Preschool

Today was a Halloween party at Noah's preschool. It was optional for the kids to dress up. Noah did not want to. He informed me that he can only wear his costume tomorrow night when he gets candy. Instead, he wanted to wear the Halloween shirt that my parents bought him. It has Tigger on it and a pumpkin that lights up when the shirt moves. My mom apologized when she bought it because she knows I am not a fan of clothes with cartoon characters on them but she thought it was too cute to pass up. I'm fine with it because he loves the shirt. Even though he wasn't wearing a costume the kids were as fascinated with his shirt as he was with their outfits.
After circle time (during which I have to admit I became teary-eyed because I realized how fast he continues to grow up in front of me...I know...I'm a sap) the kids lined up and then paraded around the church to show the staff members and collect candy. They then came outside to where we parents were waiting and paraded on the sidewalk around the church.
After the parade, Ellie and I headed a couple blocks over to the library. While there I ran into a mom whose daughter is in Noah's classroom. She was finishing reading "The Shack" and so we struck up a conversation about it. It's actually the second time she read it. We then talked about the churches we attend and a little about family. It was nice to sit and visit with someone I don't know but who shares a common bond through being a preschool mom, as well as a sister in Christ.
Tuesday is Picture Day. I was telling my mom I didn't even know they had picture day. I thought it was a kind of silly thing for preschoolers. She told me that my preschool had picture day and then I recalled a certain picture of me from when I was four. Now I have to figure out what to dress Noah in. The note said there is no obligation to buy any of the pictures. Yeah, right. What mom of a preschooler passes up her child's first picture day pictures?
While we were waiting outside for the kids to parade out, a mom shared with us that her husband died three weeks ago. All of us were slightly stunned and then she really shocked up by telling us he committed suicide. He has battled depression for years and they were in counseling, and she is still numb and confused as to how he could do it and leave her and Brooke. For the next half hour a bunch of us moms just stood and listened to her as she shared with us her grief and anger. We would have stood longer but she told us she had to go. What do you do? We all offered help with taking Brooke to school or picking her up. Her church told her they wouldn't have his funeral there because they believe that since he wasn't a member of the church then he wasn't actually in heaven. Whoa.
I am thinking of sending her a card and letting her know that if she wants to grab a cup of coffee while the kids were at school one day, then to let me know. I don't know if she has a community of people to help her. She said that her family is not in the area and that her in-laws are, but that they've been mean and hard to handle. She kept looking at me while she was talking, almost like a silent plea. Maybe it's because we've chatted a couple times since the kids started and then I hadn't seen her in the last couple weeks. She said she's been late dropping Brooke off and picking her up because she can hardly drag herself out of bed some mornings. I personally don't think I could get myself out of bed. I think she is coping with this much better than I probably would, yet I don't know. I hope to never find out. I felt God moving me to do something; I just don't know what beyond starting with a card and maybe coffee. Does anyone have any advice or experience in this area? What do you say to someone who is grieving? What do you say when a woman has lost her high school sweetheart, her husband and partner of fifteen years? How do you make yourself accessible?

Ellie's 6 Month Checkup

She turned 6 months about a week and a half ago, but Ellie just had her well child visit yesterday. She is in the 32nd percentile for weight and the 72nd percentile for height so she is long and skinny. I still can't get over how different this is from Noah's at that age, where he was in the 25th percentile or below for height and between 25 and 50th for weight. At 6 months, Noah was still wearing 0-3 month clothes. Ellie is in 6-9 or 12 months (depending on brand.) I guess it just proves (again!) that all kids are different.

He said she is perfect and he can't find anything wrong with her. He also said she could stand to take a couple months off for a break since she is advanced developmentally. He asked if she rolled from stomach to back and I told him she goes all the way across the floor and around the room. He asked if she could sit up for about 30 seconds and I told him it was more like 30 minutes and then I told him she is also trying to inchworm around - not always, but often. He was pretty impressed and said that most babies don't start diong those things until around 8 months or so. Tim said he knew she was doing things sooner than Noah, but when I checked Noah's baby book he was actually doing these things at the same ages. I think the only thing she is doing that he wasn't at this point is chattering non-stop. He made screeching noises and happy sounds, but she is doing the "da-da", "ba-ba" stuff, which he didn't do until around 7 1/2 months. I'm not looking at his baby book to compare them to each other, just because I can't remember when to expect certain things! It is amazing how much you forget even after just a couple years.

So there is our Eleanor update. She is a joy to our home and family. Her personality is one of extremes - she's usually either very happy or very cranky. There's not really an inbetween with her.

Tim and I were watching "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition" the other night and it was about a boy named Job who spent 6 years in and out of hospitals for leukemia, a double lung transplant and I can't even remember what else - and he's only 10 years old now! As soon as we heard the name, I said, "Well, what in the world did they expect by naming him Job?!" A minute later they were doing the little interview part with the mom and she was talking about how they had gotten grief from family members when they chose to name him Job because everyone kept pointing out Job in the Bible and that his name means "suffering." She said they lean on the latter part of Job's life where he was more blessed during the second half of his life than the first. Tim and I started talking about names and what our's mean and our kids'. We personally, checked the meaning of the names for our children after finding ones we liked. We wanted to know out of curiousity, but also because Biblically people were named for significant reasons and we wanted to honor that as well.

Noah means "calm, peace." He was very much like this as a baby although he is quite the preschooler now. However, I still find him to be peaceful and calm often. He is content to play on his own for awhile, he travels well in the car for looong periods of time, and he is not one to pick a fight and only fights back when defending himself against physical harm. He also brought us a sense of peace when we found out he was a healthy pregnancy after going through our miscarriage. Tim and I discussed how the Biblical Noah went through ridicule while building the ark but he still went through with following God. We pray that our Noah is the same way, even if he is made fun of throughout school for his beliefs (if he so chooses to follow the Lord.) Edwin means "rich friend." We'll see about that rich part and if it means monetary. That name actually came from my grandfather.

Eleanor means "light." Though she is named after Tim's grandmother, we are praying she is a light in the world. Lee means "meadow." I like meadows, but that middle name was also my grandma's middle name.

Timothy means "to honor God." I would say he fits it pretty well. Andrea means "womanly" which is a joke to me because since becoming a mom I don't feel very womanly. I guess if you look at it in the sense of being a wife and mother, however, I have that one covered.

What about your name? What does it mean? What do the names of your children mean? Did you take name meaning into consideration when naming your children? Do you think it's important?

Updated Video Montage

*Update* It looks like the video below switched to the new music as well (Over the Rhine's "Hush Now.") I'm sorry not all of you could enjoy the David Bowie music. ** =)

This video montage is with the correct music. If you want to watch the one posted below with the awesome '80s music by David Bowie ("As the World Falls" from the movie Labyrinth) go for it.

Make video montages at www.OneTrueMedia.com

A Tribute and Trivia

While watching a video today that Lydia made for her precious new baby, Beatrix Sparrow, I decided to try to make my own. This is a brief recap in photos of the last five and a half years with Tim. You'll want to pause the Project Playlist music to the right.
Also, I uploaded the wrong song but then kept it because I thought it was funny. Can anyone guess who sings it or what it's from? Hint: Think eighties.

Make an on-line slideshow at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Have You Thanked...

...your mother-in-law lately?

Every so often I like to thank my in-laws for their son. I write a quick email to let them know what a fantastic husband and father he is. I let them know details or little things he does to make us all feel special and loved. I thank them for raising a hard worker and instilling good values in him.

I do this because I am thankful for Tim. I'm sure there were times when he was growing up that he was not an easy child. I'm thankful for the prayers they said to help him grow into a godly man. I am thankful they welcomed me into their family. In marrying Tim I immediately gained an extra set of parents, a kind and generous older sister, wise brother-in-law and two wonderful nephews, and a thoughtful and beautiful older brother and sister-in-law that I was blessed to have spent the first few years of our marriage in close proximity to.

Is Tim's family perfect? No, of course not. Neither is mine. We all have our flaws and weak spots. I can't choose the family I was born into. I could choose the family I married in to. I think they're pretty incredible overall. Since I married Tim I have also gained two more active nephews and two adorable nieces. Who knows how many more may come (that one is up to you, Deidra, since I think Kristen feels done with four.) =)

So if you haven't done so yet - go thank your mother-in-law (or your father-in-law, too.) You may not have a good relationship with her or you may count her as a close friend. Regardless of how you get along with her, she brought your husband into this world and raised him. That in itself deserves your appreciation and gratitude.

Also, I want to wish my mother-in-law a very happy birthday. We love you!

Trying Something New

I am reading through the Psalms right now and this one stuck out to me.

Psalm 19

The heavens declare the glory of God;

the skies proclaim the work of his hands.

Day after day they pour forth speech;

night after night they display knowledge.

There is no speech or language

where their voice is not heard.

Their voice goes out into all the earth,

their words to the ends of the world.

In the heavens he has pitched a tent for the sun,

which is like a bridegroom coming

forth from his pavilion,

like a champion rejoicing to run his course.

It rises at one end of the heavens

and makes its circuit to the other;

nothing is hidden from its heat.

The law of the Lord is perfect,

reviving the soul.

The statues of the Lord are trustworthy,

making wise the simple.

The precepts of the Lord are right,

giving joy to the heart.

The commands of the Lord are radiant,

giving light to the eyes.

The fear of the Lord is pure,

enduring forever.

The ordinances of the Lord are sure

and altogether righteous.

They are more precious than gold,

than much pure gold;

they are sweeter than honey,

than honey from the comb.

By them is your servant warned,

in keeping them there is great reward.

Who can discern his errors?

Forgive my hidden faults.

Keep your servant also from willful sins;

may they not rule over me.

Then will I be blameless,

innocent of great transgression.

May the words of my mouth and

the meditation of my heart

be pleasing in your sight,

O Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer.

This passage doesn't really have anything to do specifically with my post. I just thought I would share it. I love that the Bible revives the soul, makes wise the simple, gives joy to the heart, gives light to the eyes, endures forever and is altogether righteous.

I have had quite a few "mommy moments" lately that I am not proud of. At times it has been my voice going from just raised to plain yelling. Sometimes it is wanting to hop in the van and drive away. I have thoughts of dropping them in a daycare and finding a job so someone else can spend the day with them.

That thought is the one that always seems to get me thinking clearly again. I know when I get to that one I need to stop and breathe. Do I really want my life any other way? Some women would kill to be in my position to stay home with their kids. Tim and I make sacrifices so that I am able to do it: we drive junky vehicles, don't eat out often and when we do we are extremely conscious of the prices of what we're ordering, we buy new clothes for ourselves maybe twice a year and for the kids as needed (thankfully they have had some hand-me-downs.)

But would I trade those things for me to go back to work? Do I wish we had more money than just paycheck-to-paycheck so that I could go buy some new clothes? Of course I wish that. Do I wish we could get some money in our emergency fund and actually keep it there longer than a month before something else breaks? I sure do. But would I trade my days at home for those things?

I don't think so.

I think one reason I have been so crazy with my kids lately is distraction. I like to talk on the phone. I like catching up with friends and family and I need some sort of adult communication during the day. Lately, though, I have been doing it a lot while they are awake and then not answering the phone during naptime because that is "my" time. Noah acts out while I'm on the phone and we usually spend the rest of the day bickering. He is crying out for my attention and I have been neglecting him.

Today I realized how horrible I feel and how selfish I am. Am I selfish for being a stay-at-home mom who wants some "me" time? No, I don't think so. I believe I need that time alone to rejuvenate and stay sane. However, could I be doing things I enjoy doing, like talking on the phone, checking my email, or reading books during their naptime instead of while they're awake? Yes. (I seem to be asking a lot of questions during this post...)

I started wondering today how Noah's attitude and behavior might be different if I was spending more time with him, not just being in the same room but actually doing things with him.

So this is what I decided, my little experiment. For the next week I am going to not talk on the phone unless it is during naptime. If you call before 1:00 in the afternoon and after 3:00 and my kids are awake, I will not be answering.

This might sound silly to some of you. Maybe you don't have this problem. That's great - I have to keep from envying you. =)

Maybe the passage above does tie into my post. I don't think the words of my mouth or the meditations of my heart have been very pleasing lately. It might be from my lack of time spent in the Word. When I sat down and read today during the kids naptime (well, actually during Noah's naptime and while I was feeding Ellie) it was amazing how different I felt after. After confessing my sinful thoughts and actions to the Lord and then reading the Bible I felt renewed and ready for a new start.

So here we go...

Already?!

Do you see Monday's forecast? That, my dear friends, is snow. I'm not ready. I need more fall! By the way, what's all this global warming stuff? Move to Michigan.

One Reason I Won't Vote Obama

Ah, the election draws nearer and I still wrestle who I will cast my vote for. I know one thing I am sure of though. I won't vote for Obama. (I'm wrestling between McCain and an independent.) I know that there are many factors that go into voting - many issues that need to be looked at and evaluated. From foreign policy to economics to education and so on. Then there is the abortion issue. This is more a moral issue and I think some people find it silly to cast a vote based on something they find to be not a major issue. It's a major isse to me, though.
I have been very pro-life since I was young enough to learn what abortion was. In high school, I wrote papers on it and presented them in class. You would probably never find me picketing outside an abortion clinic - that's not really my style of handling any issue.
I wonder how many women who are pro-choice have actually had an abortion. It seems that women whom I have heard speak that have had abortions carry scars and emotional guilt years later. I remember being at a conference called Hearts at Home a couple years ago and listening to a speaker named Lysa TerKeurst. She had all of us women thankful that there were tiny packages of Kleenex in our conference bags. She told her story that involved abortion.
About a month ago at a retreat for a program called STATS that I am a team leader for at Reeths-Puffer high school (groups of high schoolers go into local middle schools to talk about abstinence from drugs, tobacco, alcohol and sex until marriage) we listened to one of the team leaders share her story that involved drugs, alcohol, and an affair with a married man that landed her pregnant. She had that baby and went through college as a single mom. She married and had another son. Her husband was abusive to both her and her kids and the week that she finally found the courage to leave him, she found out she was pregnant. Not wanting to be a single, pregnant woman with other children or stay in an abusive marriage and have another baby, she ended up having an abortion. I watched as she stood up in front of us and cried while explaining that twenty years later - even though she knows God has forgiven her - she can't forgive herself for her abortion because she knows in her heart it was murder.
I have heard countless stories of women intent on abortions who go into a pregnancy center and end up receiving an ultrasound. Almost 90% of women who see this ultrasound end up changing their mind and either keep the baby themselves or give the child up for adoption.
I believe that life begins at conception. I saw Eleanor's tiny heart beating at 7 weeks. Though she looked like no more than a peanut, there was a constant flutter in her chest. I think any time a heart stops beating, it's a sign of death. I am pretty sure an abortion causes a heart to stop beating and because it was deliberately performed, I consider it murder.
I think that we need to be a nation that advocates adoption. I mean, for those of us who are going to stand against abortion, we have to have more than just that. We can't just encourage a woman to have a baby and then leave her. She might not be able to raise a child, whether because of single, or finances, or being in a relationship she herself does not want to be a part of. She has to know, though, that she is not alone during that time and that there is adoption. That way, twenty years later when she thinks about her baby, she can know that he or she was given a chance at life instead of regretting her decision and living with guilt.

I'm It

I was tagged by Erin last week but didn't see it until I was catching up today. I did a post awhile ago when I was tagged but this one is different so here we go...
4 things I was doing 10 years ago
1. My senior year of high school
2. Was on Homecoming Court (me, too, Erin!)
3. Was in my third year dating Brooks and ready to break up
4. Working at the Fossil store in the outlet mall

4 things on my to do list for today:
1. Make lasagna for dinner
2. Fold laundry
3. Meet Sara & Stephani at Hage's
4. Snuggle with my husband on the couch later and watch last night's Extreme Home Makeover

4 jobs I have had:
1. Taco Bell (my first job besides babysitting)
2. Fossil
3. Cornerstone University - Phone team and Admissions Counselor Assistant
4. Kregel Used Books

4 Movies I have seen more than once:
1. Sense and Sensibility
2. Pride and Prejudice (both newer and BBC versions)
3. Waiting for Guffman
4. Sleeping Beauty

4 places I have lived:
1. Fowlerville, MI
2. Grand Rapids, MI
3. Muskegon, MI
4. Grand Haven, MI

4 places I have been (this year):
1. Waterford, VA
2. Malvern, OH
3. Toledo, OH
4. St. Ignace, MI

4 TV shows I watch
*We have to watch all our shows online since we don't have TV*
1. The Office
2. Lost
3. House
4. Extreme Makeover: Home Edition
(If I had cable there would be a lot more shows on here!)

4 things you may not know about me:
1. I would love to go back to school for journalism or something with copywriting/editing. I actually take a pen and edit the newspaper sometimes. It drives Tim crazy. If I could get paid to do it, that would be a dream!
2. I don't know if anyone besides a couple friends know this one: I LOVE to type. Sometimes, when I'm listening to someone, I'm actually mentally typing out their words in my head. My fingers love the feeling of a keyboard.
3. I am a highly self-conscious person and easily hurt, which is why I tend to be harsh with others sometimes (it's a fault I've been praying about and trying to give over to God.)
4. I do not actually enjoying going to church; I only go because Tim makes me. I love Jesus and have a relationship with him that I take very seriously. I just don't like church. I get more out of a small group Bible Study setting where there is interaction and actual studying of the Bible.

4 things I love about my husband:
1. He's the most good-looking man I've ever laid eyes on. =)
2. He challenges and encourages me, loving and accepting me despite my faults
3. He is an honest man and hard worker
4. He is a godly husband and father

4 people I tag: (your turn if you want!)
1. Daniella (ha! another one)
2. Sara T.
3. Deidra
4. Deanna
And whoever else wants to!

Ellie Belly

That's mine and Noah's nickname for her. He gets a kick out of calling her that, though when he says it, for some reason he says "Bewwy Ewwy." I think he might inherit his dad and my dad's dyslexia.

Eleanor Lee turns 6 months on Sunday. I can't believe how fast the time is flying with her. In the past two weeks she has been sitting up consistently on her own, inchworming along the floor, rolling all over the house, and chattering like a little bird. Yesterday she got her first tooth! I was checking out her mouth and there it was on the bottom - you can tell it had just poked through.

Today I took her into the doctor because she was wheezing when she woke up this morning. She has a "cold with a wheeze." The doctor described it as a little more than a cold because it's in her chest as well, but not showing any signs of RSV or something more serious. He gave me three things to watch for. The real kicker is what she was diagnosed with that I had no idea of - a double ear infection! Poor girl. She doesn't seemed bothered by it but is on some amoxicillin now. I have to confess: I used to love that stuff as a child. When I picked up the prescription from Meijer and brought it home I almost wanted to open it and take some myself. Weird, I know.

So there's the latest on our girl. She will hopefully be dedicated in November, but I haven't heard any dates for it yet so I don't know if they're still planning on one or not.

Remembering

I didn't know there was such a day, but after checking out Angie Smith's blog last night, I learned that today (October 15) is National Day of Pregnancy and Infant Loss. I have blogged about my miscarriage before. I also have my other blog (that has unfortunately been neglected for awhile but will be updated this afternoon) that focuses on the healing of those who this day is for. Today I will be remembering not only my baby, but others as well. Today I will pray for women in general, but also specifically for

Stephanie, my sister

My mom

My mother-in-law

Jen

Lydia

Daniella

Sherri

Sherry

Jody, my cousin

Cheryl

Kat

Carrie

Kari

Melissa

Jaren

Whether they know I am praying for them or not is unimportant, but the fact that I take the time to remember them is. These women have touched my life in one way or another whether they realized it or not.

They are encouraging everyone to light a candle at 7:00 tonight in rememberance of these babies. There will be one in our window.

SITSta...SITSta...There were never such devoted SITStas...

So on the right hand side of my blog is a little link for something called The Secret is in the Sauce (aka SITS.) This is kind of a blog community, a fun way to find other new blogs to check out. Today they are having a blogathon. Everyone involved in it is posting links on their blog to 5 of their favorite ones they have found through SITS.
Here are my 5 favorites. Check them out and also check out the SITS site! They have great giveaways each month as well. October's giveaway is the new Photoshop program.

*Pennies In My Pocket - I love finding blogs that feature deals and ways to save money!
*Cherry's Jubilee - She's crafty and I got lots of fun holiay decorating ideas from this blog.
*Tale of a Kansas Girl - She's a single Christian woman with some fun stories.
*Mrs. Mouthy - She has a son just younger than Noah so I enjoy reading her very funny blog and am able to relate to many of her tales.
*I Am Fearfully and Wonderfully Made - This is very dear to me because it is written by my "cousin-in-law", Carrie (Tim's cousin's wife.) She is the mother to a very handsome and charming son with some special needs. If you check out any of these blogs, please read her's and keep their family in your thoughts and prayers as they live daily life differently from many of us. We love Brayden!

Have fun peeking around!

Stress Knot

I'm feeling kind of down today, to tell you the truth. It's not too bad. I'm just coming off a rough last week and a horrible weekend. This morning hasn't had the energetic start I was hoping for, but at least my children are napping.
I volunteer as a team leader for a local high school program. The program sends groups of high school students, who have interviewed and been accepted, into local middle schools to talk to the students about abstinence from drugs, sex, alcohol and tobacco. Last week I had to sit down a girl on my team and find out she had lied during her interview and there are other things involved that I can't really get into. I had to be part of the decision to take her off the team and out of the program. I thought drama was mostly for high school students...until this weekend, that is.
I was in my cousin's wedding this weekend. It was horrible. The groomsmen were completely drunk and obnoxious. They had a "party bus" to take the wedding party from the ceremony to the reception. I didn't realize this meant we would be driving around for an hour wasting time so people could get wasted. At one point I was so disturbed by the things going on that I almost asked the bus driver to stop and let me off at a gas station. I figured I could just call Tim and have him come pick me up. In the end, I thought it would probably be safer for me to just ignore what was going on around me on the bus then having to be alone in the middle of a city I'm not familiar with while being dressed up in a strapless bridesmaid dress.
The best man speech was so humiliating, raunchy and inappropriate that after 15 minutes (yes, 15 minutes) the groom finally asked him to stop. I think the main reason he asked him to stop was because people started yelling at him to "shut up and sit down" or "hand over the mic" among other heckling. The best man was extremely disappointed and said he had so many other stories to share. When will best men realize that they're being asked to give a toast to the couple - not a roast of the groom? That should be covered at the bachelor party. Even that 15 minutes contained charming words like: fornication, penis, gay (mentioned several times) as well as music and a striptease (I'm so glad they stopped him when they did!)
The rest of the time I was there was a disaster and I won't go into the details because they still hurt. My time there was cut short because my kids were starting to fall apart by 9:30 and we still had an hour and a half drive back to my parents', so we left right after dinner.
So, besides all the other morals of this story that I can't get into - if you are a guy, don't give dumb best man speeches. Just say "So-and-so and so-and-so are great for each other. It's fantastic to see the love between them. I wish them all the best. Cheers." Also, don't drink. It's so unattractive as well as nothing but empty calories. I used to have a drink every once in a while when around friends, but I don't think I have any desire to touch any form of alcohol again.
I have this knot in my back, behind my right shoulder that flares up when I'm extremely stressed. It surprisingly has been dormant for some time, but since last Friday it has been non-stop pain. I need a massage therapist. Or a lot of heat on it. I think I prefer the massage therapist.

If You Want To Know What I'm Really Like....

As I've moved to new places, I've been able to kind of control what people know about me. It's not that I'm actually hiding things from them, just that certain characteristics or passions of mine aren't always able to be displayed.
This past August our church did something a little different than our usual Sunday service. We did a "Family Experience" and performed a program from Kids Stuf, which is held once a month at Andy Stanley's church, North Point (look - I learned how to link!) The kids and adults were all in the service together and it was great fun. We learned aout patience.
I was excited to be able to indulge in one of my passions - acting. I think most everyone was shocked to see this side of me as I have kept it well hidden. Here is a video that was put together from that Sunday. That character that comes on around the 40 second mark in the nerdy outfit as the game show host- yup, yours truly. Enjoy! (Sara, go use the bathroom so you don't almost wet your pants this time around.) =)

Did Anyone Else Notice?

We watched the VP debates at Matt and Jeana's last Thursday. We go over there to watch "The Office" - which was obviously not on due to the debates. There was a comment made that we all thought for sure would be pointed out in the news the next day but none of us ever heard anyone else mention it and people we asked didn't notice it. Since they have DVR, we had replayed it to make sure we heard right.
Did no one else notice that in one comment Sarah Palin called Joe Biden "Senator Obiden?"
I mean, overall they both had their fair share of mistakes, miscalculations, and overexaggerations but we thought that one was funny.
Just wondering...

My Perfect Afternoon

So last Thursday God must have known how much I needed a break after Wednesday's fiascos (which included the kids NOT napping that afternoon and Tim working late again.) I put the kids down for their naps on Thursday and they both fell right asleep and slept for a little over 2 hours. During that time I made a bowl of Campbell's Tomato soup and topped it with lots of crushed Target brand-Ritz like crackers. I followed this with a leftover apple dumpling I made the day before (my first time making them - they are sooo good and I will definitely make them again) and a cup of hot cocoa.
I settled in on the couch and popped a movie into the laptop. My choice? My favorite ever - Sense and Sensibility. For a couple hours I lost myself in the stories of Elinore, Marianne, Edward, Colonel Brandon, Willoughby, and all the rest. I just sat there and sipped my liquid chocolate, curled up under a blanket on a cold and rainy day, and let myself be captured.
I love this movie. We named Eleanor after Tim's grandma, but I have to confess that a small part of me is thrilled she shares the name of my favorite book character.
The part of the whole thing that I hate is that I don't actually own the movie. I'm just borrowing it from Jeana. I'm hoping that this is the year Tim buys it for me for my birthday or Christmas. The past couple years it is really the only specific thing I ask for - except that the Pride and Prejudice soundtrack has joined the wish list- and every year it is not under the tree. It's not as if he hasn't looked. Last year he went to a ton of different stores - I know because I was in the car waiting as he stopped everywhere on a "Secret Mission" - and couldn't find either of my requests. He was so disappointed but he came up with good back-up gifts, so it was all ok. Maybe this is my year.
In other news - I used a coupon for a free hair service and got my hair highlighted on Saturday. I'm really happy with it. They're a caramel color and actually look perfect for fall since my hair is so dark. It was probably my best coupon ever since they would have been $50 without the coupon. This means I will probably never be able to have them done again, but that's ok. At least my hair will look good for the wedding I'm in this weekend. Well, the color will look good. Who knows what fight my hair will put up when I try to style it?
Here's a food recommendation for the day: Morningstar Ginger and Teriyaki Veggie Cakes. They are extremely tasty. I love them for lunch with some fruit on the side. Mmmm.
Well, that's all the randomness for today. Kids are napping (thank you, God! They didn't yesterday.) My house is trashed and I really should clean, but you know how sometimes you just need a day of no housework coming off the weekend? This is my day.
Enjoy yours!

For Aunt Deidwa

Noah loves to sing. He sings about everything. He sings songs that he has learned and he sings songs he has made up. He sings this one when he is in the bathtub and the water is draining. We call it the "No More Bubbles" song.

So It's Going To Be One of Those Days...

I had a morning where you look up at Heaven, not knowing whether to laugh or cry, and ask God, "Really? Can I just have a break for a moment?"
I thought the start to the morning was great. Ellie actually slept in until 8:00 and Noah slept until 8:30. This has not been done in a long time...maybe never. I had promised Noah last night that if he went to bed like a good boy at Matt and Jeana's (who baby-sat him for a little bit and then we visited for awhile after returning to get him) then he could have chocolate chip pancakes for breakfast. He went to bed with no problems and so this morning I made pancakes. After cleaning up the breakfast mess, I started on dinner because I am making potato soup in the crockpot today (it's the first day of October, perfect fall weather...what better than a crock pot meal?) At the same time I am talking to Jeana and not hearing any crying so I'm assuming things are good throughout the house.
Right before getting off the phone with her and right after finishing throwing all the soup ingredients in the crock pot, I look at Noah who is singing and dancing around the kitchen. He is dressed only in his underwear and pajama top and instead of pants, his legs are covered with blue marker. There are stripes drawn up and down one leg and the other leg is covered with dots. I sigh and am thankful tonight is a bath night.
Finally I drag myself into the shower. As I am in the shower the lights start going on and off. Oh, yes, that's my son playing with the light switch. Grrr. There is only so much I can do with shampoo suds covering my head so I tell him firmly to stop and even start to count. Before I can get to "three" the lights he is playing with go off completely. Well, isn't that great? I remember the difficulty Tim had last time he was messing around with the circuit breaker trying to do something in the bathroom and that was with me helping by yelling down the stairs "no" every time a light other than the bathroom one went off. Not wanting to deal with it by myself, I figure I can use the bathroom in the dark until he gets home.
After I shower I give Ellie her bottle. Now, she is a baby who spits up quite a bit, although as she has started eating more baby cereal it has gotten a (little) bit better. I have actually been able to make it through a full day with both of us in the same outfits we started it in. Today she smiles and laughs at me and then spits up all over the front of her outfit as well as my own (which, thankfully, was just a t-shirt.)
I take her upstairs and, as I am changing her, Noah - who has joined us by this time - stops jumping on his bed and starts to make a grunting noise that I know well. I am frustrated because not one hour before this, we had been clapping and cheering and eating a cookie due to the fact he pooped in the potty all by himself and then told me afterwards. Plus, he is (and this might be too much information if you're not a mom but if you are, you understand) a regular pooper. Once in the morning, once in the afternoon and that's it. Today he has started the day with an explosion in his diaper as soon as he woke up. This was followed by his potty poop and now this! I tell him to stop and go use the potty but by this time it is too late. I tell him instead to stand in one place until we can go into the bathroom, so that it doesn't get mushed around in his undies. I turn back to Ellie and finish buttoning her outfit, which is a bit too big because I don't have many long sleeve shirts in her size. I put her in a 6-12 month outfit instead and figured, who cares if the legs are only a little too long and the sleeves are over her hands? It just helps them stay warm, right?
I put her in her crib and she promptly starts to scream because it means she is not going to be held at the moment (future diva?) I turn back to Noah and he is wiping his hand back and forth across his nose. It takes me a moment before I notice his hands, cheeks and nose are covered in blood. He gets frequent nosebleeds just like I did as a child (and still do when the weather becomes drier.)
"Look, Mama, a nosebweed," he informs me. He is an expert at this time with them.
So I pick him up under his arms and, holding him at arm's distance, carry him into mine and Tim's bathroom. I first take care of the nosebleed and then the dirty underwear fiasco.
What a morning, what a morning. I'm kind of nervous to see how the afternoon will go.

On a side note, what do you think of the new blog design? I was checking my friend, Traci's, today and saw she did a makeover on her's. I went to the same site and found one I liked (her's is super cute - it's a background called Warm Cider. Mmmmm.)