My firstborn, Isaac, just composed his first story. He recited it to me, & I'm just now recording it. Here it goes!
When I went shopping I met a friendly name named Mommy.
When I went to the grocery store I met a friendly name named Daddy.
When I went to the store I met a friendly name named Mommy.
I like how he put Keith at the grocery store, where all the food is, and not me!
I love my kids.
The irony is Monday was one of those days I threatened to put them in daycare and go back to work! I'd never do it. That's just one of my sayings for when I'm having a really bad day with them.
Wednesday, December 15, 2010
Tuesday, December 7, 2010
Book #22-My Antonia
I've had My Antonia on my bookshelf since I was a teenager and always passed it by when trying to decide what to read next. Finally, upon my father's recommendation, I picked it up. I loved it! One half of me wishes I'd read it long ago, but another part of me knows that I would not have understood everything implied in it. For instance, one less significant character in the book is Wick Cutter. One of the many villainous things Wick does, it is told, is he "ruins" a girl and then sets her up in another town to run the only business anyone would ever go to her for. In not so many words, he basically set her up in another town to run her own "house of ill -repute." At least that's how I understand it. Honestly I'm not sure I would have picked up on things like that when I was a teenager.
While this is not what I'd call a "bonnet book," I still cried at times! There is at least one instance when the main character, Jim Burden, is in between colleges and decides to visit his old friends and stomping grounds once again. At this point he reconnects with his childhood memories that he kind of pushed into the background of his mind because he was learning so many new ideas and philosophies in college. He actually becomes heartsick for his childhood. I distinctly remember a time like this in my own life, in my first marriage. I simply began sobbing uncontrollably for my childhood, my youth, once again! It was some sort of awakening that I had to grow up now and do my own housework, laundry, and ironing because if I didn't do it, nobody else would. Hindsight is always 20/20 of course, but looking back I can clearly see that my ex-husband was not the only immature one. I was pretty immature myself, mentally and emotionally.
I also loved the parts of the story where Jim Burden is describing how much he adores, admires, and respects the "hired girls," the eldest daughters of immigrant families who come to the town to make a living, and of course send money back home so their fathers can pay their debts and own their lands. Throughout the story I wondered why didn't he marry one of those girls he admired so much! At a point during his adolescent years he even despises the other boys his age because they don't see in the hired girls what he does! He seems to despise the American girls because they don't have the vitality, strenth, personality, or zeal for life the immigrant girls do. Yet back in those days people stuck to their own kind. American boys married American girls, and the immigrants for the most part stuck to their own kind. What a shame! And how unlike it is today!
Of course, Antonia Shimerda is the main object of Jim Burden's admiration throughout the entire book to some degree (hence, the title). She is a wonderful character who most women would probably like to emulate one way or another. I relate to her character in the sense that I've always been one to land on my feet out of any crises or struggle. I like to think that I'm a survivor, that no matter what circumstances I might face in life, I'd pull through, myself & my children. It bothers me that I depend on my parents as much as I do to help me with the kids. I'm always looking for ways to not rely on them, as silly as that may sound. I'm sure mothers out there who don't have their family nearby would love to be able to rely on their parents more. But Keith & I both kind of pride ourselves on standing on our own two feet, so to speak. We don't like to take help, but sometimes we have to.
Of course an overall theme of the book is the hardships the early pioners to the West had to face: the first winter, farming unfamiliar land, the language barrier, homesickness, etc. Antonia, I think, at least partly represents or symbolizes those pioneer women, specifically.
To conclude, if you haven't read My Antonia yet, read it! I'm actually going to give it to Keith to read next time he leaves the country, which won't be too long from now! I think this book appeals to men & women alike. It is not a "bonnet" book.
While this is not what I'd call a "bonnet book," I still cried at times! There is at least one instance when the main character, Jim Burden, is in between colleges and decides to visit his old friends and stomping grounds once again. At this point he reconnects with his childhood memories that he kind of pushed into the background of his mind because he was learning so many new ideas and philosophies in college. He actually becomes heartsick for his childhood. I distinctly remember a time like this in my own life, in my first marriage. I simply began sobbing uncontrollably for my childhood, my youth, once again! It was some sort of awakening that I had to grow up now and do my own housework, laundry, and ironing because if I didn't do it, nobody else would. Hindsight is always 20/20 of course, but looking back I can clearly see that my ex-husband was not the only immature one. I was pretty immature myself, mentally and emotionally.
I also loved the parts of the story where Jim Burden is describing how much he adores, admires, and respects the "hired girls," the eldest daughters of immigrant families who come to the town to make a living, and of course send money back home so their fathers can pay their debts and own their lands. Throughout the story I wondered why didn't he marry one of those girls he admired so much! At a point during his adolescent years he even despises the other boys his age because they don't see in the hired girls what he does! He seems to despise the American girls because they don't have the vitality, strenth, personality, or zeal for life the immigrant girls do. Yet back in those days people stuck to their own kind. American boys married American girls, and the immigrants for the most part stuck to their own kind. What a shame! And how unlike it is today!
Of course, Antonia Shimerda is the main object of Jim Burden's admiration throughout the entire book to some degree (hence, the title). She is a wonderful character who most women would probably like to emulate one way or another. I relate to her character in the sense that I've always been one to land on my feet out of any crises or struggle. I like to think that I'm a survivor, that no matter what circumstances I might face in life, I'd pull through, myself & my children. It bothers me that I depend on my parents as much as I do to help me with the kids. I'm always looking for ways to not rely on them, as silly as that may sound. I'm sure mothers out there who don't have their family nearby would love to be able to rely on their parents more. But Keith & I both kind of pride ourselves on standing on our own two feet, so to speak. We don't like to take help, but sometimes we have to.
Of course an overall theme of the book is the hardships the early pioners to the West had to face: the first winter, farming unfamiliar land, the language barrier, homesickness, etc. Antonia, I think, at least partly represents or symbolizes those pioneer women, specifically.
To conclude, if you haven't read My Antonia yet, read it! I'm actually going to give it to Keith to read next time he leaves the country, which won't be too long from now! I think this book appeals to men & women alike. It is not a "bonnet" book.
Sunday, November 14, 2010
The Pumpkin Patch
Elizabeth's 1st visit to the Pumpkin Patch!
Josiah in full-cherub mode once again.
Isaac also in full-cherub mode.
Of course we couldn't get everyone to look at the camera at the same time.
Keith and Isaac did the corn maze together.
A desperate attempt to get a shot of all 3 kids.
With us this year were our dear friends from Michigan, Troy and Denise Bryant along with their four children: Caleb (9), Rachel (8), Sam (5), and Sarah (4). So, yes we had seven children in our house that weekend, but it was a blast!
Catch Up
I just want to say if you've never read one of Francine Rivers' books, you must! Even with three children, ages three and under, when I pick up one of her novels I cannot put it down. I finish her books within about three or four days. I just completed The Last Sin Eater-AWESOME! I am concurrently reading Mary Pride's Complete Guide to Getting Started in Homeschooling as well. However, Mary Pride's Complete Guide is over 600 pages long and, while I am interested in learning more about homeschooling, it's not exactly the type of nonfiction you can't put down.
Tonight I painted our foyer. It's so exhilarating to work on our house again, even if it's just a tiny entryway. I fear this fire will not be quenched until we paint every room in our house that hasn't been painted already.
Back to painting....
Tonight I painted our foyer. It's so exhilarating to work on our house again, even if it's just a tiny entryway. I fear this fire will not be quenched until we paint every room in our house that hasn't been painted already.
Back to painting....
Friday, September 3, 2010
Bikes & Boof
Per Nana Drudy's request, here are some pics of the boys on their new bikes, and Elizabeth ,aka Boof, on her 10 month birthday.
The King of Cute reigns!
My biggest boy, Isaac, just couldn't be happier.
Tuesday, August 31, 2010
A Great Weekend
I know it's Tuesday, but I want to share about our awesome weekend.
Keith was off work Friday (which was awesome all by itself!), but I had to go out in the morning to buy some groceries for our picnic Saturday and buy a birthday gift for the boys' friend, Noah, who turned 5! I had a nice morning shopping with the boys. Naturally, when we were at Toys R Us the boys wanted everything! Before we checked out I took the boys over to the bikes and got a couple down for them to ride. They loved them! And they looked so adorable on them! But I wasn't going to buy them without Keith, so I put them back. Oh, you should've seen the puppy dog eyes! Isaac literally said to me, "You're not friendly with me, and you're mean because you take my bike and my toys away." I nearly dropped over dead. But we checked out and left. When we got home I told Keith about the bike drama, and he subtley (sp? is that even a word?) hinted he was going to buy the bikes when he went out to get his haircut.
We had lunch and a normal afternoon, the kids and I. Keith did go out for a haircut. While Josiah and Elizabeth were still napping, he came back, with the bikes! They had to be assembled, of course, but Isaac was thrilled to assist! It was such a joy to see him so excited about his new bike, and his Lightning McQueen helmet, too! I got the cameras out, and after a couple still shots of him standing next to his bike with his enormous helmet on, I switched to the movie camera to capture his first bike ride. Only thing is, we were in the driveway, which is slightly downhill. Isaac hadn't figured out the brakes yet, and started heading right for the street. Thankfully, I was standing at the end of the driveway, but I had to grab the bike to stop him for careening out into the street. When I did this, Isaac flipped over the handlebars, and landed face first in the grass. Thank God it was the grass! Funny thing is I caught most of it on video. Incidentally, however, Isaac did not want to get back on the bike. The whole things was more hilarious than anything. He took a little break while Keith assembled Josiah's bike.
So Keith got Josiah's bike put together, Josiah & Elizabeth woke up from their naps, Isaac got over his apprehension, and the boys rode their bikes for the rest of the evening! (With a brief intermission for dinner.) It was such a joy and a delight to watch them ride their bikes for the first time!
Friday nights have also become movie nights for Keith and me. We relaxed on the couch with a bottle of Chianti and watched part 1 of The Return of the King. We've been watching the Lord of the Rings trilogy, so we just have part 2 to go and we're all done with that. It's been years since I've watched them, and they are my all time favorite. I might even like them better than Gone With the Wind.
Saturday we had a family reunion picnic in South Park. The weather was fabulous, and there was a nice playground for the kids there. There's also a Game Reserve in South Park we took the kids too. One of the best parts was that Isaac met his cousin, Ping, who lives in Vienna, VA. They're about the same age, within a year. They were both bashful at first, but it didn't take long for them to warm up to one another. They were pals for the rest of the day!
On Sunday after church I took the boys to our friend Noah's 5th birthday party. After lots of playtime in the hot sun, and lots of sugar, our wonderful weekend had come to an end.
Spending lots of time with family and friends is one of my favorite things to do. I especially love with Keith and I just spend entire days at home playing with the kids.
Keith was off work Friday (which was awesome all by itself!), but I had to go out in the morning to buy some groceries for our picnic Saturday and buy a birthday gift for the boys' friend, Noah, who turned 5! I had a nice morning shopping with the boys. Naturally, when we were at Toys R Us the boys wanted everything! Before we checked out I took the boys over to the bikes and got a couple down for them to ride. They loved them! And they looked so adorable on them! But I wasn't going to buy them without Keith, so I put them back. Oh, you should've seen the puppy dog eyes! Isaac literally said to me, "You're not friendly with me, and you're mean because you take my bike and my toys away." I nearly dropped over dead. But we checked out and left. When we got home I told Keith about the bike drama, and he subtley (sp? is that even a word?) hinted he was going to buy the bikes when he went out to get his haircut.
We had lunch and a normal afternoon, the kids and I. Keith did go out for a haircut. While Josiah and Elizabeth were still napping, he came back, with the bikes! They had to be assembled, of course, but Isaac was thrilled to assist! It was such a joy to see him so excited about his new bike, and his Lightning McQueen helmet, too! I got the cameras out, and after a couple still shots of him standing next to his bike with his enormous helmet on, I switched to the movie camera to capture his first bike ride. Only thing is, we were in the driveway, which is slightly downhill. Isaac hadn't figured out the brakes yet, and started heading right for the street. Thankfully, I was standing at the end of the driveway, but I had to grab the bike to stop him for careening out into the street. When I did this, Isaac flipped over the handlebars, and landed face first in the grass. Thank God it was the grass! Funny thing is I caught most of it on video. Incidentally, however, Isaac did not want to get back on the bike. The whole things was more hilarious than anything. He took a little break while Keith assembled Josiah's bike.
So Keith got Josiah's bike put together, Josiah & Elizabeth woke up from their naps, Isaac got over his apprehension, and the boys rode their bikes for the rest of the evening! (With a brief intermission for dinner.) It was such a joy and a delight to watch them ride their bikes for the first time!
Friday nights have also become movie nights for Keith and me. We relaxed on the couch with a bottle of Chianti and watched part 1 of The Return of the King. We've been watching the Lord of the Rings trilogy, so we just have part 2 to go and we're all done with that. It's been years since I've watched them, and they are my all time favorite. I might even like them better than Gone With the Wind.
Saturday we had a family reunion picnic in South Park. The weather was fabulous, and there was a nice playground for the kids there. There's also a Game Reserve in South Park we took the kids too. One of the best parts was that Isaac met his cousin, Ping, who lives in Vienna, VA. They're about the same age, within a year. They were both bashful at first, but it didn't take long for them to warm up to one another. They were pals for the rest of the day!
On Sunday after church I took the boys to our friend Noah's 5th birthday party. After lots of playtime in the hot sun, and lots of sugar, our wonderful weekend had come to an end.
Spending lots of time with family and friends is one of my favorite things to do. I especially love with Keith and I just spend entire days at home playing with the kids.
Saturday, August 14, 2010
Yesterday
Beginning this summer Keith has had every other Friday off. The 9-hr workdays really aren't that rough. It's been great! Yesterday Keith was off, so I scheduled the whole family for a sitting at JCPenney Portraits. We've had great luck with them in the past and Isaac was overdue for his 3-year picture, Josiah for his 2-year, and Elizabeth for her 9-month. In addition, we'd always talked about getting a family shot. Penney's advertised a "Road Rebel" background which included a toddler-size Harley Davidson motorcycle for a prop. I thought this would be a great way to draw Isaac and Josiah out and help them cooperate with the photographer.
Well, you know what they say about the best laid plans of mice and men. Our appointment was for 11:20am. The morning went great! Everyone was freshly bathed, fingernails clipped, teeth brushed. I woke up before everyone to wash and straighten my hair. We arrived at 11, plenty of time for the kids to get adjusted to the environment, only to find out that someone hadn't shown up for work at the studio and there was only 1 photographer running the whole show. She was already an hour behind.
Come hell or high water, we were getting our pictures taken! My good friend Jess' father is a photographer. I called him up and asked him if he could photograph us in an hour. It just so happened he was home alone and available! What a save! We went to the foodcourt for lunch because I had promised the boys pretzel-dogs from Auntie Anne's. Keith and I got Subway and we took off for Mr. Fesz' house.
The pictures were taken outdoors. The kids know Mr. Fesz so there was no timidity to overcome. If only Josiah were more cooperative! He's just at that 2-year-old defiance age. Oh well. I'm sure we got at least 1 good family shot, 1 of just Keith and I, and maybe one of Elizabeth. He'll have the proofs for me next week I think.
The Fesz household is in the same neighborhood as my parents, so naturally the kids wanted to go to Pappy-Ga's as soon as we got in the van. I love my parents dearly, but they don't do the heat very well so I knew all the kids would do was watch TV all afternoon. I convinced Keith it was best to keep the kids with us and just go home for nap time. That's just what we did.
It turned out to be a great afternoon. Isaac helped Keith cut the grass with his little toy lawnmower. I harvested a few tomatoes and several jalapenos from my garden. I also made some phone calls that I had been wanting to make for some time to a couple ladies from my moms group (more on that later). I finished reading Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child, though I didn't enter it on my reading list yet. Because I skipped the chapters that didn't pertain to my children I will make my next reading list entry plural and enter it then.
When Keith was all finished with his yardwork, he made dinner! What a man! The menu included delicious grilled pork chops, toasted pine nut couscous, green beans, and corn on the cob. After dinner was cleaned up I took all the kids outside for about an hour of playtime before bed (everyone woke up very early-you know, for the portrait sitting-so I planned a slightly earlier bedtime).
After the kids were in bed my parents came over with my nephew, Damian. Keith and I played 500 bid (don't know the official name of it, but it's a card game...I think it's a lot like Euchre?) with my parents, dipped a freshly baked beer bread into a garlic infused dipping oil with fresh basil, and drank a very nice Pinotage. Damian was watching Mr. Mom on DVD in the family room. We got rid of cable two weeks ago, and to be honest, I hardly notice it's gone!
So after a frustrating morning, where all my best laid plans were laid to waste, it turned out to be a most enjoyable family day at home.
Sidenote...obviously it's tough for Keith and I to go out on many dates. What we've been doing lately is just making more of our Friday nights movie nights after the kids go to bed. We usually drink some wine and eat some kind of snack. My favorite is tortilla chips with bean dip. Having game nights are another great way to have some fun at home. Last night we waited until after the kids went to bed, but one time we invited a couple friends over who have kids and had our own little game evening while our kids played together.
About my moms group...I decided I'm not returning this fall. After much prayer and discussing it with Keith I decided that I need to simplify for a season. In addition, with Isaac being 3 1/2 years old and my intending to homeschool, if I'm involved in any kind of support group I believe I should be looking for a homeschool support group at this point in time. It was tough to get everyone ready and out the door for 10am moms group, and towards the end of the year last year people just stopped showing up. So yesterday I called the leader of the group and the friend who invited me to join the group to let them know I would not be returning. It was a blessing overall for the couple of years I was involved, but it's time to move on.
Lastly I'm going to share a yummy vegetarian recipe I made for the second time last week. It's called Quinoa and Two Bean Salad. Last week I served it with BLT wraps (simple & quick). I served once before with grilled chicken. It's a great sidedish. It's not an original recipe. I found it on www.bestlife.com Quinoa is an excellent source of protein for vegetarians and vegans as it is a plant source of all the essential amino acids. The recipe calls for serving the salad chilled, but I serve it almost immediately when cooked. When I eat the leftovers, I just warm them up to room temp.
Quinoa and Two Bean Salad
Salad Ingredients
1 1/2 cups frozen cut green beans
1 1/3 cups water
3/4 cup uncooked quinoa, rinsed, well-drained (the brand I used was already rinsed & ready to use)
1 can (15 ounces) cannellini beans, drained, rinsed
4 medium green onions, sliced
Dressing Ingredients
3 tablespoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon chopped fresh or 1 teaspoon dried basil leaves
1/4 teaspoon coarse salt (kosher or sea salt)
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
4 to 5 drops red pepper sauce
Directions
1. In 2-quart saucepan, stir together green beans, water and quinoa. Heat to boiling. Reduce heat; simmer 12 to 15 minutes or until water is absorbed. Remove from heat. Cool 10 minutes.
2. In medium bowl, mixed cooked quinoa mixture, cannellini beans and onions. Cover; refrigerate 1 hour or until chilled. (I didn't refrigerate mine. I dressed it and served it immediately).
3. Meanwhile, in small jar with tight-fitting lid, place dressing ingredients; shake well. Refrigerate until ready to serve. (Again, I just dressed the salad and served it. No chilling for me.)
4. Just before serving, pour dressing over salad; toss gently to coat.
Notes:
Uncooked quinoa has a bitter coating and therefore must be rinsed and drained thoroughly before cooking it.
Serve with 3 ounces of cooked fish, skinless poultry, lean meat or tofu and a piece of whole grain bread.
Servings: 6, 1-cup servings
Enjoy!
Well, you know what they say about the best laid plans of mice and men. Our appointment was for 11:20am. The morning went great! Everyone was freshly bathed, fingernails clipped, teeth brushed. I woke up before everyone to wash and straighten my hair. We arrived at 11, plenty of time for the kids to get adjusted to the environment, only to find out that someone hadn't shown up for work at the studio and there was only 1 photographer running the whole show. She was already an hour behind.
Come hell or high water, we were getting our pictures taken! My good friend Jess' father is a photographer. I called him up and asked him if he could photograph us in an hour. It just so happened he was home alone and available! What a save! We went to the foodcourt for lunch because I had promised the boys pretzel-dogs from Auntie Anne's. Keith and I got Subway and we took off for Mr. Fesz' house.
The pictures were taken outdoors. The kids know Mr. Fesz so there was no timidity to overcome. If only Josiah were more cooperative! He's just at that 2-year-old defiance age. Oh well. I'm sure we got at least 1 good family shot, 1 of just Keith and I, and maybe one of Elizabeth. He'll have the proofs for me next week I think.
The Fesz household is in the same neighborhood as my parents, so naturally the kids wanted to go to Pappy-Ga's as soon as we got in the van. I love my parents dearly, but they don't do the heat very well so I knew all the kids would do was watch TV all afternoon. I convinced Keith it was best to keep the kids with us and just go home for nap time. That's just what we did.
It turned out to be a great afternoon. Isaac helped Keith cut the grass with his little toy lawnmower. I harvested a few tomatoes and several jalapenos from my garden. I also made some phone calls that I had been wanting to make for some time to a couple ladies from my moms group (more on that later). I finished reading Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child, though I didn't enter it on my reading list yet. Because I skipped the chapters that didn't pertain to my children I will make my next reading list entry plural and enter it then.
When Keith was all finished with his yardwork, he made dinner! What a man! The menu included delicious grilled pork chops, toasted pine nut couscous, green beans, and corn on the cob. After dinner was cleaned up I took all the kids outside for about an hour of playtime before bed (everyone woke up very early-you know, for the portrait sitting-so I planned a slightly earlier bedtime).
After the kids were in bed my parents came over with my nephew, Damian. Keith and I played 500 bid (don't know the official name of it, but it's a card game...I think it's a lot like Euchre?) with my parents, dipped a freshly baked beer bread into a garlic infused dipping oil with fresh basil, and drank a very nice Pinotage. Damian was watching Mr. Mom on DVD in the family room. We got rid of cable two weeks ago, and to be honest, I hardly notice it's gone!
So after a frustrating morning, where all my best laid plans were laid to waste, it turned out to be a most enjoyable family day at home.
Sidenote...obviously it's tough for Keith and I to go out on many dates. What we've been doing lately is just making more of our Friday nights movie nights after the kids go to bed. We usually drink some wine and eat some kind of snack. My favorite is tortilla chips with bean dip. Having game nights are another great way to have some fun at home. Last night we waited until after the kids went to bed, but one time we invited a couple friends over who have kids and had our own little game evening while our kids played together.
About my moms group...I decided I'm not returning this fall. After much prayer and discussing it with Keith I decided that I need to simplify for a season. In addition, with Isaac being 3 1/2 years old and my intending to homeschool, if I'm involved in any kind of support group I believe I should be looking for a homeschool support group at this point in time. It was tough to get everyone ready and out the door for 10am moms group, and towards the end of the year last year people just stopped showing up. So yesterday I called the leader of the group and the friend who invited me to join the group to let them know I would not be returning. It was a blessing overall for the couple of years I was involved, but it's time to move on.
Lastly I'm going to share a yummy vegetarian recipe I made for the second time last week. It's called Quinoa and Two Bean Salad. Last week I served it with BLT wraps (simple & quick). I served once before with grilled chicken. It's a great sidedish. It's not an original recipe. I found it on www.bestlife.com Quinoa is an excellent source of protein for vegetarians and vegans as it is a plant source of all the essential amino acids. The recipe calls for serving the salad chilled, but I serve it almost immediately when cooked. When I eat the leftovers, I just warm them up to room temp.
Quinoa and Two Bean Salad
Salad Ingredients
1 1/2 cups frozen cut green beans
1 1/3 cups water
3/4 cup uncooked quinoa, rinsed, well-drained (the brand I used was already rinsed & ready to use)
1 can (15 ounces) cannellini beans, drained, rinsed
4 medium green onions, sliced
Dressing Ingredients
3 tablespoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon chopped fresh or 1 teaspoon dried basil leaves
1/4 teaspoon coarse salt (kosher or sea salt)
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
4 to 5 drops red pepper sauce
Directions
1. In 2-quart saucepan, stir together green beans, water and quinoa. Heat to boiling. Reduce heat; simmer 12 to 15 minutes or until water is absorbed. Remove from heat. Cool 10 minutes.
2. In medium bowl, mixed cooked quinoa mixture, cannellini beans and onions. Cover; refrigerate 1 hour or until chilled. (I didn't refrigerate mine. I dressed it and served it immediately).
3. Meanwhile, in small jar with tight-fitting lid, place dressing ingredients; shake well. Refrigerate until ready to serve. (Again, I just dressed the salad and served it. No chilling for me.)
4. Just before serving, pour dressing over salad; toss gently to coat.
Notes:
Uncooked quinoa has a bitter coating and therefore must be rinsed and drained thoroughly before cooking it.
Serve with 3 ounces of cooked fish, skinless poultry, lean meat or tofu and a piece of whole grain bread.
Servings: 6, 1-cup servings
Enjoy!
Tuesday, July 27, 2010
Book #14: Nutrition Therapy: Advanced Counseling Skills
I'm finally done with continuing education courses until May of next year, when my next five year cycle begins and I have to get 75 new credits. This one was excellent. I only wish I had done it about 7 years ago when I first began my job at West Penn Bariatric Surgery Center counseling morbidly obese patients.
I'm wondering if my fellow blogger at Bent Over Bookwards had her baby yet? Haven't heard from her in a while.
Elizabeth is not only crawling, but pulling herself up to standing and saying "mum-mum-mum" all day long. I did have to give her a manicure today though because she keeps clawing off my flesh every time I nurse her. Yes, she is still nursing at 9 1/2 months. There's no point in stopping now, even though at times it's quite clear she's losing interest. I am NOT going to buy formula for 2 months. We're just going to stick with breastfeeding for the first 11 months at least and then go straight to milk. Still working on the sippy cup.
Isaac is still doing pretty great with letter recognition and letter sounds. He loves when I give him little chores to do too like feeding Maggie, or letting her inside after going potty. Speaking of potty, I'm trying to get Isaac to use the big potty for #2 now. He still uses the Elmo potty for it, so from now on he only gets a mint if he poops on the big potty. He also likes to dress and undress himself now. We just have to work on buttons. Those are tough!
Josiah's newest thing is getting rid of the sippy cup. I also let him put his own chapstick on after brushing his teeth tonight. I've tried putting him in underwear, but he just wets himself and has no idea what he's done so I'm not sure if this is the best time for potty training, even though it would be awesome to only have 1 kid in diapers by the end of the year! I'll try again. Besides reading to him and teaching him songs, I can't think of anything else to teach him right now. He's very good with his colors. We can always use more work on shapes. Is he ready for numbers and letters? I do some simple sign language with the boys that they pick up on right away, but is there anything else I can do with him right now?
Now that I got that self-study course done I'm looking forward to the final novella in Francine Rivers Lineage of Grace. After that, I don't know what! I'm anxious to read something about homeschooling, but I may want to stay in the fiction realm for a while.
I'm wondering if my fellow blogger at Bent Over Bookwards had her baby yet? Haven't heard from her in a while.
Elizabeth is not only crawling, but pulling herself up to standing and saying "mum-mum-mum" all day long. I did have to give her a manicure today though because she keeps clawing off my flesh every time I nurse her. Yes, she is still nursing at 9 1/2 months. There's no point in stopping now, even though at times it's quite clear she's losing interest. I am NOT going to buy formula for 2 months. We're just going to stick with breastfeeding for the first 11 months at least and then go straight to milk. Still working on the sippy cup.
Isaac is still doing pretty great with letter recognition and letter sounds. He loves when I give him little chores to do too like feeding Maggie, or letting her inside after going potty. Speaking of potty, I'm trying to get Isaac to use the big potty for #2 now. He still uses the Elmo potty for it, so from now on he only gets a mint if he poops on the big potty. He also likes to dress and undress himself now. We just have to work on buttons. Those are tough!
Josiah's newest thing is getting rid of the sippy cup. I also let him put his own chapstick on after brushing his teeth tonight. I've tried putting him in underwear, but he just wets himself and has no idea what he's done so I'm not sure if this is the best time for potty training, even though it would be awesome to only have 1 kid in diapers by the end of the year! I'll try again. Besides reading to him and teaching him songs, I can't think of anything else to teach him right now. He's very good with his colors. We can always use more work on shapes. Is he ready for numbers and letters? I do some simple sign language with the boys that they pick up on right away, but is there anything else I can do with him right now?
Now that I got that self-study course done I'm looking forward to the final novella in Francine Rivers Lineage of Grace. After that, I don't know what! I'm anxious to read something about homeschooling, but I may want to stay in the fiction realm for a while.
Tuesday, June 22, 2010
Quick Update
Elizabeth is growing by leaps and bounds. She now has 4 teeth, and has 2 more coming in. She is crawling and sitting up on her own. She is also becoming more and more verbal. I'm trying to teach her to say "mum-mum-mum" but it comes out more like "va-va-va."
Isaac is taking swimming lessons at the Y, and just enjoying the hot summer days outside. Josiah got a little baby swimming pool for his 2nd birthday, which he's still not too sure about. Isaac loves it, though. Isaac also loves playing with the hose and playing in his jungle gym.
Josiah is also rapidly developing from a toddler to a little boy. His speech is getting so much better, we don't need the Jozo-to-English dictionary so much anymore. Still the king of cute, he has learned to peddle a tricycle so far this summer. He, too, loves spending these hot summer days outside.
All 3 kids still love books. In fact, we're participating in the Summer Reading Program at the Plum Library this summer, though I bet I'm the only OCD mom out there who's actually logging her 2 and 3-year-olds' books in the computer. The boys know their colors very well, but we're always working on shapes. Squares must be the hardest shape to learn, for some reason. Isaac is also learning letter recognition and letter sounds.
From Baby Einstein and Kindermusik to Third Day and the Newsboys, music is a biggie in our house, too. They have lots of little instruments like rhythm sticks, tambourine, shakers, bells, and recorders. We're going to be getting my mother's piano soon as well, just not sure where to put it yet.
I planted a vegetable garden this year. I also spread 2 yards of mushroom manure around the yard and planted some pachysandra on the side of the house. I LOVE gardening, and I've been waiting 2 years to be not-pregnant and able to do some yard work.
Signing up for Sewing 101 at Joanne Fabrics on 7/10.
Family vacation to Mackinac Island coming up soon.
Gotta go. Can't turn my attention away from my kids for a minute.
Isaac is taking swimming lessons at the Y, and just enjoying the hot summer days outside. Josiah got a little baby swimming pool for his 2nd birthday, which he's still not too sure about. Isaac loves it, though. Isaac also loves playing with the hose and playing in his jungle gym.
Josiah is also rapidly developing from a toddler to a little boy. His speech is getting so much better, we don't need the Jozo-to-English dictionary so much anymore. Still the king of cute, he has learned to peddle a tricycle so far this summer. He, too, loves spending these hot summer days outside.
All 3 kids still love books. In fact, we're participating in the Summer Reading Program at the Plum Library this summer, though I bet I'm the only OCD mom out there who's actually logging her 2 and 3-year-olds' books in the computer. The boys know their colors very well, but we're always working on shapes. Squares must be the hardest shape to learn, for some reason. Isaac is also learning letter recognition and letter sounds.
From Baby Einstein and Kindermusik to Third Day and the Newsboys, music is a biggie in our house, too. They have lots of little instruments like rhythm sticks, tambourine, shakers, bells, and recorders. We're going to be getting my mother's piano soon as well, just not sure where to put it yet.
I planted a vegetable garden this year. I also spread 2 yards of mushroom manure around the yard and planted some pachysandra on the side of the house. I LOVE gardening, and I've been waiting 2 years to be not-pregnant and able to do some yard work.
Signing up for Sewing 101 at Joanne Fabrics on 7/10.
Family vacation to Mackinac Island coming up soon.
Gotta go. Can't turn my attention away from my kids for a minute.
Sunday, May 2, 2010
Can't Sleep
Ever have so many things running through you mind that you want to get done tomorrow that you can't fall asleep? That's me. Here's what I hope to do tomorrow:
1) Bathe everybody
2) Take Maggie to the groomer
3) Drop off a Pampered Chef catalog to my friend Gretchen
4) Get cash out of the ATM
5) Get propane
6) Bake an angel food cake
7) Do my abdominal exercises
8) Put Elizabeth's laundry away
9) Get my Pampered Chef order ready
10) Slice tomatoes and onions and clean lettuce for dinner (hamburgers, which is why I need propane for the grill)
Plus I know I have to call two friends from church back at some point this week-the sooner the better. My Aunt Dar and cousin Courtney may be coming over for dinner tomorrow night. Keith and I are taking dinner over to a friend's house Tue evening as they just had a baby. Wednesday is Cinco de Mayo. The menu: homemade tamales, rice and beans, chips and salsa, margheritas, and probably ice cream. I don't believe anything is planned yet for Thursday or Friday. We will hopefully be hosting a game night with some friends Saturday evening. Otherwise I hope to have a gardening weekend next weekend. Sunday being Mother's Day I will have to go to church with my mom. It's hard going back to a non-spirit-filled church but I told her I would. It will mean a lot to her I think.
Quick updates:
Elizabeth-got two bottom teeth 4/20 and rolled over, back-to-front, for the first time 4/24.
Josiah-is now in a toddler bed, though he's having some trouble figuring it out. Every morning I walk into his room to find him in bed with something that wasn't in his bed the night before. Yesterday morning I woke to him screaming and crying. Walked into his room and found him holding his rocket, which is a riding toy, trying to get it into his bed. This toy is much too big for his bed. Thankfully he still thinks I need to get him out of his bed in the morning and after naps. He is having a harder time falling asleep for naps. Josiah also loves wearing hats. I forgot I let him sleep with his orange hat one night and went into his room the next morning to find him stripped down to his diaper with his orange hat on backwards. Josiah wrote the book on cute.
Isaac-growing up way too fast. A wonderful little boy.We plan on signing him up for swim lessons starting in June.
Me-same old same old.
Keith-busy at work as always. Keith learned that his group will definitely be moving to Cranberry in November. At this point we still plan to stay in our house. I do have a feeling that Keith will not like the commute. We're kind of waiting to do any home improvements until we know for sure that we're staying here. I do not want to pour a bunch of money into this house, making it the way we want it, only to sell it and start all over in a new house.
Hope everyone is getting a good night's sleep tonight, 'cause I'm not!
1) Bathe everybody
2) Take Maggie to the groomer
3) Drop off a Pampered Chef catalog to my friend Gretchen
4) Get cash out of the ATM
5) Get propane
6) Bake an angel food cake
7) Do my abdominal exercises
8) Put Elizabeth's laundry away
9) Get my Pampered Chef order ready
10) Slice tomatoes and onions and clean lettuce for dinner (hamburgers, which is why I need propane for the grill)
Plus I know I have to call two friends from church back at some point this week-the sooner the better. My Aunt Dar and cousin Courtney may be coming over for dinner tomorrow night. Keith and I are taking dinner over to a friend's house Tue evening as they just had a baby. Wednesday is Cinco de Mayo. The menu: homemade tamales, rice and beans, chips and salsa, margheritas, and probably ice cream. I don't believe anything is planned yet for Thursday or Friday. We will hopefully be hosting a game night with some friends Saturday evening. Otherwise I hope to have a gardening weekend next weekend. Sunday being Mother's Day I will have to go to church with my mom. It's hard going back to a non-spirit-filled church but I told her I would. It will mean a lot to her I think.
Quick updates:
Elizabeth-got two bottom teeth 4/20 and rolled over, back-to-front, for the first time 4/24.
Josiah-is now in a toddler bed, though he's having some trouble figuring it out. Every morning I walk into his room to find him in bed with something that wasn't in his bed the night before. Yesterday morning I woke to him screaming and crying. Walked into his room and found him holding his rocket, which is a riding toy, trying to get it into his bed. This toy is much too big for his bed. Thankfully he still thinks I need to get him out of his bed in the morning and after naps. He is having a harder time falling asleep for naps. Josiah also loves wearing hats. I forgot I let him sleep with his orange hat one night and went into his room the next morning to find him stripped down to his diaper with his orange hat on backwards. Josiah wrote the book on cute.
Isaac-growing up way too fast. A wonderful little boy.We plan on signing him up for swim lessons starting in June.
Me-same old same old.
Keith-busy at work as always. Keith learned that his group will definitely be moving to Cranberry in November. At this point we still plan to stay in our house. I do have a feeling that Keith will not like the commute. We're kind of waiting to do any home improvements until we know for sure that we're staying here. I do not want to pour a bunch of money into this house, making it the way we want it, only to sell it and start all over in a new house.
Hope everyone is getting a good night's sleep tonight, 'cause I'm not!
Friday, April 9, 2010
A New Outlook
I'd like to begin by saying if you have a son, whether you are a mom or a dad, you must read Bringing Up Boys by Dr. James Dobson. It is essential. I daresay it is even more important for fathers to read than mothers. In addition to an insightful discussion about boys' behavior and the culture they're being brought up in today, Dobson offers much support and encouragement for the stay-at-home mom too. Bringing Up Boys also sheds light on many feminist notions that had gotten into my head by osmosis, just by being born into this generation, and on how much the deck is stacked against the white male, which both of my boys are!
I realize the last time I blogged it was a scary description of how impossible my days can be at times. That is not the legacy I want to leave though. I truly love staying home with my children and raising them, loving and nurturing them, teaching and correcting them. The work of a full-time mom and homemaker is probably among the hardest there is, but I would not trade it for the world. I believe with all my heart that I am doing what is best for my children and for my husband as well. My goal is to raise children of the highest moral character, of honor and integrity, who love the Lord and live to serve Him, who are not so concerned with their own "to-do" list that they miss the needs of the very people to their left and to their right. I desire to create a warm, loving home environment in which such lofty goals are within reach, or at least have a shot! This outlook is what I would prefer to leave my readers with. I'm not saying I'll never post about the "challenges" of my days ever again, because I know that in itself can be encouraging to other moms, just to know they're not the only ones out there going through the same thing. However, I would like my blog to be more of a ministry to other moms than a means for me to just "sound off."
My darling Elizabeth, who we've lately dubbed ebeth.boof (sounds like ebeth-dot-boof, like a web address), is grabbing at toys, putting them in her mouth, and trying to sit up on her own. She has not yet rolled over from back to front, and I blame that mostly on her being in that Pavlick harness for her first 5 months of life, but she is trying to make up for lost time. Also, after sleeping through the night for a solid 2 months or so, she just decided to start waking up through the night a couple of weeks ago. Finally, on Monday night I decided to see if she could sort of cry it out and get herself back to sleep. It worked! Albeit, it's not like she was ever wailing. She was just sort of fussing, whimpering. She slept through the night again without making a peep last night!
While still fully breastfed, she has added some purees to her repetoire (sp?): applesauce, rice cereal, carrots, and pears. I also gave her a little vanilla yogurt while she was on an antibiotic for bilateral ear infections. The antibiotics definitely affected her gut in a bad way. She also likes raspberries...blowing them, that is! She is so vocal. It seems she can mimic so many different sounds already. All in all, she is still the sweet, calm, peaceful baby she was at birth.
One of my favorite parts of the day happens at dusk. I'm sitting in the nursery rocking chair at the end of the day, rocking back and forth feeding my precious baby girl, looking out the window and watching the boughs of the pine trees in our backyard sway in the breeze. It's one of those moments that gives me the "warm fuzzies" every time. This phase of my life will be but a fleeting glimpse, gone in the blink of an eye. I hope I never forget it. It makes me cry for all of my kids to be babies again. Such a crime that we can't go back in time. I'd give anything to have baby Isaac and baby Josiah all over again. To say that they grow up too fast is a massive understatement.
Back to breastfeeding, Elizabeth is back to screaming her head off when I try to nurse her. I just can't figure it out. She's either bothered by everything I eat, or nothing. Or maybe it has nothing to do with my diet at all. She goes through this cycle of hating the breast about every other week. Josiah went through this very thing early on and I gave up and switched to bottles, but he didn't like bottles either. So I'm being stubborn and sticking to my guns this time. If she is to be my last baby I hope to nurse her for her entire first year. I've done breast and bottle before and I can tell you bottle feeding is for the birds. Nothing is more economical or convenient than breastfeeding, though I know it isn't easy, at least not for me. Isaac is the only one who never put up a fight for me when it came time to eat. Josiah and Elizabeth have both fought it for reasons I can't figure out. I've also had trouble with clogged milk ducts with all 3 kids, and even got mastitis with Isaac. Keith always reminds me if breastfeeding were easy then nobody would go through the hassle of having to wash bottles everyday, or the expense of buying formula. It worth the effort though, which is why I'm sticking with breastfeeding.
Now for my beautiful Josiah. I just can't put my finger on what makes this bouncing baby boy (who isn't such a baby anymore) so special to me. His personality is so unique. He's got the confidence of an entire NFL team, yet he's such a cuddly little momma's boy at the same time. He knows he's cute and he can work it.
He seems so advanced to me. He already knows his colors. He sings lots of songs like Happy Birthday, ABC's, Row Row Row Your Boat, and Twinkle Twinkle Little Star-though he doesn't articulate them very clearly ;-). He can also count to ten. We always refer to him as a black man trapped inside of a white man's body because my boy can bust a move! You've never seen a little boy dance like my JoJo. He's recently learned how to jump too. He really gets both feet off of the ground! Best of all, now that Isaac is potty trained (I'll get to that in a second) and using big-boy cups (no more sippies) Josiah shows interest in using the potty and big boy cups too. I may have 2 out of 3 potty trained by the end of the year!
Josiah is so precious to me. He's my little Keith. He looks just like his daddy. I just started teaching him the Lord's prayer and songs like This Little Light of Mine. My heart just melts when he pulls out the little Beginner's Bible and asks me, in his little JoZo way, to read about Jesus. You've also got to see him fold his little hands to pray. There's something so mysterious about Josiah that neither Keith nor I have figured out yet, like we still don't fully know this little boy. In spite of the fact that we believe his "terrible two's" have begun, he is still a wonderful little boy. He will be 2 officially in 2 more months, and I'm planning a Handy Manny birthday for him!
Finally, my precious firstborn son, Isaac. It seems like only yesterday Isaac was a baby and now he's like 10! I'm exaggerating obviously, but he's really become a big boy in the last month or so. As I mentioned before, something finally clicked about pooping on the potty and Isaac is now fully potty-trained. We even drove to Michigan and back without a single accident. Along with pooping on the potty Isaac also has no desire to use sippy cups anymore. He is so much bigger than he was just 3 months ago. He also seems to have gotten past that "terrible two" stage of total rebellion all day everyday. He still has his moments of course, but the phase I hope has passed.
Along with all of these developments he has become a much rougher, tougher, noisier boy! Ever hear someone say something like, "Oh he's all boy." That's my Isaac. I will say that reading Bringing Up Boys has given me some peace of mind regarding some of this boy behavior. I mean, at least I have a better picture of what's normal, since I've been a girl my whole life. :-D
I realize the last time I blogged it was a scary description of how impossible my days can be at times. That is not the legacy I want to leave though. I truly love staying home with my children and raising them, loving and nurturing them, teaching and correcting them. The work of a full-time mom and homemaker is probably among the hardest there is, but I would not trade it for the world. I believe with all my heart that I am doing what is best for my children and for my husband as well. My goal is to raise children of the highest moral character, of honor and integrity, who love the Lord and live to serve Him, who are not so concerned with their own "to-do" list that they miss the needs of the very people to their left and to their right. I desire to create a warm, loving home environment in which such lofty goals are within reach, or at least have a shot! This outlook is what I would prefer to leave my readers with. I'm not saying I'll never post about the "challenges" of my days ever again, because I know that in itself can be encouraging to other moms, just to know they're not the only ones out there going through the same thing. However, I would like my blog to be more of a ministry to other moms than a means for me to just "sound off."
My darling Elizabeth, who we've lately dubbed ebeth.boof (sounds like ebeth-dot-boof, like a web address), is grabbing at toys, putting them in her mouth, and trying to sit up on her own. She has not yet rolled over from back to front, and I blame that mostly on her being in that Pavlick harness for her first 5 months of life, but she is trying to make up for lost time. Also, after sleeping through the night for a solid 2 months or so, she just decided to start waking up through the night a couple of weeks ago. Finally, on Monday night I decided to see if she could sort of cry it out and get herself back to sleep. It worked! Albeit, it's not like she was ever wailing. She was just sort of fussing, whimpering. She slept through the night again without making a peep last night!
While still fully breastfed, she has added some purees to her repetoire (sp?): applesauce, rice cereal, carrots, and pears. I also gave her a little vanilla yogurt while she was on an antibiotic for bilateral ear infections. The antibiotics definitely affected her gut in a bad way. She also likes raspberries...blowing them, that is! She is so vocal. It seems she can mimic so many different sounds already. All in all, she is still the sweet, calm, peaceful baby she was at birth.
One of my favorite parts of the day happens at dusk. I'm sitting in the nursery rocking chair at the end of the day, rocking back and forth feeding my precious baby girl, looking out the window and watching the boughs of the pine trees in our backyard sway in the breeze. It's one of those moments that gives me the "warm fuzzies" every time. This phase of my life will be but a fleeting glimpse, gone in the blink of an eye. I hope I never forget it. It makes me cry for all of my kids to be babies again. Such a crime that we can't go back in time. I'd give anything to have baby Isaac and baby Josiah all over again. To say that they grow up too fast is a massive understatement.
Back to breastfeeding, Elizabeth is back to screaming her head off when I try to nurse her. I just can't figure it out. She's either bothered by everything I eat, or nothing. Or maybe it has nothing to do with my diet at all. She goes through this cycle of hating the breast about every other week. Josiah went through this very thing early on and I gave up and switched to bottles, but he didn't like bottles either. So I'm being stubborn and sticking to my guns this time. If she is to be my last baby I hope to nurse her for her entire first year. I've done breast and bottle before and I can tell you bottle feeding is for the birds. Nothing is more economical or convenient than breastfeeding, though I know it isn't easy, at least not for me. Isaac is the only one who never put up a fight for me when it came time to eat. Josiah and Elizabeth have both fought it for reasons I can't figure out. I've also had trouble with clogged milk ducts with all 3 kids, and even got mastitis with Isaac. Keith always reminds me if breastfeeding were easy then nobody would go through the hassle of having to wash bottles everyday, or the expense of buying formula. It worth the effort though, which is why I'm sticking with breastfeeding.
Now for my beautiful Josiah. I just can't put my finger on what makes this bouncing baby boy (who isn't such a baby anymore) so special to me. His personality is so unique. He's got the confidence of an entire NFL team, yet he's such a cuddly little momma's boy at the same time. He knows he's cute and he can work it.
He seems so advanced to me. He already knows his colors. He sings lots of songs like Happy Birthday, ABC's, Row Row Row Your Boat, and Twinkle Twinkle Little Star-though he doesn't articulate them very clearly ;-). He can also count to ten. We always refer to him as a black man trapped inside of a white man's body because my boy can bust a move! You've never seen a little boy dance like my JoJo. He's recently learned how to jump too. He really gets both feet off of the ground! Best of all, now that Isaac is potty trained (I'll get to that in a second) and using big-boy cups (no more sippies) Josiah shows interest in using the potty and big boy cups too. I may have 2 out of 3 potty trained by the end of the year!
Josiah is so precious to me. He's my little Keith. He looks just like his daddy. I just started teaching him the Lord's prayer and songs like This Little Light of Mine. My heart just melts when he pulls out the little Beginner's Bible and asks me, in his little JoZo way, to read about Jesus. You've also got to see him fold his little hands to pray. There's something so mysterious about Josiah that neither Keith nor I have figured out yet, like we still don't fully know this little boy. In spite of the fact that we believe his "terrible two's" have begun, he is still a wonderful little boy. He will be 2 officially in 2 more months, and I'm planning a Handy Manny birthday for him!
Finally, my precious firstborn son, Isaac. It seems like only yesterday Isaac was a baby and now he's like 10! I'm exaggerating obviously, but he's really become a big boy in the last month or so. As I mentioned before, something finally clicked about pooping on the potty and Isaac is now fully potty-trained. We even drove to Michigan and back without a single accident. Along with pooping on the potty Isaac also has no desire to use sippy cups anymore. He is so much bigger than he was just 3 months ago. He also seems to have gotten past that "terrible two" stage of total rebellion all day everyday. He still has his moments of course, but the phase I hope has passed.
Along with all of these developments he has become a much rougher, tougher, noisier boy! Ever hear someone say something like, "Oh he's all boy." That's my Isaac. I will say that reading Bringing Up Boys has given me some peace of mind regarding some of this boy behavior. I mean, at least I have a better picture of what's normal, since I've been a girl my whole life. :-D
Isaac's latest accomplishments are becoming a master of puzzles and numbers, as well as beginning to learn his letters, letter sounds, and how to tell time. Most recently I've begun teaching him things like my phone number, our address, and where daddy works, you know, in case of certain emergencies.
Well, Keith just came home from work so I'm going to give him my full attention now. It sure is tough finding time for blogging! I hope that this blog encourages someone in some small way! I just want to conclude this blog with a quote from Bringing Up Boys, from the very last chapter entitled The Ultimate Priority.
"What will give you the greatest satisfaction as you lie there on your sickbed, thinking about the experiences of a lifetime? Will your heart thrill to the memory of honors, degrees, and professional accolades? Will fame be most highly prized, even if you manage to achieve it? Will you swell with pride over the money you've made, the books you have written, or the buildings and businesses that bear your name? I think not. Temporal successes and accomplishments will not be very gratifying in that moment of destiny. I believe the greatest sense of fulfillment as you prepare to close the final chapter will be in knowing that you lived by a consistent standard of holiness before God and that you invested yourself unselfishly in the lives of your family members and friends. Most important, knowing that you led your children to the Lord and will be with them in eternity will outrank every other achievement. All else will fade into insignificance. If that is a true representation of how you will feel when your days are growing short, why not determine to live according to that value system now, while you still have the opportunity to influence the impressionable kids who look up to you?"
I agree Dr. Dobson.
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
A Glimpse Into My Daily Life
I get back to my mom's house around 3pm after taking Josiah to the doctor. He was diagnosed with bilateral ear infections and clinical pneumonia (which is just pneumonia diagnosed without a chest x-ray). I attempt to give him his first dose of Augmentin. He starts running away from me, crying, which is not like him. All of my kids love to take medicine. So I have to sit on the floor with him, hold his arms down and his head back, and force the dropper into his mouth. He swallows it. So I decide to give him another dose of Motrin as well for pain control. He pulls the same act, so I have to go through the same routine to get the Motrin in. When all that is said and done, I get him some milk and yogurt, give it to my mom, and she takes him outside (because it was like 60 degrees today) to give it to him. I wash my hands and sit down to nurse Elizabeth.
Elizabeth's tummy has been bothering her today. I assume this because everytime I've tried to feed her she's arched her back and screamed. She's very gassy too. Halfway through the first boob she starts screaming and arching, and my niece Mackenzie comes in the house, leaving Isaac all alone outside by himself (Josiah had already come in with my mom at some point in between there). Mackenzie is yelling at my mom that she should be the one to bring Isaac in because she's the one who took him out there. All the while I'm saying, "Mackenzie, is he out there by himself?!?" No one seems at all concerned about this. They're more concerned about their argument over who should bring him inside. Finally, I put Elizabeth down on the couch and start to go out to get Isaac. Mackenzie at that point decides she will go get him after all. Isaac of course isn't going without a fight, so when she ultimately does get him in she accidentally pinches his finger in the door. I didn't see this though. I don't even think he noticed. He was too busy freaking out over being brought inside. Our policy for freaking out (aka tantrums) is that they have to sit in the corner or in their room, someplace alone, until they settle down. So I had to carry Isaac under his arms into a bedroom where he could cool it.
It didn't take too long for him to get his wits about him. I went into the bedroom to give him a hug and explain to him that no one was available to watch him outside. This is when I noticed the skin missing from his finger. So, we had to go into my mom's bathroom to wash his hands and get a band-aid. Remember, all this time Elizabeth is still laying on the couch, kind of waiting for me to come back and finish feeding her. When we get into my mom's bathroom I see her bathmat still sitting on top of the stool that Isaac normally uses to pee in the potty. I realize he probably hasn't peed all day! But he is dry, so he pees, we wash his hands, and get a band-aid for that finger. Just when I think I've taken care of everything, Isaac turns around to leave the bathroom to show off his new band-aid, smacks his head off of the corner of the ceramic-tiled wall, and proceeds to scream bloody murder. That corner is sharp, I'll give him that.
Remember, I'm still in the middle of trying to feed Elizabeth.
Anyway, I hold Isaac for a minute and he settles down pretty quickly. We go back out into the living room. Isaac shows off his battle wounds. I try to nurse Elizabeth some more but she just isn't having it. We ALL end up going outside ANYWAY!
What makes this all worth it? When we got outside Josiah found a little play shovel and begins "shoveling" the little bit of snow that is left in my parents' backyard. He picks up little bits of snow and tries to carry them over to my dad to throw them at him, but when he pulls the shovel back to wind-up, all the snow falls off and there's nothing to throw at Pappy! This goes on for several minutes before he decides to hold the shovel steady and throw it up the air except, it all falls down on top of him! If only we had a camcorder on the scene! You've never seen anything this good on America's Funniest Home Videos!
This is just one example of the absurd multi-tasking and the ridiculous things that go on in my life day after day. I don't know what my TV name could be. I don't have 3 under 3 anymore, but 3, 3 & under. I echo my fellow reading competitor and blogger in saying, "This too shall pass." And to think that one day I will actually miss these days. Knowing me I'll actually weep for these days in as little as a year from now. Talk about ridiculous.
Elizabeth's tummy has been bothering her today. I assume this because everytime I've tried to feed her she's arched her back and screamed. She's very gassy too. Halfway through the first boob she starts screaming and arching, and my niece Mackenzie comes in the house, leaving Isaac all alone outside by himself (Josiah had already come in with my mom at some point in between there). Mackenzie is yelling at my mom that she should be the one to bring Isaac in because she's the one who took him out there. All the while I'm saying, "Mackenzie, is he out there by himself?!?" No one seems at all concerned about this. They're more concerned about their argument over who should bring him inside. Finally, I put Elizabeth down on the couch and start to go out to get Isaac. Mackenzie at that point decides she will go get him after all. Isaac of course isn't going without a fight, so when she ultimately does get him in she accidentally pinches his finger in the door. I didn't see this though. I don't even think he noticed. He was too busy freaking out over being brought inside. Our policy for freaking out (aka tantrums) is that they have to sit in the corner or in their room, someplace alone, until they settle down. So I had to carry Isaac under his arms into a bedroom where he could cool it.
It didn't take too long for him to get his wits about him. I went into the bedroom to give him a hug and explain to him that no one was available to watch him outside. This is when I noticed the skin missing from his finger. So, we had to go into my mom's bathroom to wash his hands and get a band-aid. Remember, all this time Elizabeth is still laying on the couch, kind of waiting for me to come back and finish feeding her. When we get into my mom's bathroom I see her bathmat still sitting on top of the stool that Isaac normally uses to pee in the potty. I realize he probably hasn't peed all day! But he is dry, so he pees, we wash his hands, and get a band-aid for that finger. Just when I think I've taken care of everything, Isaac turns around to leave the bathroom to show off his new band-aid, smacks his head off of the corner of the ceramic-tiled wall, and proceeds to scream bloody murder. That corner is sharp, I'll give him that.
Remember, I'm still in the middle of trying to feed Elizabeth.
Anyway, I hold Isaac for a minute and he settles down pretty quickly. We go back out into the living room. Isaac shows off his battle wounds. I try to nurse Elizabeth some more but she just isn't having it. We ALL end up going outside ANYWAY!
What makes this all worth it? When we got outside Josiah found a little play shovel and begins "shoveling" the little bit of snow that is left in my parents' backyard. He picks up little bits of snow and tries to carry them over to my dad to throw them at him, but when he pulls the shovel back to wind-up, all the snow falls off and there's nothing to throw at Pappy! This goes on for several minutes before he decides to hold the shovel steady and throw it up the air except, it all falls down on top of him! If only we had a camcorder on the scene! You've never seen anything this good on America's Funniest Home Videos!
This is just one example of the absurd multi-tasking and the ridiculous things that go on in my life day after day. I don't know what my TV name could be. I don't have 3 under 3 anymore, but 3, 3 & under. I echo my fellow reading competitor and blogger in saying, "This too shall pass." And to think that one day I will actually miss these days. Knowing me I'll actually weep for these days in as little as a year from now. Talk about ridiculous.
Book #6-The Screwtape Letters
Clever, revealing, and all too true, while bringing to light my terribly limited vocabulary! Loved the book. It's definitely a must-read for all Christians. However, C.S. Lewis' writing style reminded me how small my brain is: how much my 3 children have fried it or, how it was never all that sharp to begin with! If I had more time to devote to such a venture, I could have kept a dictionary by my side and made a vocabulary lesson out of each letter. It seemed there were no less than 5 words per letter that old Screwtape wrote to his dear nephew, Wormwood, that I had either never heard of before in my life (like chattels) or had heard of/used to know but forgot the actual meaning of (like avarice). Despite this shortcoming, I do believe I got the gist of each letter! So I think I'll make a note of this book's ability to expand my vocabulary and perhaps try it again in the future, with the dictionary by my side!
chattel: 1 a) a movalabe item of personal property, as a piece of furniture, and automobile or a head of livestock b) any interest in real estate less than a freehold 2) a slave
Lewis writes: "The man can neither make, nor retain, one moment of time; it all comes to him by pure gift; he might as well regard the sun and moon as his chattels." I get the sentiment, just wouldn't be my choice of words.
avarice: too great a desire to have wealth; cupidity.
I can't find the sentence I saw that word in, but I still don't get its definition. Maybe I never knew what that one meant in the first place but I'm sure I've come across it before...was it Pride and Prejudice or The Diary of Ann Frank?
Well I'm onto Bringin Up Boys by Dr. Dobson. Isaac has been going through quite the rebellious phase and it has brought Keith and I to tears at times. Maybe reading this book will give me some peace of mind that he won't always be this way. Or will he?
Per the agreement between me and my dear competitor, Kelly, I will be cleaning the bathrooms and the tile floor before beginning my next book. I also have a small, 3-picture collage frame in the shape of a baseball that has been sitting on my craft table since October I think that I have intended to hang in Josiah's room if ever I fill it with pictures! Other to-do list items? There are a few small albums small enough to carry in my purse as brag books if ever I put pictures in them. I have yet to review the cd that came with my nifty new camera last May describing ALL the neat-o things it does. Lastly, there is another small frame I got for Elizabeth that could use a picture. So there you have a bit of my to-do list. One of these items must be completed as well as my cleaning before starting Bringing Up Boys.
By the way, I just want to mention that I changed a total of 7 poopy diapers yesterday alone, plus several more pee-pee diapers.
chattel: 1 a) a movalabe item of personal property, as a piece of furniture, and automobile or a head of livestock b) any interest in real estate less than a freehold 2) a slave
Lewis writes: "The man can neither make, nor retain, one moment of time; it all comes to him by pure gift; he might as well regard the sun and moon as his chattels." I get the sentiment, just wouldn't be my choice of words.
avarice: too great a desire to have wealth; cupidity.
I can't find the sentence I saw that word in, but I still don't get its definition. Maybe I never knew what that one meant in the first place but I'm sure I've come across it before...was it Pride and Prejudice or The Diary of Ann Frank?
Well I'm onto Bringin Up Boys by Dr. Dobson. Isaac has been going through quite the rebellious phase and it has brought Keith and I to tears at times. Maybe reading this book will give me some peace of mind that he won't always be this way. Or will he?
Per the agreement between me and my dear competitor, Kelly, I will be cleaning the bathrooms and the tile floor before beginning my next book. I also have a small, 3-picture collage frame in the shape of a baseball that has been sitting on my craft table since October I think that I have intended to hang in Josiah's room if ever I fill it with pictures! Other to-do list items? There are a few small albums small enough to carry in my purse as brag books if ever I put pictures in them. I have yet to review the cd that came with my nifty new camera last May describing ALL the neat-o things it does. Lastly, there is another small frame I got for Elizabeth that could use a picture. So there you have a bit of my to-do list. One of these items must be completed as well as my cleaning before starting Bringing Up Boys.
By the way, I just want to mention that I changed a total of 7 poopy diapers yesterday alone, plus several more pee-pee diapers.
Thursday, February 25, 2010
Book #5-The Reader by Bernhard Schlink
The book chapters were short and the story moved along quickly. However, it lacked something for me. Was it ruined for me from the start because it followed the awesome and inspiring The Hiding Place? Or is it another one of those European authors, whose writing style just doesn't captivate me? I remember after reading Atonement last year I thought to myself, "Yep, the movie pretty much summed it up." Will I say the same after watching the movie The Reader, for which Kate Winslett won an academy award I believe? Overall the story was interesting, but it wasn't one of those book that you just can't put down.
My friend and competitor, Kelly, made a remark that reading has taken priority over housework. Maybe next year we should come up with a housecleaning competition of some sort. I thought of suggesting whenever we finish a book, we have to complete one housechore before moving onto a new book. I'll defer to Kelly as she is pregnant. Maybe we'll put that stipulation on next year's reading competition.
I ordered two more Corrie ten Boom books: In My Father's House, which is about her life before WWII, and Tramp For the Lord which picks up where The Hiding Place leaves off. Those won't be delivered for another week probably, so I'm really not sure what to move onto next. A Francine Rivers novel? The Screwtape Letters? Lone Survivor? Just don't know.
Something wonderful has happened as a result of this reading. I've been sharing the books I read with my mother. The great thing about this is that my mom has always stuck to trashy romance novels which do nothing for mind, body, or soul as far as I'm concerned. They're like female emotional porn in my opinion, if I'm not being too harsh. So lately she's been reading more uplifting, moving things like The Hiding Place. Right now she has The Shack, one that I have not read yet, but Keith has. My mother could use more of God's Holy Spirit in her life, and if these books are a way to facilitate hat then Lord guide my own choices as they get passed on to her.
My friend and competitor, Kelly, made a remark that reading has taken priority over housework. Maybe next year we should come up with a housecleaning competition of some sort. I thought of suggesting whenever we finish a book, we have to complete one housechore before moving onto a new book. I'll defer to Kelly as she is pregnant. Maybe we'll put that stipulation on next year's reading competition.
I ordered two more Corrie ten Boom books: In My Father's House, which is about her life before WWII, and Tramp For the Lord which picks up where The Hiding Place leaves off. Those won't be delivered for another week probably, so I'm really not sure what to move onto next. A Francine Rivers novel? The Screwtape Letters? Lone Survivor? Just don't know.
Something wonderful has happened as a result of this reading. I've been sharing the books I read with my mother. The great thing about this is that my mom has always stuck to trashy romance novels which do nothing for mind, body, or soul as far as I'm concerned. They're like female emotional porn in my opinion, if I'm not being too harsh. So lately she's been reading more uplifting, moving things like The Hiding Place. Right now she has The Shack, one that I have not read yet, but Keith has. My mother could use more of God's Holy Spirit in her life, and if these books are a way to facilitate hat then Lord guide my own choices as they get passed on to her.
Sunday, February 21, 2010
Book #4-The Hiding Place
I'll never be able to effectively describe the impact this book made on me. If you haven't read it, you simply must. Some shy away from books that have anything to do with WWII and the Holocaust. In spite of the topic, or the era, this book is actually encouraging and uplifting in that Corrie ten Boom shared Jesus with EVERYONE, even the lieutenant at her hearing in prison. I also don't know how an atheist could read this book and still say there is no God. Well, I don't know how they can say that in the first place, but even more so after reading such an account.
If I were in her (Corrie ten Boom's) shoes, would I have done the same? Would I have taken such risks? If something like that were to happen in present times, would I be as brave? As bold? Or would I hide behind the excuse that "I have 3 children, I can't take any chances?"
I bet even before the Nazi's invaded Holland, Corrie didn't have conditioner for her hair, Clinique eye shadow, or Victoria's Secret undergarments. I admire how closeknit her family was even before trouble came, and how her parents helped their neighbors and the poor and the needy always. We barely know our neighbors!
Anyway, to make a long story short, I highly recommend this book. Not sure what I'm moving onto. Maybe The Reader because it takes place in the same era, though it is fiction. Or I may do a Francine Rivers. We shall see.
If I were in her (Corrie ten Boom's) shoes, would I have done the same? Would I have taken such risks? If something like that were to happen in present times, would I be as brave? As bold? Or would I hide behind the excuse that "I have 3 children, I can't take any chances?"
I bet even before the Nazi's invaded Holland, Corrie didn't have conditioner for her hair, Clinique eye shadow, or Victoria's Secret undergarments. I admire how closeknit her family was even before trouble came, and how her parents helped their neighbors and the poor and the needy always. We barely know our neighbors!
Anyway, to make a long story short, I highly recommend this book. Not sure what I'm moving onto. Maybe The Reader because it takes place in the same era, though it is fiction. Or I may do a Francine Rivers. We shall see.
Tuesday, February 16, 2010
Books 3
Yes, I pluralized my entry for book 3 because Young Zaphod Plays It Safe is only 8 or 10 pages long. I felt guilty about counting it as an actual separate book of its own. I have to say I didn't get these last 2 books in The Ultimate Hitchhiker's Guide at all. I actually thought the ending to Mostly Harmless, the last book in the Guide, was stupid. However, if you're looking for a mindless work of fiction to delve into, then these 5 or 6 books of the Guide are a good choice. Overall, I did enjoy it very much.
Next I'll probably move onto The Hiding Place by Corrie ten Boom. Either that or a Francine Rivers.
So to organize my thoughts a little I'd like to post some of the books I intend to read this year, or at least some topics I plan to read about.
Non-Fiction
The Hiding Place-Corrie ten Boom
Bringing Up Boys-Dr. Dobson
Sacred Marriage (a book Keith and I started and have not finished)
Nutrition Therapy: Advanced Couneling Skills (one of those continuing education things I have to do)
Lone Survivor-Marcus Luttrell
Arguing with Idiots-Glenn Beck
Going Rogue-Sarah Palin
Men Are Like Waffles, Women Are Like Spaghetti-Farrels
Fiction
The Screwtape Letters-C.S. Lewis
The Notebook-?
The Time Travelers Wife-?
The Shack-Young
The Reader-?
Lineage of Grace-Francine Rivers
The Last Sin Eater-Francine Rivers
The Scarlet Thread-Francine Rivers
Sons of Encouragement-Francine Rivers
More Jane Austen novels
The Twilight Series
Non-Fiction Topics I'd Like to Find Books About
Homeschooling
Motivational/Weight Loss/Exercise/Health Promotion type things
Gardening
That's all I can think of right now. That should be plenty to keep me busy and hopefully beat Kelly this year! LOL!
Next I'll probably move onto The Hiding Place by Corrie ten Boom. Either that or a Francine Rivers.
So to organize my thoughts a little I'd like to post some of the books I intend to read this year, or at least some topics I plan to read about.
Non-Fiction
The Hiding Place-Corrie ten Boom
Bringing Up Boys-Dr. Dobson
Sacred Marriage (a book Keith and I started and have not finished)
Nutrition Therapy: Advanced Couneling Skills (one of those continuing education things I have to do)
Lone Survivor-Marcus Luttrell
Arguing with Idiots-Glenn Beck
Going Rogue-Sarah Palin
Men Are Like Waffles, Women Are Like Spaghetti-Farrels
Fiction
The Screwtape Letters-C.S. Lewis
The Notebook-?
The Time Travelers Wife-?
The Shack-Young
The Reader-?
Lineage of Grace-Francine Rivers
The Last Sin Eater-Francine Rivers
The Scarlet Thread-Francine Rivers
Sons of Encouragement-Francine Rivers
More Jane Austen novels
The Twilight Series
Non-Fiction Topics I'd Like to Find Books About
Homeschooling
Motivational/Weight Loss/Exercise/Health Promotion type things
Gardening
That's all I can think of right now. That should be plenty to keep me busy and hopefully beat Kelly this year! LOL!
Friday, January 29, 2010
Book #2-So Long and Thanks For All the Fish
Witty, clever, and downright hilarious at times! Douglas Adams' So Long and Thanks For All the Fish just may be my favorite in The Ultimate Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy.
I'm probably going to continue finishing The Guide. Only two more books to go. The next one is extremely short-I feel a little guilty even calling it a book. It's more like a short story...Young Zaphod Plays It Safe. This is followed by Mostly Harmless, which concludes The Guide.
And another potty training blooper...Isaac pooped in his pull-up this morning before he got out of bed. Which is fine as far as I'm concerned, at least he got it out. However, when I picked his pull-up up off of the floor to put it in the trash the poo-poo fell out onto the floor. Maggie (the dog) didn't miss a beat. She promptly went over to it and put it in her mouth to eat it. Luckily, I got her to drop it without difficulty.
I'm probably going to continue finishing The Guide. Only two more books to go. The next one is extremely short-I feel a little guilty even calling it a book. It's more like a short story...Young Zaphod Plays It Safe. This is followed by Mostly Harmless, which concludes The Guide.
And another potty training blooper...Isaac pooped in his pull-up this morning before he got out of bed. Which is fine as far as I'm concerned, at least he got it out. However, when I picked his pull-up up off of the floor to put it in the trash the poo-poo fell out onto the floor. Maggie (the dog) didn't miss a beat. She promptly went over to it and put it in her mouth to eat it. Luckily, I got her to drop it without difficulty.
Thursday, January 28, 2010
Potty Training Bloopers
I taught Isaac a new trick. I threw a few Kix in the big toilet and encouraged him to pee on them. I didn't have any Cheerios, so Kix would have to do. He likes this trick, which is great. We've had a bit of a breakthrough in this respect.
The thing is he needs to pull his pants all the way down to his ankles when he stands up on the stool, or else a slight mess can result. Like yesterday, when I went to pull his pants down further, he ended up peeing on my sleeve. Lots of giggles. Then, as the stream slowed down, it began to dribble on the rim of the toilet and on his pants and underbuns. Isaac then says, "Oh no, that wasn't supposed to happen!"
Josiah counted to ten by himself yesterday too. He is amazing.
Elizabeth has been ridiculously smiley and chatty lately. She blows raspberries like a pro.
The thing is he needs to pull his pants all the way down to his ankles when he stands up on the stool, or else a slight mess can result. Like yesterday, when I went to pull his pants down further, he ended up peeing on my sleeve. Lots of giggles. Then, as the stream slowed down, it began to dribble on the rim of the toilet and on his pants and underbuns. Isaac then says, "Oh no, that wasn't supposed to happen!"
Josiah counted to ten by himself yesterday too. He is amazing.
Elizabeth has been ridiculously smiley and chatty lately. She blows raspberries like a pro.
Wednesday, January 27, 2010
Dialogue
So one of the manifestations of Isaac's resistance to potty train is to hold his poop in. Naturally, this leads to some major flatulence.
The scene takes place on the couch in the family room. The Newsboys are playing in the background. Josiah is playing happily. Isaac is laying on his side, under his blanket on the couch, sort of propped up on the arm of the couch.
Isaac: "Mom! Come lay with me."
Me: "I'd love to Isaac."
I lay down on my side on the couch too, with my head laying on Isaac's legs.
Isaac lets a few rip, which causes both of us to giggle uncontrollably. I know I shouldn't, but I just couldn't help myself this time.
Isaac: "I passed of gas!"
Giggling escalates.
Me: "Isaac! No leaving stinkers on mommy's head!"
Isaac: "Oh, I forgot."
More giggling.
There are no typos in this dialogue. Whenever I tried to tell Keith and my mom this story, I couldn't stop laughing long enough to get the words out.
The scene takes place on the couch in the family room. The Newsboys are playing in the background. Josiah is playing happily. Isaac is laying on his side, under his blanket on the couch, sort of propped up on the arm of the couch.
Isaac: "Mom! Come lay with me."
Me: "I'd love to Isaac."
I lay down on my side on the couch too, with my head laying on Isaac's legs.
Isaac lets a few rip, which causes both of us to giggle uncontrollably. I know I shouldn't, but I just couldn't help myself this time.
Isaac: "I passed of gas!"
Giggling escalates.
Me: "Isaac! No leaving stinkers on mommy's head!"
Isaac: "Oh, I forgot."
More giggling.
There are no typos in this dialogue. Whenever I tried to tell Keith and my mom this story, I couldn't stop laughing long enough to get the words out.
Friday, January 22, 2010
Update
Took all the kids to the dr yesterday. Isaac continues to need breathing treatments 3-4x per day. Josiah and Elizabeth were both wheezing, so I got them checked out. Both of their lungs were junky, so they both need breathing treatments as well now. Elizabeth has it worse, requiring them every 3 hours. Josiah, however, has an ear infection on top of everything else. And now, Isaac has officially constipated himself. He was screaming every 15 min or so throughout the night trying to hold it in. Lots of juice, water, fluids in general, and Miralax are in order today.
Naturally Keith isn't deal well with any of this, especially not with Isaac refusing to poop.
On a very happy note, Josiah is putting 2-3 words together to make little sentences like, "Thank you Isaac," and "Daddy at work." He can also sing Happy Birthday and is beginning to sing the ABC song. He's such a wonderful boy. He's starting to learn to drink from regular cups too, not sippies. He's been doing well with forks and spoons for a while.
Elizabeth has slept through the night, from about 9:30pm-8am, 4 nights in a row now in spite of how sick she is. She remains a very happy little baby, quite chatty and smiley!
Lastly, even though Isaac can't seem to let his poop out, he is learning his numbers fairly well. I'm using a clock, because he became very interested in telling time. Great way to learn 1-12. I also caught him talking to his bulldozer yesterday. He said, "You got Newsboys in there? Yeah? Aw, what happened to your truck? Did you hurt it? Aww." It was adorable. I also subscribed to this Highlights magazine for kids 1-5 called Highlights High Five. He loves it. We learned that on the highlightskids.com website Isaac can listen to stories online. Now he knows how to point and click with the mouse. It's adorable.
Something I never mentioned...while we were in Michigan for Christmas Wella gave me some little board books for Elizabeth, one of which was Twinkle Twinkle Little Star. Isaac proceeded to pick this book up and make up his own story to it, which he called "Going Away Star." He sat on the couch with Aunt M one morning and recited this story to her 3 times in a row. Never caught what he was saying but I thought if he would just say it one more time, I'd record it on my phone, type it out and frame it as his first composition. Do you think he'd ever do it again for me though? Nope! All I caught of the story was something about not wanting to go to bed, but it's time for bed, etc. Oh well.
Isaac is screaming his head off in the bathroom right now trying to poop.
When Keith comes home and asks what I did today, sometimes I simply tell him that I kept from going insane. If I can refrain from putting my fist through a wall, or throwing a chair through a window, then I've accomplished something great. Today is one such day. And it's only about 10am.
Naturally Keith isn't deal well with any of this, especially not with Isaac refusing to poop.
On a very happy note, Josiah is putting 2-3 words together to make little sentences like, "Thank you Isaac," and "Daddy at work." He can also sing Happy Birthday and is beginning to sing the ABC song. He's such a wonderful boy. He's starting to learn to drink from regular cups too, not sippies. He's been doing well with forks and spoons for a while.
Elizabeth has slept through the night, from about 9:30pm-8am, 4 nights in a row now in spite of how sick she is. She remains a very happy little baby, quite chatty and smiley!
Lastly, even though Isaac can't seem to let his poop out, he is learning his numbers fairly well. I'm using a clock, because he became very interested in telling time. Great way to learn 1-12. I also caught him talking to his bulldozer yesterday. He said, "You got Newsboys in there? Yeah? Aw, what happened to your truck? Did you hurt it? Aww." It was adorable. I also subscribed to this Highlights magazine for kids 1-5 called Highlights High Five. He loves it. We learned that on the highlightskids.com website Isaac can listen to stories online. Now he knows how to point and click with the mouse. It's adorable.
Something I never mentioned...while we were in Michigan for Christmas Wella gave me some little board books for Elizabeth, one of which was Twinkle Twinkle Little Star. Isaac proceeded to pick this book up and make up his own story to it, which he called "Going Away Star." He sat on the couch with Aunt M one morning and recited this story to her 3 times in a row. Never caught what he was saying but I thought if he would just say it one more time, I'd record it on my phone, type it out and frame it as his first composition. Do you think he'd ever do it again for me though? Nope! All I caught of the story was something about not wanting to go to bed, but it's time for bed, etc. Oh well.
Isaac is screaming his head off in the bathroom right now trying to poop.
When Keith comes home and asks what I did today, sometimes I simply tell him that I kept from going insane. If I can refrain from putting my fist through a wall, or throwing a chair through a window, then I've accomplished something great. Today is one such day. And it's only about 10am.
Thursday, January 21, 2010
Words to the Wise
You need 1 humidifier per kid in the house, or per bedroom. 3 kids, each with their own bedroom =3 humidifiers.
All immunity benefits of breastmilk are completed cancelled out by having siblings.
I can't remember what else I was going to say and my Josiah is having the meltdown of a lifetime.
Isaac is currently in the process of constipating himself. Hasn't pooped since Monday.
I'm reading So Long, and Thanks For All the Fish by Douglas Adams. Book 4 or 5 in the Ultimate Hitchhiker's Guide to the GAlaxy.
All immunity benefits of breastmilk are completed cancelled out by having siblings.
I can't remember what else I was going to say and my Josiah is having the meltdown of a lifetime.
Isaac is currently in the process of constipating himself. Hasn't pooped since Monday.
I'm reading So Long, and Thanks For All the Fish by Douglas Adams. Book 4 or 5 in the Ultimate Hitchhiker's Guide to the GAlaxy.
Tuesday, January 19, 2010
1st Book of 2010
Finally finished my first book of 2010, even though I started it in 2009. Floods Upon the Dry Ground is a church history kind of book. The author traces movements of the Holy Spirit and "revivals" from Pentecost in 30 AD to today. Pretty good book if you're into that kind of thing.
Isaac's birthday party was Sunday. His actual birthday was yesterday. All along we've been practicing saying "bye-bye diapers, hello under-bunder-boos when you turn 3." Sure enough, yesterday he stayed clean and dry all day! He even stayed dry when I put a pull-up on him for nap time (even though he never slept). More importantly though, he pooped on the potty twice! Yay!
Birthday party went great-I should post pictures for our Michigan friends and family! Maybe I'll get around to that soon-hopefully!
Isaac's birthday party was Sunday. His actual birthday was yesterday. All along we've been practicing saying "bye-bye diapers, hello under-bunder-boos when you turn 3." Sure enough, yesterday he stayed clean and dry all day! He even stayed dry when I put a pull-up on him for nap time (even though he never slept). More importantly though, he pooped on the potty twice! Yay!
Birthday party went great-I should post pictures for our Michigan friends and family! Maybe I'll get around to that soon-hopefully!
Monday, January 11, 2010
What a Week
So Elizabeth started doing this new thing where she refuses to nurse on my left side. Only, I didn't figure that out until last week. I would just try to feed here and she would scream and cry. I didn't understand. Last Tuesday was such a day. I couldn't get her to eat all afternoon. Tension was high. Then Isaac was whining about wanting something, I can't remember what, but I started singing the Rolling Stones' song "You Can't Always Get What You Want." I really thought I was just singing it to myself to keep from going crazy. I didn't think he was listening. Then about 15 min later my mom and I were talking and what do we hear in the background? Isaac in the living room singing "You Can't Always Get What You Want." Talk about a tension reliever!
Wed night I started vomiting and continued to do so all night. I tried to nurse Elizabeth at 4am when she woke up, but almost fainted. So I called my mom to come over in the morning and thankfully she stayed all day to help me. I don't know how I would've done it, because I couldn't stay out of bed for more than an hour. Keith came home and took over for her. Except about an hour or two after my mom left, while Keith was getting ready to give the boys their dinner, Isaac did a somersault out of his booster chair, landed flat on his face, and knocked his two front teeth loose. Lots of screaming on everyone's part, even Keith's. Lots of blood and panic. My nausea left me instantly as I scrambled to call my mother back over to watch Josiah and Elizabeth while we took Isaac to the dentist. Thankfully our dentist is an emergency dentist so he was able to see Isaac right away. X-rays looked good, the teeth weren't broken. Dentist said they would probably tighten up in a couple days (which I didn't know teeth could do) and if there was any damage to the roots they would likely turn black within months or a year. If that does happen we could have them pulled or have some kind of coating put on them. Gave us a script for an antibiotic. Told us to give him Tylenol or Motrin as needed. Soft diet. Home we went. Oh yeah, all this was happening as a blizzard was moving through too.
Fri am Keith decided to work from home due to the previous night's drama and the bad weather. Again, I am thankful because Isaac then began vomiting at 6:45am. So not only did he have a sore mouth to cope with, but also my stomach bug. He couldn't keep anything down all day long. Poor little guy. My dad came over to take care of Isaac and Josiah while I took Elizabeth to her hip ultrasound and appointment with her orthopedic doctor.
More bad news. The harness she's wearing for her hip dysplasia isn't helping much so far. Her ultrasound revealed that her hip is still sitting rather high in the socket and the socket is only formed at a 43 degree angle. It needs to be about a 60 degree angle. The treatment is to persist with the harness for now, but she can only wear it until she's 6 months old. After that she's too big. If her hip is not formed properly by then, she will be anesthetized, a dye will be injected into her hip, and an x-ray will be done to see if there is anything in the socket (ligaments, fatty tissue, etc.) that's preventing the hip from sitting in it correctly. If something is found, she will have surgery, and then be placed in a body cast that will immobilize her. If nothing is found in the socket, she will still be placed in a body cast that will immobilize her. Neither of these are good options so we are earnestly praying for divine healing. If it comes to surgery Keith and I will likely get a second opinion.
Ok so that was last Fri. Not much happened Saturday that I can remember. Sunday we went to church and were lucky enough to go out on a date. My mom, bless her heart, watched the kids for us again. We went to Taipei Tokyo for sushi, dumplings, and chinese chicken and vegetables. Yum. Oh yeah, on our way out the door Josiah fell down the steps. I'm tempted to say, "What else can go wrong?" but I know better. Things could always be much much worse. Josiah really only fell down a few steps and nothing was hurt but his pride. Keith was there to catch him before he fell to the bottom. Also, Josiah pretty much falls down steps on a weekly or bi-weekly basis.
Here's to a better week!
Wed night I started vomiting and continued to do so all night. I tried to nurse Elizabeth at 4am when she woke up, but almost fainted. So I called my mom to come over in the morning and thankfully she stayed all day to help me. I don't know how I would've done it, because I couldn't stay out of bed for more than an hour. Keith came home and took over for her. Except about an hour or two after my mom left, while Keith was getting ready to give the boys their dinner, Isaac did a somersault out of his booster chair, landed flat on his face, and knocked his two front teeth loose. Lots of screaming on everyone's part, even Keith's. Lots of blood and panic. My nausea left me instantly as I scrambled to call my mother back over to watch Josiah and Elizabeth while we took Isaac to the dentist. Thankfully our dentist is an emergency dentist so he was able to see Isaac right away. X-rays looked good, the teeth weren't broken. Dentist said they would probably tighten up in a couple days (which I didn't know teeth could do) and if there was any damage to the roots they would likely turn black within months or a year. If that does happen we could have them pulled or have some kind of coating put on them. Gave us a script for an antibiotic. Told us to give him Tylenol or Motrin as needed. Soft diet. Home we went. Oh yeah, all this was happening as a blizzard was moving through too.
Fri am Keith decided to work from home due to the previous night's drama and the bad weather. Again, I am thankful because Isaac then began vomiting at 6:45am. So not only did he have a sore mouth to cope with, but also my stomach bug. He couldn't keep anything down all day long. Poor little guy. My dad came over to take care of Isaac and Josiah while I took Elizabeth to her hip ultrasound and appointment with her orthopedic doctor.
More bad news. The harness she's wearing for her hip dysplasia isn't helping much so far. Her ultrasound revealed that her hip is still sitting rather high in the socket and the socket is only formed at a 43 degree angle. It needs to be about a 60 degree angle. The treatment is to persist with the harness for now, but she can only wear it until she's 6 months old. After that she's too big. If her hip is not formed properly by then, she will be anesthetized, a dye will be injected into her hip, and an x-ray will be done to see if there is anything in the socket (ligaments, fatty tissue, etc.) that's preventing the hip from sitting in it correctly. If something is found, she will have surgery, and then be placed in a body cast that will immobilize her. If nothing is found in the socket, she will still be placed in a body cast that will immobilize her. Neither of these are good options so we are earnestly praying for divine healing. If it comes to surgery Keith and I will likely get a second opinion.
Ok so that was last Fri. Not much happened Saturday that I can remember. Sunday we went to church and were lucky enough to go out on a date. My mom, bless her heart, watched the kids for us again. We went to Taipei Tokyo for sushi, dumplings, and chinese chicken and vegetables. Yum. Oh yeah, on our way out the door Josiah fell down the steps. I'm tempted to say, "What else can go wrong?" but I know better. Things could always be much much worse. Josiah really only fell down a few steps and nothing was hurt but his pride. Keith was there to catch him before he fell to the bottom. Also, Josiah pretty much falls down steps on a weekly or bi-weekly basis.
Here's to a better week!
Sunday, January 3, 2010
OVERWHELMED!
Overwhelmed is the buzz word for the weekend. Woke up 3:30am Sat. Fed Elizabeth, put everyone in the van, and headed back for Pgh. Made it home by around 12:30. Unloaded the van, unpacked suitcases and toiletry bags. Tried to organize toys somewhat. Remember, we never had time to organize Christmas gifts from our house and my mom's house before we left for Michigan, so we still had all that to do.
The Christmas tree stunk-but that's another story. So we put all children in their beds/cribs for naps while we undecorated. That pretty much took up the entire afternoon and part of the evening. We vowed to do it differently next year as about 5 ornaments got broken this year, and I ended up undecorating the entire bottom half of the tree about 3 weeks ago because the boys just couldn't leave it alone. Again, that's another story.
Threw dinner together (rice and vegetables-yum) and took Isaac with me to the grocery store. Didn't leave for the store until 6:45pm, so I didn't get home until around 8:15pm. Put Isaac to bed, again tried to organize and put away Christmas gifts some more, fed Elizabeth, showered, made it into bed around 11pm.
Made it to church this am-hooray! Came home, fed the boys lunch, then began a vast purging of toys upstairs and down. I think we ended up with at least 3 garbage bags full of old, worn, or unpopular toys to donate to Goodwill, plus some went in the trash, plus some were simply handed down to Elizabeth. Naptime came and I actually put the Cars movie in for Isaac while I prepared dinner, which took longer than I planned. After dinner I finally took out all of the Christmas gifts we brought home from my parents' house for the boys. Got almost everything out of the packaging and sorted it all out. We decided we're going to purchase another 9-compartment storage shelving thingy from Lowe's for the family room to keep the toys in order. I also kept a couple of things in the packaging to pull out at a later date for sort of a surprise new toy. Wish I would've done that with more of their gifts. Have to remember that for next year.
I ended the evening with a frigid walk outside with Maggie. It had to be done, and now that's it's over I'm glad I did it.
Now it's time to feed Elizabeth for the final time tonight, then get my shower.
This was the year of the matchbox car and all things wheels-Isaac got a total of at least 20 matchbox cars plus 4-5 bigger things on wheels. Josiah received about 15 matchbox cars in all plus at least 4-5 bigger things on wheels. Favorites? For Isaac I would have to say it's this bulldozer thingy that revs up and makes sparks. For Josiah it would be this big semi-truck with a back-ho (sp?) on it. While we are totally overwhelmed with how much stuff our children have, we are grateful to have such wonderful families who love our kids and do nice things for them for Christmas.
I haven't even gotten to Elizabeth's things yet though! Thank goodness she's not old enough to care.
The Christmas tree stunk-but that's another story. So we put all children in their beds/cribs for naps while we undecorated. That pretty much took up the entire afternoon and part of the evening. We vowed to do it differently next year as about 5 ornaments got broken this year, and I ended up undecorating the entire bottom half of the tree about 3 weeks ago because the boys just couldn't leave it alone. Again, that's another story.
Threw dinner together (rice and vegetables-yum) and took Isaac with me to the grocery store. Didn't leave for the store until 6:45pm, so I didn't get home until around 8:15pm. Put Isaac to bed, again tried to organize and put away Christmas gifts some more, fed Elizabeth, showered, made it into bed around 11pm.
Made it to church this am-hooray! Came home, fed the boys lunch, then began a vast purging of toys upstairs and down. I think we ended up with at least 3 garbage bags full of old, worn, or unpopular toys to donate to Goodwill, plus some went in the trash, plus some were simply handed down to Elizabeth. Naptime came and I actually put the Cars movie in for Isaac while I prepared dinner, which took longer than I planned. After dinner I finally took out all of the Christmas gifts we brought home from my parents' house for the boys. Got almost everything out of the packaging and sorted it all out. We decided we're going to purchase another 9-compartment storage shelving thingy from Lowe's for the family room to keep the toys in order. I also kept a couple of things in the packaging to pull out at a later date for sort of a surprise new toy. Wish I would've done that with more of their gifts. Have to remember that for next year.
I ended the evening with a frigid walk outside with Maggie. It had to be done, and now that's it's over I'm glad I did it.
Now it's time to feed Elizabeth for the final time tonight, then get my shower.
This was the year of the matchbox car and all things wheels-Isaac got a total of at least 20 matchbox cars plus 4-5 bigger things on wheels. Josiah received about 15 matchbox cars in all plus at least 4-5 bigger things on wheels. Favorites? For Isaac I would have to say it's this bulldozer thingy that revs up and makes sparks. For Josiah it would be this big semi-truck with a back-ho (sp?) on it. While we are totally overwhelmed with how much stuff our children have, we are grateful to have such wonderful families who love our kids and do nice things for them for Christmas.
I haven't even gotten to Elizabeth's things yet though! Thank goodness she's not old enough to care.
Friday, January 1, 2010
Hello 2010!
Keith and I were just discussing this morning what a big year it would be for each of our kids.
Elizabeth: by the end of this year she will likely be walking and talking, perhaps even imitating some of the things we do like talk on the phone. She will hopefully love books as much as her brothers do too. I kind of hope she'll still be nursing a little, but I bet she'll be onto sippy cups too.
Josiah: by the end of this year he will be 2 1/2, so he may or may not become interested in the potty. He will definitely be speaking in sentences and paragraphs, mimicking us even more. He will likely learn to sing songs like his big brother does now too, and will probably recognize at least some of his letters and numbers, should recognize his colors and shapes too.
Isaac: Keith and I pray earnestly that Isaac will be potty trained by the end of 2010! In fact, we're beginning anew when he turns 3 in a few weeks. We've been practicing saying, "Good-bye diapers, hello under-bunder-boos!" This morning Isaac put his pants on all by himself and it made me realize he may very well be dressing himself by the end of the year. I bet he'll become a master of letters and numbers, and may even recognize some words. He already recognizes his name, which is cool. Who knows what else? We plan on buying him a bike this summer. I bet he needs the training wheels for a while, but it will still be exciting to see him ride it!
How could I forget the biggest, most important, and perhaps the most challenging resolution of 2010...TO NOT GET PREGNANT! I always say over and over again how much I truly believe that children are a wonderful blessing and gift from God, and I'm so thankful for our fertility, but I sure could use a break! Keith and I look forward to a new phase in our marriage-the phase where I'm actually not pregnant!
Elizabeth: by the end of this year she will likely be walking and talking, perhaps even imitating some of the things we do like talk on the phone. She will hopefully love books as much as her brothers do too. I kind of hope she'll still be nursing a little, but I bet she'll be onto sippy cups too.
Josiah: by the end of this year he will be 2 1/2, so he may or may not become interested in the potty. He will definitely be speaking in sentences and paragraphs, mimicking us even more. He will likely learn to sing songs like his big brother does now too, and will probably recognize at least some of his letters and numbers, should recognize his colors and shapes too.
Isaac: Keith and I pray earnestly that Isaac will be potty trained by the end of 2010! In fact, we're beginning anew when he turns 3 in a few weeks. We've been practicing saying, "Good-bye diapers, hello under-bunder-boos!" This morning Isaac put his pants on all by himself and it made me realize he may very well be dressing himself by the end of the year. I bet he'll become a master of letters and numbers, and may even recognize some words. He already recognizes his name, which is cool. Who knows what else? We plan on buying him a bike this summer. I bet he needs the training wheels for a while, but it will still be exciting to see him ride it!
How could I forget the biggest, most important, and perhaps the most challenging resolution of 2010...TO NOT GET PREGNANT! I always say over and over again how much I truly believe that children are a wonderful blessing and gift from God, and I'm so thankful for our fertility, but I sure could use a break! Keith and I look forward to a new phase in our marriage-the phase where I'm actually not pregnant!
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