My new coffee table

You think I'm joking? I'm not. Welcome to the world of kids. :-)

What do stay at home mom's do all day?

This is a written out version of a news article to Carolyn Hax (a dear Abby sort). I found it pretty much sums up my day (especially after a disasterous Walmart run earlier this morning)

Dear Carolyn: Best friend has child. Her: exhausted, busy, no time for self, no time for me, etc. Me (no kids): What'd you do today? Her: Park, play group ...

OK. I've talked to parents. I don't get it. What do stay-at-home moms do all day? Please no lists of library, grocery store, dry cleaners ... I do all those things, too. I guess what I'm asking is: What is a typical day and why don't moms have time for a call or e-mail? I work and am away from home nine hours a day (plus a few late work events); I manage to get it all done. I'm feeling like the kid is an excuse to relax and enjoy, but if so, why won't my friend tell me the truth? Is this a contest ("my life is so much harder than yours")? What's the deal? I've got friends with and without kids and all us child-free folks have the same questions.

— Tacoma, Wash.


Dear Tacoma: Relax and enjoy. You're funny.

Or, you're lying about having friends with kids.

Or you're taking them at their word that they actually have kids, because you haven't personally been in the same room with them.

I keep wavering between giving you a straight answer and giving my forehead some keyboard. To claim you want to understand, while in the same breath implying that the only logical conclusions are that your mom-friends are either lying or competing with you, is disingenuous indeed.

So, because it's validation you seem to want, the real answer is what you get. When you have young kids, your typical day is: constant attention, from getting them out of bed, fed, cleaned, dressed; to keeping them out of harm's way; to answering their coos, cries, questions; to having two arms and carrying one kid, one set of car keys, and supplies for even the quickest trips, including the latest-to-be-declared-essential piece of molded plastic gear; to keeping them from unshelving books at the library; to enforcing rest times; to staying one step ahead of them lest they get too hungry, tired or bored, any one of which produces checkout-line screaming.

It's needing 45 minutes to do what takes others 15.

It's constant vigilance, constant touch, constant use of your voice, constant relegation of your needs to the second tier.

It's constant scrutiny and second-guessing from family and friends. It's resisting constant temptation to seek short-term relief at everyone's long-term expense.

It's doing all this while concurrently teaching virtually everything — language, manners, safety, resourcefulness, discipline, curiosity, creativity. Empathy. Everything.

It's also a choice, yes. And a joy. But if you spent all day, every day, with this brand of joy, and then, when you got your first 10 minutes to yourself, wanted to be alone with your thoughts instead of calling a good friend, a good friend wouldn't judge you, complain about you or marvel how much more productively she uses her time. Either make a sincere effort to understand, or keep your snit to yourself.

Weekend Update

I'm trying to squeeze in a quick post now that I have the kids down and the groceries put away.

We went to Bloomington, IL this weekend to celebrate Christmas with my mom and her side of the family. We had a really nice time. Dave, the kids, and I stayed at a hotel, which was fortunate since my mom lost power Friday morning and it didn't get turned back on until sometime on Saturday. With that, she wasn't able to make the turkey...so we did Thanksgiving at the hotel where we stayed. We used one of the conference rooms and set up camp. Not planned, but still nice, none-the-less.

So remember when I said my longest friend was Jenny? That's not entirely true. Joel and I apparently met in a sandbox when we were two. I'm sure neither of us could really attest to this, but that's what we've been told. We grew up together and for a time, my mom watched him and his siblings. So in some ways, they felt like our siblings. There was a loft in our 3rd grade classroom and you could pick a partner to sit there and read with you. Joel and I would often pick one another...we always got teased. But really, we were just good friends. Anyway, life moved on, we moved, and sort of lost touch. Thankfully through facebook and blogging, we've managed to at least keep tabs on each other. It was a really nice surprise when he showed up at the hotel and we got a chance to catch up. He got to meet Dave and my kids. It was great to see him again after all these years.




Christmas was lovely. Noah got dinosaurs and sharks...and has been carrying them around with him ever since. This kid is going to have a really nice Christmas this year...

Below is a picture of the "Kanonik" women...4 generations.

I wonder...

...did baby Jesus go through the terrible twos?

Tasmanian Callie

Jenny Bean :-)

My friend Jen came over this evening bringing chocolate for Dave and I and presents for the kids. As always, it's fun to see her. She literally is my oldest friend (20 years maybe?). We have been friends since 2nd grade. Our lives have taken twists and turns along the way with different schools and moves, but I find it so ironic that we have both landed in Lafayette. Her family has always been like my own. I even consider her aunt and grandma as MY aunt and grandma. When things were rough at my house, I would head over there and we would read Babysitters Club Books and just relax. I loved being at her house growing up.

Life seems to go by so fast paced that we don't get to see each other as often as I would like. Hopefully, we can remedy that in the new year.

Thanks God for bringing Jen back into our lives!

I'm almost done Christmas shopping. I have a bit of wrapping to do this afternoon. Noah and I are going to make Christmas cookies this evening, while Dave is at work. We are leaving tomorrow for Bloomington for the first of our Christmas'. Right now, I am packing, trying to make Christmas cookies, and finishing the wrapping...oh yeah, and trying to clean the house.

I should probably get back to that...

Works for Me Wednesday-Frozen Veggies

I wish I could take credit for this, but it's totally the Mc's idea:

I have a terrible time getting Noah to eat vegetables (He's like his dad). Anyway, one day I tossed them on his plate frozen, and he just popped them in his mouth like they were candy. No joke. I've never gotten him to eat green beans (even when he was a baby), but that seems to be his favorite in frozen veggies. Weird, but incredibly effective.

He's Home!

Dave got home Sunday afternoon right before we got home from church. We went out to eat (El Rodeo...YUM!) and then he and the kids snoozed the afternoon away. When he woke up, he finished the few projects I had for him (Namely hanging the shower curtain back up after I had stripped the screws...oops!)

Yesterday we had a great day. We worked out in the morning, then finished the Christmas cards/letters. For whatever reason, that task just seems HUGE to me. I'm thankful that it's done. After the kid's naps, we went to the post office, and to Dave's work while he did an order. I wanted to go to Target while he was placing it, but I forgot my wallet at home. So, being the sweet man that my husband is, he kindly let me go to Target and he entertained Noah while I shopped.

We watched Chuck last night. I love that show, and am so sad that it's not coming back again until FEBRUARY.

Dave started back at the grind again this morning. I'm trying to clean my house because we are having our lifegroup party here tonight.

I'll try and post pictures soon of the "spa", which is my new name for our bathroom. The pictures are not that great and don't really do it justice, but you can at least get a feel. :-)

Dave's coming home today! They actually left last night to avoid some bad weather systems coming through the area. Where they originally thought they would be coming home very late tonight or early tomorrow morning, they will now be home mid-afternoon today. I'm pretty excited to see him again. :-)

While he was gone, I decided to paint my bathroom purple. :-) That's what he gets for going away. Incidentally enough, Tony's wife Sarah, also decided to paint their bathroom purple while he was gone too. We didn't really plan it, it just happened that way.

I think we'll all be taking naps this afternoon, since they drove through the night to get back.

Disney on Ice

OK, so yesterday was an interesting day. First, a bit of a whine: My kids are terrible sleepers. Let me amend that...Noah is right now. He's been getting up anywhere between 1-3 times per night. Callie has been sleeping through the night pretty well. The night that Dave left (at 4am) I decided to be a good wife, get up with him, and spend a little time before he left for 5 days. So, I was up from about 3-4:45am. The kid's not only slept through the night...but slept in! Figures. I was hoping that the following night might follow the same pattern. No such luck: I saw 11, 11:30, 3am (When Dave's alarm randomly went off), 4:30, 5:30, 6:40, 6:45am. Here's the thing about me...when I don't get good sleep, I am not a pleasant person to be around, and my patience is about nil. So, we got up and I decided to try and meet my friend Allyson at the gym. Besides, it was an hour away break from the kids...although I am not sure that working out really counts as a break. However, Allyson and I had a good time, we chatted a lot, and then I asked her to pray for me as I knew this day was going to be a challenge.

Literally, after she prayed, I felt like I had a whole new disposition. The morning/afternoon went fairly well. I wanted to nap with the kids because of my previous sleep deprivation and because Noah and I were driving to Indy that night. Well, the kids were not so kind. They alternated crying. I got maybe 20 minutes, before Noah came waltzing in again.

For those parents out there, you know how it is that 30 minutes or so before a babysitter comes. I was running around trying to pick up, make dinner, pack a bag for Noah and I, get ready myself, and of course Callie wanted to nurse in there as well. I think I might have initially scared Sarah, our babysitter with my frantic running around. Anyway, we were running late, I had just gotten Noah's coat on, when he apparently gags on the chicken that he is still mawing around in his mouth...and throws up all over himself and my kitchen. I kind of just laughed because at that point, that was about how my day was going. However, we managed to get him changed, cleaned up and out the door only a little bit later than I had planned.

From there, things took a really positive turn. I am directionally challenged and the directions I printed off didn't match the streets when I finally landed in downtown. However, I managed to find Conseco Fieldhouse with only one turn around (not bad for me by myself). We then got (literally) the closest parking next to the place. There was one parking place left (THANK YOU JESUS!). Noah was so good when we got there. He was just taking in everything. Since I had budgeted for it, I offered to buy him a toy and he chose Buzz. He held it reverantly the entire evening. He did great for the first half of the show. I teared up a few times watching him clap after numbers. He was so into it. It was one of those great memories as a mom...doing something really special for my son. When intermission came, we walked up the steps a little bit, then he turned around heading back to our seats and said, "Let's do it again!". The second half was a bit harder for him. By that point it was past his bedtime. He tried leaving during the Incredibles performance, but then got captivated back in by Lion King. Fortunately, that was the last one...so we made it to the end. Overall, he did a GREAT job. I had a great time taking him.

2 days without Dave down-3 more to go. I talked with him yesterday and he is having a blast in Colorado. They skiied all day and then sat in the hot tub. They are staying in a really nice condo and every time that I talk to Dave he sounds so happy. This is so good for him, and I'm really glad that he was able to have the opportunity.

Heard around the house

Noah is cracking me up these days. Here are just a few things I've heard out of him:

When we were looking for the remote, and I finally found it:
"Mom...You're so smart."

Hugging on Chester: "Hi sweetheart."

Singing to himself: "Mamma Mia. Mamma Mia!"

Carrying around Dave's level, "Wow. Sure is big!"

Oh, he's fun. :-)

Quick Update

Dave and I enjoyed our date on Saturday...and then got to go on ANOTHER one last night. We went to Indy to Beef and Boards (a dinner theater). Dave had a gift certificate from his technicians that we hadn't used up yet and needed to before the end of the year. We had a lovely time.

Today has been BUSY because Dave leaves tomorrow morning at 4am for Colorado on his ski trip. He has been running around all day. We've joined him because we wanted to spend time with him before her left. I hope that he has fun...and that he comes home in the same shape that he left in...with no broken bones.

Be praying. They leave early and we are supposed to be getting a wintery mix sometime over the night. Things could be pretty slick in the morning, so I'm praying for a very safe trip. Dave's been wanting to do this for 2 years, and I'm glad that he is FINALLY able to go.

That's about all my brain is up to. Peace out.

Where did my week go?

Hello? Is it Saturday already?? This week has seemed to fly by with all the painting, pantry creating and prepping for the new machines. In between there, I had a dentist appointment, a playdate with a new friend (my kids were HORRIBLE! I hope that she doesn't give up on me) and dinner with our friend's the Helms. It was fun hanging out with them. We've known them for quite some time, but have never had them over for dinner. Silly us. I'm glad we remedied that though. We had a lot of fun.

Today we are shopping as a lifegroup for Christmas Jubilee. We buy toys and clothes for a needy family in our area. Tonight, Dave and I have a date...a "free" date. One of the women's lifegroups is offering free babysitting services to the families in our church...How awesome is that?! A great service opportunity if you do ask me. I think Dave and I might go see a movie.

Dave let me sleep in this morning. It was great until Noah crashed open the door and announced to me, "Baby sister's awake!!" I sat straight up in confusion. I got up and got Callie and realized that Dave had fallen asleep on the couch! It was just as well, I needed to get up and get going anyway.

I think I hear him making biscuits and gravy. What a beautiful morning...extra sleep and glorious starch! I LOVE biscuits and gravy.

Have a great Saturday!

Projects

You know how one project begets another project? Well, that's where I'm at now. We got a new washer and dryer (Merry Christmas to us). Since the old ones were coming out and all the shelving, I decided that I wanted to paint the room. The one on the right is the new color.




I now have a PANTRY!!!!!!


I LOVE this new set-up! It's really clearing up room in my kitchen. I have a lot more organizing to do today, but it's going to make SUCH a difference.

When I bought paint for the utility room, I decided to do our bathroom as well since this paint was REALLY on sale. Well, we painted the trim in the utility room white (it was a two toned cream/white disaster). Once I did that, I decided that while I was at it, I would paint the rest of the trim in the house white...because it's also the funky half-toned stuff. I've never liked it, but I've also never done anything about it...until now. I might as well. The paint is already out.

So, I've pretty much got the next few weeks planned in project mode. Winter time means projects indoors. Dave and I tend to find lots of new things to "work" on inside during the winter.

Truthfully, this is a great Christmas present. I LOVE having a pantry now.

Our little musician...

Noah singing, "Bob the Builder...Can we fix it? Yes we can!!"

Thanksgiving Extravaganza

The kids and I did not 1...but 4 Thanksgivings this year...

#1) Our Lifegroup Thanksgiving...We had it at our house and had a great time. Dave made a turkey breast. The meal was delicious and the company was a lot of fun! We played Cranium and had silly names for our teams (Stuffing, Tater Head, and Turkey). Good times.
(Team Turkey)


(Team Tater Head)


(Team Stuffing)



#2) Dave's mom side at Dave's parent's house. It was great to see Dave's cousins and aunt and uncle. It was even better to hear that Kevin and Emily are expecting their first baby in June. A huge congratulations to them!

(4 generations)



#3) My side at MY parents house (2nd half of Thursday). Again, it was great to see family that I hadn't seen in quite some time. Noah loved playing with all his cousins. He was particularly attached to Mallory who is only a few years older than him.





(3 weeks apart)


(Brian, my sister, and Dave)

#4) Yenerich side at Bill and Camilla's. This is Dave's dad's side. Dave wasn't able to make it since he had to work, but the kids and I rode up with Mom and Dad Y. Another one of the cousin's is expecting...so there are going to be EVEN more babies. Exciting!!






(Tongue Twister)


(The great grandkids- 5 of the 6)

Random

Lot's of random thoughts:

1) I was driving down 26 this morning and I saw an old lady driving a car with a bumper sticker that said, "Save the Tatas!". Of course it was for Breast Cancer awareness, but still, it struck me as really funny...and I chuckled.

2) Noah is really becoming a delightful young person to be around. Yes, he has his whiny moments. All in all though, he is pretty helpful, and is becoming very aware of his surroundings. For instance, he told me when the pizza was done when he heard the timer. He also remembers a time-line if you say you are going to do something, he reminds you. Not to mention he thinks I look like a princess. He's a pretty cool dude.

3) He's also a little young to keep secrets. He and Dave went shopping yesterday for me. They made me leave the room so that they could wrap the presents. However, when Noah was sent to get me, he said, "Come on mommy. Let's open your *camera*" Or at least that's what it sounded like. I am not sure that's right since I already have a nice camera. Dave kept shushing him though because Noah kept jabbering on about what else they got me. I REALLY didn't understand any of that though. Needless to say, I didn't tell Noah what we got Dave. :-)

4) As I was walking into Meijer this afternoon I witnessed an old man literally almost get hit by a car backing out. It hit his cart, and kept going. Fortunately, it stopped before it did more than just bump the poor man...who was in a walker. The man seemed OK though, since he pounded on the car's window and yelled at the people in the car.

5) Another old man (sensing a theme today?) paid me the nicest compliment. I was running after butter to make sugar cookies. I had no make-up on, wearing sweats and a fleece and have not even looked in the mirror today. He was in a motorized cart and I offered to let him go ahead of me. He said, "I always let's the pretty ladies go ahead of me." Now, you could take that a dirty way, but since I was starving for a compliment, I smiled and said that it was the nicest thing that I had heard all day...and then...almost cried. Literally, right there in Meijer. Thanks mister for making me feel, well, seen. My feet left the ground and I smiled through the rest of my trip to Meijer.

6) I made 50 "turkey" cookies today. They're sugar cookies with chocolate frosting, candy corn tails, and yellow frosting as feet.

7) Dave just came home with flowers...Sweet sweet man.

Weekend Away

This past weekend, we went up to visit Dave's brother and sister-in-law and their two kiddos. We had a lovely time. It was a whirlwind trip, but it was so nice to catch up.

We also got to see great grandma while we were there.




Noah fell in love with Tyler's train set (good thing he is getting one for Christmas eh?).



Uncle Mike reading a bedtime story:

Princess Callie (and Mommy)

I'll post a better update later, but I just wanted to share an interesting story about Mr. Noah.

Lately he has taken to saying, "See, Callie looks like a princess!". I think it's incredibly cute, because he wasn't even prompted. The other day, as I was getting dressed, he looked at me and said, "See, Mommy looks like a princess." He sure knows how to make a girl feel good. :-)

Productive

So, apparently my maid (read: me) was here today. My house is actually clean (while the kids are asleep), the laundry is folded, the phone calls are made. She did a great job. :-)

Or, I just decided to get busy and get stuff done. We are headed out of town tomorrow to go visit Dave's brother and family and I wanted to leave at least a semi-clean house for the girl that is coming over to let Chester out.

It's a good feeling though to sit down and know that things are actually clean. We got the Christmas decorations down this week. Yes, I know that it's not even Thanksgiving yet, but it's late this year. We needed something cheery, so we just decided it was time. It was actually a lot of fun. I can't really wrap my mind around the fact that it's that time of year again. Where on earth did 2008 go?

Well, the kid's are awake and Dave is on his way home. I'm hoping to convince him to do a little Christmas shopping this evening. We all need to get out of the house.

The luckiest guy on the Price is Right

This is INSANE!!!

Callie's Dedication

Callie was dedicated this morning. In short, we are committing to raise her to know Jesus. It was pretty moving, at least for Dave and I. Callie was just happy to be held at this point. The picture below, if you can zoom in on it, has the passage they read over the kids. It's pretty neat.






Grandma and Callie in their "matching" colors:


Callie and Grandpa hung out too:


Callie also loved snuggling with Auntie "M"

It's about time...

...for an update. It's been a crazy last few days. Let's backtrack a smidge though...

Friday/Saturday- We had our Fall conference through church. There was a lot of great ministry. Dave and I even got some good prayer. Lot's of good things happened and A LOT of people showed up. Thanks to Kat for watching the kiddos Saturday afternoon so we didn't have to worry about children not napping.

Happy Birthday to our niece, Katie, who turned one yesterday. We missed her party, which was on Saturday due to the conference, but we wish her all the best! We will be making a trip out there in two weeks to see them for longer than a few hours.

Sunday- a complete blur to me...I know that we went to church...oh yeah, we hung out with some friends that evening and watched the football game. It was pretty restful.

The rest of the week has just been full. I met with a lot of people on Monday. We had a great lifegroup on Tuesday. We went to the children's museum all day today and had a blast. We just got home and Noah is napping a little longer and Callie is playing nicely in her exersaucer. We'll have to start dinner soon.

Life has been a bit crazy, but good.

Quick Post

I don't have much time, but wanted to post something real quick. Last night turned out to be a blessing in disguise. Dave had to work, so I called my long time friend Jen to come over and hang out. Jen and I met when we were in second grade in Kankakee. We became best friends all the way through high school. We both moved away during high school and eventually lost touch, only to find that we had both moved to Lafayette (me for the church plant and her for grad school). Weird huh? Anyway, she came over and we watched a movie, and chatted for quite awhile. It was a lot of fun. Noah was so wound up, but he finally settled down to a movie in our room, and fell asleep. When I went to transfer him, he had peed through his diaper onto my comforter. Dang. Well, I guess it needed a wash.

It's been a busy morning, and we have the Fall Conference through church tonight. I'm pretty excited and praying that God really moves tonight and tomorrow.

Date's been cancelled. Dave is on call this week...and got called, so he has to go in. The unfortunate thing is that he is in a conference in Indy all day and will be hustling to even get to the AEC on time. We have a lot scheduled for tomorrow, so I hope, for his sake, that it is a slow night.

I managed to get my kitchen clean and do two loads of laundry. Now, if I can just get them from being folded in my living room to in the drawers, I'll be doing great. :-)

Random

-I love my lifegroup...alot. We went shopping last night for an outreach ministry to buy some clothes for some kid's in need. The amount that people gave was staggering. We also had a lot of people show up on Wednesday (even though they were just at lifegroup on Tuesday) to help pick out clothes for the kids. It was a lot of fun and there is always a sense of peace when you know that you can help another person.

-I'm worried about primetime television. I'm reading this book about how, as christians, we often get desensitized by all the sex and innuendos on TV. I know that. Well, on two of my favorite television shows, they have now introduced pretty steamy gay relationships. I just wonder how long it will take for our society to become desensitized to this...and what the "next" thing will be.

-Callie is coming out of her funk and is actually playing on the floor now. Last week, I couldn't leave her sight and the mere thought of her trying to entertain herself was, well, not to be entertained. Now, she is playing and laughing with Noah. Those teeth still haven't popped through yet, but maybe they are giving her a little more relief.

-I want to hire a maid. Yes, I know my prime responsibility is to raise the kids and take care of the house. And yet, I still struggle on a daily basis to reign in the chaos. I pick up the living room. Walk into the kitchen and come back...and it looks like someone has thrown up all over it again. I have been trying for 4 days to get the house cleaned up enough to steam clean the carpets. The problem is, I get started on something, then get interrupted by (fill in the blank: crying, juice needs, something) and then forget what I was originally doing. So, I start something else that needs to be done, and repeat the process. Add in there naptimes where I can't really vacuum. At the end of my day, I'm frustrated, because although I've made progress...it's barely visible. On days like that, I fantasize what it would be like to leave for a few hours and come back to a sparkling clean house. The kind where when I am sitting down, I don't see the cobwebs hanging off my ceiling that I know need to be dealt with. Yes, that's my fantasy...but it is not my reality. So, I had better buck up, get going and quit griping.

-Dave and I have a date tonight. Not sure when our last one was...it's been awhile. Our neighbor is going to watch the kiddos, while we grab dinner sans children. I'm really looking forward to it.

OK, I think I have it all out of my system. Have a great day.

Fun Night

So, my dear friend Karissa is in town (from Ohio). We invited her and whoever she found along the way, over. It was a great mix of people we knew well and those we had never met. We had fine gourmet (hot dogs) and played some mean games of euchre. It was a blast. Noah was running around having the time of his life with all the attention and even Callie woke up long enough to make an appearance.

It was hard to say goodbye to Karissa. I miss seeing her around. With the time change, we were all dragging around 9:30. She has to catch a 5:20am flight tomorrow morning and then work all day. Poor girl!

Dave is now watching the Colts, and I am thinking about reading some more of my new book.

Peace out.

Baptism Sunday

OK, I got to write while it's still fresh. We had our baptism Sunday today. I LOVE this day. There have been some hard times recently with the church, but on a day like today, it reminds me over and over again why we are here...to see people come to know Jesus. There were 13 people who were baptized today and another 3 who committed to following Jesus for the first time. I stood back there and openly cried all morning. Personally, this morning I woke up feeling attacked and needing Jesus. One of my dear friends prayed for me and it was just what I needed. I then got some good connecting time with a few other women whom I never get to talk to.

Let me just paint the picture of what it looked like this morning:
One of the guys gave his testimony. The others lined up and briefly explained why they were up there. The music started in some upbeat worship. As each person was dunked, there were loud shouts, clapping, cheering, rejoicing happening. There were 9 originally, but then 4 more during the course of worship decided to get baptised as well. Literally, wearing what they wore to church, they got in and were dunked. It's like this wild party, except everyone is praising Jesus. I imagine this might be what heaven looks like. It was so flippin cool!

I love Jesus. Thanks God for reminding me that this is why we are here...and thanks for doing it in such an awesome way!

Daddy and Callie dancing

Dave got Callie to dance with him. It was pretty dang cute.

Pics

Callie's cat pumpkin


Noah's dinosaur pumpkin


My two pumpkins with the two pumpkins


Our little pumpkin. :-)


Noah's 60 piece tractor puzzle that he spent his $5 on. He is pretty stinkin good at these.


I found a frame for Callie's pic at Target...along with some cool pumpkins. :-)

OK, So I ordered some pics from my friend Elizabeth of the kid's this summer. I'm pretty excited about it.

Callie got her shots yesterday. In fact, Noah and I joined her with flu shots. She got hit with the rest of her 6 month shots as well though...and has been unhappy about it since. She slept most of the day yesterday. Coupled with this is her top tooth is starting to break through and I'm sure is causing her some pain. Poor kid.

I was joking with my friend about how bad my grammar and probably spelling is on this blog. Yeesh, I can tell I've been out of the workplace for awhile. Oh well, it's a blog. Most of the time, I'm stopping in between paragraphs to deal with kids and/or one of them is trying to help me type. But, just so you are aware...I am aware that at times there are grammatical errors that I miss.

We're headed to Target this afternoon. The kid's got $5 from grandpa and grandma and we are going to let them pick out a toy. I'm also looking for a frame for the Callie collage that Elizabeth did.

Well, I've got nothing really exciting to post, so I'll sign off.

Perspective

OK, So I had calmed down a little bit with the pics until I talked to Dave and he began mentioning that the other ones weren't that bad and that there had been some cute ones...Not the thing I needed to hear after my afternoon. I completely agree with him, but it just made me really sad, because that ship has already sailed. So, I had a bit of a meltdown myself. Don't ask me why I cried over this. It just seemed like the thing to do at the time. Noah came in and started wiping my tears and said, "Don't cry mommy." Then he came and gave me a kiss and said, "I tiss and make it better." He's great for perspective even though he was the cause of my current angst. He has his absolutely adorable moments. (I just wish I could catch them on camera.)

Now that it's evening, I feel much better. Noah was (of course) an absolute angel the rest of the evening. In hindsight, he almost seemed scared of the photographer and a bit shy. He has to be in the right mood for these kinds of things. As Jen said, wouldn't it be great if they took walk-ins? Then you could go when both your kids were in great moods and you knew you would have success.

I skipped out of the house for a half hour and went to Starbucks for a much needed break. I realized I had been with either one or both of the kids non-stop for a pretty long time (minus them being at kid's church on Sunday). Needless to say, I needed some time away. I sat and read a book and let my equilibrium restore. When I came home, I felt like a better person. Noah went down easily. Callie and I snuggled this evening for awhile. Callie never snuggles. She's a "babywise" baby and puts herself to sleep. It's great, but every once in awhile I really want to snuggle with her. Tonight, she let me.

So, at the end of the day, I don't have any actual pictures of my squirts together, but I have a lot of great mental ones. Now...if I could just get my brain to digitally download them...I'd be golden.

Photo lessons

You know those cute cherobic faces? The silly grins? The adorable laughs? Why are those so FRICKIN hard to catch on camera?! We went in for round two of photos at Penney's today. Dave refused to go since he went the last time. I ended up taking my grade school friend (who now incidentally lives in Lafayette), Jen, with me. It was a nightmare (the session, not having Jen with me). Last time, Noah did great and Callie was ho-hum and fussy. This time, Noah threw the fit of the century where I literally walked out, walked straight to the van, and put him in time out there to cool off. From the get-go when he woke up from his nap, I had a bad feeling about the afternoon. He just woke up...wrong. I planned this whole event so that they would just be getting up from their naps, be fresh, angelic, and happy. I tried bribery (I had Nemo snacks...but he wanted Cars snacks). I tried offering a cookie. I tried being silly. He would have none of it. To make matters worse, our photographer this time was just OK. The guy last time really tried and did cool poses and actually engaged the kids. If the kids would have been smiling, they would have been great. This lady just looked at me is if she wanted me to take the initiative. I asked her, "What would you like me to do with them?" She said, "Whatever you want". OK, as much as I appreciate having a say, I'm not the photographer and I don't have vision for this kind of thing...hence why I took them in. You could tell it was the end of the day for her and she didn't really care much. Jen did a great job of helping out so that I didn't start crying in the middle of Penneys. My one thought over and over again was why didn't I take the first round?! Hindsight as they say...

The only saving grace is that my friend Elizabeth took some pretty good shots of the kids this summer. None of them together mind you, but still...I'm hoping I can still order some from her. I'm not sure I'm brave enough to try for round three, but if I did, I would probably call her. She does a beautiful job. For some reason, I just thought Noah would do better in a studio. Now, I know that he just has to be in the right mood no matter where we are. Darn two year old.

OK. Deep breath. As my dad told me when I called him frustrated on the way home: At least we didn't get into an accident to or from. His way of trying to help me gain perspective. Really, it's just a blip in the radar. I did purchase some Callie pics though. OK, so I just need to be OK with the fact that my kids aren't going to be photographed well together this year.

Ready for the kicker? As we were leaving the studio, Noah starts crying, "I want to take pictures! I want to take pictures!" Really?

Meijer Monday

What to type? What to type? If I have to think this hard, then nothing I really have to say can be THAT interesting. Sorry if I bore you.

Weekend was lovely. I went on a women's retreat and actually came back pretty rejuvenated. I managed to get some good prayer and the teachings were good as well. Meanwhile, Noah and Dave were exercising their testosterone and doing manly things on the home front (like seeing the dinosaurs at the museum, having guys nights both evenings, and then hanging out with grandma and grandpa). It sounds like they had a blast. They are now BFF's.

Then...reality hit. Dave had to work all day yesterday (8am-8pm) and all day today (was home for an hour) then has to work overnight tonight. Both Dave and Noah are pretty distraught. Noah actually cried a little yesterday. Dave made the most of his hour home though with a lot of play time. I believe there are promises made for some fun times tomorrow, if I heard right. The boys will be back.

Can someone remind me again about taking children out in public? I must be missing some of the rules/guidelines. I was talking to a woman at church yesterday who took her 5 children shopping. I'm pretty sure I would never leave my house with 5 kiddos. I'd just order everything online. Then I watched 17 and counting last night. Seriously people. You don't want to get sucked in...but you SO do. Dave and I stared at it last night for an hour before going to bed. It's about a family of 17 kids, with another one on the way. First of all, my honest opinion is that is absurd to have that many children. However, they somehow really manage to pull it off. It's like the most well-behaved kindergarten class (they all walk in lines, etc). It blows my mind that she can manage 17, while I can barely manage two. Enter...my evening. I took the kids to Meijer tonight. Yes, I know. I realize it was near bedtime, but I really needed to pick up a prescription. So, we trekked over there. By trek, I mean drove out of our subdivision literally into Meijer's parking lot. And of course, I picked up more than the prescription. Laundry detergent was buy one get TWO free. With the amount of laundry I do, I wasn't going to pass THAT up. Noah's tired and whiny. Callie is crying. Somehow the cart jostles enough that one of the detergents that was sitting on the bottom of the cart, spilled off and spilled out. Lovely. A lady helped me and we at least got the growing pool of blue cautioned off. We literally could not find a Meijer employee to help us. Moving on. It was slow night tonight. Everywhere I went, I was behind people who had extensive needs (prescriptions, price checks, etc.) My kids were beside themselves by the time that I left. It was one of those nights where I was pleading with Noah to just behave, knowing that it's really my fault for throwing off everyone's groove by going there in the first place. Anyway, mission accomplished. Prescription is picked up, baby food is bought, detergent replaced. Better yet, the kids are in bed, the episode of Chuck was good, and I have nothing really stopping me from going to bed. Sweet.

Despite the craziness, I love my kids. I love this time in their lives. I'm probably going to look back at this one day and say, "Those were the easy times." Now there's a thought.

Peace out.

Little Drummer Boy

We may have a future percussionist on our hands.

Random...

I'm going to be out of town for a few days, but felt the need for a random blog...so here goes:

*I'm now completely addicted to the TV show Chuck. Dave and I have been watching season one on DVD. It's gotten so bad that I had to force myself to go to bed last night, even though there were more episodes to be watched.

*Dave bought me some beautiful flowers today. Dang, he's really good at that. Yellow gerbera daisies and another fall bouquet. I love the man.

*I'm feeling on the verge of a spiritual...something. I feel God tugging at me in random ways (conversations, random thoughts, and children's books too). Hopefully over the weekend I can uncover some of what God is trying to reveal.

*I have a great family. I love my husband and I love my kids. They are pretty stinkin awesome.

*I love fall: the changing of the leaves, apple cider, cooler air, sweatshirts...I love it all (oh fine...maybe even a little football too...but only in moderation...and only if it's an actual game with friends playing and not what's on television...and then only if it's the Colts...sorry dad...)

*Life is good.

6 months

Callie went to the doctor yesterday. She is 17lbs, 2oz (75th%) and is 26" (almost 75th%).

She has two teeth, is sitting up on her own...but has absolutely no interest in crawling or really even being on her stomach. I think she is working on two more teeth on the top. We'll see what she has around Christmas time. :-)

In other news...everyone slept through the night last night...including me. I had the first good night's sleep in what feels like months. Neither kid woke up. In fact, aside from Noah waking up at 6:30 and Dave sticking him back in bed...nobody got up until 7:45am this morning...another unheard of! I feel GREAT!!

We had a busy day yesterday, so that could account for some of it. We watched my friend's girls in the morning. Callie had her doctor's appointment, and then I (stupidly) made their picture appointment in the evening. Well, Noah was just fine. Callie however had missed her mid-afternoon nap because of the doctor and was not too happy. She cooed, laughed and giggled at the doctor's office, but had nothing really for the photographer to work with. I looked at all the pics, and although there were some cute poses, nothing that I REALLY liked, because the kid's weren't really smiling well in any of them. Since these are the ones we are planning on sending out around Christmas, I opted for a reshoot. I planned it for a day where we have NOTHING else going on...so hopefully the kids will have good naps, and then we'll go get their pictures taken. Here's hoping for a better shot next time.

My master plan today is to get control of my house. It has been in various states of clean/unclean and I plan on making it ALL clean today, along with maybe watching some more "Chuck" on DVD. I am really starting to like that show. It amuses me.

Well, Callie is cooing and "talking" in her exersaucer now...It almost sounds like singing. Noah is watching Mickey Mouse Clubhouse. While the kid's are content, I better get hopping.

Who's who? 6 months

We were just commenting on how much the kid's look alike. Here are both kids at 6 months. Can you figure out who is who??

Clothing Exchange

Well, we had the annual clothing exchange tonight. And, I must say that I thought that it went pretty well. I think most everyone went home with a decent amount of new clothes. What is a clothing exchange, you ask? Well, we get a bunch of girls together, clean out our closets, and pile it all on my floor. We then sort, try on, giggle, and all go home with fun new things. Wine/Champagne/sparkling grape juice is generally involved as well.

I came out with a few pairs of jeans that ACTUALLY fit me, a pair of khakis, 2 pairs of capris, and some other stuff. My husband will be so thrilled. :-) Actually, he loves it, because I get to go "shopping" without spending any money.

Thanks ladies for a super fun evening!!

Wordless Wednesday

My dad came up last week and he and Noah read about the moon. He then took Noah outside to show him. Every night since, we have had to look at the moon. It's pretty cute. It was full yesterday so it was even cooler. Thanks Pops. :-)

Melodic Monday-Come what May

This is the song that Dave and I heard right after he proposed to me. We recently heard it as a wedding song and it makes me wish we would have chosen this one as well (they made it work SO well). Anyway, for now...It's my melodic Monday.

Come What May

Never knew I could feel like this
Like I've never seen the sky before
I want to vanish inside your kiss
Every day I'm loving you more and more
Listen to my heart, can you hear it sings
Telling me to give you everything
Seasons may change, winter to spring
But I love you until the end of time

Chorus:
Come what may
Come what may
I will love you until my dying day

Suddenly the world seems such a perfect place
Suddenly it moves with such a perfect grace
Suddenly my life doesn't seem such a waste
It all revolves around you
And there's no mountain too high
No river too wide
Sing out this song I'll be there by your side
Storm clouds may gather
And stars may collide
But I love you until the end of time

Chorus

Oh, come what may, come what may
I will love you, I will love you
Suddenly the world seems such a perfect place

Spontaneity

Yesterday morning after my dad left, Dave and I were trying to decide what to do with our day. I just wanted to go to Target at some point, but beyond that we had no plans. Dave says, "Why don't we go to the zoo?". And so we did. We got ready real quick and headed down there. It was fun. We saw some things we hadn't yet...like an elephant bathing...Noah and I actually got to pet it! We also got to feed a giraffe as well. Aside from the fat lip that Noah gave me when I went to hug him and he jumped into my face, things went pretty well. We came home and then went to Target. I found a new shirt and a pair of jeans. Dave had to work last night, so we are letting him sleep a bit this morning and then we have a wedding to go to this afternoon. It's one of the few we've actually been able to attend this year and we are bringing the kids. Here's hoping we don't regret that decision. :-)

After changing peepee pants at 6 this morning, and convincing him that he really did need to go back to bed...he slept in until 8am...Woohoo! Now, my little mousketeer is dancing to Mickey Mouse Clubhouse. :-) Amazing what good sleep will do to an attitude.

Unfortunately, Dave and I were chatting this morning before he left for work. Neither one of us got restful sleep last night. We were both tossing and turning. We couldn't figure out who caused who to have bad sleep.

My dad is coming this morning with their newest addition...a kitten named Eli. Eli is going to visit the vet today...dum dum dum. Poor meow meow. My dad is coming to take me on a birthday walk and out for lunch. It's interesting, we have been going on birthday walks for as long as I can remember. I'm 26 now, and I'm still looking forward to them. :-)

Callie is starting to take a bottle really well. We have been giving her one at least once a day to practice and she can hold it herself and just sucks it right down. That is encouraging for Dave and I as we now feel a little more comfortable leaving both kids with a babysitter. It frees us up. We have had two couples in our lifegroup offer to watch the kid's sometime if Dave and I want to go out...our response? "Heck yeah!" Now we just need to set it up.

I should probably finish getting ready before my dad gets here and Callie wakes up.

Have a great day!

Prayer walk

I woke up pretty crabby this morning...with not a lick of patience to be seen. Although I was pretty productive this morning, yesterday was a complete wash with two cranky crabby kids. So anyway, I decided that I would take the kids on a prayer walk this morning so that I can get exercise and pray. Well, then Chester got excited so I had to take him. At 9:00am I had the entire brood bundled up and ready to go. It started off with me just confessing all my junk to Jesus...After that, Noah started chatting with me. I was reminded of how precious my kids are. We had a lovely chat about birds and trees and everything in between. Then we played at the park. The whole walk did a lot for my peace of mind. I came home feeling a ton better. Thanks God for meeting me this morning. Hopefully I can keep the positive attitude alive for the rest of the day.

I'm meeting with a friend for lunch. We are planning on a silent lunch (signing only). My sign skills are so rusty, I'll be lucky if I can communicate clearly at all. But, practice is good and I need to get back into the game. My hope is to do this at least once a month so that I remember at least the basic skills of signing.

So here's to a better day. Peace out!

My husband's pretty great...

So, I'm another year older today. Dave did a great job of helping me celebrate this year. Well, you saw the picture of the flowers. They weren't technically for my birthday, but I totally counted them. No, my husband emailed a bunch of my girlfriends (mostly my lifegroup ladies past and present) and hosted a girl's night birthday party with the movie Made of Honor. He cleaned the house, decorated with balloons, made virgin strawberry daiquiris, skillet cookies (the best dessert ever!), and took care of the kids. He was super. It was a wonderful night thanks to him. What a keeper.


(Missing from the picture are Darlene, Becky C., Summer and Halie who left before we could take the picture to get home)

This morning started off with Callie wanting to party at 5:30. She was the first to wish me Happy Birthday...kind of. :-) Then at 6:30, our phone started ringing. Usually early morning phone calls are never good. It was one of the docs from the ER clinic. Her husband was heading into the ER himself and she needed Dave to cover for her since she was scheduled to work today. Anyway, so, Dave is at work now until someone can relieve him. I hope that everything turns out OK with the doc's husband. That can be pretty scary when you're not sure what's going on.

So, the kids and I are hanging out this morning. Noah and Callie are both "playing" with the balloons. I think I need to jump in the shower and wake up a little more. My brain still feels a bit foggy.

Oh, back to my husband being super sweet: When I got up this morning, there were two cards (one from Dave and one from the kids)...and perhaps the best gift I could have received from him: a hand written letter. So, there I sat, reading his letter and crying. I'm such a sap...but I love receiving them.

It's been a pretty great birthday so far. We have a busy day today with church and a church meeting this evening...hence the big celebrating yesterday.

Thanks for everything love. You're pretty amazing! Thanks too to everyone for the birthday wishes and lovely presents. They were all wonderful and made me feel very loved. :-)

Noah's "present"

Dave came in and nonchalantly tossed the new yellow book bag on the couch and said, "Here's a present for you." I chuckled my thanks. Noah however went over to the present, and said, "Look mommy! A present!!" He proceeded to open it, look at it and say, "Look mommy, present a book." Then he opened it up and started "reading" it. We apparently need to be more careful in our joking. :-)

The pretty flowers Dave got me:

Yeah, I've got a pretty great husband.

Thankful Thursday

Lots to be thankful for:

1) As always, I'm thankful for my family. Dave brought me a beautiful bouquet of flowers yesterday and he prayed over me when I asked him. Noah is saying, "I love you mommy", which melts my heart. Callie is always wanting a good snuggle.

2) I'm thankful that our lifegroup is solidifiying. I can see God moving in this group already. Leah and I prayed over both our groups last week, and I can definitely see the differences.

3) I'm thankful for the ability to laugh. Noah has said some pretty funny things lately and Dave and I are pretty amused. It's true, laughter is good for the soul...and for the marriage.

4) I'm so thankful for the times I get to spend with my kiddos. Because, although there are days where I've had one too many bouts of puke, pee, and poop...I wouldn't trade it for anything. They are growing up so fast and I really enjoy being along for the ride.

5) I'm thankful for the Fall weather. There is something about the falling of the leaves, football games (which I actually *enjoy* when the weather is chillier) and sweatshirts that makes Fall a really fun time. My dad mentioned that there is probably a reason that Fall and Spring are so beautiful...with Winter feeling so long and dreary.

6) I have gotten some GREAT prayer in the last week and I feel myself slowly being restored.

7) God has given me great friends and family to "do life" with. I can't imagine my life without these people who constantly refine me and bring so much joy and comfort.

I could go on, but I need to get going with my day. Thanks God for all that you have blessed me with.

Melodic Monday

This song is from the movie Fireproof. I love the melody, but looking at the lyrics makes me like it even more:

You Belong to Me by Grey Holiday

You run, you hide
As tears fall from your eyes
They fall like snow
From a wounded soul
You hold inside
The hurt of great divide
The hole is starting to get old

So come back to the light
To the love, you will find
It’s been here all along
So come back to the start
And you’ll find in your heart
That you always belonged
To me

Just take the rope
I won’t let it go
Give in
We can start again
I’m life, I’m hope
And I’m ready to explode
With how bad I want you back home

You’re my daughter, you’re my son
You’re the one I long to love
And you’ve heard I chose to die
Do you know you’re the reason why?

Seriously...check it out on itunes.

Busy (Great) Weekend

Wow, there is so much that happened this weekend...let me attempt to fill you in.

Friday: Mom Y. came to watch the kids while Dave and I attended our friend's wedding. It was a blast. It was in town and there were a bunch of our church friends there. We all had a great time. The song that they danced their first dance to was "Come what May" from Moulin Rouge. This was the song that Dave and I listened to right after we got engaged. We toyed with it as our wedding song, but for some reason vetoed it. I wish now that we hadn't...It was such a great song to dance to...as well as a great song for a marriage. The wedding was beautiful and we are so happy for our friends. Congratulations!!

Saturday: In the morning, I helped teach Learning to Minister like Jesus (our prayer ministry class). I was pretty nervous, but on the whole it went alright. I have to remember to have grace on myself as I have not done public speaking in over 2 years. I hope I get the chance at it again now that I know what it felt like. I would definitely make some revisions. :-)

In the afternoon, Dave and I went to see the movie Fireproof. It's a Christian movie by the same people that did Facing the Giants. This one is about fireproofing your marriage. Dave and I really enjoyed it, and recommend it. If nothing else, we like supporting those movies in the theaters so that they keep coming. Let's put it this way, with absolutely no tv-previews, the entire theater was packed! Dave and I had to sit in the very first row and got a neck cramp...but there was only a few seats left in the theater and hardly any of them were together. If you're married, it's a good one to see with your hubby.

We then took mom and dad out for dinner to thank them for watching both kids all weekend (dad came later on Friday night). We are so appreciative of them being willing to hang with our brood all weekend. Afterwards, they went home and Dave and I took the kids for an evening stroll before bedtime.

Sunday: Dave worked all day today. I went to church with the kids this morning. Afterwards we had the church's 2 year birthday party at Happy Hollow Park. It was a lot of fun. I'm so thankful to my church family for helping me with the kids. Kauffman took turns watching Noah so I could eat. We have a great group of young men at our church. Whenever I come without Dave, there is always one of them that comes and grabs Callie so I don't have to lug her. It's the same with the other mom's who are toting 2 or more kids. They just come along and help out. It's terrible, but I now always just look for one of them now when it's time for me to leave. I'm not kidding...all they have to see is that I am getting ready to go, and they will come and grab one of the kids. I keep telling them to wait 20 years and I would let any of them marry Callie. Dave and I talk about it often. It's nice to have godly young men and women in our church to help influence our kids. Alot of the young college guys really love playing with Noah. We love it because they are good godly men that can pour into our son. We love it for Callie because it shows her the kind of guys that there are out there and those that are worth waiting for.

Noah's been a doll today. Callie's been a bit fussy. Both kids are in bed now and Dave just got home for the evening. I think it's time for me to wind down after a fun-filled weekend.

Callie

Callie has her two front bottom teeth! They apparently came through together and she has been so amiable, I hadn't really noticed. They just popped through in the last few days. What a big girl she's becoming. She will be 6 months next week.

In other news, I'm doing better. I got some good prayer last night and this morning, so I'm feeling a lot more hope and sense of self. Thanks Jesus.

I'm currently fighting with Noah to take a nap. He clearly needs one as he melts down everytime I lay him back down, but alas...we're butting heads today. Dave should be getting home soon, and if he's not asleep by then...I have a feeling he won't be getting a nap today. Would it be fair to say, "I'll take a nap Noah and you can do the laundry, sweep the kitchen, and iron clothes...Thanks."?

I hear Dave pulling in, so I had better go greet my hubby. Have a great day!

Out of the mouth of babes...

I was settling back into bed to do my quiet time this morning (It's quiet and away from "Finding Nemo"). Noah came back to check on me:

Noah: Mommy go back nap?
Me: No, honey. Mommy is going to spend some time with Jesus.
Noah: Oh, Mommy see Jesus?
Me: I sure hope so honey.

I want to see you Jesus: In the way I live my life, in the lives of my kids. I want to feel your peace over me. I want to see you glorified. I want to see your miracles played out in the here and now. I want to see you Jesus.

Thanks Noah, for the reminder.

...and becomes a better day

My afternoon/evening has gone much better. Although I am still feeling bouts of the "weariness", I was able to spend some quality time with the kids, which was great. Noah and I made an art project, which we were able to frame. Callie and I had some giggle, girl time. Later, we all went swimming at Faith. Callie LOVES the water. It's actually pretty cool to watch a baby's natural instinct to "swim".

I'm re-reading my favorite author/series: Karen Kingsbury's Firstborn/Sunrise series. The final book comes out on Thursday, so I am re-reading the series to be ready. She writes such amazing life-changing fiction. I highly recommend her as an author.

Pray for Dave as he has been feeling pretty sick lately. This is his bad week for work too (hectic schedule). He really needs to be healed and quickly. He's been on/off sick for the last two weeks. Thanks.

Well, I'm off to read a little more before bed. Peace out.

Melodic Monday

I love this song. I need to hear this song over and over. Amen.

Everlasting God-Chris Tomlin

Strength will rise as we wait upon the Lord
We will wait upon the Lord
We will wait upon the Lord

Strength will rise as we wait upon the Lord
We will wait upon the Lord
We will wait upon the Lord

Our God, You reign forever
Our hope, our Strong Deliverer

You are the everlasting God
The everlasting God
You do not faint
You won't grow weary
You're the defender of the weak
You comfort those in need
You lift us up on wings like eagles

Should've hit the snooze

Ever have one of those mornings where you wish you would have stayed in bed? Today is one of them for me, but as I was laying in bed, I could hear the dog hacking, and then vomiting. Lovely start to my morning. Woke up to find a trail of dog "spit-up" all the way to the kitchen door, where I let him out to finish his business. Then Noah woke up, and immediately "spit" in the toilet...his new favorite thing to do. After steam cleaning my carpets this morning (God bless the Steam Cleaner...perhaps the best purchase we have made in the last two years...and well worth it's salt). Callie woke up, and spit up 3 times all over me. Something smelled poopy. As I went to check Noah's diaper, I stuck my finger in it.

May I go back to bed yet? The morning hasn't been all bad. I've showered. Our toaster is broken (It smells "hot" every time we use it and has recently started to smoke). I called the company and it's been recalled, so they are sending us a new one. That was a nice small victory.

OK...Callie just puked on me again, and Noah is trying to shove Scoop in my face. Perhaps this blog entry will have to wait.

Weariness

I'm weary. The events of the last few months seem to be catching up with me and taking their toll. I've been exhausted lately and having a hard time doing the things that need to be done, let alone all the things that I want to get done. I don't have the energy. I'm feeling melancholy, and sometimes sad. I couldn't figure out why I've just been so doggone tired lately. I was talking to my close friend and prayer partner about it today, and she came up with the word "weary"...and I started crying, because that just about sums it up. I'm just plain weary...for oh so many reasons.

Lord, I give my weariness to you. Help me to cut back where I need to and find some rest in you again. Help me not to worry about things that I can't change and all the other things that I feel deserve my "worry". Help me to just surrender everything to you in prayer...and go from there. I need you to fill me back up and make me useful again. I'm pretty empty here. Thanks. I love you God.

Kiddo pics

This would be when Noah was outside playing with the hose, and Dave and I are standing just inside the door. Dave said, "Noie...get mommy!"...and he did. Good job David.

Callie chilling in her crib.

Notice Noah's hand depositing bubbles on Callie. He was trying to make her have a hat.

A good day

The morning started with some awesome garage sales in Brookston. I managed to buy a brand new top, with tags, for me and a brand new shirt and dress for Callie among some pants for Noah and another shirt and nice pair of jeans for me. (Whew...I'm sure that was a run-on sentence!).

My friend Abby came over to play mid-afternoon. She has a daughter that's close in age to Callie. We had a great time playing and letting the girl's play (Noah ate lunch and then took a nap). It's fun because Callie and Kate are starting to interact (touching each other's arms, faces and smiling at one another). I hope that they can continue to be good friends.

Tonight, Dave took Noah in the bike to the park. Callie and I followed in the stroller. We then decided to go putt-putt golfing. Noah is starting to understand the nuances a little better, but he doesn't have much patience for the game. We ate at Subway for dinner and then came home. Dave and I are both exhausted. Callie's already down. We just need to get Noie down before we crash.

It's been a REALLY nice day. It's one of those days you want to take a mental picture of. Though nothing extraordinary happened...the beauty was in the smaller moments.

Amazing what a 3.5 hour nap will do for both my kids. They both woke up different, happier, children. We've actually had a really nice night. I DID steam clean my carpets...so I feel uber productive. Dave came home and took Noah for a bike ride to the park. Dave and I got to watch Bones tonight...which happened to be about dogs and featured Cesar Milan (the dog whisperer). Given Dave's profession, we enjoyed this episode a lot.

It's been a good day.

The case of the whiners

Truthfully, I don't know where they get it from (Just don't talk to my dad). Both Noah and Callie, thankfully, slept through the night. However, upon waking this morning, found 101 things to whine about. I still think they are feeling a wee bit under the weather, thus the "whines". Somewhere along the morning, I managed to throw my back out carrying one of the kids. I decided (as I was stooped over looking at the floor) that I probably needed to see the chiropractor today. And, while I was out, I would run my other necessary errands and be productive. Well, I was productive...but I paid the price.

Thankfully, the ladies at the chiropractor place know me (and one has two kids of her own) so they have grace on me...as Callie is screaming, Noah drops a load, and I am trying to get my aching back adjusted. I try to change Noah (while one of the ladies gracefully holds Callie) only to find I have no wipes...I had to improvise. Then, I had to get the kids (who are now both screaming/whining) into the van...nurse Callie, pacify Noah, and try not to break a sweat. Meanwhile, my back is still pretty sore.

I ran my other errand successfully and thought, "I really need to go to Meijer. Wouldn't it be wonderful if we could get all our errands done this morning. Then we wouldn't have to go back out again unless we wanted to!". Famous. Last. Words. Noah, whined and carried on the whole time. Callie harmonized. By the time I got home and was carrying in groceries, I was so happy to see Dave was home on a lunch break. I applied the divide and conquer approach and now the kids are both taking really great naps. I have managed to clean the house up a bit and my goal is to maybe...just maybe steam clean the carpets today. Ambitious? Yes, I know. At this rate, I might just settle for vacuuming, but a girl can dream can't she?

The weather is beautiful outside, I have found some much needed solace, and my house is slowly but surely getting cleaner. For some reason, a clean house equals harmony for me. Not that I achieve it often, but on the rare times that I do...I like to revel in it for the full five minutes that it stays that way.

Anyway, can't complain too much...I have great kids and I definitely enjoy my time with them. Besides, there is a certain euphoria when you are productive and can get a bunch of errands done. It's like small victories. I'm not one to turn down victories of any size. On that note, have a great day, while I try to reign in victory over my house.