I've had a few emails asking where I am and why in the world am I not blogging.
Honestly, I don't know what happened. One day turned into two, two turned five, five turned into ten, and then ten turned in to the whole month of January. I'd been telling me that when February came I'd start fresh then but obviously that didn't happen.
Partially, I think that because of series of events I just got bottle necked with my real everyday life and blogging about my life didn't seem to be very exciting. Also, I haven't had the constant flow of pictures to share as my two year old accidentally pushed my digital camera into the sink at my mother's house over Christmas.
I've been overextended and I've just been cutting back in an effort to strive for more order. I'll probably blog about that later. I'm in the middle of learning a lesson (more like God is giving me a spanking) and I haven't really wanted to bare all while the sting is still fresh.
I will be back. I love writing and blogging about what I'm learning each day. I will be back because right now, this is my family journal album of what we do with our days. One of these days, I'll actually scrapbook them, but for now, at least I know what we did when and what I thought about it.
Just wanted to drop a line to say that I know I haven't posted in awhile, but I will be back...soon.
Showing posts with label Random Ramblings. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Random Ramblings. Show all posts
Tuesday, February 05, 2008
Tuesday, December 11, 2007
Just Call Me Poop Mama
So our littlest Kano, is 2yo and going through various stages of, shall we say, "trying things".
The latest is taking off his diaper when we put him to bed. When he first started doing this, we'd go up and check on him right before we retired and find him sitting in the bed, all smiles, with his thumb in his mouth, looking at us like, "I knew you'd come eventually!" We would change his sheets and put him back in the bed.
After a few nights of this, we wised up. We would either put on pajama pants making it not-so-easy for him to accomplish his devilish feat, or, because we cloth diaper a lot of the time, we'd just make sure that we put a cloth diaper cover on with snaps which Kano couldn't undo.
That pretty much had solved the problem.
Well, last night, Daddy put the boys down for bed. He's been in and out of town a bit and said he had admittedly fallen out of the routine. He put the boys down for last night forgetting to do any of the precautionary measures.
We sat down at the kitchen table talking for about two hours (isn't my hubby the greatest for talking to me that long...I can go on and on). During that time, we heard the boys upstairs playing. This is not an abnormal thing. Normally we let them play for a bit and then eventually we go upstairs and give them a final good night.
Just as we ended our discussion, we heard Sumo, who speaks in a quiet controlled tone always because he knows we can hear him on the monitor, say, "Mommy, Kano boo-booed.".
We heard him but continued leisurely wrapping up our conversation. Kano has done this before and we just go upstairs and change his diaper. But something was different this time. Sumo persisted, "Mommy...Mommy....come here.....mommy...MOMMY, KANO BOO-BOOED!"
When Jessie went upstairs, all I heard on the moniter was, "Oh my goodness, oh....MAAAANNN!"
I went and got in the bed and pulled the cover over my head. I change dirty diapers all day. I figured Daddy could handle this one.
After about five minutes, which is plenty of time for a simple diaper change, I started to feel guilty and went upstairs. The smell that greeted me at the foot of the stairs was enough to tell me exactly what had happened.
We are talking, on the sheets, on the blanket, on feet, and in the carpet.....SMUDGED into the carpet.
So while many of you slept peacefully in your beds last night, guess what I was doing. Cleaning up poop. We didn't have any carpet cleaner so I had to get out my natural cleaning book and look for how in the world to clean carpet with the stuff I had around the house. I've been on this whole no chemicals thing, but let me tell you, I wished I had some chemicals last night...some strong ones.
For about 20- 30 minutes around midnight, I was on my hands and knees cleaning and scrubbing. I'll spare you the gory details. All of my efforts occurred at the same time that my boys were having the time of their lives because, to them, they were getting a bath, followed by free, uninhibited, unexpected time to play in the gameroom with their toys.
Believe it or not, the carpet today looks like nothing ever happened. I'll be following up today with a borrowed steam cleaner just to make sure there is nothing less-than-clean left behind. Don't let anybody tell you a little detergent, Borax, and LOTS OF VINEGAR (like a half gallon) can't clean up a stubborn mess.
When I first went up to the room, I had no idea how I was gonna handle that mess. There is no class that I took at college (Go Aggies!) that trained me how to handle this kind of mess. IRS audit, yes...legal business desputes, yes...throwing together a presentation at the last minute, yes... cleaning up poop...totally unprepared. Can I tell you that I wanted to rip up that carpet and promptly go today to get some new flooring? I'm sure my husband wouldn't have fought me too hard on that one. That is one home improvement he would have gladly agreed upon.
But I persevered, I overcame, I did what seemed to be inconceivable, impossible and insurmountable.
Today, I am standing tall and proud...declaring to the world that I conquered poop!
I AM POOP MAMA AND I AM PROUD!
The latest is taking off his diaper when we put him to bed. When he first started doing this, we'd go up and check on him right before we retired and find him sitting in the bed, all smiles, with his thumb in his mouth, looking at us like, "I knew you'd come eventually!" We would change his sheets and put him back in the bed.
After a few nights of this, we wised up. We would either put on pajama pants making it not-so-easy for him to accomplish his devilish feat, or, because we cloth diaper a lot of the time, we'd just make sure that we put a cloth diaper cover on with snaps which Kano couldn't undo.
That pretty much had solved the problem.
Well, last night, Daddy put the boys down for bed. He's been in and out of town a bit and said he had admittedly fallen out of the routine. He put the boys down for last night forgetting to do any of the precautionary measures.
We sat down at the kitchen table talking for about two hours (isn't my hubby the greatest for talking to me that long...I can go on and on). During that time, we heard the boys upstairs playing. This is not an abnormal thing. Normally we let them play for a bit and then eventually we go upstairs and give them a final good night.
Just as we ended our discussion, we heard Sumo, who speaks in a quiet controlled tone always because he knows we can hear him on the monitor, say, "Mommy, Kano boo-booed.".
We heard him but continued leisurely wrapping up our conversation. Kano has done this before and we just go upstairs and change his diaper. But something was different this time. Sumo persisted, "Mommy...Mommy....come here.....mommy...MOMMY, KANO BOO-BOOED!"
When Jessie went upstairs, all I heard on the moniter was, "Oh my goodness, oh....MAAAANNN!"
I went and got in the bed and pulled the cover over my head. I change dirty diapers all day. I figured Daddy could handle this one.
After about five minutes, which is plenty of time for a simple diaper change, I started to feel guilty and went upstairs. The smell that greeted me at the foot of the stairs was enough to tell me exactly what had happened.
We are talking, on the sheets, on the blanket, on feet, and in the carpet.....SMUDGED into the carpet.
So while many of you slept peacefully in your beds last night, guess what I was doing. Cleaning up poop. We didn't have any carpet cleaner so I had to get out my natural cleaning book and look for how in the world to clean carpet with the stuff I had around the house. I've been on this whole no chemicals thing, but let me tell you, I wished I had some chemicals last night...some strong ones.
For about 20- 30 minutes around midnight, I was on my hands and knees cleaning and scrubbing. I'll spare you the gory details. All of my efforts occurred at the same time that my boys were having the time of their lives because, to them, they were getting a bath, followed by free, uninhibited, unexpected time to play in the gameroom with their toys.
Believe it or not, the carpet today looks like nothing ever happened. I'll be following up today with a borrowed steam cleaner just to make sure there is nothing less-than-clean left behind. Don't let anybody tell you a little detergent, Borax, and LOTS OF VINEGAR (like a half gallon) can't clean up a stubborn mess.
When I first went up to the room, I had no idea how I was gonna handle that mess. There is no class that I took at college (Go Aggies!) that trained me how to handle this kind of mess. IRS audit, yes...legal business desputes, yes...throwing together a presentation at the last minute, yes... cleaning up poop...totally unprepared. Can I tell you that I wanted to rip up that carpet and promptly go today to get some new flooring? I'm sure my husband wouldn't have fought me too hard on that one. That is one home improvement he would have gladly agreed upon.
But I persevered, I overcame, I did what seemed to be inconceivable, impossible and insurmountable.
Today, I am standing tall and proud...declaring to the world that I conquered poop!
I AM POOP MAMA AND I AM PROUD!
A photo of the perpetrator...
Thursday, December 06, 2007
Hanging Out in Philly - Part II
So after hanging out all over the city, we made our way to the Ronald McDonald House. We had made a trip to Whole Foods upon our arrival to Philly so Gracie was on a mission. She made broiled salmon, steamed broccoli, and baked sweet potatoes. Can you say this girl is the BOMB!
While Gracie busied herself in the kitchen, Kano played hard. He loves this place.
We got a good rest and then got up bright and early the next morning to make our way back home. We paused for traditional photo with Ronald.
Gracie & Kano @ the airport.
Kano admiring the parked airplane and the people on the ground busy doing their jobs. Do you see both arms up in the air! God is good!
While Gracie busied herself in the kitchen, Kano played hard. He loves this place.
We got a good rest and then got up bright and early the next morning to make our way back home. We paused for traditional photo with Ronald.
Gracie & Kano @ the airport.
Kano admiring the parked airplane and the people on the ground busy doing their jobs. Do you see both arms up in the air! God is good!
Hanging Out In Philly - Part I
After a day devoted to taking Kano to the doctor, we had a day to kill. We had the day open in case additional procedures were required for Kano but none were, Praise The Lord! We slept in and caught up on some Zzzzzzs and then headed out the door to see the city. Here's a a little picture journal (one day I'll scrapbook it in real life).
You can't be in Philadelphia and not see historical stuff. Here's Gracie in front of Independence Hall where our Declaration of Independence was signed. Completely appropriate as we just finished U.S. History and are deep in the throws of American Government. This is homeschooling a highschool student at it's finest!
Here are a couple of pics from our visit to the Liberty Bell Center.
When we got close up, Gracie was like, "Is this is it? It doesn't even look real." ...Teenagers (Sigh)
Who says you can't travel with small children! Kano was a real trooper :)
Philly isn't Philly without cheesesteak(s)! This little place was on the side of the Liberty Bell Center. It was the best I've had in a long time.
Gracie was enthralled with the "mixed" look of Philly. Such a city atmosphere but with trees all over the place. Here's one of many pics that she took while making me stop in the middle of the street and shoot her.
And then...we stopped to eat...again...(ugh...that's another story for another post)
Me & Kano @ Johnny Rockets on South Street
Awww....Ain't he tweet?
We kept hearing that Philly was the place to get your hair straightened (both Gracie and I wear our hair natural). It was easy as finding a spot on Broad Street & walking in....
Gracie thought she was something with all that "moving & flowing" hair. The first thing she did when she got in the car was put herself in pixels.
Uh, more than once...
More pics soon and then maybe I'll get back to some meaningful posting :)
Tuesday, October 23, 2007
Waiting For The Heat To Kick In...
Our little Texas cold front, caught me off guard. It too a minute to get the heat revved up :)
Monday, October 22, 2007
Welcoming the Cold Front...
Last night I went to bed listening to the rain and I remember thinking that either it would cool things down or make it really muggy. Well...it cooled things down...ALOT...
I could have worn shorts yesterday, but today I was pulling out my sweaters. That's Texas for ya! Oh well...we were just waiting on the right moment to pull this out...
I could have worn shorts yesterday, but today I was pulling out my sweaters. That's Texas for ya! Oh well...we were just waiting on the right moment to pull this out...
Gracie's Homemade Hot Chocolate
Monday, September 10, 2007
Pray for...
Rachel of Home Sanctuary and her sister, Katherine, of Raising Five. They experienced a tragic loss over the weekend.
I actually had the opportunity to spend time with Rachel at the Deeper Still Women's Conference in Nashville, TN this weekend. I can't imagine coming home to news like this.
Be sure and pray for their families this week.
I actually had the opportunity to spend time with Rachel at the Deeper Still Women's Conference in Nashville, TN this weekend. I can't imagine coming home to news like this.
Be sure and pray for their families this week.
Thursday, July 26, 2007
We have arrived!...
WHEW! After leaving Dallas at 11 am on Wednesday, July 25th and flying for a total of 20 hours, we have finally made it to Durban, South Africa. The time difference is 7 hours ahead of my local time in the U.S. We arrived at 9pm local time so I don't have much to say yet about Durban or what we've done yet.
I love flying, so having that long to sit on a plane and sleep, eat, watch movies, and read was like heaven. I told my husband that if all he did was to fly me to South Africa and back that would still be like a vacation b/c I’d be doing what I wanted to do for two whole days ☺
On the plane, I was able to finish a book and start another. I’ll post tomorrow about that. I haven’t officially started posting my books read and my thoughts on them, but I hope to add that to the things I talk about next year. I'm a voracious reader and would love to share books worth reading with other folks. These last couple of books I've read were just too good not to talk.
Our luggage is lost (bummer), but I’ve procured a toothbrush and my fashion worries for the morrow are absolutely nil. My foray into time off from my day to day normal life will be a breeze 'cuz I just don’t have very many decisions to make. All I have to do is relax and spend with mi amor. It's been nice so far...even just sitting on a plane...to be with him.
I've called home and the kids are doing fine...of course. The few days before my trip I had been hugging and kissing on them because I knew I'd be leaving. They were obviously overjoyed...
When we pulled off on Wednesday morning, Sumo seemed glad. He knew Antie and Granny were coming which means, fun, awesome snack food that Mommy normally doesn't allow, and lots of movies!
I remember spending time with my Aunt and Grandmother during the summer. We ate grilled cheese and drank hot tea all day long as we watched cartoons....it was great fun! I had no idea then how great boredom really was...
Well, I digress from the reminiscing. I'll have more to say tomorrow about my trip.
I will also be announcing the winner of my bloggy contest tomorrow too :)
I love flying, so having that long to sit on a plane and sleep, eat, watch movies, and read was like heaven. I told my husband that if all he did was to fly me to South Africa and back that would still be like a vacation b/c I’d be doing what I wanted to do for two whole days ☺
On the plane, I was able to finish a book and start another. I’ll post tomorrow about that. I haven’t officially started posting my books read and my thoughts on them, but I hope to add that to the things I talk about next year. I'm a voracious reader and would love to share books worth reading with other folks. These last couple of books I've read were just too good not to talk.
Our luggage is lost (bummer), but I’ve procured a toothbrush and my fashion worries for the morrow are absolutely nil. My foray into time off from my day to day normal life will be a breeze 'cuz I just don’t have very many decisions to make. All I have to do is relax and spend with mi amor. It's been nice so far...even just sitting on a plane...to be with him.
I've called home and the kids are doing fine...of course. The few days before my trip I had been hugging and kissing on them because I knew I'd be leaving. They were obviously overjoyed...
When we pulled off on Wednesday morning, Sumo seemed glad. He knew Antie and Granny were coming which means, fun, awesome snack food that Mommy normally doesn't allow, and lots of movies!
Kano w/Antie
I remember spending time with my Aunt and Grandmother during the summer. We ate grilled cheese and drank hot tea all day long as we watched cartoons....it was great fun! I had no idea then how great boredom really was...
Well, I digress from the reminiscing. I'll have more to say tomorrow about my trip.
I will also be announcing the winner of my bloggy contest tomorrow too :)
Wednesday, July 25, 2007
I Want To Scream!
A couple of weeks ago we went to Pine Cove and enjoyed a week of family camp. On Saturday, we left there and went into the town of Tyler to hang out before camping out at Tyler State Park in the RV. The next day we planned to take our girls to the Pine Cove Camps for their respective age levels. Because we were making a quick turnaround, we needed to wash clothes and repack them for camp. We stopped at a wash-a-teria and laundered all of our clothes, dryed them, and repacked.
A week ago, Bessie told me that was missing a pair of jeans. Last night, as I was packing, I thought it was weird that I couldn't find a favorite pair of khaki shorts. A little while later, it dawned on me that I couldn't find that drawstring extremely comfortable skirt. At that moment, a panic attack set in as I leafed through my closet furiously, looking for a few other pieces of my wardrobe. The agony seeped in as I slowly come to the realization that my clothes weren't in my home. I back peddled and realized that somehow, someway, our clothes had either been left at the laundromat or at the camp.
I called the laundromat this morning only to be told that the longest they would keep clothes is two weeks. We were there two weeks ago Saturday. I told the attendant this and she said that they didn't have any clothes right now....and that she had just thrown some clothes away yesterday. I asked her had the trash been picked up...Yea... you know what she said....
I called the camp and left a message, inquiring about the likelihood of our clothes being left there. I am trying to be hopeful but deep down...I know the truth.
My clothes are gone...some of my favorite pieces...I will never see them again...
I feel physically ill just even typing this post.
You have to understand that I HATE SHOPPING. And when I DO shop and find something that I like, I keep it FOREVER.
You have to understand that I don't really have many nice casual clothes. I have a heap of church clothes (read many old clothes from my office days gone by). I also have a lot of bum around clothes...but those cute, go-to-the-mall-and-be-seen clothes?...I just don't have many.
So to reduce my clothing items in such an insane way is sickening.
Is this just a fluke of life? Is there a lesson I'm supposed to be learning? Did I do something wrong?
OH, THE AGONY!....
And no...there is no great spiritual point that I'm going to make...no wonderful insight or lesson learned...
Right now...I'm just mad.
A week ago, Bessie told me that was missing a pair of jeans. Last night, as I was packing, I thought it was weird that I couldn't find a favorite pair of khaki shorts. A little while later, it dawned on me that I couldn't find that drawstring extremely comfortable skirt. At that moment, a panic attack set in as I leafed through my closet furiously, looking for a few other pieces of my wardrobe. The agony seeped in as I slowly come to the realization that my clothes weren't in my home. I back peddled and realized that somehow, someway, our clothes had either been left at the laundromat or at the camp.
I called the laundromat this morning only to be told that the longest they would keep clothes is two weeks. We were there two weeks ago Saturday. I told the attendant this and she said that they didn't have any clothes right now....and that she had just thrown some clothes away yesterday. I asked her had the trash been picked up...Yea... you know what she said....
I called the camp and left a message, inquiring about the likelihood of our clothes being left there. I am trying to be hopeful but deep down...I know the truth.
My clothes are gone...some of my favorite pieces...I will never see them again...
I feel physically ill just even typing this post.
You have to understand that I HATE SHOPPING. And when I DO shop and find something that I like, I keep it FOREVER.
You have to understand that I don't really have many nice casual clothes. I have a heap of church clothes (read many old clothes from my office days gone by). I also have a lot of bum around clothes...but those cute, go-to-the-mall-and-be-seen clothes?...I just don't have many.
So to reduce my clothing items in such an insane way is sickening.
Is this just a fluke of life? Is there a lesson I'm supposed to be learning? Did I do something wrong?
OH, THE AGONY!....
And no...there is no great spiritual point that I'm going to make...no wonderful insight or lesson learned...
Right now...I'm just mad.
Monday, July 23, 2007
I'm Off to South Africa!
I'm so excited! I will be going on a seven day trip to South Africa! Can you believe that it will just be me going ALONE with my husband?!?!?!?!? He is going for business and I am tagging along. This will be the first time in awhile we have been on a trip together...alone...with no kiddos (smile)...and an even longer time that I have been away from all four of them for such a long time (can somebody say...ANXIETY ATTACK).
We are blessed to have loving Antie's and Granny's to come to our home and to be with our chillun's. I'm up at this hour doing some food prep for all the precooking I should have been doing last week.... (sigh). That's the only thing about leaving home...It's SO MUCH WORK!
Anyway, I hope to blog a bit this week before we leave but forgive me if it is a bit sketchy due to my head blowing up as I try to remember a million minute details!
I don't know what my internet access will be like over on that side of the world, but if I can get online with my trusty Mac then I'll try to blog a bit about my travels....
I'm....so......EXCITED!!!
Now, if I can just finish deboning this chicken for the three recipes I'm putting it in this week..... (sigh...again....)
If you have any going-out-of-town-and-leaving-your-kids-tips....I'd love to hear them!
We are blessed to have loving Antie's and Granny's to come to our home and to be with our chillun's. I'm up at this hour doing some food prep for all the precooking I should have been doing last week.... (sigh). That's the only thing about leaving home...It's SO MUCH WORK!
Anyway, I hope to blog a bit this week before we leave but forgive me if it is a bit sketchy due to my head blowing up as I try to remember a million minute details!
I don't know what my internet access will be like over on that side of the world, but if I can get online with my trusty Mac then I'll try to blog a bit about my travels....
I'm....so......EXCITED!!!
Now, if I can just finish deboning this chicken for the three recipes I'm putting it in this week..... (sigh...again....)
If you have any going-out-of-town-and-leaving-your-kids-tips....I'd love to hear them!
Thursday, July 19, 2007
Getting a Job and Goodwill
My friend Nina commented yesterday on my Freecycle post. Take a look at her comment. I was glad she reminded me about Goodwill as an alternative to getting rid of free stuff, not only b/c it benefits my decluttering efforts but also b/c it helps other people stay employed and get vocational training.
Nina has also recently started her own blog. I visited her place for the first time yesterday and her recent post would help someone I'm sure. She is very accomplished in her career, has risen to the top, and, as a result, has hired (and fired I'm sure) a lot of people. She writes about the Do's and Don'ts of Interviewing. Read and and learn or pass along to someone else who could benefit.
Thanks Neen!
Nina has also recently started her own blog. I visited her place for the first time yesterday and her recent post would help someone I'm sure. She is very accomplished in her career, has risen to the top, and, as a result, has hired (and fired I'm sure) a lot of people. She writes about the Do's and Don'ts of Interviewing. Read and and learn or pass along to someone else who could benefit.
Thanks Neen!
Wednesday, July 11, 2007
Togetherness
Time spend with loved ones is a precious commodity. There are some relationships that are so rare, they are especially treasured and valued. There are other relationships that we tend to take for granted either b/c of the proximity of the loved one or the frequency of their availability in our lives.
Either way human relationship and the heart strings that come with them are fragile, unique, and therefore unrepeatable in their raw form.
The relationship that I have with my mother cannot be repeated.
The relationship that I have with my only sister cannot be reborn.
The relationship that I have with my children cannot be reproduced.
The relationship that I have with my college roommate cannot be replicated.
They are all unique and therefore they should all be treasured. All of the opportunities to interact with special people in my life should be relished. I should be all there.
Sometimes the moments that we spend with special people are mundane and we just figure out how to get through them.
Sometimes we are in a moment that is so rare, that we just bask in the reality that the event or occurence is special and we just soak up every moment. When moments happen - especially unrepeatable moments - they should be captured and written in our minds and on our hearts to treasure forever.
On this ordinary day, my grandmother knew she was enjoying a one-of-a-kind moment. On this day she relished the opportunity she got to hold on to a high energy preschooler who hardly ever chooses to hang out in one spot. She soaked it up.
One day, little Sumo will know that this moment he shared with his great-grandmother was unique, unrepeatable, and so every special. One day, he will have this photo to remind him that he soaked it all in - even if it was for just a moment.
Who do you need to spend time with today? Find time for the important people. Make memorable moments. Enjoy the uniqueness of the relationships God has blessed you with. Bask in the opportunities you have to be together with the people you cherish.
Either way human relationship and the heart strings that come with them are fragile, unique, and therefore unrepeatable in their raw form.
The relationship that I have with my mother cannot be repeated.
The relationship that I have with my only sister cannot be reborn.
The relationship that I have with my children cannot be reproduced.
The relationship that I have with my college roommate cannot be replicated.
They are all unique and therefore they should all be treasured. All of the opportunities to interact with special people in my life should be relished. I should be all there.
Sometimes the moments that we spend with special people are mundane and we just figure out how to get through them.
Sometimes we are in a moment that is so rare, that we just bask in the reality that the event or occurence is special and we just soak up every moment. When moments happen - especially unrepeatable moments - they should be captured and written in our minds and on our hearts to treasure forever.
This was one of those moments.
On this ordinary day, my grandmother knew she was enjoying a one-of-a-kind moment. On this day she relished the opportunity she got to hold on to a high energy preschooler who hardly ever chooses to hang out in one spot. She soaked it up.
One day, little Sumo will know that this moment he shared with his great-grandmother was unique, unrepeatable, and so every special. One day, he will have this photo to remind him that he soaked it all in - even if it was for just a moment.
Who do you need to spend time with today? Find time for the important people. Make memorable moments. Enjoy the uniqueness of the relationships God has blessed you with. Bask in the opportunities you have to be together with the people you cherish.
Saturday, July 07, 2007
Happy Birthday To Me!
Many of you Moms know that when you reach a certain period in your life...age is only a number. Today I got many phone calls and well wishes. My girls gave me some thoughtful gifts. My hubby catered to me throughout the day and my little boys gave me hugs, wished me Happy Birthday and wondered where "their" cake was.
What can I say, I'm thankful to be alive and well. I'm thankful that my husband and children are well. I'm thankful that I get to see one more year. I'm not very sentimental about another year gone by, but I have this nagging feeling in the back of my head that I will be soon. Probably, in the very near future, I'll start thinking deep thoughts about the my time on this earth, how much has passed, and what I want to do with the time I have left. Some tears, prayer, and talking to girlfriends are all sure to be in order.
There are certain battles that we will all fight FOR LIFE. My long-time battles with consistency in my quiet time, consistency with good eating habits, and consistency in BEING TRUE TO MYSELF are on my mind. Sometimes I just get tired of looking in the mirror and not seeing the changes that I yearn for. I'm not depressed about it or anything today; today was a very light and happy day. I just know that because today WAS a landmark day, I'll be looking in the mirror tomorrow and wondering what I can do to live the next half of my life (or more) differently...no BETTER...than I've lived the first half. But tomorrow will come soon enough...
Tonight, I'm with my family, enjoying some quality time with everybody and relishing in the end to a great day. It no longer takes a birthday bash or a slew full of gifts to make my heart feel full on the 7th of July. When you boil things all the way down, there just aren't that many things that truly matter in life anyway. I'm reflecting on my contribution to this earth and relaxing with my husband and kids. Really...truly....what else is there?
And if finding contentment in a birthday simply spent weren't enough, I glanced over my shoulder and noticed that God decided to bless me with a birthday gift too.
After a week of rain, rain, rain - deep in the heart of Texas...He gave me a respite to remind me that even HE thought of me today...
What can I say, I'm thankful to be alive and well. I'm thankful that my husband and children are well. I'm thankful that I get to see one more year. I'm not very sentimental about another year gone by, but I have this nagging feeling in the back of my head that I will be soon. Probably, in the very near future, I'll start thinking deep thoughts about the my time on this earth, how much has passed, and what I want to do with the time I have left. Some tears, prayer, and talking to girlfriends are all sure to be in order.
There are certain battles that we will all fight FOR LIFE. My long-time battles with consistency in my quiet time, consistency with good eating habits, and consistency in BEING TRUE TO MYSELF are on my mind. Sometimes I just get tired of looking in the mirror and not seeing the changes that I yearn for. I'm not depressed about it or anything today; today was a very light and happy day. I just know that because today WAS a landmark day, I'll be looking in the mirror tomorrow and wondering what I can do to live the next half of my life (or more) differently...no BETTER...than I've lived the first half. But tomorrow will come soon enough...
Tonight, I'm with my family, enjoying some quality time with everybody and relishing in the end to a great day. It no longer takes a birthday bash or a slew full of gifts to make my heart feel full on the 7th of July. When you boil things all the way down, there just aren't that many things that truly matter in life anyway. I'm reflecting on my contribution to this earth and relaxing with my husband and kids. Really...truly....what else is there?
And if finding contentment in a birthday simply spent weren't enough, I glanced over my shoulder and noticed that God decided to bless me with a birthday gift too.
After a week of rain, rain, rain - deep in the heart of Texas...He gave me a respite to remind me that even HE thought of me today...
It just doesn't get any better than that...
Thursday, July 05, 2007
Curiousity @ It's Finest
There is nothing like the raw curiosity that children seem to have an endless supply of. Everything is new and is something to be understood and experienced.
Sizing up the competition
Sizing up the competition
Going in for the challenge
Oh "taste and see" ...
... that it's not all it was cracked up to be!
... that it's not all it was cracked up to be!
... and for my grandmother who is probably appalled at the idea that I'd let my son eat dog food - he really didn't eat any. He just wanted to play pretend. I am a good mother...really I am!
Thursday, June 07, 2007
Drinking Grass
OK...so I'm on a mission of health and I'm raring and daring to try new things....
I've been reading The Green Foods Bible and I figured if I could read all about the benefits of ingesting straight green food that I should try it. I stopped by my local Smoothie King and asked for an ounce. It was $2.00!
The only thing I can say is that it tasted like GRASS! What can I say...I'll try anything once. Although I don't think I will make a routine of paying $2.00 an ounce for power packed nutritional green juice, I do think that I might look into some of the green powders that contain some of these nutrient dense wonder-working plant foods. Anything tastes good added to a smoothie!
Why Wheatgrass? I couldn't even sum up without writing a thesis statement or referring to a million websites. The bottom line - it's a superfood. Lots of vitamins, minerals, amino acids, it acts as a detoxifier/cleanser and it is mostly 70% chlorophyll which is supposed to be a good thing.
I truly am overwhelmed with the amount of information that exists on healthy living/eating/diet. If it doesn't have to be grass, it has to be organic, if it doesn't have to be organic, it has to be growing in your backyard, if it didn't grow in your backyard, then surely you make it from scratch.
I see why some folks get completely consumed with this stuff. It's never ending!
Lord help me to be open to messages of health I'm unfamiliar with yet help me to apply balance as I learn and try new things.
While I'm waiting on balance :), I went ahead and bought some chlorophyll (I bought mine in mint flavor but you can buy it without flavor). I put it in a teaspoon in the morning and drink it down. Now, you can all say at once....Why on earth would you do that Chrystal? Well, I've heard that chlorophyll helps with energy levels. Is it true. So far....YES! Here is something I read that explains in more detail:
So there you have it folks...I drink grass...or a form of it at least...I'm officially a weirdo (or at least until I get tired of being weird and decide to try research and experiment with something more normal like getting laundry done, dishes washed, or summer clothes organized).
We'll see how long this lasts... :)
I've been reading The Green Foods Bible and I figured if I could read all about the benefits of ingesting straight green food that I should try it. I stopped by my local Smoothie King and asked for an ounce. It was $2.00!
The only thing I can say is that it tasted like GRASS! What can I say...I'll try anything once. Although I don't think I will make a routine of paying $2.00 an ounce for power packed nutritional green juice, I do think that I might look into some of the green powders that contain some of these nutrient dense wonder-working plant foods. Anything tastes good added to a smoothie!
Why Wheatgrass? I couldn't even sum up without writing a thesis statement or referring to a million websites. The bottom line - it's a superfood. Lots of vitamins, minerals, amino acids, it acts as a detoxifier/cleanser and it is mostly 70% chlorophyll which is supposed to be a good thing.
I truly am overwhelmed with the amount of information that exists on healthy living/eating/diet. If it doesn't have to be grass, it has to be organic, if it doesn't have to be organic, it has to be growing in your backyard, if it didn't grow in your backyard, then surely you make it from scratch.
I see why some folks get completely consumed with this stuff. It's never ending!
Lord help me to be open to messages of health I'm unfamiliar with yet help me to apply balance as I learn and try new things.
While I'm waiting on balance :), I went ahead and bought some chlorophyll (I bought mine in mint flavor but you can buy it without flavor). I put it in a teaspoon in the morning and drink it down. Now, you can all say at once....Why on earth would you do that Chrystal? Well, I've heard that chlorophyll helps with energy levels. Is it true. So far....YES! Here is something I read that explains in more detail:
Chlorophyll power
- Chlorophyll, a green plant pigment, is quite possibly the most powerful element that exists in the universe. Chlorophyll is one of the most intensely researched elements in history and has been used in the treatment of everything from periodontal disease, diabetes and low iron, to open wounds, ulcers and body odor.
Today, foods that contain chlorophyll are gaining wide acclaim for their ability to prevent disease. - While science does not fully understand the miracle of chlorophyll, we do know that its chemical makeup strongly resembles hemoglobin (the portion of the blood that carries oxygen). The major difference between the two chemical structures is that the center element of chlorophyll is magnesium, while the center element of hemoglobin is iron.
- Some research is now suggesting that chlorophyll can efficiently release magnesium, and replace it with iron. In other words, chlorophyll can actually be converted to hemoglobin, which increases the flow of oxygen to all parts of the body.
- The ability of the body to maintain an environment rich in oxygen is important for several reasons. One of the most important benefits is that it allows the body to release more carbon dioxide, which in turn, reduces stress on the body, creates greater energy and endurance, and creates an aerobic environment. In an aerobic environment, disease cannot get started.
- An aerobic environment also is beneficial to the so-called friendly bacteria, and detrimental to bad bacteria. The good bacteria promote digestive health, while bad bacteria contribute to such things as disease, body odor, and bad breath.
So there you have it folks...I drink grass...or a form of it at least...I'm officially a weirdo (or at least until I get tired of being weird and decide to try research and experiment with something more normal like getting laundry done, dishes washed, or summer clothes organized).
We'll see how long this lasts... :)
Friday, June 01, 2007
My Personal Policies
My friend Rachel tagged me for a meme. She posted yesterday about her personal policies and she is right - she's not the only one with personal rules she lives by. So here are my own:
I'll tag Leslie, Lindsey, Jana, and Wynter!
- Never use the same face towel twice in a row. Dry and clean makes a good start.
- End every meal with something sweet. Even if it's only a peppermint.
- Bare feet on a bare floor is gross...even if it's just socks, covering is a must.
- Never sit on public toilets (this should be a given)
- No one else should wear my shoes...
- Things don't have to spotless, piles are OK, as long as I know where stuff is...but DON'T TOUCH MY PILES
- A person should never drink the last of anything in someone else's fridge, especially mine.
- Don't take anything out of my room, purse, car, etc. without asking. I'm a giving person but give me a chance to give it to you.
- Wet floors after a shower are yucky...so I'm always first into the shower :)
- I'm with Rachel...no sweaty men in bed :)
- I don't kill bugs with my own shoes. I go get my husbands.
- When I fill up my gas tank, I have to end on a price that is divisible by 5 (like $45.65).
- I use the brain dump method for a "To Do List". I have a Master Task List that has EVERYTHING on it that I need to remember by "ASAP", "Week", "Month", "Quarter", & "Year". It just give me peace to know that everything is written down.
- No eating fried chicken in the bedroom. My Starbucks and Chocolate Covered Graham Crackers are OK though :)
- Eggs should crack evenly in half when I use them for cooking. If they don't...I feel like I'm a failed cook.
- My pillow is my pillow....I don't like using others...
- Always leave a message on voicemail...a beep followed by empty space is such a waste of time:)
- My seat at church is my seat at church!
- I refuse to wear makeup everyday (mostly church and special occasions). I had a friend that did and one day when she went without I asked her if she was sick. By following this policy, I can only look better not worse.
- I like my feet to be warm. If you are a good friend of mine, you'll know b/c when we sit on the couch to talk, I reserve the right to stick my feet under your bottom. Bottoms do a good job of warming feet.
I'll tag Leslie, Lindsey, Jana, and Wynter!
Tuesday, May 29, 2007
Memorial Day Memories
We spent a fairly low key day in and around the house. It was nice. Whatever we did, we primarily did for ourselves. We tend to be an entertaining family but today there was no big party, no big event, and no big grocery bill. We spent a slow morning letting the boys run around outside, jumping on the trampoline, picking weeds dandelions, and looking at bugs.
Eventually we did decide that we'd like to grill so we took a 20 minute one way walk to Wal-Mart and picked up some meat and BBQ sauce.
After feeding the boys lunch, they went down for their afternoon nap and Hubby began to grill. He was such an angel today. He did all the cooking, feeding, and cleaning. I was in HEAVEN!
After naptime, we did have a few family stop by. We just hung out somemore, let the boys run around some more, and had a good time.
It was nice for the highlight of the day to just be "being together"....no agenda...no program...no list....just together....
Eventually we did decide that we'd like to grill so we took a 20 minute one way walk to Wal-Mart and picked up some meat and BBQ sauce.
After feeding the boys lunch, they went down for their afternoon nap and Hubby began to grill. He was such an angel today. He did all the cooking, feeding, and cleaning. I was in HEAVEN!
After naptime, we did have a few family stop by. We just hung out somemore, let the boys run around some more, and had a good time.
It was nice for the highlight of the day to just be "being together"....no agenda...no program...no list....just together....
Friday, May 25, 2007
My Baby Boy Is Growing Up
Where does the time go....?
Sumo just turned 4 years old. Just yesterday I brought my oldest son home from the hospital and reveled in soaking up all of his sweet baby smells every chance I got. Time is just going way too fast. I can honestly say that I have enjoyed each and every stage of his life and growth thus far. I am happy and glad...all at once...to celebrate his most recent birthday.
We took him to a beautiful park close by, rented a bounce house, called up some friends, bought some hot dogs, and then watched him have the time of his life!
He was king for the day!
He ran wild with virtually no restraint!
and he had a blast hanging with his best buds...
He's into the whole "Cars" movie theme and he loves "Lightning McQueen". His party had his passion as it's theme. My sister-in-law made this cake for Sumo. We kept it on our kitchen counter all day with the LID TAPED DOWN. I kept calling his name and saying "don't touch the cake baby boy". He replied to me..."Mommy, I'm not gonna touch it...I'm just gonna LOOK at it!" All day...he had such sheer joy just looking...
...as much as he wanted to eat his cake, he was a little less than enthused about the idea of "cutting" Lightning....
Sumo and his friends played hard and had a great time. When it become too dark to run and play throughout the park, they ran into the bouncehouse and jumped until way past dark. Poor thing, he cried when it was time to turn off the generator and watch the air slowly leave the bounce house. I'm glad he enjoyed his birthday party...so sorry this wonderful day had to end.
Time flies when you are having fun!!!
It's been a wonderful ride so far being your Mommy and I look forward to each new year and the privilege of watching you grow and become the wonderful man you are destined to be.
Happy Birthday Sumo!
...you handsome little angel you...
It's been a wonderful ride so far being your Mommy and I look forward to each new year and the privilege of watching you grow and become the wonderful man you are destined to be.
Happy Birthday Sumo!
...you handsome little angel you...
Friday, April 20, 2007
A Super Sonic Family Night Disaster...
Last night we decided to go and hang out after dinner. We loaded into the car for a "surprise ride". This is what we tell the kiddos when we don't want them to ask question :)...and we want to build excitement about where we are going. So last night, we headed to Sonic. I found a new Sonic while running an errand one day. It is HUGE and has a nice playground set on sand. We knew it would be messy but we figured the kids would have fun. They did have fun and the fun lasted right up until our last 10 minutes.
The drama started with our two year old, K-No. The play area is surrounded by an iron fence and he decided that he didn't like it. We laughed as he put both of his hands on the fence and tried to lift up. He strained and huffed and puffed, throwing his head back and grimacing because of his overwhelmingly effort. It was a hoot.
The iron fence was situated over a two foot concrete wall. From the ground the two foot concrete wall rose up and then the iron fence rose up, supported by the wall. He decided he could get more leverage if he climbed up on the concrete wall and stuck his legs through the opening between the wall and the bottom of the fence. We laughed at that too....until he fell. He fell trying to get down and so he landed smack on his face. As soon as he got up, we saw that his mouth was filled with blood and he had a bruise in the middle of his forehead. He was screaming bloody murder.
Less than a minute later, the 4 year old, Sumo, started screaming too. After a solid hour of playing in the sand without event, he had finally decided to get sand in his eyes. He screamed louder than K-No and wouldn't let anyone help him. He just took off like a wild man, rubbing his eyes and hollering at the top of his lungs.
So much for a fun family night.
We were eventually able to calm both of them down. K-No left with a swollen lip and Sumo held a baby wipe over his eyes on the way home, looking like he was in mourning. He asked for a new baby wipe every 60 seconds, claiming that the old one was "de-wa-ty".
Chalk this one up to a family story we'll tell for a long time.
The drama started with our two year old, K-No. The play area is surrounded by an iron fence and he decided that he didn't like it. We laughed as he put both of his hands on the fence and tried to lift up. He strained and huffed and puffed, throwing his head back and grimacing because of his overwhelmingly effort. It was a hoot.
The iron fence was situated over a two foot concrete wall. From the ground the two foot concrete wall rose up and then the iron fence rose up, supported by the wall. He decided he could get more leverage if he climbed up on the concrete wall and stuck his legs through the opening between the wall and the bottom of the fence. We laughed at that too....until he fell. He fell trying to get down and so he landed smack on his face. As soon as he got up, we saw that his mouth was filled with blood and he had a bruise in the middle of his forehead. He was screaming bloody murder.
Less than a minute later, the 4 year old, Sumo, started screaming too. After a solid hour of playing in the sand without event, he had finally decided to get sand in his eyes. He screamed louder than K-No and wouldn't let anyone help him. He just took off like a wild man, rubbing his eyes and hollering at the top of his lungs.
So much for a fun family night.
We were eventually able to calm both of them down. K-No left with a swollen lip and Sumo held a baby wipe over his eyes on the way home, looking like he was in mourning. He asked for a new baby wipe every 60 seconds, claiming that the old one was "de-wa-ty".
Chalk this one up to a family story we'll tell for a long time.
Tuesday, April 17, 2007
If You Blink, You'll Miss It
Recently, my family hit the highways and took a weekend roadtrip. In Texas, a road trip includes lots of flat land, miles of pastures, and rows of crops. It can get monotonous. When you are sitting in a car (or a minivan in our case), the view can seem all the same. The temptation would be to stop looking and to stop taking in the scenery. A good book or a few minutes of sweet "car" sleep might seem a whole lot more enticing then staring at the same old mile after mile.
The photo above is what I almost missed because I was engrossed in some book I had brought along to read. I happened to glance up mid-page and caught this sunset. I grabbed my digital camera and proceeded to break all safety laws as I stood up and leaned as close as I could get to my husbands window without obscuring his view (yes...as he drove). I just had to catch this beautiful sight.
It's a pretty good shot considering the fact that we were moving at about 70 miles per hour. The picture is good but not great. It's enough for me to have a memory but not enough to actually show the detail. We were just moving too fast.
Life moves fast. Even when it feels like it's moving slow. It moves fast...it just does.
And we get busy...we get busy doing so many things that aren't bad or that even make sense for the journey that we are on. But...when we look up and realize that something beautiful is happening, our ability to capture and remember the details may be limited because of the speed at which we travel.
My lesson from this photo...S-L-O-W-D-O-W-N.
Now this is a photo, that I took at a standstill. We were traveling on a dirt road...somewhere in between two teeny-tiny towns. Because the road was so rough, we had no choice other than to proceed at a snail's pace. Because we were moving so slow, I did not miss this:
In fact, I asked my husband to stop the RV. I leaned over him, completely obscuring his view to catch the shot. This is the driveway to someone's home. Gorgeous. I captured this sight on my camera and in my memory because we stopped to gaze.
Life is beautiful. My desire is to take it all in and to move slow enough so that I don't miss it's beauty. I figure that if I move fast I may still arrive at my planned destination, but what good does that do me if I missed the moments of beauty along the way?
Lord, help me to slow down...help me to keep my eyes peeled for those memory-making moments that you provide. Help me not to blink. I don't want to miss anything that you have given me to enjoy along the way of my journey.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
