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.
Tuesday, July 27, 2010
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.
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