So over the last 2 weeks or more, I've completed tons of acts of kindness. I've tried to help tons of people, but I don't think that I can remember everything that I've done. I've given big tips, left a slew of quarters at different places that I'd been on the candy/toy machines, made even more cookies and dropped them off at church for the staff, and also kept some to give out on the playground for AnnElise and all of Sonshine School friends, we've helped take carts into the grocery store when they were completely out, bought care bags of toiletries to hand out to the homeless as we see them out on the street begging, I've sent random notes to people to let them know I appreciate their friendship, tried to pick up a girl walking with groceries in both hands (the kids were staying with their grandparents, otherwise I don't try to pick up strangers), but she refused so I helped her understand M'boro public transportation, "Rover"(she was asian), helped mom's with kids put groceries in their car, and I've volunteered to help out at church. I'm sure there's more, but its been a while since I last posted.
Over the last couple of weeks, I've read countless blog entries about helping people out, but they all spend SO much money on these things. We just don't have SO much money, and its really opened me up more on the everyday things that I can do for people on the cheap. I also love that I have the kids with me most of the time. I hope they can learn to go out of their way to help someone when they see it. I have also learned that some people are just not so thankful, but to just keep on doing and giving without expecting anything in return.
I've taken several pictures in the process of this, but I'll save it for the last post.
Friday, October 26, 2012
Monday, October 8, 2012
Acts of Kindness the last 5 days
Well, once again, I've found myself busy, busy. You'd think a stay @ home mom wouldn't be so busy, but I am. Play dates take a lot of our time. I don't necessarily try to do a lot of play dates, but it just happens. I'm finding more and more stay @ home moms that have kids around AnnElise's age and she just loves these sweet girls so much, particularly Aden, my friend Claire's little girl and Anna, our friend Catherine Robinson's little girl. I am so glad that Catherine moved back from Colorado and I'm sure she's so happy to be back around friends and family.
So the last few days, I'm finding it hard to think of easy, free or cheap acts of kindness. If I don't start out thinking about it, it slips my mind. One that came easily to me was our adopted student, which we still haven't met. We were given his name 2 Sundays ago. I thought it may be a while before we could invite him over for dinner or talk to him b/c of our random schedule, so I went out and got him a Starbucks gift card and dropped it off at RFC through which we adopted him. While I was there, I also dropped off a couple of platefuls of homemade chocolate chip cookies for the college students. It also counted:) The student lounge was full for a Friday and at least one full plate was emptied before I even left. Food doesn't last long there. The next day I picked up a shift for a friend in Cool Springs. She needed coverage that day and it was more than I'd prefer to work on a Saturday, but I stuck it out. I also handed out more than than the usual of samples for people who weren't buying. I also did a makeover/consultation even though it wasn't on the schedule. During events, we usually want an appointment b/c we're busier than usual. Sunday, I taught a class full of the sweetest, smartest 5 year olds. They've been learning about Moses. There's so many great stories to tell about him. I have yet to do an act of kindness today, besides taking the kids out of the house so Daniel could have a quiet house for a bit and get some stuff done. I have to get out and run tonight so maybe something good will come out of it!
I feel like lately, even though I'm making a point to give more and be more open to seeing needs/wants that I'm receiving more than giving. I do have some of the sweetest, most thoughtful friends and family in my life. Maybe I can even it out and give more than I receive, but I am so grateful when it falls on me from time to time.
So the last few days, I'm finding it hard to think of easy, free or cheap acts of kindness. If I don't start out thinking about it, it slips my mind. One that came easily to me was our adopted student, which we still haven't met. We were given his name 2 Sundays ago. I thought it may be a while before we could invite him over for dinner or talk to him b/c of our random schedule, so I went out and got him a Starbucks gift card and dropped it off at RFC through which we adopted him. While I was there, I also dropped off a couple of platefuls of homemade chocolate chip cookies for the college students. It also counted:) The student lounge was full for a Friday and at least one full plate was emptied before I even left. Food doesn't last long there. The next day I picked up a shift for a friend in Cool Springs. She needed coverage that day and it was more than I'd prefer to work on a Saturday, but I stuck it out. I also handed out more than than the usual of samples for people who weren't buying. I also did a makeover/consultation even though it wasn't on the schedule. During events, we usually want an appointment b/c we're busier than usual. Sunday, I taught a class full of the sweetest, smartest 5 year olds. They've been learning about Moses. There's so many great stories to tell about him. I have yet to do an act of kindness today, besides taking the kids out of the house so Daniel could have a quiet house for a bit and get some stuff done. I have to get out and run tonight so maybe something good will come out of it!
I feel like lately, even though I'm making a point to give more and be more open to seeing needs/wants that I'm receiving more than giving. I do have some of the sweetest, most thoughtful friends and family in my life. Maybe I can even it out and give more than I receive, but I am so grateful when it falls on me from time to time.
Wednesday, October 3, 2012
31 Acts of Kindness: Rethinking Leftovers
I don't know how it is in most big cities, but I imagine it to be the same as it is here in Murfreesboro. We currently have one of the fastest growing cities in America. With the rapid growth we have, we also have an insane amount of street beggars. Its mostly at big intersections that make it very difficult to actually talk to them, but easy to wave a hand of money out of the window while waiting for the red light. Some of these people have to be making a ton of money based on what I've seen. Until recently, a lot people are seen handing out food and money to them. Lately, it seems that people are becoming jaded for seeing the same people day after day at the same location. I am as well. I expect someone to eat what I give them having their needs met for the moment and to put down the sign momentarily to enjoy a warm, free meal. I usually drive away seeing them put it near their backpack to continue holding up their sign probably to never eat a bite despite telling me that they're hungry. But, I'd much rather waste money on food for someone than to drop off money never knowing if I'm encouraging bad habits through gifted money.
I began dinner tonight, very early, and with intentions of making a plate of warm food for someone who needs it. If your cooking is anything like mine where you grossly overestimate how much everyone will eat, you'll be tired of leftovers after the two days and still have more than you know what to do with. We're always throwing out food. The dogs, goats and chickens love that I cook too much. Tonight, I still had leftovers even after dishing out a very large portion of spaghetti. I've helped a guy out with food before that I randomly met through church as he was trying to find a NA group there. I called him several times today thinking my dinner tonight would be for him, but I couldn't reach him when it was time. So I loaded the kids up and headed to the Y so I could go workout. On our way, I figured that I would see one of those beggars with the cardboard signs that reads "Homeless, anything helps!" and do a drop off. It took us a while to see one tonight. I guess they mostly go home to eat with their families around dinner time and already made their "wages" for the day.
Today, I hopefully helped out someone who needed it and it was little to no worries for me. It actually helped me out! I still had leftovers, but not so much that we couldn't eat it. I hate seeing food rot in our fridge. I'd like to think that our grocers give out food to a local homeless ministry before they're too bad to eat, but not many people think about doing that in our own kitchen. I hope I can change my mindset to think of others outside of our home to help out when I make way too much to eat. I will find someone ahead of time to ensure that its actually eaten and appreciates the freshness of it:)
I remember someone telling me that they were so grateful every time one of my family members invited them for dinner b/c they didn't have to worry about whether or not they'd eat that night. At least once a week I cook too much, so I'd like to keep this going. Maybe it'll give others a good idea for their leftovers. We have a hunger crisis going on all around us, but its difficult to find sometimes.
I began dinner tonight, very early, and with intentions of making a plate of warm food for someone who needs it. If your cooking is anything like mine where you grossly overestimate how much everyone will eat, you'll be tired of leftovers after the two days and still have more than you know what to do with. We're always throwing out food. The dogs, goats and chickens love that I cook too much. Tonight, I still had leftovers even after dishing out a very large portion of spaghetti. I've helped a guy out with food before that I randomly met through church as he was trying to find a NA group there. I called him several times today thinking my dinner tonight would be for him, but I couldn't reach him when it was time. So I loaded the kids up and headed to the Y so I could go workout. On our way, I figured that I would see one of those beggars with the cardboard signs that reads "Homeless, anything helps!" and do a drop off. It took us a while to see one tonight. I guess they mostly go home to eat with their families around dinner time and already made their "wages" for the day.
Today, I hopefully helped out someone who needed it and it was little to no worries for me. It actually helped me out! I still had leftovers, but not so much that we couldn't eat it. I hate seeing food rot in our fridge. I'd like to think that our grocers give out food to a local homeless ministry before they're too bad to eat, but not many people think about doing that in our own kitchen. I hope I can change my mindset to think of others outside of our home to help out when I make way too much to eat. I will find someone ahead of time to ensure that its actually eaten and appreciates the freshness of it:)
I remember someone telling me that they were so grateful every time one of my family members invited them for dinner b/c they didn't have to worry about whether or not they'd eat that night. At least once a week I cook too much, so I'd like to keep this going. Maybe it'll give others a good idea for their leftovers. We have a hunger crisis going on all around us, but its difficult to find sometimes.
Tuesday, October 2, 2012
31 days of intentional acts of kindness
Recently I began thinking that I don't help others as much as I should. There are times that I've had a clear opportunity to help someone out. Most of the time its in the grocery store with someone in front deciding whether to get chips or broccoli and when the total comes up, the person throws out the broccoli and several other items as they count what money they have. Who couldn't help those people afford something as simple as food. They are always grateful and I leave feeling good about it and even more thankful that I am able to help. So, for the next 30 days, I will be writing about some acts of kindness that I am doing with little or no money b/c we're raising a family on a single Firefighter's salary.
I don't have a plan for each day. Last night I got out late to do my running at the Y, then went to get groceries, but nothing popped out at me, until I started driving home. I started thinking about how much Daniel has been working, studying, driving, then coming home to help me out with the kids. Daniel has been working a ton. He has 2 jobs now, is in EMT school, has to complete a certain number of clinicals that are 12 hour days each, he's a deacon at church, and comes home to work really hard on the house/yard/farming/raising kids. So, my intentional act of kindness yesterday was giving Daniel a massage before bed. I never do that for him! He even begged me one night to massage his shoulders and neck b/c his doctor blamed a week long headache on tension.
Most days my acts of kindness will be directed at strangers, but there are days when it be for family. They deserve it too and are sometimes the most neglected by my kindness. I'll try to post everyday on it, but our days this month will be busy sometimes. Everyone loves the Fall with throwing parties, watching football, going to pumpkin patches and hayrides. Its all so much fun, but sometimes it goes by way too fast and we walk away with few memories b/c of the crazy fast pace of the days that were intended for lots of memories.
I don't have a plan for each day. Last night I got out late to do my running at the Y, then went to get groceries, but nothing popped out at me, until I started driving home. I started thinking about how much Daniel has been working, studying, driving, then coming home to help me out with the kids. Daniel has been working a ton. He has 2 jobs now, is in EMT school, has to complete a certain number of clinicals that are 12 hour days each, he's a deacon at church, and comes home to work really hard on the house/yard/farming/raising kids. So, my intentional act of kindness yesterday was giving Daniel a massage before bed. I never do that for him! He even begged me one night to massage his shoulders and neck b/c his doctor blamed a week long headache on tension.
Most days my acts of kindness will be directed at strangers, but there are days when it be for family. They deserve it too and are sometimes the most neglected by my kindness. I'll try to post everyday on it, but our days this month will be busy sometimes. Everyone loves the Fall with throwing parties, watching football, going to pumpkin patches and hayrides. Its all so much fun, but sometimes it goes by way too fast and we walk away with few memories b/c of the crazy fast pace of the days that were intended for lots of memories.
Monday, September 3, 2012
A few days in Paris
We just got back from a long trip to Paris. My oldest brother Damon got married and it was one of the most beautiful weddings I've been to. I loved the laid back style and the fact that Mary Ann and Damon didn't have any attendants, just 3 really cute flower girls just itching to walk down the aisle for a sucker. The weather turned out perfect. It rained before setting up and just after most of the clean up part, which is pretty awesome for an outside barn wedding. It was great to see Damon so happy and in love. They had friends from all over the states come in to celebrate with them. Such a beautiful wedding, day, and bride. We love that she is part of our family now!
I really enjoy visiting Paris, but I think AnnElise enjoys it more. She and Hardy were spoiled rotten. AnnElise didn't eat a single vegetable while we were there. I thought she had until I realized that Grandbobba was sneaking all of them off of her plate. Instead she was handed smarties by a sweet lady at church, cake, cookies, and suckers. Hardy was in the same boat as AnnElise. He had his 1st sucker at the wedding, and was given plenty of cake. They did, both, eat tons of fruit. Its still a treat for them. AnnElise picked apples from Mom's tree, and helped her pick okra for dinner one night. Grandbobba brought over a tractor tricycle for her, and she got sleep with Daniel one night and me another. Mostly we were afraid that she would wonder around the house late at night if one of us wasn't on the mattress with her. They both did surprisingly well with little sleep and crazy nap schedules. Everything else aside, AnnElise's favorite thing about Paris is my family. She adores each of them and gets plenty of attention from them.
We got to visit with Mama Dot for a bit. We just love her and hate that we can't visit with her as often b/c we're so far away.
We even got to hang out on the farm for a bit. I really like to watch the corn harvest, though it was a little depressing because of the drought. Hopefully farmer's insurance will kick in and help out a lot. I made a call as soon as we entered into Henry County to see about raw cow's milk. Much to my surprise, it was quite easy to find some. The kids have been drinking it up. I'm a big fan of it's health benefits. So much better than the vitamin depleted, homogenized milk from the store. Looks like I'll be milking a goat soon. We also tried Kefir for the 1st time. Its like drinking thinned yogurt, but also a lot healthier. AnnElise said she liked it, but only came back for a couple of sips. I'm not a fan of yogurt unless its in my smoothie.
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| AnnElise is in the middle waiting for her sucker |
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| What's the 1st thing a girl in a white dress do? Play in the dirt, of course! |
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| The mischievous little man! |
I really enjoy visiting Paris, but I think AnnElise enjoys it more. She and Hardy were spoiled rotten. AnnElise didn't eat a single vegetable while we were there. I thought she had until I realized that Grandbobba was sneaking all of them off of her plate. Instead she was handed smarties by a sweet lady at church, cake, cookies, and suckers. Hardy was in the same boat as AnnElise. He had his 1st sucker at the wedding, and was given plenty of cake. They did, both, eat tons of fruit. Its still a treat for them. AnnElise picked apples from Mom's tree, and helped her pick okra for dinner one night. Grandbobba brought over a tractor tricycle for her, and she got sleep with Daniel one night and me another. Mostly we were afraid that she would wonder around the house late at night if one of us wasn't on the mattress with her. They both did surprisingly well with little sleep and crazy nap schedules. Everything else aside, AnnElise's favorite thing about Paris is my family. She adores each of them and gets plenty of attention from them.
We got to visit with Mama Dot for a bit. We just love her and hate that we can't visit with her as often b/c we're so far away.
We even got to hang out on the farm for a bit. I really like to watch the corn harvest, though it was a little depressing because of the drought. Hopefully farmer's insurance will kick in and help out a lot. I made a call as soon as we entered into Henry County to see about raw cow's milk. Much to my surprise, it was quite easy to find some. The kids have been drinking it up. I'm a big fan of it's health benefits. So much better than the vitamin depleted, homogenized milk from the store. Looks like I'll be milking a goat soon. We also tried Kefir for the 1st time. Its like drinking thinned yogurt, but also a lot healthier. AnnElise said she liked it, but only came back for a couple of sips. I'm not a fan of yogurt unless its in my smoothie.
Monday, August 27, 2012
Hardy's 1st Birthday
Hardy turned 1 last Friday, YAY! I didn't expect him to do anything new that day, but sure enough, he learned to walk backwards. If my memory is correct, AnnElise began walking on her 1st birthday. She'd already taken several steps for over a month, but she became a walker that day. So, on Hardy's big day, he became a backwards walker. I watch him backing up to everything now. He had a fun day, but the most fun to be had was the day after for his party.
We've been working tirelessly over the last week or more getting the house ready and party planning. So much work is put into the 1st birthday party and they don't even remember it the next day. Our theme for his birthday was Olympics, even though they've been over for 2 weeks, I wanted to stick with it and play some games. Hardy and another little boy that is only a week younger kicked off the games with unrolling toilet paper, Hardy's favorite thing ever. Hardy definitely won since he's had quite a bit more practice. I have to give credit to Daniel for thinking of this game for the wee ones.
We had several games for the kids and gave gold medals to the winners at the closing ceremony. I think the kids favorite part was blow up water slide. I thought it might end up being too cool for it, but the weather was perfectly hot and humid for some water balloons and water slide.
Our awesome neighbor and small group friend made some special cupcakes in ice cream cones to resemble torches. She made all of the cakes and they were delicious. I think one slice had about 1,500 calories.
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| Cupcake torches |
Hardy really enjoyed his cake, but it took some time for him to realize that it was a good trade off from the watermelon he'd been gnawing on. As you can tell, he was really upset when I took the watermelon away from him. Once he got a good taste of cake, it was demolished and devoured.
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| Our favorite babysitter came to celebrate and thanks to her mother, we have all of these great pictures to help tell the story. |
Tuesday, August 21, 2012
Where has the time gone?
We've been super busy the last few weeks trying to finish up some projects around the house in time for Hardy's 1st birthday party. Thankfully our house will be in much better shape that AnnElise's 1st birthday. Daniel is busy as usual with the outside projects and I've been busy with the usual DIY decor and trying to keep my two little tornados from tearing up everything. It seems Hardy likes to follow in his big sister's footsteps and destroy the book shelf every time it gets reorganized from the last time. So, for now, the books remain on the floor. I know that as soon as I put them up, he'll be tearing them down again. Like most people's book shelves, books can't just be placed back up, there's an order to it: color, size, hardback/paperback, content, etc. It takes too much time for it to be destroyed in just under a minute. Plus, he doesn't touch them as long as they lay on the floor! So it looks like I'll be organizing the book shelf during Hardy's nap right before his party.
Besides Hardy's party there's so many things that I look foward to coming up soon. My favorite season is almost here, AnnElise will be starting a Mother's Day Out program, my oldest brother, Damon, is getting married, and Daniel will be back in school studying to be an EMT at the FD. While I'm not really looking forward to Daniel going back to school for a semester, I'll be happy for him to have it done and for it to help him in his career. It helps that he'll be in class for the 2 days a week that AnnElise will be at Sonshine School.
I have to admit that I am really excited for AnnElise to be in school a couple of days a week. I think she'll love it, and I know that she needs that extra socializing with other kids her age. Not only am I excited for her, I'm excited for myself as I'll have a bit of break, but not so much for Hardy. I know that Hardy will really miss her, but maybe there'll be a few less bruises and head bumps for him. I'm hoping that all of those bumps and bruises will toughen him up, but I think he could use a break from them. Maybe we'll have some more playing in the mud days since AnnElise can't stand to be dirty.
Besides Hardy's party there's so many things that I look foward to coming up soon. My favorite season is almost here, AnnElise will be starting a Mother's Day Out program, my oldest brother, Damon, is getting married, and Daniel will be back in school studying to be an EMT at the FD. While I'm not really looking forward to Daniel going back to school for a semester, I'll be happy for him to have it done and for it to help him in his career. It helps that he'll be in class for the 2 days a week that AnnElise will be at Sonshine School.
I have to admit that I am really excited for AnnElise to be in school a couple of days a week. I think she'll love it, and I know that she needs that extra socializing with other kids her age. Not only am I excited for her, I'm excited for myself as I'll have a bit of break, but not so much for Hardy. I know that Hardy will really miss her, but maybe there'll be a few less bruises and head bumps for him. I'm hoping that all of those bumps and bruises will toughen him up, but I think he could use a break from them. Maybe we'll have some more playing in the mud days since AnnElise can't stand to be dirty.
Monday, July 9, 2012
Sweet Summertime
Sorry about my long absence from blogging! I've been feeling overwhelmed lately. Hardy has been walking for over a month now, but just recently he's walking REALLY well and into everything. Well, he was into everything before, but it seems he's gotten faster at it. And with Hardy walking more, AnnElise has regressed in her potty training. I'm hoping to get this corrected fast. If AnnElise is back to using her potty all of the time by the end of this month, she can go to Cousin Camp at her Mamaw's and Papa's for an ENTIRE WEEK. I know AnnElise would have so much fun, but I also have a lot to gain from this as well. I'm keeping my fingers crossed and lots of M&Ms on hand to get her back on track. She can only go if she's potty trained. Mamaw and Papa are really brave for planning an entire week trying to keep up with 7 kids.
Aside from Hardy walking now, he just had ear surgery last week to get tubes. He seems sick a lot. Every time he got a runny nose, he also got an ear infection. He'd been on 4 antibiotics in 6 months so we decided tubes were his best option. A super quick procedure early one morning and he was back to normal the very next day. Now, we're on to planning Hardy's 1st Birthday party. Time surely seems to fly by with 2 very active children.
Aside from trying to keep up with the kids, I've been trying to make everything I pin on pinterest. Being crafty is hard with young kids, but its nice to have something else to do especially with this killer heat wave and drought keeping us indoors more than normal. We have certainly taken advantage of the Y swimming pool this summer. I sense some relief this week, but I'm really looking forward to Fall.
Aside from Hardy walking now, he just had ear surgery last week to get tubes. He seems sick a lot. Every time he got a runny nose, he also got an ear infection. He'd been on 4 antibiotics in 6 months so we decided tubes were his best option. A super quick procedure early one morning and he was back to normal the very next day. Now, we're on to planning Hardy's 1st Birthday party. Time surely seems to fly by with 2 very active children.
Aside from trying to keep up with the kids, I've been trying to make everything I pin on pinterest. Being crafty is hard with young kids, but its nice to have something else to do especially with this killer heat wave and drought keeping us indoors more than normal. We have certainly taken advantage of the Y swimming pool this summer. I sense some relief this week, but I'm really looking forward to Fall.
Friday, May 11, 2012
Bed TIme AnnElise
As I sit here typing, I hear AnnElise in her bedroom loudly singing and clapping to Patty Cake, Oh God you are my God, ABC's, and Jesus Loves Me interchangeably. Its a routine that we hear most nights after we put her to bed. She doesn't go to sleep quietly. Some nights she talks to her animals and yells "no" at them over and over and sometimes she's yelling that at us. She'll go on and on yelling, "Mommy! NOoooo!" and switch out Mommy for Daddy or add in Hardy. Its really cute to me. She's so content talking and singing to herself. I know I say this all of the time, but she really does have such a sweet spirit.
AnnElise does not always exude her sweet spirit especially during errands to the grocery store. We were at Kroger yesterday when we passed up those huge carts with driving cars in the front. The carts at Kroger are not great (the ones a Publix don't feel like a bus so I never mind using it and AE can't climb out of it). They are low to the ground with a buckle that AnnElise can get out of repeatedly so we always get a regular one even when I have both of the kids. When we passed up the fun cart AnnElise threw a fit ALL through the store! I knew I couldn't make her happy so we hurried along and only got 4 things. Two different people who work for Kroger brought her a sucker and stickers and she was happy. Hardy doesn't ever mind. He's usually content and doesn't know much of a difference, for now. The employees talked and smiled at them. Hardy was eating it up and giggling, and AnnElise just kept on eating her sucker with no sign of a smile. Not everybody gets to see AnnElise's sweet spirit. Sometimes they see her tired, stubborn spirit. I'm happy to see both. I appreciate it and love her more wholly for it.
Just tonight, she had me in tears as she threw out prayer requests. She mentioned EVERY single person on Daniel's side of the family and a couple from my side, as well as Daniel, Hardy and me. Here's the surprise, AnnElise even remembered to pray for Hannah's belly baby, a baby girl due in Sept. I'm shocked that she was listening to me when I told her about Hannah having a girl and even wanted to include her in prayer. Sometimes AnnElise's tired, stubborn spirit wears thin on my nerves after a day of tantrums, but her sweet spirit always wins when its time for prayer, Bible story, and singing.
AnnElise does not always exude her sweet spirit especially during errands to the grocery store. We were at Kroger yesterday when we passed up those huge carts with driving cars in the front. The carts at Kroger are not great (the ones a Publix don't feel like a bus so I never mind using it and AE can't climb out of it). They are low to the ground with a buckle that AnnElise can get out of repeatedly so we always get a regular one even when I have both of the kids. When we passed up the fun cart AnnElise threw a fit ALL through the store! I knew I couldn't make her happy so we hurried along and only got 4 things. Two different people who work for Kroger brought her a sucker and stickers and she was happy. Hardy doesn't ever mind. He's usually content and doesn't know much of a difference, for now. The employees talked and smiled at them. Hardy was eating it up and giggling, and AnnElise just kept on eating her sucker with no sign of a smile. Not everybody gets to see AnnElise's sweet spirit. Sometimes they see her tired, stubborn spirit. I'm happy to see both. I appreciate it and love her more wholly for it.
Just tonight, she had me in tears as she threw out prayer requests. She mentioned EVERY single person on Daniel's side of the family and a couple from my side, as well as Daniel, Hardy and me. Here's the surprise, AnnElise even remembered to pray for Hannah's belly baby, a baby girl due in Sept. I'm shocked that she was listening to me when I told her about Hannah having a girl and even wanted to include her in prayer. Sometimes AnnElise's tired, stubborn spirit wears thin on my nerves after a day of tantrums, but her sweet spirit always wins when its time for prayer, Bible story, and singing.
Sunday, May 6, 2012
Isaiah 41:10 condensed
Its never too early to start teaching Bible verses! I am a very proud mama. North Blvd CofC sends out a memory verse for our kids to learn. This is the shortened version of the one they sent out b/c we tried the longer version, but its just not happening yet. I'll keep working on it and hopefully I can get her to memorize ALL of it, but its pretty long for a 2 year old. It was hard to capture this on camera. She kept moving and jumping around then climbing over the couch. I even tried to bribe her with a cookie to be still. This is the best we could do! ENJOY:)
Thursday, May 3, 2012
World's BIGGEST Fish Fry
We survived the World's Biggest Fish Fry! Well, we didn't actually go to the Fish Fry to eat fish (they fry up over a ton of fish, hence the name) this year, but we did go to the parade and to the carnival. AnnElise had fun and Hardy just hung in there. Maybe next year Hardy will have a lot more fun. We got to hang out with family and see some friends. It was a good weekend and great to see all of the family and even hang out with the future sister in law!  |
| AnnElise and her Uncle Damon flew the trick kite |
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| She helped Nana cook breakfast... in matching style |
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| Uncle Joe let her play his guitar, its a tradition now |
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| She got to hang out with her very cool Aunt Ashley |
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| We got in two visits with Mama Dot |
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| and rode the carousel with her daddy |
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| Oh, and we got to hang out with the future SIL! |
Thursday, March 22, 2012
2 Months
A lot can happen in just 2 months for a wee little lad I know and his big sister. Sorry for being so lazy with this blog recently. I just haven't thought about it. So here's the latest with Hardy, he is 6 months now. Time surely seems to have gone by faster with the 2nd than with the 1st. Hardy is just so great and everyone lets me know that they think the same thing. He has a sweet, happy personality. In the last month he has begun to crawl, pull up to standing, cruising furniture, and he can also stand up all on his own for just a bit without pulling himself up. I'm constantly amazed by his will to achieve these physical milestones. I guess he's just trying to keep up with AnnElise. He's happy, healthy, cuddly, and loving. I get the sweetest wet kisses every day by him. We are so blessed by our kids.
With AnnElise not much new is going on with her. She is potty trained although I put her in a diaper when we go to church. One Sunday, she pooped in her panties and as she ran around the room, it was falling out onto the floor. Makes me laugh thinking about it, but I don't want them to have to clean up that mess again from her stubbornness. There's nothing baby about her anymore it seems. She no longer takes a pacifier, she sleeps in a big girl bed, talks like a big girl, sits in a normal size chair at dinner, and no more diapers except for naps and bedtime. AnnElise is very independent. Recently she tells us when we try to help her, "no, AnnElise do it" or "no, AnnElise hold it". We're having issues child proofing. Lately its the light in her bedroom that she can turn on in the middle of the night, or getting into the fridge to pour a cup of milk, and unlocking the dead bolt and door knob to go outside. The fridge lock she's figured out already and we've had to take out the light bulbs in her room so she can't turn the lights on whenever she feels like it. So far, the door knobs are AnnElise proof, but I don't think it will take much time for her to figure out that she can easily take them apart. She will be starting Sonshine School in the Fall so I can have a break and she can get some much needed interaction with other kids her age a couple of days a week.
The George Farm is growing. We have 4 new baby chicks to hopefully give us some more eggs starting in late summer. Our nanny goat had a baby a couple of weeks ago. He's really cute and spunky. AnnElise likes him and even rode him one day. I think our cat might be pregnant, but I'm hopeful that she isn't. I guess I waited too long to get her fixed. I wouldn't doubt it if Duke were a daddy and we just didn't know it yet. He roams the neighborhood claiming a two mile radius as his, but every one likes him. He keeps the coyotes, snakes, and skunks away. Several people have said that he's the best mannered Great Pyrenees they've ever seen. Most others are scared of him b/c of his size, but not Ms. "Fearless" AnnElise.
I'll try to add a collection of pictures that I've been late on downloading to our computer.
With AnnElise not much new is going on with her. She is potty trained although I put her in a diaper when we go to church. One Sunday, she pooped in her panties and as she ran around the room, it was falling out onto the floor. Makes me laugh thinking about it, but I don't want them to have to clean up that mess again from her stubbornness. There's nothing baby about her anymore it seems. She no longer takes a pacifier, she sleeps in a big girl bed, talks like a big girl, sits in a normal size chair at dinner, and no more diapers except for naps and bedtime. AnnElise is very independent. Recently she tells us when we try to help her, "no, AnnElise do it" or "no, AnnElise hold it". We're having issues child proofing. Lately its the light in her bedroom that she can turn on in the middle of the night, or getting into the fridge to pour a cup of milk, and unlocking the dead bolt and door knob to go outside. The fridge lock she's figured out already and we've had to take out the light bulbs in her room so she can't turn the lights on whenever she feels like it. So far, the door knobs are AnnElise proof, but I don't think it will take much time for her to figure out that she can easily take them apart. She will be starting Sonshine School in the Fall so I can have a break and she can get some much needed interaction with other kids her age a couple of days a week.
The George Farm is growing. We have 4 new baby chicks to hopefully give us some more eggs starting in late summer. Our nanny goat had a baby a couple of weeks ago. He's really cute and spunky. AnnElise likes him and even rode him one day. I think our cat might be pregnant, but I'm hopeful that she isn't. I guess I waited too long to get her fixed. I wouldn't doubt it if Duke were a daddy and we just didn't know it yet. He roams the neighborhood claiming a two mile radius as his, but every one likes him. He keeps the coyotes, snakes, and skunks away. Several people have said that he's the best mannered Great Pyrenees they've ever seen. Most others are scared of him b/c of his size, but not Ms. "Fearless" AnnElise.
I'll try to add a collection of pictures that I've been late on downloading to our computer.
Monday, January 23, 2012
Potty Training!
AnnElise has been using her little potty for about a month now. She's been doing really, really well with it. So well, that Daniel decided to put her in panties for the first time as we ventured out to our small group meeting. She used the bathroom 3 times with no accidents. She also went to church the next day without any diapers and used the bathroom 1 time. She was clearly ready for it to be so easy. I will credit Daniel with her potty training. We are now using a lot less diapers which should save quite a bit of money. We still put her in a diaper at nap and bedtime. I just don't expect her wake up when she needs to go, plus that would mean I would have to wake up too to help. So happy to say that she is potty trained at just over 2 years old.
Hardy has slept for 12 hours the last 3 nights without any feedings. I'm also really excited to say that I have the best of both worlds with him. I can put him down fully awake for naps and bedtime and he'll go to sleep on his own, but I can also rock him to sleep when we're away from home and he needs to nap. AnnElise would not be rocked to sleep after we did the "cry it out" method. Which I highly recommend if you have a troubled sleeper. It has worked on both of ours with just a few tears in the beginning but far less in the long run. If you look it up, its not a torturous cry it out like many people think. But as a parent, you have to follow your intuitions and do what you feel is best for your little one. Just don't complain until you try all the sleep training techniques!
Hardy is also trying to go mobile. He's up and rocking on his hands and knees just before 5 months and can sit for a short period of time, but I still wouldn't call him a sitter just yet. Maybe when I can walk off and leave him sitting up then it'll be official.
Daniel and I are taking on some more responsibilities with work and church. Daniel accepted a position at church as a Deacon and he's working a full time job at the FD where his scheduled has changed from 24/48 to a 48/96 and he's selling fundraisers for school sports teams all over Middle Tennessee. I'm starting back at Clinique as a Promotional Consultant in Murfreesboro and Nashville areas during special events.
I'm pretty stoked about my new part time job. I can work as much or as little as I want and we still won't have to worry about someone else taking care of our kids since I'm working around Daniel's schedules. And I get paid to do something fun. Our 1st event is coming up and its a special event that only Middle TN (and Jacksonville, FL) is doing. Its a new Clinique GWP only at Belk locations. I can't give details yet, but its going to rock a Clinique lover's socks off compared to the usual GWP. If you love Clinique you'll want to check it out. I'm getting excited just thinking about it!
We also have some sad news to report. Daniel's favorite great Aunt, Ruth Daniels, is in the ICU. She just turned 90 and we've been meaning to get over to her for a visit, but now, I'm afraid we waited too long. She fell a few days ago and is now unresponsive. They've tried giving her fluids, but they're seeping out of her skin so she hasn't had anything to eat or drink in about 11 days now. If Hardy had been born a girl, we had Ruth picked out as a name after her. She is Jack Daniels' great-great niece, which makes Daniel's dad, Jack Daniels'.... well, I'm not sure how that works. Too much for my brain right now. So prayers are appreciated for her and her family as they prepare funeral arrangements and have to watch her suffer silently.
We're anxiously awaiting for our friends in Dar es Salaam Tanzania to have their 2nd baby, another girl. Christie had a really hard time with the 1st baby. She went two weeks overdue, delivered with pitocin though not necessary and no epidural (not an option). She also had a tough time healing and such. She's scheduled to have the baby in a different hospital this time around. The latest on her and her baby is that they think her amniotic fluid level is dropping and may induce depending on what an ultrasound reveals. Their family also welcomes prayer for a safe, healthy delivery and quick healing.
Hardy has slept for 12 hours the last 3 nights without any feedings. I'm also really excited to say that I have the best of both worlds with him. I can put him down fully awake for naps and bedtime and he'll go to sleep on his own, but I can also rock him to sleep when we're away from home and he needs to nap. AnnElise would not be rocked to sleep after we did the "cry it out" method. Which I highly recommend if you have a troubled sleeper. It has worked on both of ours with just a few tears in the beginning but far less in the long run. If you look it up, its not a torturous cry it out like many people think. But as a parent, you have to follow your intuitions and do what you feel is best for your little one. Just don't complain until you try all the sleep training techniques!
 |
| 4 month pic of Hardy! He looks so much like AnnElise. |
Hardy is also trying to go mobile. He's up and rocking on his hands and knees just before 5 months and can sit for a short period of time, but I still wouldn't call him a sitter just yet. Maybe when I can walk off and leave him sitting up then it'll be official.
Daniel and I are taking on some more responsibilities with work and church. Daniel accepted a position at church as a Deacon and he's working a full time job at the FD where his scheduled has changed from 24/48 to a 48/96 and he's selling fundraisers for school sports teams all over Middle Tennessee. I'm starting back at Clinique as a Promotional Consultant in Murfreesboro and Nashville areas during special events.
I'm pretty stoked about my new part time job. I can work as much or as little as I want and we still won't have to worry about someone else taking care of our kids since I'm working around Daniel's schedules. And I get paid to do something fun. Our 1st event is coming up and its a special event that only Middle TN (and Jacksonville, FL) is doing. Its a new Clinique GWP only at Belk locations. I can't give details yet, but its going to rock a Clinique lover's socks off compared to the usual GWP. If you love Clinique you'll want to check it out. I'm getting excited just thinking about it!
We also have some sad news to report. Daniel's favorite great Aunt, Ruth Daniels, is in the ICU. She just turned 90 and we've been meaning to get over to her for a visit, but now, I'm afraid we waited too long. She fell a few days ago and is now unresponsive. They've tried giving her fluids, but they're seeping out of her skin so she hasn't had anything to eat or drink in about 11 days now. If Hardy had been born a girl, we had Ruth picked out as a name after her. She is Jack Daniels' great-great niece, which makes Daniel's dad, Jack Daniels'.... well, I'm not sure how that works. Too much for my brain right now. So prayers are appreciated for her and her family as they prepare funeral arrangements and have to watch her suffer silently.
We're anxiously awaiting for our friends in Dar es Salaam Tanzania to have their 2nd baby, another girl. Christie had a really hard time with the 1st baby. She went two weeks overdue, delivered with pitocin though not necessary and no epidural (not an option). She also had a tough time healing and such. She's scheduled to have the baby in a different hospital this time around. The latest on her and her baby is that they think her amniotic fluid level is dropping and may induce depending on what an ultrasound reveals. Their family also welcomes prayer for a safe, healthy delivery and quick healing.
Tuesday, January 10, 2012
Does your spouse come 1st?
So here's a question that I've been pondering since I've had kids. Does (or should) your spouse come 1st? I have a hard time wanting to put him first, and I'm sure he has a hard time putting me first. For me, my kids have come 1st. I recently read an article on Baby Center about putting your spouse 1st. One of the things that makes it hard is going out on a date (just the two of us). 1st we would have to schedule it, then find a sitter, who we trust, and then we have to pay for the night out and for the sitter. Doesn't sound hard, right? Well, it is. I have a really hard time trusting someone else to keep my kids and worry that something bad will happen while I'm away. So I think, is it worth it to go on a date and risk something bad happening just so we can enjoy our dinners without interruption or sharing food with a messy toddler? And Daniel has a hard time fronting the money for a sitter and dinner. Both of our kids go to bed around 7, why can't we talk and put each other 1st during that time? So far, we usually just zone out in front of the TV or surf the internet, and I usually finish cleaning the dishes from dinner during that time. The last thing I want to do is put someone else at the top of my priorities after I've been putting my kids 1st all day long.
So, I'm not proud of this by any means, but here's the deal, Daniel and I have spent 2 nights out by ourselves in the last 2 or 3 years. Both of the times on our anniversary. We've passed up opportunities to go out b/c we don't have family that lives close by, and we don't use a sitter. One of those dates, we left AnnElise with Daniel's mom right after she was born. The second we left AE and Hardy with a couple from small group that lives pretty close to us. We came back and both said, we should do it more often, but I have a feeling that we won't.
We hadn't planned either of our kids, SURPRISE, so we didn't have the fun travel stuff before. I'm OK with that. But, now I'm really starting to get to the point where I'd love to travel and leave them some with family. Most of the time, thinking about leaving them stresses me out. Will family stick to their schedules, do they know that AnnElise has absolutely no fear and will do dangerous things if left alone for even a minute, will Hardy be easy enough to leave behind? Hardy is difficult to figure out even for me. Any time that I manage to get away, I leave them with Daniel b/c he's the next best thing. And let's face it, when I want to get away, I want to focus on me for once. So, it seems that I've been putting Daniel dead last b/c its the easiest thing to do, and its what we've become comfortable with. I mean, he's old enough to take care of himself, the kids need things. They can't make their own bottles or read themselves a book. With that being said, how do we start putting each other 1st without abandoning our kids' needs and our own? (I never realized how much I appreciate being alone until I started considering a trip to the grocery store my "me" time. Seriously, I even use the bathroom with the kids (AE plays in the sink), and I put Hardy in the bouncy seat when I take showers.)
Are there actually parents out there who truly put their relationship above their kids, especially young kids?
So, I'm not proud of this by any means, but here's the deal, Daniel and I have spent 2 nights out by ourselves in the last 2 or 3 years. Both of the times on our anniversary. We've passed up opportunities to go out b/c we don't have family that lives close by, and we don't use a sitter. One of those dates, we left AnnElise with Daniel's mom right after she was born. The second we left AE and Hardy with a couple from small group that lives pretty close to us. We came back and both said, we should do it more often, but I have a feeling that we won't.
We hadn't planned either of our kids, SURPRISE, so we didn't have the fun travel stuff before. I'm OK with that. But, now I'm really starting to get to the point where I'd love to travel and leave them some with family. Most of the time, thinking about leaving them stresses me out. Will family stick to their schedules, do they know that AnnElise has absolutely no fear and will do dangerous things if left alone for even a minute, will Hardy be easy enough to leave behind? Hardy is difficult to figure out even for me. Any time that I manage to get away, I leave them with Daniel b/c he's the next best thing. And let's face it, when I want to get away, I want to focus on me for once. So, it seems that I've been putting Daniel dead last b/c its the easiest thing to do, and its what we've become comfortable with. I mean, he's old enough to take care of himself, the kids need things. They can't make their own bottles or read themselves a book. With that being said, how do we start putting each other 1st without abandoning our kids' needs and our own? (I never realized how much I appreciate being alone until I started considering a trip to the grocery store my "me" time. Seriously, I even use the bathroom with the kids (AE plays in the sink), and I put Hardy in the bouncy seat when I take showers.)
Are there actually parents out there who truly put their relationship above their kids, especially young kids?
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