My apologies for not posting in quite a while. When I was single and had no children I always felt like people used the holidays as an excuse for not getting things done. Don't get me wrong, I had a life as a single person and kept busy, but it's a whole new ballgame with kids.
It's not so much the child, but all that comes with having a child, like all the family that want to spend time with you now because of your offspring.
Grandmama, PawPaw, Uncle Brad, Great grandma Ruth, Grammy Pat, Aunt Barb, Uncle Rich,Cousin Kathryn and Uncle Jimmy are now all part of the holiday festivities. There were multiple trips to the airport to pick up family who flew in and multiple trips in the car to drive all over the valley to visit with family. It's just been busy, busy, busy!
But busy, busy, busy also means wonderful times with the people we love the most. Yes there has been a lot of driving around and many trips to the gas station, but it's all okay when it means that we get to spend time with our loved ones.
All this to say that I haven't posted in a while. Family is flying home in a couple of days and life will return to what we call normal shortly. More consistent posts to come.
Monday, December 26, 2011
Tuesday, December 13, 2011
How the Grocery Store Helped Save My Sanity
Winter has officially come, AZ style that is. I know for my friends in cold weather climates, what we call winter in AZ does not even begin to compare to what you experience and I know this personally since I lived in IL for 11 years. But when you live in 100+ degree weather for nearly 6 months out of the year 50 degree highs seem cold and then if you through rain into the mix forgetaboutit! It's winter!
So this being said, winter began yesterday. With a high in the low 50s and rain, rain, and more rain, it was winter. This meant that rather than brave the cold and wet, the peanut and I stayed indoors all day.
In theory this seemed like a good idea, but the reality of it was far from good. Mad props to all the moms who live in places like Illinois, South Dakota, and Virginia, you know who you are, because you deal with horrible weather all winter long and I honestly don't know how you do it.
The plan was to to hang around the house and play. Anyone who has attempted this plan with a 10 month old knows exactly what kind of a day I had. In fact, it wasn't just me that had a rough day. My daughter actually kept crawling over to the patio door and standing there looking out longingly. Then she would take a break to lick the glass and then go back to her longing gaze. Lick. Stare. Lick. Stare. She did a lot of that all day.
By the time my husband got up, he sleeps during the day because he works nights, I had just about lost my mind and needed to get out of the house to maintain my sanity. He barely walked out of the bedroom when I passed our daughter off to him and told him that I had to get to the grocery store.
Like the wind I was out the door.
Most people generally don't enjoy grocery shopping, but do it because it's a necessary evil. We need to eat to live. It's that simple. Not me, yesterday's trip to the grocery became a therapeutic event.
So, even the most mundane things like grocery shopping can become a blessing in the right circumstances. Now, if I could only find a blessing in cleaning the toilets.
So this being said, winter began yesterday. With a high in the low 50s and rain, rain, and more rain, it was winter. This meant that rather than brave the cold and wet, the peanut and I stayed indoors all day.
In theory this seemed like a good idea, but the reality of it was far from good. Mad props to all the moms who live in places like Illinois, South Dakota, and Virginia, you know who you are, because you deal with horrible weather all winter long and I honestly don't know how you do it.
The plan was to to hang around the house and play. Anyone who has attempted this plan with a 10 month old knows exactly what kind of a day I had. In fact, it wasn't just me that had a rough day. My daughter actually kept crawling over to the patio door and standing there looking out longingly. Then she would take a break to lick the glass and then go back to her longing gaze. Lick. Stare. Lick. Stare. She did a lot of that all day.
By the time my husband got up, he sleeps during the day because he works nights, I had just about lost my mind and needed to get out of the house to maintain my sanity. He barely walked out of the bedroom when I passed our daughter off to him and told him that I had to get to the grocery store.
Like the wind I was out the door.
Most people generally don't enjoy grocery shopping, but do it because it's a necessary evil. We need to eat to live. It's that simple. Not me, yesterday's trip to the grocery became a therapeutic event.
So, even the most mundane things like grocery shopping can become a blessing in the right circumstances. Now, if I could only find a blessing in cleaning the toilets.
Monday, December 12, 2011
What I Learned at the Farmer's Market
We are very fortunate to live within walking distance of our local farmer's market, so nearly every Saturday I throw the peanut in the stroller and we head up there. Some weeks it is very crowded, but other weeks not so much and I must say that I prefer the less crowded weeks. Believe or not it is much easier to people watch and meet new friends with fewer people, doesn't make sense, I know.
So, while at the farmer's market we meander and check out the different vendors selling their wares. It's pretty much the same every week, sometimes they move which totally throws me off. I have some favorites that I always stop by to visit, which now seems to feel like visiting with a friends because of the frequency of our visits. One of our favorites is the flavored olive oil and vinegar place. They have a shop nearby too which I visit while walking with the peanut. It's a healthy obsession, no restraining orders yet.
So, last week while at the market, I walked by my friend selling her olive oil and stopped to visit. The conversation began when she noticed my daughters teeth that have come in and asked how she has been handling teething. Fine, I said, she's not been too crabby. Because, of course, all children who are teething are crabby, right? It's the generic explanation for crabbiness in the stroller set. There was a customer there who I quickly got to know because she was so friendly and I loved what she had to say about the subject. She said that the next time she was crabby at work she was going to explain that it was because she was teething. Hah!
We started chatting about being mommies. Each of us with a daughter at a very different stage of their lives and with very different personalities. It was so much fun to hear the differing perspectives on what it means to be a mom. But what it all boiled down to was protecting our little ones, now matter how it looked.
What a great morning!
So, what did I learn at the farmer's market? Some of what I learned is pretty standard like you can get fresh, organic, locally grown produce. Duh! How about you can actually make a living selling horseradish? What about how fabulous dehydrated onions are? These are all things I have learned, but more importantly I have learned that my daughter has the ability to make perfect strangers into friends!
So, while at the farmer's market we meander and check out the different vendors selling their wares. It's pretty much the same every week, sometimes they move which totally throws me off. I have some favorites that I always stop by to visit, which now seems to feel like visiting with a friends because of the frequency of our visits. One of our favorites is the flavored olive oil and vinegar place. They have a shop nearby too which I visit while walking with the peanut. It's a healthy obsession, no restraining orders yet.
So, last week while at the market, I walked by my friend selling her olive oil and stopped to visit. The conversation began when she noticed my daughters teeth that have come in and asked how she has been handling teething. Fine, I said, she's not been too crabby. Because, of course, all children who are teething are crabby, right? It's the generic explanation for crabbiness in the stroller set. There was a customer there who I quickly got to know because she was so friendly and I loved what she had to say about the subject. She said that the next time she was crabby at work she was going to explain that it was because she was teething. Hah!
We started chatting about being mommies. Each of us with a daughter at a very different stage of their lives and with very different personalities. It was so much fun to hear the differing perspectives on what it means to be a mom. But what it all boiled down to was protecting our little ones, now matter how it looked.
What a great morning!
So, what did I learn at the farmer's market? Some of what I learned is pretty standard like you can get fresh, organic, locally grown produce. Duh! How about you can actually make a living selling horseradish? What about how fabulous dehydrated onions are? These are all things I have learned, but more importantly I have learned that my daughter has the ability to make perfect strangers into friends!
Sunday, December 11, 2011
Duck and Cover Again
Alright, I had planned to write about what I learned at the Farmer's Market, but then what had been averted last night through my stellar tactical skills happened tonight because Daddy did not exercise those same skills. Evidently he does not read my blog =)
As I mentioned last night, we live in a two bedroom condo. The part I didn't mention was that we have very little closet space, but a lot of stuff that needs to live in a closet. What that means is that we had to get creative. Our daughter doesn't have a ton of stuff that needs to live in a closet and Daddy doesn't have a ton of stuff that needs to live in a closet, but Mommy does, so.......Daddy and daughter get to share (for now). However, that means that sometimes Daddy has to go into the peanut's room when she is sleeping to get something out of their shared closet.which is what happened tonight.
Now this is not a big deal normally, but apparently tonight, the peanut was not sleeping very soundly. Enter Daddy. She evidently woke up, but because Daddy did not duck and cover, he was spotted and up she was. So he brought her to me, all wrapped up snug in her blanket, to get her back to sleep because he had to get ready for work.
The whole situation turned out to be a huge blessing. My daughter has never been a very cuddly, snugly little peanut. In fact, I must say that I have found myself sometimes envying other mothers I see who have these babies that are little cuddle bugs who love to be held. My daughter has always had better things to do than just sit in Mommy's lap and let Mommy hold her. There have been times that I just wanted to say to her, "Come on already, I carried you for 9 months, and then there's the whole giving birth thing. Can't you just give Mommy a little snuggle time."
Now, the one exception has always been bedtime, that is one time that she likes to cozy up and snuggle. However, Daddy has been handling bedtime now for a few months, so there have been very few opportunities for Mommy to cuddle with her peanut.
Tonight became one of those opportunities. Wrapped up, like a little bug in a rug, she just laid with her head upon my chest and let me hold her until she fell asleep. It was wonderful! Maybe I shouldn't duck and cover after all, I might get to cuddle with my baby girl more.
As I mentioned last night, we live in a two bedroom condo. The part I didn't mention was that we have very little closet space, but a lot of stuff that needs to live in a closet. What that means is that we had to get creative. Our daughter doesn't have a ton of stuff that needs to live in a closet and Daddy doesn't have a ton of stuff that needs to live in a closet, but Mommy does, so.......Daddy and daughter get to share (for now). However, that means that sometimes Daddy has to go into the peanut's room when she is sleeping to get something out of their shared closet.which is what happened tonight.
Now this is not a big deal normally, but apparently tonight, the peanut was not sleeping very soundly. Enter Daddy. She evidently woke up, but because Daddy did not duck and cover, he was spotted and up she was. So he brought her to me, all wrapped up snug in her blanket, to get her back to sleep because he had to get ready for work.
The whole situation turned out to be a huge blessing. My daughter has never been a very cuddly, snugly little peanut. In fact, I must say that I have found myself sometimes envying other mothers I see who have these babies that are little cuddle bugs who love to be held. My daughter has always had better things to do than just sit in Mommy's lap and let Mommy hold her. There have been times that I just wanted to say to her, "Come on already, I carried you for 9 months, and then there's the whole giving birth thing. Can't you just give Mommy a little snuggle time."
Now, the one exception has always been bedtime, that is one time that she likes to cozy up and snuggle. However, Daddy has been handling bedtime now for a few months, so there have been very few opportunities for Mommy to cuddle with her peanut.
Tonight became one of those opportunities. Wrapped up, like a little bug in a rug, she just laid with her head upon my chest and let me hold her until she fell asleep. It was wonderful! Maybe I shouldn't duck and cover after all, I might get to cuddle with my baby girl more.
Duck and Cover
Tactical skills are a must for being a mommy. Case in point, last night. I'm not proud of what I am about to share and I'm hoping that I am not alone in this. Please say I'm not alone in this. Please.
My family lives in a two bedroom condo, so when our daughter goes to bed we close the door so that the noise we make futzing about the house doesn't wake her up. But, we like her door to be open when we go to bed so that it doesn't get too cold or too hot in her room. Got it. This is where I come in. Every night before I go to bed I go into her room and check on her and make sure that she is covered and warm now that it is winter. Such a good mommy, right? We're not going to go into the whole blanket, no blanket, SIDS, debate right now. It's crocheted, it's got little holes for air all over it just in case.
So last night I go in to check on my daughter and find that she is laying on top of her blanket. Not going to do her any good. So, I stealthily start to pull the blanket out from under her and just as I get it out from her, her little eyes pop open. So, what does a good mommy like me do? Duck and cover.
You read it right. I dropped to the ground faster than you can say, "Boo" and curled up into a little ball hoping against all hope that she didn't see me. Waiting, I heard a lot of movement and even some of her, I'm waking up chatter. All I could think was that I couldn't believe I woke her up. After a few minutes, the moving stopped and so did the sweet little sounds. It appeared that she had gone back to sleep.
Slowly and quietly I rose from my covert position and confirmed that yes indeed she was asleep. I put the blanket back over her and quietly left her room.
So am I the only one whose ever done something like that? I knew if she saw me it would be all over. She would be up and would want to play. See, I think that I was being a good mommy by exercising my tactical skills. She needed her sleep. That's all that I was doing insuring that she got her sleep. Justification, gotta love it, right?
My family lives in a two bedroom condo, so when our daughter goes to bed we close the door so that the noise we make futzing about the house doesn't wake her up. But, we like her door to be open when we go to bed so that it doesn't get too cold or too hot in her room. Got it. This is where I come in. Every night before I go to bed I go into her room and check on her and make sure that she is covered and warm now that it is winter. Such a good mommy, right? We're not going to go into the whole blanket, no blanket, SIDS, debate right now. It's crocheted, it's got little holes for air all over it just in case.
So last night I go in to check on my daughter and find that she is laying on top of her blanket. Not going to do her any good. So, I stealthily start to pull the blanket out from under her and just as I get it out from her, her little eyes pop open. So, what does a good mommy like me do? Duck and cover.
You read it right. I dropped to the ground faster than you can say, "Boo" and curled up into a little ball hoping against all hope that she didn't see me. Waiting, I heard a lot of movement and even some of her, I'm waking up chatter. All I could think was that I couldn't believe I woke her up. After a few minutes, the moving stopped and so did the sweet little sounds. It appeared that she had gone back to sleep.
Slowly and quietly I rose from my covert position and confirmed that yes indeed she was asleep. I put the blanket back over her and quietly left her room.
So am I the only one whose ever done something like that? I knew if she saw me it would be all over. She would be up and would want to play. See, I think that I was being a good mommy by exercising my tactical skills. She needed her sleep. That's all that I was doing insuring that she got her sleep. Justification, gotta love it, right?
Saturday, December 10, 2011
Hey Butch!
Alright, so my daughter didn't come out with enough hair that you could braid it when she was born, like some children. In fact, she kind of looked like a Franciscan monk, you know, she had a ring of hair from ear to ear and not a lot on top. And even without a ton of hair she was still the most beautiful baby girl ever! Ever!
Now, flash forward 10 months. My daughter has considerably more hair now than when we first met, but long flowing locks they are not. In fact, there isn't even enough hair to use a barrette and certainly not enough for a pony tail. So, this can create a challenge for strangers.
You see, I have learned in my time as a mommy, from random strangers, that it does not mean that my child is a girl if she is wearing pink or purple or has on hearts or flowers. Many, many people have shared this wisdom with me after they have told me what a cute little boy I have.
Now, the icing on the cake though was when we took our little peanut (that's what I call my daughter) to visit great grandma who lives in an area populated by those who have lived many years. We're taking her out of the car and great-grandma's neighbor decides to stop over for a quick visit. That is when he proceeded to greet my daughter with, "Hey Butch!"
I have been dealing with folks referring to my beautiful baby girl as a boy for a while now and I have developed a sense of humor about it, so I can laugh off, "Hey Butch." I can even laugh off my own family referring to her as a he. Yes, that has happened on several occasions, but that is another story. So, I want to offer a little free, friendly, motherly advice.
When you meet someones precious little cherub, ask this question FIRST, "What is your little one's name?" Then if they respond with a Samuel, Nick, Thomas, or countless other male names please feel free to say, "Hey Butch!" However, I don't recommend that greeting for a Samantha, Nicole, or Olivia. I'm just saying.
Now, flash forward 10 months. My daughter has considerably more hair now than when we first met, but long flowing locks they are not. In fact, there isn't even enough hair to use a barrette and certainly not enough for a pony tail. So, this can create a challenge for strangers.
You see, I have learned in my time as a mommy, from random strangers, that it does not mean that my child is a girl if she is wearing pink or purple or has on hearts or flowers. Many, many people have shared this wisdom with me after they have told me what a cute little boy I have.
Now, the icing on the cake though was when we took our little peanut (that's what I call my daughter) to visit great grandma who lives in an area populated by those who have lived many years. We're taking her out of the car and great-grandma's neighbor decides to stop over for a quick visit. That is when he proceeded to greet my daughter with, "Hey Butch!"
I have been dealing with folks referring to my beautiful baby girl as a boy for a while now and I have developed a sense of humor about it, so I can laugh off, "Hey Butch." I can even laugh off my own family referring to her as a he. Yes, that has happened on several occasions, but that is another story. So, I want to offer a little free, friendly, motherly advice.
When you meet someones precious little cherub, ask this question FIRST, "What is your little one's name?" Then if they respond with a Samuel, Nick, Thomas, or countless other male names please feel free to say, "Hey Butch!" However, I don't recommend that greeting for a Samantha, Nicole, or Olivia. I'm just saying.
Thursday, December 8, 2011
Sovereign or Not
I once heard Ravi Zacharias talk on the sovereignty of God many years ago and something he said has stuck with me all these years. What he said made me question my understanding of God's sovereignty and made me really contemplate if I truly believed that God was sovereign. Since it was so long ago, I can't share word for word, but I can give you my paraphrase which essentially goes something like this...........
.........If we can say that God is sovereign when life is good and everything is going according to plan then we should also be able to say that God is sovereign when life is not so good, when we are going through uncertain and scary times.
I have come to realize that how I contemplate God's sovereignty during the tough times, depends wholly on my knowledge of and my relationship with the Lord. I will never be able to say that God is sovereign when dealing with the challenges of life if I have not wrestled with who He is through time spent with Him, in prayer, in the study of the Word, in the fellowship of other believers.
Recently I had the opportunity to revisit my understanding of God's sovereignty in an uncertain and potentially scary time of life and once again I can say with the utmost confidence that God is truly sovereign!
Wednesday, December 7, 2011
The Best Chocolate Chip Cookies Ever
Now that I am a mommy, I find that I don't have a lot of time to waste especially when it comes to time in the kitchen. I love to cook and bake, but it's so frustrating when I try a recipe for the first time and the result makes me realize that the time I spent cooking could have been time I spent doing something much better like playing with my daughter. I know this sounds like an ad already, but I have found some of the best recipes around and they are from the folks at America's Test Kitchen. I know that if I use one of their recipes the result will definitely be worth the time and effort spent in the kitchen. Case in point, I used their Cook's Country recipe magazine to make some of the best chocolate chip cookies I have ever made. Not to toot my own horn or anything, but they taste like something I would have bought at a bakery. Wish I could share with you through the web, but I guess you will just have to make your own. It'll be worth it, trust me. It's too bad that my little peanut is too little to have a cookie just yet, but I have a feeling I will be making a lot more of these.
Commemorating Ten Months
Every month on the day that Olivia was born I take pictures to commemorate that she is another month older. I know, I know it can seem a bit overboard, but I want to create memories and have something to look back over in the months and years to come. I hope you enjoy my little peanut! Happy birthday Olivia!
Reflecting on the Past While Looking to the Future
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| Shortly After She Was Born |
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| Nearly 10 Months Old |
Tuesday, December 6, 2011
The Beginning
Shortly after I had my daughter, a friend, after reading one of my many posts on Facebook about my new adventures in being a mommy told me I should start a blog. I was still slightly overwhelmed with all of my new responsibilities in being a mommy plus I thought, even if I did know how to start a blog, would people actually read it. It's one thing to read a friend's post on Facebook, it's another thing for someone, possibly a complete stranger to take the time to read my musings on motherhood.
Well, here I am, starting a blog and about what? Motherly wisdom. I, in no way, claim to be all knowing, nor do I claim to be a little knowing when it comes to motherhood. However, I have fumbled my way through nearly a year as a mother and have learned a couple of things along the way, things that I'm sure every mom has had to learn through trial and error, life's greatest teachers. I have also heard a lot of advice from very well-meaning people, some strangers, some friends, and even my own mother. So whether you are a mom or you just have a mom, hopefully you will enjoy my musings on motherhood.
Well, here I am, starting a blog and about what? Motherly wisdom. I, in no way, claim to be all knowing, nor do I claim to be a little knowing when it comes to motherhood. However, I have fumbled my way through nearly a year as a mother and have learned a couple of things along the way, things that I'm sure every mom has had to learn through trial and error, life's greatest teachers. I have also heard a lot of advice from very well-meaning people, some strangers, some friends, and even my own mother. So whether you are a mom or you just have a mom, hopefully you will enjoy my musings on motherhood.
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