it's a slow learning curve

oh yes i am...

2009-11-11T07:24:00.000-08:00

3 guess who won 2 free tickets to the upcoming Billy Joel & Elton John concert.....

Seen & Not Heard?

2009-11-09T09:29:00.000-08:00

My venting on this topic might go on for a bit, so if it is annoying you, please feel free to get on my case about it or ignore it... either way really does not bother me....

I'm thinking about that whole idea that children should be 'seen and not heard'... I'm thinking about it in a historical context that my experience can date back to my grandparents' generation. I'm certain my parents were raised with that mentality (lest grandpa make them go out and 'pick a switch'... no lie). In turn, my parents' generation raised their children in more of a 'live and let live' kind of world. I think my generation was the beginning of the 'raised with privilege' and 'everyone gets a trophy' and 'who cares about appropriateness, let the child EXPRESS him/her self' kind of world... in other words... spoiled.

I was one of the 'poor kids' growing up. At least, in my world I was a poor kid. I went to private school for 7 years and had to buy most of my clothes at Target and shoes from Payless. Occasionally we even shopped second hand! I didn't have a seperate playroom in my house, and I was 13 before I had my own tv (a black & white handmedown from my grandparents!!!!). We only went out to dinner once a week. I took tap lessons for one year and since my black tap shoes that my dad found at a garage sale were not the right color for our recital, my dad spray painted them white. Yup... we were POOR (she says in TOTAL jest).

Ya know what... growing up 'poor' brought a lot of perspective, as has my background in ministry. As Americans (oh how I could go on forever) we don't know the first thing about poor. I don't think I know a single person who has ever dug through trash for food. In fact, I don't know anyone who goes without 3 meals a day (even if those meals were bought with foodstamps, WIC, or other charitable means).

The gift of my children is such a tremendous blessing, and raising my children in a balance between 'seen and not heard' and 'spoiled' seems like the right way to go. I don't spank my children, but I also don't let them get away with murder. My girls have an entire bedroom full of (new)toys and closets that are filled mostly with handmedown clothes.

I heard a story once about an American bishop going to Africa and celebrating mass outdoors. He was struck with awe over how quiet and well-behaved the children were a strong contrast to the noisiness of his urban cathedral back in the states. Speaking to his brother bishop about it after mass he wondered at how families in Africa were able to raise their chidlren with so much respect and discipline while attending a long, hot Sunday mass. The African bishop replied that the children were so quiet because they had no energy because they were hungry.

Do those who attend mass and look down their noses at noisy kiddos not understand this concept? Have they never been a parent and don't know what a struggle it is just to find that delicate balance between squelching their curiousity and teaching them reverence? Or have they forgotten? Or was it beaten into them and they accept that as normal?

I make no claims at being perfect in any way, least of all in my parenting skills, but I AM trying. I don't judge, but I see a lot of others who don't try at all. Do my efforts count for anything? Is it fair to preach about how sinful it is, and a bad example to one's children, to skip Sunday mass, but then at the same time make those parents feel completely unwelcome in the parish... rather it isn't the parents who are unwelcome, just their kids.

mildly disheartened

2009-11-08T12:22:00.000-08:00

Just have to put this vent out to the world... need to let it sit out there and be my 'silent voice' as it were...

Fake people drive me crazy. As an introvert, I do a lot of sitting back and observing... and when you keep your eyes and ears open and mouth shut, there are plenty of opportunities to pick up on two-facedness, shmoozing, charlatan-like behavior. There is a person in my life who seems to personify this lately. A person whose role is supposed to be 180* in the opposite direction. I'm not sure what insecurities lie beneath to make someone choose the fake over the real, I go back and forth wondering if it even matters. To be a learned person, to be a public figure, to represent yourself as a holy person but at the same time to live a life of greed, arrogance, and belittling... is there really any excuse that makes up for that? Some more patient, more understanding than me may try to say this person is "only human", but the blatant inconsistencies between how a person "presents" him/herself to the greater community and how a person individually criticizes and makes others feel unwelcome is not acceptable.

Maybe this is generally the response of a mother wanting to protect her family, guard her cubs if it were. I'm not sure. What I do know is that I am proud of my beautiful family and grateful for God's blessing on us. There isn't much I can do about this person, other than pray I guess. Why doesn't that feel like enough?

4

2009-11-03T12:01:00.000-08:00

Today, my oldest turns 4. This one feels especially significant for me, and the only reason I can think to explain it is that my 4th birthday is the first one I really remember. There's a sense within me as a parent that if I know I have memories, clear specific memories, going back to that age, then my kiddo can too. And that reflects on the intentionality in my parenting. Not that I'm not already intentional, just that... I hope I'm not screwing up too much.

But enough about me...

a few pictures of my beautiful girl...

2 turns at joy

2009-10-28T08:46:00.000-07:00

in the past few weeks, despite the chaos, i can look back and remember specifically 2 things that are so joyous in my world...

the first is a major milestone, one that has been a LONG TIME COMING...

oldest daughter has struggled so hard with the potty training issue. when it comes right down to it, the girl is stubborn and the only answer to the potty training issue is that she would be 'trained' when she was darn good and ready. there wasn't ANY getting around that. i worried that we may be backsliding when 3 days in a row her teacher sent home clothes needing laundered from accidents. after those 3 days, i sat with her as she got dressed in the morning, showed her the 'pretty panties' that mommy had just purchased (some may call this wasteful, i call it grasping for sanity, but i am so over trying to scrub out stains from underwear. in our house they typically get thrown out) and how mommy really wanted her to try to not have an accident, to go poop and pee in the potty, and keep her panties pretty. now, i am nowhere near arrogant enough to think that it was those words that made a difference. i was pleading with her more than anything, and as i tried to hide the desperation in my voice, i know that above anything else, SHE made a choice that day. and boy did i get to hear about it. her wonderful teacher used her cell phone to let her call and tell me "Momma! I pooped on the potty- at SCHOOL!!!!!" I rejoiced with her, congratulated her, told her daddy would take her for a special treat, and encouraged her to keep up the hard work. I thanked her teacher for helping us on this journey and for sharing our joy and making that moment special for all of us. This all took place last week on Wednesday and we have been 100% accident free since then. In fact, she isn't even wetting her pull-up at night. This morning I asked if she thought she wanted to try to wear panties at night but she said no. I definitely will not push on that. I'm just SO PROUD of her.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

My other joyous story can actually be told in pictures. I don't want to sound snobby or arrogant, but I believe that I have 2 really beautiful daughters (and I'm growing a 3rd... watch out world!)... their similar looks really strike me at times, and this time was no different. I happened to catch a shot of younger daughter smelling some mums at a local garden center and the picture I caught looked (un)surprisingly similar to another one I had caught 2 years before (of her sister)... what do you think?

younger daughter almost 2, October 2009

oldest daughter almost 2, October 2007

Cruise Control...

2009-10-27T12:37:00.000-07:00

I'm sure its obvious if anyone is even still checking my poor little blog here, but I'v ebeen on serious cruise control. Keeping the car between the lines was about all I could manage for the last 2 months... here is a short rundown...

~husband started school and another season of cross country (which means waking up at 5 am)
~oldest daughter started school only 3 days after a diagnosis with a double ear infection
~youngest daughter developed an ear infection shortly after that
~youngest daughter and husband were diagnosed with a strange virus that resulted in sheer exhaustion, fever and sores in their mouth that made it difficult to eat or swallow

~youngest daughter came down with bronchitis followed up by a nice round of thrush from her antibiotics

~oldest daughter got a stomach virus

~husband and I caught her stomach virus

~oldest daughter came down with bronchitis

~oldest daughter got another stomach virus

~I was diagnosed by my ob/gyn with a medium (fist-sized)fibroid growing off of the back of my uterus (on the outside) toward my spine which can cause some pretty uncomfortable back pain
~meanwhile youngest daughter has had 5 weeks straight of unexplainable diareah

Yeah. Needless to say my life has been hectic, messy, frustrating, expensive, and tiring. Oh and did I mention that in the middle of all of that our dryer and our heater stopped working? Fortunately for us, the fixes for those only totaled $40 (which is good b/c our savings is about drained)...

We racked up well over $200 worth of co-pays to the doctor not to mention I-don't-know-how-much extra we've spent on: prescriptions, otc meds, sprite, carpet cleaner (for the diareah and vomit), paper towels, disinfecting wipes, ramen, applesauce, gatorade, etc. I think once we add all of that up the toal comes to around $500. Yikes. That is kind of a lot when you think about it. I could have a new couch for $500 easily. I need a new couch, but I won't be getting one anytime soon.

But, for now, I am grateful. Yes, you heard me... GRATEFUL. Today, my family (for the most part) is healthy, my bills are paid, I have a job and a roof over my head. Oldest daughter is THRIVING at her school, youngest daughter's language skills are skyrocketing, husband finishes cross country season this weekend, and this weekend we celebrate oldest daughter's 4th birthday with not one, but two fabulous birthday parties (one for family and older friends, one for the girls in her class). We also happily celebrated our 7th wedding anniversary, found out that this little peanut is going to be a girl (Lord help us! ha ha), and managed to go on 2 date nights within one week. Not too shabby. We are blessed.

So, Thank You Lord, for this:

And this:

And this:

And this:

And this:

Amen.

these are a few of my favorite things...

2009-08-25T10:12:00.000-07:00

ok, once again I am stealing a blog post idea from June, who technically stole it from Oprah, who is rich and can afford for both of us to steal from her, so it's no big deal, right?

Here are a few of my favorite things:

we use T-Mobile for our cell service, and have been with them for 7 years now. We've always loved their service and coverage, and while I'm not a techno-savy kinda' kid, I do love me some texting. Husband researched phone options when I was in the market for a new one, and came up with this: it is the Samsung Gravity and it has a slideout keyboard that works great. While the teal/white one is prettier, the idea of cleaning makeup off of my while cell phone was not at all appealing. Very happy with this phone!

Sharpies... who doesn't love sharpies?! They are a staple in our household, either for labeling school supplies or party cups or even for general artwork by my 3 year old.... can't say enough good things about Sharpies!

This is the new line of OPI nail polish called 'Nicole' and it is I guess the 'cheap version' of OPI. The one I have is the one on the left, and I'm told in one of my mommy magazines that this kind of coppery/silvery/taupe shade will be very 'in' for the fall. Y'all know that is probably like one of my number one concerns- do I have this year's 'it' nail polish shade? This one is called "It's Possible" and looks great on. My only warning is to get a GOOD clear top coat, b/c the quality isn't quite the same as regular OPI. Still very pretty!

These are my current sunglasses. I do not believe in spending big bucks on sunglasses, and these are from Target. I do not know which brand, but I do know they were less than $10. I really love the look, since I have a big-ish forehead, I feel like a larger pair of sunglasses helps balance it all out. Seriously folks, unless you have serious vision problems that REQUIRE your sunglasses to be expensive prescription versions, please step off your high horse and get thee to Target (or yes, even Walmart) and find yourself a cute inexpensive pair. My sunglasses always last at least a year, which is well worth the price in my opinion.

funny things kids say

2009-08-05T07:23:00.000-07:00

My boss is always telling me to keep track of the funny things that my kiddos say because I'll want to remember them later and won't be able to.... so I'm starting by keeping them here and the post will always be titled ..... "Funny things kids say"

right now we are dog-sitting for my mom and so oldest daughter let them out last night to use the bathroom. she came back to let me know and said "mom, I put Eddy and Bonnie out so that they won't pee and poop on your carpet and then your tears will not come and you will not cry."

priceless.

how's this for pictures?

2009-08-01T11:16:00.000-07:00

We went and had family photos done today... since blogger will only let me upload 5 at a time, I'm not going to do all of them b/c I'm lazy and impatient, but here is our family thus far, before I am showing too much...

does anyone know how to rotate a photo in blogger? i am clueless.

ok, not to sound snarky or full of myself, but how blessed am I?

Me as a teen

2009-07-23T07:22:00.000-07:00

Life has been busy, that's all I can say. That's why I haven't posted lately.

Moving on...

June (from ByeByePie) did a post on herself as a teen and asked others to do the same, so I'm blogging it...

I think confused best describes me in high school. I think I was always caught in the middle, never exactly going full force into one side or the other...

a few examples...

I was really smart in high school but totally not interested in things like homework. So, I'd get to school early, find a friend who would let me copy theirs, get a halfway decent grade, rock my tests, and move on down the road. I think I had a 3.5 gpa by the time I was done, but with a little EFFORT I totally could have been one of the 8 valedictorians (seriously, from a class of 104 we had 8 valedictorians and they ALL gave speeches at graduation. How's that for ridiculous?) who all had something like a 4.2.

I was super dedicated to my faith. We went to mass every weekend, I attended weekly religious ed classes and was one of the few members of the youth group. I loved going on retreats and doing volunteer work. Meanwhile, my circle of friends at school were what you might call 'the rough crowd'. I was the only virgin among them (gasp!), the only one who didn't smoke (and I'm not just talkin' cigarettes) or drink. Just call me Sandra Dee. Or not. I still had some of my rougher moments for sure.

I had a pretty happy home life. We lived in a great neighborhood, took some nice vacations, had all of what we needed and most of what we wanted. But the summer before my senior year (on their 20th wedding anniversary) my parents announced to my sister and I that they were getting divorced, which tore my world apart and completely unsettled any sense of commitment, family, or happiness that I had known. To this day, even after experiencing tragic deaths of loved ones, I still believe that my parents' divorce has been the hardest most troubling experience in my life. Its something that (I believe unbeknownst to them) still makes holidays difficult, birthdays awkward, and leaves me questioning everything I experienced through my childhood.

I don't mean to make all of my life seem tragic and horrible, but re-living my teen years is something I wouldn't do for a million bucks. There's a lot to be learned through that time, but most importantly, I'm glad I'm on the other side of it all, having learned the lessons and mostly being able to move on.

2 more to go

2009-07-08T11:13:00.000-07:00

Oh my sakes.

When your world comes crashing down, it really crashes, doesn't it?

Last week on Thursday, looking forward to a nice 3 day weekend, husband and the girls and I went out to eat at Interurban. We were needing a nice relaxing, low energy kind of night, one without cooking or cleaning or rushing.

I'd spent the day indulging my new preggo belly in 'whatever sounds good' and thought I'd top it off w/their yummy fish tacos. Mistake number 1.

Did I mention it was 'free chips, salsa and queso- all you can eat' night? Mistake number 2.

When we got home, w/everyone's bellies full and bedtime still just a little way off, we all cozied up on the floor to watch Mary Poppins. Mistake number 3.

About midway through the movie I started to feel some rumbling in my tummy, so I got up off the floor, onto the recliner, and checked out for a bit. (Didn't go take my prilosec immediately, waited about an hour) Mistkae number 4.

(are you seeing a pattern here?)

Fast forward to midnight, clutching the toilet with all my might and wishing I was DEAD... sigh. I was short of breath (b/c it hurts to breathe when you think that your heart has grown fingernails and is attempting to claw its way out of your chest), dizzy, felt like my hands, feet & chin were going numb. I started to worry about stroked symptoms I had read on posters in doctors offices. Husband had been up with me for a while, seeing how truly brutal my stomach can be, and we decided it was time for a trip to the ER.

That was a less than positive experience, since my attending doctor was ready to send me home after 20 minutes. I had received a very special 'GI cocktail' that included lydicane, which hadn't done anything other than numb my tongue and she didn't even bother to find out if that had helped. With my pain level staying nice and high around an '8' both husband and I demanded further treatment, time and examination. There was discussion that it could potentially be my gallbladder, but a test revealed that was not a problem. They did finally give me a shot w/a nausea medication and some morphine which brought my pain level down to about a '4'. I could finally attempt to rest (not sleep, mind you, just rest) and went home with a new prescription for a more pregnancy-safe heartburn medicine.

I spent the next 4 days pretty much exhausted and passed out on the couch. I'm restricted to a bland, acid-free, fat-free diet which is making eating interesting. At this point I'm going to spend most of my paychecks at jamba juice. Getting this little nutrition doesn't lend itself to having much energy which comes at a super inoportune time because husband is gone all week at CHWC.

The good news? I finally landed an appointment w/a GI doctor for later in the month and husband will be home on Saturday AND I have taken next week off as my own little stay-cation. I know the girls will appreciate having both mommy and daddy home for an extended period of time and not be passed around between family members and babysitters. Although, I think we will be hiring a babysitter so that we can go catch Harry Potter one evening.

Life never slows down.

a stowaway

2009-07-02T08:09:00.001-07:00

I had a suspicion as I left for St. Paul that I might be bringing along a stowaway. A little someone who decided to join me on the trip without paying for a plane ticket!!!

Turns out I was right. The prayer candles above represent the prayers that I offered at the Cathedral of St. Paul for the 4 members of my immediate family. Yes, I said 4. Yes I know... I have 2 little girls and a husband and now one little bun in the oven.

So, I'm currently exhausted and desperately trying to catch up here at work, but I'm still around. Haven't forgotten any blogging obligations, just trying to make it through the next few busy weeks. So, hang in there with me.

Leavin' on a jet plane

2009-06-22T18:32:00.001-07:00

Tomorrow I leave for St. Paul, MN to attend the NACFLM conference. I've never been given the opportunity to travel in this job, mostly because I've been pregnant a significant portion of the time I've worked here. I'm especially thrilled for this opportunity because of an NFP pre-conference all-day workshop I'll be attending, along with a number of keynote speakers that will be speaking (particularly Christopher West!). Not only is this my first time to travel for my job, its also my first time to leave the state since I became pregnant with my oldest kiddo.

Needless to say, I'm a little nervous.

Leaving my kiddos w/my husband is not the scary part. Leaving my kiddos is the scary part. I haven't been away from them for more than 2 nights in their entire lives. I know it will be great. I know that absence makes the heart grow fonder. I know that my plane won't crash... but I can't help but be nervous about all of that.

I booked into my trip nearly a full day with nothing to do, several stops are planned (including here and here). We get to attend mass at the beautiful Cathedral one evening. I know it will be great. But... pray for me while I'm gone? And... pray for my family while you're at it?

My Top 10 List

2009-06-19T08:57:00.000-07:00

Let me start with mentioning that although this is a list of things I'd rather be doing than what I am doing right now, I'm certainly not complaining about what I'm doing right now. It just isn't on my Top 10 List... (hat tip to Darcy from Life w/My 3 Boybarians for the idea)

Top 10 List of Things I'd rather be doing right now...

10. Reading magazines on my back porch while sipping a margarita

9. Watching Gilmore Girls & sewing

8. Getting a mani/pedi

7. Being at the zoo w/my hubby & kiddos

6. lying on a beach some where

5. having less than 97% humidity

4. ordering office supplies (I'm sick, I know. there is no help for me.)

3. baking banana nut bread for my sweet friend who just gave birth to a beautiful baby boy, her 6th fabulous kiddo at home! (that is, her 6th kiddo living in her home, not gave birth at home)

2. shopping

1. Reading a book on my couch & drinking iced tea!

Awesome giveaway

2009-06-13T18:28:00.000-07:00

I love the vintage-y look of flour sack style prints. I live in a town with an old flour mill.... wonder if I could find some authentic flour sacks.... hmmmmm... well, until then, check out this giveaway! So much cute stuff plus 3 winners! (Thanks to my buddy C-re who clued me in on this one!)

One Thing

2009-06-13T05:29:00.000-07:00

Mrs. Fussypants offered a challenge of choosing ONE THING to work on yourself for the week. I probably should make mine 'remembering to exfoliate and moisterize' but instead I opted for "avoiding complaining"... I think the opportunity to focus on how God has so graciously gifted me in my life will be a real mood lifter and day brightener, both for me and the rest of my family!

What will your ONE THING be?

p.s. CK, I'm gettin' those pillows finished! Don't give up on me!!!!!!

Success

2009-06-11T11:10:00.000-07:00

My oldest kiddo made it through her surgery just fine!

Here she is waiting for them to take her back...

they were running early, so she was actually finished with surgery before it was even scheduled to begin. She was pretty cranky and out of it when we first got to go back to recovery to check on her. It was heartbreaking and at the same heartwarming to hear her crying all through the recovery area (she was way in the back) with the very nice Dr. Smith (the anesthesiologist) holding her and rocking her.

and here she is in the car on the way home...

by 10:30 in the morning she was running outside with her dad to see the trash man come and pick up our trash and she helped dad pull the trash can back up to the house. I'd say that's a pretty easy recovery!

Here's the sweet thing being treated to her second helping of ice cream for the day (chocolate with 'moshmewoes', otherwise known as rocky road)

I'd say it was an uneventful day aside from the fact that MY allegies are the devil and have taken over my poor head and body. I was seriously in bed by 7:30 last night, not to mention that I had about a 1 1/2 hour nap midday. I guess all of the lack of sleep from my heartburn was catching up with me.

Thank you God for a successful operation. Thank you for holding my baby in your sweet hands and keeping her safe.

hard to breathe

2009-06-09T12:54:00.000-07:00

I had that stinking heartburn again last night. 1 prilosec, 1 zantac and 4 tums took until 2:30 to kick in. Blah. Leaves me a little bleary eyed this morning and my thoughts are a little fuzzy. Then I got a call back from oldest daughter's ENT. He's only available for surgery on Wednesdays (she needs her adenoids removed) and we need to do it either this week or next week. So by 9 am this morning with no coffee in me (I'm cutting out caffeine until I have a few nights heartburn free) I was facing booking a (minor) surgery for my daughter for first thing tomorrow. She can't eat after midnight and that's harder to handle for younger patients, so they book in order of age. She gets the 8:00 appointment which has us at the outpatient surgery center by 6:45. She'll be under full anesthesia for the 30 minute procedure and I know it will be the longest 30 minutes o fmy life. I keep going to my facebook profile and looking at this picture

it's from this weekend, we went up to see my MIL for her birthday. We were out to dinner and the girls just started hugging each other and I had to snap a quick shot. All I had was my phone handy, but really that's all I need. Oldest daughter's beaming face as she embraces her sister is burned into my memory. And I'm terrified. I'm sure the sleep deprivation is playing into this quite a bit, but putting your child's life into the hands of another in such a significant way leaves me feeling helpless. It makes me want to say "NO! Forget the surgery. I'll sleep in her room every night and stay up and make sure she can breathe all night long. Don't worry about me getting any sleep, I've done without it in the past, I'll find a way to manage."

See? There's that pesky sleep issue again. So I'm muddling through the day, trying to clear up any last little work issues so that I'll have tomorrow off, and if anything else comes up, I'll have everything settled and not need me to attend to it for a few days.

So, please keep my sweet girl in your prayers. I'll post an update as soon as I can.

how do you spell relief?

2009-06-04T00:27:00.000-07:00

This post is not for the weak stomach-ed. And, to clear things up. I'm NOT pregnant.

So, for about the last 6-9 months I've been suffering from severe heartburn. Not that whole time straight, mind you. Its very sporadic, not connected to any specific foods, and always at night. About a month ago, I had my a$$ handed to me one evening when it was severe enough to having me throwing up. That was not a fun night. So, I made an appointment with my doctor and he asked me "have you tried prilosec?" actually, I hadn't. Even though it is over the counter now, I had kind of felt like 'if antacids don't take care of it, and it's bad enough that I'm throwing up, I think I should go see the doctor. I'm only 29 for cryin' out loud." So, he wrote me a prescription for prilosec (its cheaper that way) and sent me on my way.

Now, being one to always try to save money, I didn't actually take it every day, I just waited for the next night when it set in, and then got up and took it. And that kinda' worked. Instead of being up for 3 hours waiting for an antacid to kick in, I was only up for an hour. Cool. Or not.

About a week ago, I woke up with that twinge in my stomach, went and took my medicine, and nothing happened. In fact, it got worse. And I threw up. Again, and again, and again. I couldn't keep the medicine, or antacids, or water down. For about 4 hours straight this went on, and I was beyond miserable. Words just can't describe how I was feeling. I pretty much wanted to reach into my chest and pull my heart out. I did finally manage to force myself to curl up in a ball, take the medicine, and pretty much will myself not to throw up anymore.

The next morning at work my coworkers chastised me on and on for not taking the medicine EVERY DAY, so I've been doing that. And now, here I am. It's 2:30 in the morning and I've been awake since 1:00. I've taken antacids twice now, and I don't know what to do. Should I go back to my doctor? Should I start researching super bland grandma diets? Should I seek the help of someone who does alternative healing?

Has anyone out there in bloggy land ever had anything like this? I'm desperate. I kinda need sleep for all of that functioning throughout the day business that I'm expected to do.

Sigh.

Summer is upon us

2009-06-03T07:49:00.000-07:00

For me, summer doesn't mean much different from any other season. I go to work M-F, I help with our programs, I meet with clients, etc. etc.

For husband, it means being home most of the summer with our girls while fitting in 1)writing new lesson plans 2)preparing for CHWC, 3)attending a first aid/CPR course, 4)leading a week long (evening!) soccer camp, 5)being trained in 'care & prevention' (a sports injures class), & 6)a conference on using technology in the classroom. He's not exactly accustomed to his 'free' schedule yet. He's grown kind of used to a set plan for each day. He hasn't gotten to do much 'planning' for being a SAHD for the summer.

For my girls it means no daycare, fun times with daddy, and being at home.

For our family it means 1)not paying for daycare for 2 months (!!!!!!!) 2)coming up with free/inexpensive ways to spend their time 3)not draining our family's budget in the process.

Yesterday I put together a calendar for husband. It is color coded (green for zoo, blue for pool, purple & red for local libraries, black for other libraries) and lists the activities that are available this summer each day. Since our 'metropolitan library system' shares resources, many activities are duplicated from day to day, so I did my best to find the most age appropriate (not to mention most local and interesting) items for each day. They are offering TONS of great things to do (everything from plays, to storytime, toddler aerobics, art, music, movies) and most are free. A few required advanced registration, so for those I listed that information w/the phone number.

I made an additional page that includes the hours of operation for local pools (we do have access to some free pools, but since it will mostly be husband by himself, going to one that has a splash park or kiddie pool is the best option for him), indoor play areas, and libraries.

Finally listed on that page is a list of at home ideas. I divided it into two categories "indoor & outdoor" and tried to come up with a variety of ideas under each category.

The calendar is hung above our family calendar, with the extra list to the side where husband can glance when its been raining for 3 days straight, he needs an indoor activity, and shipping them into the playroom or putting on a dvd has gotten old.

This was the best way I could think of to contribute and prepare our family for the summer. I'm looking forward to finding a few more ideas, though!

The Reality

2009-05-27T09:10:00.000-07:00

Its taken me a little while to get around to doing some updates around here. For the longest time, I've had this whole 'routine' here as I read my way through blog land... there are my 'must reads' that are in my recent history, then the blogs whose url's I know by heart and type in by hand, then a whole list of different blogs that are bookmarked in my 'favorites' list which also contains a whole mess of other bookmarked links, so in other words, I have this little routine of jumping around from here to there and back again. Inevitably there are a few I forget to check and doing so means I miss out on a cool giveaway or an important announcement in the life of those I follow in blogland. My list is not complete, I have a few changes and additions to make, but at least I've compiled that majority of my 'daily' (ok, they are not ALL daily reads but I do check these frequently) reads. I don't know why I put off creating/updating this list for so long, it seemed tedious, but now that it is finished, in honestly only took about 15 minutes. Please feel free to peruse this list of wonderful sites and blogs. Hopefully you'll find something new and inspiring to read!

Another prayer request

2009-05-18T11:02:00.001-07:00

My husband's cousin was in a car accident on Friday. It was senior day (which I am assuming means senior skip day) and he and a friend were driving around in the country. He hit a patch of gravel, his car spun out, and FLIPPED SEVERAL TIMES. Apparently he and is friend got out of the car and were wandering around aimlessly when the highway patrol came upon them, asked a few questions, assessed that he had been going 10 mph over the speped limit and gave him a ticket. Since his car was totaled, he couldn't get home and called his dad to come pick him up. His dad noticed right away that something was wrong and called a family member who is a nurse who immedicately instructed that he "lay down, not move, and call an ambulance"... afteran MRI at their local hospital, it was confirmed that there was a neck injury, so they drove him up to Wichita to a bigger hospital. There it was revealed that there was a fracture in the neck. Fortunately it was a very mild fracture and he will be wearing a neck brace for a little while, and be fine.

This young man is engaged to be married in August and has enlisted in the Navy and will be shipping out shortly after the wedding. I'm trying to find peace and not get too angry over the fact that no one from the highway patrol noticed him acting funny or offered medical evaluation.... they do not have health insurance though, and since he hasn't graduated yet or gone through training, I don't know if he is covered by the Navy.

Thanks for your prayers.

Prayers

2009-05-15T11:53:00.000-07:00

Please say a prayer for Clover Lane and Out on a Limb

Feliz Dia de Madres

2009-05-10T08:40:00.001-07:00

Just a quick shout out to all the mommas... have a fabulous day! Hope you get to sleep in, have starbucks, and read the target ad in peace.

a little sumpthin, sumpthin...

2009-05-06T10:52:00.000-07:00

Be prepared for overload of my usual stream of consciousness ramblings ahead:

I'm such a neglectful blogger lately. Scratch that. I'm such a neglectful everything lately. I'm going to a wedding on Friday and need a gift for the happy couple. My issues were: 1)I like to give unique gifts, 2)I don't have a huge budget, 3)I need to meet a monthly sewing criteria for my new year's resolution.

The result:

this handtowel

and this apron

They match the fiestaware that the happy couple registered for (that I'm not buying). I'm thinking of finding a little whisk or spatula or something to throw in with it all.

CK, your throw pillows are next! I'm trying to get inspired for something really cute. I guess it would be good if I actually GO and LOOK for fabric, huh?

Oh, and this is the Lisa Leonard's Design necklace that my sister and I ordered for my mom (nanny is what our girls call her)

Finally, a picture of my girls, my neice, and my cousin's 2 girls and little boy (the first little boy we've added to our huge mix of girls) (this was taken way back on Easter weekend)