian Preschool Printables

Starfall

Thanks, Adrienne! Head on over to her blog and leave her some love!

Project: Simplify - Hot Spot #3

2011-03-24T21:23:00.000-07:00

Hot Spot #3: Kids clothing and toys. Oh my.

I took many, many, many "before" photos and approach this post with accomplishment, though the job is not done. I made it through M's clothing and part of O's. I had somewhat tackled their toys about six weeks ago, but knew the clothing needed to be assessed.

When I knew that I was pregnant with a second boy, I figured I would be stocked with clothing from the hand me downs. But with one winter baby and one summer baby, on the small side and the bigger side, respectively, (okay are you confused now because I just confused myself). All of this to say, I was clueless as to whether or not the boys had clothes in the appropriate sizes for the appropriate seasons.

M's closet before:

A bit overwhelming...

During...

Since I could not easily tackle this project by just locking myself in to their bedrooms, I took the mess to them and while they played, I sorted (and tallied on a handy-dandy little spreadsheet that I created). Anything sized 12-18 month and under went in to a pile for O's closet. Anything sized 3T and higher went to it's own box, clearly labeled with the size {I now know what I have in 3T and 4T tallied so that I don't have to dig through the box until M is that big. If I have my way, he's staying this age/size forever, so no need for bigger clothes anyway.} The 3T and 4T boxes remain in his closet on the top shelf.

M's closet after:

Look at all that roooooooom. Yes. I love empty space. Now, I might just be able to clear the living room of toys. On the left I hung all of M's spring and summer shirts. Middle, sweatshirts {I was sincerely hoping to just pack those away for the season, but alas it appears to be winter-ish outside again}. On the right, long sleeved shirts, polos and button up shirts and the cutest little Easter outfit combo, ever. Also on the right you can see some of the toy organization that began prior to Project: Simplify. I am hoping to get in to the habit of when one toy comes out the other goes away but who am I kidding?

Now for M's dresser.

Before:

This was such a mess. I happened to e-mail Kelsey (from Snappy Casual) about something totally unrelated and mentioned that after sorting through this mess I was going to 30 x 30 my children. {I was kidding, sort of.} Items in the top drawer were: Lil Swimmers, onesies ranging in size from 18 to 24 month, pajamas and socks. Middle drawer: more Lil Swimmers ranging in size from S - L and shorts ranging from 12 months to 3T (uh, how in the world was I planning on dressing this boy appropriately this summer?!). Bottom drawer: pants ranging from 18 months to 4T. Same as the closet anything 12-18 month and under went to O's room and anything 3T and 4T went to it's respective box.

M's dresser after:

Bliss.

Now to find the opportunity to finish O's bedroom and then sort through the bins of children's clothing in the basement! Wowzers. I will save those before photos for a post where I have after photos to show for it!

I was pleased to be able to continue setting aside items to donate. In the past I have always felt this deep need to hang on to stuff because I would never know when the boys would need it. After doing this I have realized that they have more than enough. Mostly because we have been so blessed with generous hand-me-downs and gifts {so, if you are reading this, thank you from the bottom of my heart for blessing my boys!!!} and some from clearance racks that I simply cannot resist.

Can I just talk for a brief moment about how frustrating children's clothing sizes are? Why some are labeled 0-3 months and then some are just labeled 3 months but then the next piece is labeled 3-6 months. For the organizationally challenged {ahem, that's me} WHERE DO I PUT THE 3 MONTH PIECE? I made the executive decision that anything labeled with just one number gets put with the smaller pieces. Thus, 3 month pieces went into piles with 0-3 months, but could we all just get on the same page here? :)

What are you talking about, Mom?