Have many things to be thankful for this week - mostly small daily blessings that me smile and sigh thinking of God's goodness and provision.
1. That despite his discomfort, Pojke's been a real trooper with teething in two bottom molars.
2. That despite his discomfort after two days of 102+ fever, DaHubby dragged himself outta bed late last week to take me grocery shopping prior to our most recent "snow dump" because he felt the weather was too bad for me to drive alone.
3. That after several weeks of behavioral struggles, time outs, and tantrums, there seems to be a siesta in Flicka's recent negative attitude.
4. That despite drafts, old windows, and a few missing cold air returns, I have a warm home with a working furnace.
5. That regardless of our money situation which had me worried about getting new winter gear that fit the kids, both Vikings are well-equipped with mittens, hats, boots, and warm jackets thanks to my parents and DaHubby's parents.
6. That after a long silence, there's a bit of sunlight peeking through the clouds in a situation with someone in my family.
7. That yesterday is a fifth Wednesday which means FIVE checks this month for DaHubby! Since we are living on the expectation of four, yesterday's check minus necessities is gonna be the first of a couple large lump payments to our debt snowball over the next few months! Wa-hoo!
8. That the elder at our church who broke three vertebrae in a fall in October continues to gain strength, mobility, and movement. He no longer needs his wheelchair in church. He is able to walk to and from his vehicle as well as in and out of the building with only a walker! Praise God!
9. That I have a hubby that (with minimal complaining *wink*) drags himself out of a warm bed at 5am and go out into the dark Michigan morning cold to get into a cold car with 100K+ miles on it (but HEY it's paid for! LOL) and goes to work each day. The first morning of his flu when I had to go out into that same cold dark morning at 4am to get him some Tylenol for his fever it was brutal. I don't know how he does it day after day after day.
10. And, not only does he drag himself out and work 45 hours a week at his primary job, he is now spending another 10-15 hours a week working from home! A company came to the owner of DaHubby's workplace looking for a quote on some work. The owner stated that he couldn't really quote it in the price range the man was looking for. However, the owner knew of DaHubby's desire for more income so he told the customer to talk to DaHubby about doing it at home in his off hours! What a blessing! DaHubby's working for his regular hourly rate doing what he does all day while sitting in his PJ's at the computer at home! While it is a short term windfall, thank you God for the owner who thought of us in that moment!
So, that's my list for the week. Please join the ladies here or stop by Without Fear to see what some of those awesome ladies are thankful for this week.
Thursday, January 31, 2008
Wednesday, January 30, 2008
Wordless Wednesday
(To get the joke of "how does a mom of two little Vikings find time to read?", check out the title of the book! ROFL)
Check out more WW here.
Check out more WW here.
At the risk of sounding like a whiner...
Yea, I know it's Michigan.
Yea, I know it's still January.
Yea, I know it's the exception, not the rule, that it was FORTY-SEVEN degrees yesterday.
But, GOOD GRIEF!
It's only SEVEN. POINT. SEVEN. degrees this morning! *shiver*
Yea, I know it's still January.
Yea, I know it's the exception, not the rule, that it was FORTY-SEVEN degrees yesterday.
But, GOOD GRIEF!
It's only SEVEN. POINT. SEVEN. degrees this morning! *shiver*
Tuesday, January 29, 2008
Only a boy...
Raising up Pojke is so different than Flicka was at the same age! LOL It's more than each being an individual - it's really just something innate!
I was thinking this morning as I was changing his di*per (don't really want an Google hits or Google ads about those!*wink*) and he had me absolutely cracking up:
Only a boy smells his own foot and goes "pee-choo" and then not only offers it for you to smell too but, when you agree with your own "pee-choo", he then offers you the other one as well! *big smile*
That's gotta be from DaHubby 'cuz of course it couldn't come from me! LOL
I was thinking this morning as I was changing his di*per (don't really want an Google hits or Google ads about those!*wink*) and he had me absolutely cracking up:
Only a boy smells his own foot and goes "pee-choo" and then not only offers it for you to smell too but, when you agree with your own "pee-choo", he then offers you the other one as well! *big smile*
That's gotta be from DaHubby 'cuz of course it couldn't come from me! LOL
Pass The Torch Tuesday: Guacamole TIme!
Been making a conscious effort to include the kids more in meal preparation - despite my phobia of sharp knives and the ensuing mess! LOL The result: a surprising amount of fun! The photo is pretty self-explanatory!
Stop by Kelly's today to see what's up in her PTT world!
Stop by Kelly's today to see what's up in her PTT world!
Monday, January 28, 2008
MOMS Club submission
February is the month for me to write up a little something for the local MOMS Club group we're part of. While for the most part the "mommy politics" have been non-existent, there are cliques and I've made a few faux pas in my year as a member.
Those who have made the choice to wear their brand of faith a little more prominently have had some issues. There's been issues over email signatures lines in emails going to the entire group containing Scripture. Those who don't "do" Halloween and Christmas don't participate in activities with trick or treating and Santa. Those that don't drink generally won't attend the MOMS Nights Out or Couples Nights Out due to the location of the activity (like a bar) or the fact that so many bring wine and beer to gatherings. And, in a group of nearly 60, probably less than 5 are considering home schooling as a long-term solution.
I have been spending time thinking and praying about what I should write for my little get-to-know-me debut. Here's what I wrote this morning...what do you all think?
Never wake a sleeping baby. Read to your kids every day. Prunes and applesauce are a constipated kid’s best friend. Think back (and it’s not too far back for some of us) to when you were a brand new, first time mom. We were inundated with buckets full of advice from well-intentioned folks. Some of it was helpful; some of it was not. And, we are all managing to find our way as moms regardless.
However, I’ve been thinking lately about what is some of the best advice I’ve received. I was thinking of advice that outlasted a particular circumstance or age group. And, was there a golden nugget of advice that could cross the lines of parenting philosophy, political beliefs, lifestyle, and the like. And, it occurred to me that (DaHubby) and I have one that we are trying to use everyday.
“Will this really matter in 20 years?”
Have to have the newest gadget and/or its update? In 20 years, it will be obsolete. The intentional (or unintentional) slight from a friend or family? In 20 years, it could be an event at which you’ll poke fun. The brand new couch covered in White-Out? (Oh yea, that really happened here.) Twenty years from now, it’ll be some college kid’s hand-me-down and that is IF it survives my kids’ childhood.
And, this has been a regular, nearly daily, reminder to me to think about what am I really trying to accomplish as a mom. As I choose activities for them to participate in, as I allot household funds for upcoming events, and as I worry about if I’m doing the right things and making the right choices as a parent, I fall back on this phrase.
“Will this really matter in 20 years?”
(DaHubby) and I have had a couple rough years financially. We have our beliefs to buoy and strengthen us but we’ve also had to make some tough choices about where our money is going. Particularly around Christmas. Our tree only had applesauce ornaments and paper chains this year – partially due to safety, partially due to finances. Each of my babies only got one gift each. We had to scrape together some extra cash to go over to the Detroit area to see my family. And, we went to my family’s homes without store-bought gifts – only baskets with baked goods and some cans of tomatoes from our garden last summer.
Now I don’t tell you all this for sympathy. I tell you this to tell you that despite our money struggles that this really was one of the best holidays we have ever had. No crazy shopping. No breathless running around. Just time. Time to spend hanging out, making popcorn, watching movies, seeing the lights, making cookies, visiting friends, visiting family. And, some down time to just sit and play with the kids and just talk to (DaHubby) was better than any gift we could have bought.
So, as you face the rest of winter and look towards the beginning of Spring, maybe take some time to consider what you are spending your time on. As all moms everywhere know, we only get 24 hours in a day. Are we investing those hours, that sweat and those tears, into something we will be proud to look back on when our babies are off making lives of their own? Instead of wringing every minute out of our days to stick in one more errand, activity, or commitment, maybe we should be looking at some things we can let go of. Things that won’t really matter in 20 years.
Those who have made the choice to wear their brand of faith a little more prominently have had some issues. There's been issues over email signatures lines in emails going to the entire group containing Scripture. Those who don't "do" Halloween and Christmas don't participate in activities with trick or treating and Santa. Those that don't drink generally won't attend the MOMS Nights Out or Couples Nights Out due to the location of the activity (like a bar) or the fact that so many bring wine and beer to gatherings. And, in a group of nearly 60, probably less than 5 are considering home schooling as a long-term solution.
I have been spending time thinking and praying about what I should write for my little get-to-know-me debut. Here's what I wrote this morning...what do you all think?
Never wake a sleeping baby. Read to your kids every day. Prunes and applesauce are a constipated kid’s best friend. Think back (and it’s not too far back for some of us) to when you were a brand new, first time mom. We were inundated with buckets full of advice from well-intentioned folks. Some of it was helpful; some of it was not. And, we are all managing to find our way as moms regardless.
However, I’ve been thinking lately about what is some of the best advice I’ve received. I was thinking of advice that outlasted a particular circumstance or age group. And, was there a golden nugget of advice that could cross the lines of parenting philosophy, political beliefs, lifestyle, and the like. And, it occurred to me that (DaHubby) and I have one that we are trying to use everyday.
“Will this really matter in 20 years?”
Have to have the newest gadget and/or its update? In 20 years, it will be obsolete. The intentional (or unintentional) slight from a friend or family? In 20 years, it could be an event at which you’ll poke fun. The brand new couch covered in White-Out? (Oh yea, that really happened here.) Twenty years from now, it’ll be some college kid’s hand-me-down and that is IF it survives my kids’ childhood.
And, this has been a regular, nearly daily, reminder to me to think about what am I really trying to accomplish as a mom. As I choose activities for them to participate in, as I allot household funds for upcoming events, and as I worry about if I’m doing the right things and making the right choices as a parent, I fall back on this phrase.
“Will this really matter in 20 years?”
(DaHubby) and I have had a couple rough years financially. We have our beliefs to buoy and strengthen us but we’ve also had to make some tough choices about where our money is going. Particularly around Christmas. Our tree only had applesauce ornaments and paper chains this year – partially due to safety, partially due to finances. Each of my babies only got one gift each. We had to scrape together some extra cash to go over to the Detroit area to see my family. And, we went to my family’s homes without store-bought gifts – only baskets with baked goods and some cans of tomatoes from our garden last summer.
Now I don’t tell you all this for sympathy. I tell you this to tell you that despite our money struggles that this really was one of the best holidays we have ever had. No crazy shopping. No breathless running around. Just time. Time to spend hanging out, making popcorn, watching movies, seeing the lights, making cookies, visiting friends, visiting family. And, some down time to just sit and play with the kids and just talk to (DaHubby) was better than any gift we could have bought.
So, as you face the rest of winter and look towards the beginning of Spring, maybe take some time to consider what you are spending your time on. As all moms everywhere know, we only get 24 hours in a day. Are we investing those hours, that sweat and those tears, into something we will be proud to look back on when our babies are off making lives of their own? Instead of wringing every minute out of our days to stick in one more errand, activity, or commitment, maybe we should be looking at some things we can let go of. Things that won’t really matter in 20 years.
More domain problems *sigh*
FYI - No email, banner photo, or button jpegs/gifs since Saturday night. Last time, it appeared to come back on when someone showed up at the office the next business day around 8am and noticed something was wrong. LOL
So, basically, when you can see my banner photo, the problem's been fixed! *wink*
So, basically, when you can see my banner photo, the problem's been fixed! *wink*
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
">
