There are just too many good things to eat in this house!
Wednesday, December 31, 2008
Reflections from 2008
As I ponder 2008 in its final hours, I think of a few things I have done and learned this year.
- A lot of changes took place in '08. We moved Dec. of '07, so adjusting to the new house took place this year along with trying to get our bearings, a LOT of painting, arranging, re-arranging, Craigslisting, and on and on.
- Sophia ended Kindergarten and started first grade and this year I feel like a full fledged homeschool Mom.
- We found out we are expecting our fourth little blessing in September.
- I got sick in November/December, and I was once again reminded that our times are in God's hands and he controls what we do and when we do it. A good, albeit lengthy and at times, painful, reminder.
Here are a few things I learned in 2008 from each of my children. Some of these things I've been learning for a while, but the learnin' continued in '08
Sophia: It's so wonderful to have a daughter and to do "girl things". It's been exciting to watch her learn to read and do so many other things. I feel like she's the guinea pig in so many ways because she's the first to do everything. She's the test spec. Oh well, I suppose being the firstborn has its perks.
I have learned from my girlie that God doesn't make mistakes and that I need to ease up on my first born. She is our quiet, but determined girl. When she was small, I wearied of the power struggles and wondered why she was made the way she is, a strong willed girlie. I learned that thinking that way is questioning God's plan. God makes each of my children unique and fashions their personalities according to his plan. Strong willed isn't bad, in fact, this year it has proved to be a tremendous blessing as Sophia has been a willing and necessary helper. I love her determination! She is tenacious and persevering. Overall, she has the will to do what's right which is a great asset to our family as she is the oldest. She's still only 6, but I can see a little glimpse now of why God made her as he did. How wrong it is for me to question God. I am so thankful that he made her just as she is.
"Trust in the Lord with all thine heart, and lean not unto thing own understanding..." Proverbs 3:5
Elijah: I have learned soooo much from my boy this year. He went from a very non-verbal boy last January to talking everyone's ear off at the dinner table this Christmas. I've learned a lot about him and who he is and why he does the things he does as he has started talking more and more. The biggest thing I've learned from my little man is that "perfect" isn't always God's plan.
Eli is very sensitive although you wouldn't know it if you know him as he seems rough and boy-ish. He's not the average boy. I don't think he has any life long problems, but he's easily over-stimulated and a little behind in social settings. He does best with his daily routines as his safety net. It can be tough to watch your child be misunderstood and to often misunderstand him yourself. I have a much better understanding of my boy at the end of 2008 than I did at the beginning for which I am thankful.
Elijah has shown me that not every child is going to be the teacher's favorite or the star pupil or the most popular. It seems our society places such a high priority on having the "perfect child" involved in 10 extra-cirricular activities and the straight A student; Those things equal a successful child and parent. It's been a challenge bucking that ideal through this little man, but I learned a major life lesson: It doesn't matter what anyone thinks, if I am doing what God wants me to do to the best of my ability. People (me included!) can unknowingly say things that sound harsh and are ignorant of your situation, but it's not people I am to answer to. I need to look to the Lord, not people for affirmation and direction. He never fails to guide and encourage.
"Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith;" Hebrews 12:2
Noah: From Noah I learned that caffeine isn't all bad! I need some to keep up with this little fella'! When the first two were 1-2 years old, I had to keep a close eye on them and that was hard work. Noah, on the other hand, in a word: "dizzying". I feel dizzy when this boy is awake. He never.stops.moving. I feel so guilty some days that I can't wait until naptime. Wow, wow, and wow! He's like the energizer bunny, he keeps going and going and going. My favorite time of the day, you guessed it, naptime. My weary little boy falls asleep in my arms and sometimes, I fall asleep too!
The thirdborn has been liberating for me. I think having Noah has made me a more relaxed parent. I simply don't have the hands or the brain power to keep everything and everyone perfectly in check all the time, and as maddening as that can be, it's also liberating. I just do the best that I can and I let the peas fly get squished between little hands as they will. Does it really matter that much? I hope I have gained a little bit of perspective as a Mom from my wiley thirdborn.
"Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you." 1 Peter 5:7
Well, I started this post a while ago and I need to post it before the end of the year, so Happy New Year all! Here's to a New Year filled with its own set of learning experiences!!!
"Trust in the LORD, and do good; so shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed." Psalm 37:3
- A lot of changes took place in '08. We moved Dec. of '07, so adjusting to the new house took place this year along with trying to get our bearings, a LOT of painting, arranging, re-arranging, Craigslisting, and on and on.
- Sophia ended Kindergarten and started first grade and this year I feel like a full fledged homeschool Mom.
- We found out we are expecting our fourth little blessing in September.
- I got sick in November/December, and I was once again reminded that our times are in God's hands and he controls what we do and when we do it. A good, albeit lengthy and at times, painful, reminder.
Here are a few things I learned in 2008 from each of my children. Some of these things I've been learning for a while, but the learnin' continued in '08
Sophia: It's so wonderful to have a daughter and to do "girl things". It's been exciting to watch her learn to read and do so many other things. I feel like she's the guinea pig in so many ways because she's the first to do everything. She's the test spec. Oh well, I suppose being the firstborn has its perks.
I have learned from my girlie that God doesn't make mistakes and that I need to ease up on my first born. She is our quiet, but determined girl. When she was small, I wearied of the power struggles and wondered why she was made the way she is, a strong willed girlie. I learned that thinking that way is questioning God's plan. God makes each of my children unique and fashions their personalities according to his plan. Strong willed isn't bad, in fact, this year it has proved to be a tremendous blessing as Sophia has been a willing and necessary helper. I love her determination! She is tenacious and persevering. Overall, she has the will to do what's right which is a great asset to our family as she is the oldest. She's still only 6, but I can see a little glimpse now of why God made her as he did. How wrong it is for me to question God. I am so thankful that he made her just as she is.
"Trust in the Lord with all thine heart, and lean not unto thing own understanding..." Proverbs 3:5
Elijah: I have learned soooo much from my boy this year. He went from a very non-verbal boy last January to talking everyone's ear off at the dinner table this Christmas. I've learned a lot about him and who he is and why he does the things he does as he has started talking more and more. The biggest thing I've learned from my little man is that "perfect" isn't always God's plan.
Eli is very sensitive although you wouldn't know it if you know him as he seems rough and boy-ish. He's not the average boy. I don't think he has any life long problems, but he's easily over-stimulated and a little behind in social settings. He does best with his daily routines as his safety net. It can be tough to watch your child be misunderstood and to often misunderstand him yourself. I have a much better understanding of my boy at the end of 2008 than I did at the beginning for which I am thankful.
Elijah has shown me that not every child is going to be the teacher's favorite or the star pupil or the most popular. It seems our society places such a high priority on having the "perfect child" involved in 10 extra-cirricular activities and the straight A student; Those things equal a successful child and parent. It's been a challenge bucking that ideal through this little man, but I learned a major life lesson: It doesn't matter what anyone thinks, if I am doing what God wants me to do to the best of my ability. People (me included!) can unknowingly say things that sound harsh and are ignorant of your situation, but it's not people I am to answer to. I need to look to the Lord, not people for affirmation and direction. He never fails to guide and encourage.
"Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith;" Hebrews 12:2
Noah: From Noah I learned that caffeine isn't all bad! I need some to keep up with this little fella'! When the first two were 1-2 years old, I had to keep a close eye on them and that was hard work. Noah, on the other hand, in a word: "dizzying". I feel dizzy when this boy is awake. He never.stops.moving. I feel so guilty some days that I can't wait until naptime. Wow, wow, and wow! He's like the energizer bunny, he keeps going and going and going. My favorite time of the day, you guessed it, naptime. My weary little boy falls asleep in my arms and sometimes, I fall asleep too!
The thirdborn has been liberating for me. I think having Noah has made me a more relaxed parent. I simply don't have the hands or the brain power to keep everything and everyone perfectly in check all the time, and as maddening as that can be, it's also liberating. I just do the best that I can and I let the peas fly get squished between little hands as they will. Does it really matter that much? I hope I have gained a little bit of perspective as a Mom from my wiley thirdborn.
"Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you." 1 Peter 5:7
Well, I started this post a while ago and I need to post it before the end of the year, so Happy New Year all! Here's to a New Year filled with its own set of learning experiences!!!
"Trust in the LORD, and do good; so shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed." Psalm 37:3
Monday, December 29, 2008
Life goes on
It has been a crazy past 6 weeks. 3-4 were filled with sickness for me, but I am happy to report that I am finally feeling better. I was beginning to wonder if I was becoming weak like Clara in the book "Hiedi" or the one sister in "Little Women", I can't remember her name.
I have so many things to post, but because its been so long I am overwhelmed and don't know where to begin. Perhaps I'll scrap the past and just post the now.
Noah is still potty training. He's doing well, with the occasional accident, except for today when he decided the potty was not for him. 7 weeks down, so at least we have that much time under our belt. I really believe potty training to be part training and part waiting. It just takes time before they fully get it. I think the term "fully potty trained" is kind of misleading and I don't know when either of the other kids actually became fully potty trained. It just happened over time. It's a process.
Christmas day was so nice and relaxing. We had the fire on, the kids played, I baked and cooked. We had a few guests for dinner. It was such a nice day.
We spent the Saturday before Christmas with Graeme's family, but I forgot my camera. :( We had such a nice time! The kids all fell asleep in the car and Eli woke up asking to play with James (his cousin). I knew when I saw three bobbing heads in the van on the way home that we would be in for tears when we got home. They always wake up crying when they fall asleep in the car, especially Sophia.
We spent Christmas Eve Eve with my parents. Abbi has pictures of that night. Elijah wanted to be an angel last year, but he was a shepherd, and he was very bitter about it. :) This year he got his heart's desire of being an angel, which he was very excited about. Noah was Joseph and Sophia was Mary. They were all so cute. The older three (Lily, Joey, and Sophia) are really starting to act instead of just wandering around like the little ones. Its such a nice tradition. We ate fabulous food too! It was a great time.
Noah's favorite toy from all of the Christmas holidays? The singing Thomas Toothbrush. It was a big hit. Followed closely by a new "geen gankey". Now he says, "green ganket"...boo! I don't want my baby to grow up.
I hope to post pictures and more stuff soon.
Thanks for stopping by!
I have so many things to post, but because its been so long I am overwhelmed and don't know where to begin. Perhaps I'll scrap the past and just post the now.
Noah is still potty training. He's doing well, with the occasional accident, except for today when he decided the potty was not for him. 7 weeks down, so at least we have that much time under our belt. I really believe potty training to be part training and part waiting. It just takes time before they fully get it. I think the term "fully potty trained" is kind of misleading and I don't know when either of the other kids actually became fully potty trained. It just happened over time. It's a process.
Christmas day was so nice and relaxing. We had the fire on, the kids played, I baked and cooked. We had a few guests for dinner. It was such a nice day.
We spent the Saturday before Christmas with Graeme's family, but I forgot my camera. :( We had such a nice time! The kids all fell asleep in the car and Eli woke up asking to play with James (his cousin). I knew when I saw three bobbing heads in the van on the way home that we would be in for tears when we got home. They always wake up crying when they fall asleep in the car, especially Sophia.
We spent Christmas Eve Eve with my parents. Abbi has pictures of that night. Elijah wanted to be an angel last year, but he was a shepherd, and he was very bitter about it. :) This year he got his heart's desire of being an angel, which he was very excited about. Noah was Joseph and Sophia was Mary. They were all so cute. The older three (Lily, Joey, and Sophia) are really starting to act instead of just wandering around like the little ones. Its such a nice tradition. We ate fabulous food too! It was a great time.
Noah's favorite toy from all of the Christmas holidays? The singing Thomas Toothbrush. It was a big hit. Followed closely by a new "geen gankey". Now he says, "green ganket"...boo! I don't want my baby to grow up.
I hope to post pictures and more stuff soon.
Thanks for stopping by!
Saturday, December 13, 2008
Super Savings Saturday: CVS
Here's what I got:2 jumbo packages of Huggies
1 Huggies Wash
1 tub of huggies wipes
10 bags of Hersheys candies
4 64 oz. bottles of Apple Juice
1 Powerade
1 Contact Solution
3 packs of Energizer batteries
1 pack of Lithium batteries
4 Glade glass scents
12 pack of Scott Toilet paper
15 Power Max energy bars (Graeme LOVES these!)
Total out of pocket: $13-ish
ECB's leftover: $25
I used $30 something in ECB's from the black friday sale and I had some money on a gift card from a prescription offer from another local store which CVS honored. Did you know that if you have a gift card coupon or offer from another drug, grocery, or discount store, that CVS will honor it? Pretty cool!
I loved CVS this week....awesome deals I got...woo-hoo!
For more Super Savings Saturday deals, click here.
Thursday, December 11, 2008
Alive
I'm still alive, albeit sick with the neverending cold/walking pneumonia/bronchitis/pleurisy-ish sickness. I'm starting to forget what normal feels like!
I am sooo thankful that my hubs-ville is off work tomorrow! He realized that he had one personal day left to take this year, and tomorrow was the only day he had a sort of open schedule. He still has to phone in for a meeting, but that was the best day for him and I am soooo glad.
It's been a very long week. I forgot how rowdy little boys get during the winter! Both boys have been waking in the night this week. Elijah for nightmares and Noah for who knows why. I think he must be getting his bottom molars or something, because it's very unusual for him. He normally is very tired after a day full of action!
I've been going back and forth about this baby. Once recently Sophia was being especially whiney and I thought, "O Lord, please let this baby be a boy." Then we put up the Christmas tree the night we had carolers and I quickly remembered how hard it is to decorate the tree with an active 2 year old boy underfoot and I prayed, "O Lord, let it be a girl". I'm so glad I don't get to decide the gender of the baby, I could never do it!
Other than the above, not much has been going on here. I've been in bed for two weeks and for the last week I've just wished for bed and rest. :) Speaking of which, I think I'll go and do that right now. Nighty-nite!
I am sooo thankful that my hubs-ville is off work tomorrow! He realized that he had one personal day left to take this year, and tomorrow was the only day he had a sort of open schedule. He still has to phone in for a meeting, but that was the best day for him and I am soooo glad.
It's been a very long week. I forgot how rowdy little boys get during the winter! Both boys have been waking in the night this week. Elijah for nightmares and Noah for who knows why. I think he must be getting his bottom molars or something, because it's very unusual for him. He normally is very tired after a day full of action!
I've been going back and forth about this baby. Once recently Sophia was being especially whiney and I thought, "O Lord, please let this baby be a boy." Then we put up the Christmas tree the night we had carolers and I quickly remembered how hard it is to decorate the tree with an active 2 year old boy underfoot and I prayed, "O Lord, let it be a girl". I'm so glad I don't get to decide the gender of the baby, I could never do it!
Other than the above, not much has been going on here. I've been in bed for two weeks and for the last week I've just wished for bed and rest. :) Speaking of which, I think I'll go and do that right now. Nighty-nite!
Tuesday, December 2, 2008
Coughing, coughing, coughing...
Just when I thought I was starting to feel better, I got sick again. So...I'm still hacking away over in my corner of the world.
On Friday and Saturday I was starting to feel better, but by Sunday I was sick again. I'm not sure if I got more of the same sickness or caught a different sickness. I think this is a world record number of sick days for me.
One fabulous perk of this whole sickness thing, is, that it appears that Noah is mostly potty trained. Not by me, of course, but by his wonderful Father! I will not dare use the term "fully" potty trained for quite some times because he just started, but he gets the basic gist: tells when he has to go, keeps himself dry, etc. Woo-hoo! I hope it lasts. :)
Now back to coughing...
On Friday and Saturday I was starting to feel better, but by Sunday I was sick again. I'm not sure if I got more of the same sickness or caught a different sickness. I think this is a world record number of sick days for me.
One fabulous perk of this whole sickness thing, is, that it appears that Noah is mostly potty trained. Not by me, of course, but by his wonderful Father! I will not dare use the term "fully" potty trained for quite some times because he just started, but he gets the basic gist: tells when he has to go, keeps himself dry, etc. Woo-hoo! I hope it lasts. :)
Now back to coughing...
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