Blog Updates Are Overrated

I know that most people have been thrilled with the unusually warm, spring-like and glorious, heavenly weather that we have been enjoying these past few weeks. I, too, have reveled in the warmth quite a bit. But I must admit that the un-wintery weather has made me somewhat nervous. I want to smile and say "thank you", but I'm worried that there might be a catch. Kind of like that feeling you have when your husband brings you home a bouquet of flowers and some chocolates for "OH, no reason--I just love you, that's why!" And you want to know what is going on really. It might just be that he loves you and wants you to know it. OR, it might be that he wants to go on a 4 day golf trip over your birthday weekend, please??? 

YOU JUST NEVER KNOW.

So, I'm attempting to enjoy the warmth, but I'm also watching my back.

It very well could be snowing in August.

Anyway, I rarely ever ask my hubs to go to the store for me, but we were down to our last drop of milk and it made little sense for me to buckle up our children for a store-trip for only one thing. I asked Joe to grab some on his way home. He came back with one gallon of milk, and 6 boxes of sugary cereal   

BECAUSE THEY WERE ON SALE.

Why Not? 

(And speaking of my husband) Last week he got a phone call and all I could hear was his side of the conversation. It went something like: "Oh, well thanks. Sure. Oh, Ok. Well, It's not my birthday...but, um, thanks for the call!"

He had an amused expression on his face when he hung up and explained to me that the dealer we bought our car from several months ago had been calling him regularly. This time it was to wish him happy birthday, though we celebrate that special occasion in November every year. :)

A couple of days later we received a sweet letter in the mail:

I laughed and hung it up in our entry way for Joe to see when he got home. Floyd is thorough in his birthday wishing.

And yesterday in the mail we got:

Floyd really, really, really wants Joe to have a happy birthday. Thank you, Floyd. You certainly made this week special...for reasons very different than what you intended, but special nontheless!

And randomly I am going to share with you one of my very favorite things: edible playdough! Did I say it was MY very favorite thing?? I meant, my children's very favorite thing. That's what I meant to say.

The recipe is 1 cup of peanut butter, 2 cups of powdered sugar, and 1/2 cup of honey. This actually makes quite a bit, so I half it often. We love to eat play with it, and it is so much less messy than regular playdough.

This weekend my inlaws were here and they watched the girls while Joe and I went out! Woo-hoo! We debated seeing a movie after dinner, but opted for dessert and coffee instead. We don't get much time to talk, you know? And it was nice to have conversations about our favorite TV shows and speculating whether the couple next to us was on a date or was actually just mother and son. Strange, but true. We talk about the hard stuff all the time--too much it seems lately! Light-hearted banter is not overrated. (Unlike blog updates.)

We also took the girls to see a dinosaur exhibit.

There were indeed pretend dinosaurs, and we did, indeed, see them. But it was super crowded so we left early and played around at the park since it was so nice out. Eerily nice.

Now, I am going to tell you about my morning.

It actually started with last night when we got home from the park. I noticed right away that our power had gone out and come back on because all the lights were blinking and flashing. The clocks that I had spent so much time setting were now back at 12:00. I wasn't concerned, but a few minutes later we all heard a loud grinding noise, something like a power tool being turned on, coming from the upstairs bedrooms. I was alarmed and began looking for the source of the unusual sound, only to find it was coming from the fish tank filter. The poor fish--but he was fine, don't worry. I just unplugged it and went about my evening.

This morning, nigh about 5 am, I was awoken by a strange beeping sound that my sleep-foggy brain first identified as a chirping bird. The beeping continued in such a fashion that I was forced to get up and investigate. I came upon the pesky beeping in the laundry room coming from the washing machine. I unplugged/plugged back in the machine...still beeping. I opened and shut the door...still beeping. I started a load of laundry and during the entire wash cycle..still beeping. I kicked it and uttered incantations...still beeping. I laid hands on it and prayed...still beeping. You get the picture.( I have been wanting a new washing machine. Maybe now is my chance?)

I'm not done, though. As soon as the girls got out of bed this morning one of them, or both of them, used my bathroom and it overflowed. Water, Water, (and other stuff) Everywhere.

I checked the weather and saw that we are expecting severe weather this afternoon.

I let the girls watch a movie only to find that the DVD player in our living room is on the blitz.

I put them in my bed to watch the movie and all I have heard from them is

"MOOOOMMMmYYY, AUDREY HIT ME!"

or

"MOOOOOOMmMMY, ABBY STOLE MY PACI!!!" 

And it isn't even 10 am.

Joe called me from Nashville to tell me about his morning and dealings with hospitals and administrators and management and doctors and such, to which I responded,

Yeah, well, at least you aren't dealing with a beeping washing machine and an overflowed toilet and cranky children and DVD players that won't work! YOU HAVE IT EASY!

Ha! Only kidding. I think we both have our fair share of cranky people who won't listen to us and annoying issues to deal with, but I bet I wipe more snotty noses than he does. :)

Well, I better go and clean up the overflowed toilet mess that I have been avoiding for approximately 94 minutes. Don't be jealous.

Things I'm Good At

In all my 32 years of life I have come to the realization that I can not be good at everything. I can be good at some things, though. I am a good cook, a good friend, a good writer, a good mom. I am good at eating peanut butter from a spoon.

I can be excellent at things even. Say, like, procrastination. I am excellent at procrastination.

But, alas, even I can not claim greatness in all areas. Shocking, I know.

You might be surprised to learn that I am pretty awful at organization or that I never really know where I am in a directional, longitudinal sense. (I do know where I am most times. On Earth. In Tennessee. That kind of thing.) I have a black thumb at gardening. I still don't know how to apply make-up correctly. You should never, ever, ever let me cut your hair.

See? I am bad at lots of things. But ever since the advent of the smart phone I have added one more thing to my list...I CAN NOT take pictures of myself with my Iphone. It is a weakness and a curse.  There is a measure of coordination one must have. And apparently, I don't.

My sister introduced me to this no-heat hair-wrap curly-hair-style that I JUST HAD TO TRY. My hair is straight, straight, and more straight, so I was totally imagining some flowing Princess Kate curls. (I recommend watching the video tutorial because the girl has a fascinating accent that makes it fun to watch, and some pretty awesome hair.)

 I took some "before" pictures. (Yes, I soon realized that having the flash on wasn't helping my cause.)

All I can say is WOW. Could I look more intense?! What a picture! And I am so in love with the fact that my entire bathroom is on display for all to see. :) No shame.

This is the "after" picture/sans make-up.  Y'all, the curliness factor was at the max. My hair is super thick and doesn't hold curl ever, at all, so this was crazy to me. I just ended up putting my hair in a pony-tail for the day. What else is new?? I wish I could be a better poster child for the no-heat hair-wrap curly-do-style technique, but with the combination of my poor self-picture taking and my funky hair, that isn't the case.

But you wanna know something else I am good at? Holding babies, that's what! (Not having babies, holding babies. Get it straight.)

My sweet friend Jeanna had TWIN baby boys. Yes, twins! I went to see her just to make sure, and to count them, and sure enough--there are two! These little boys slept the entire time I was there.

I took a turn holding each one and taking pictures. I'm not really good at picture taking yet--but I'm learning!

Aren't they presh?? Well, I told Jeanna that I am so glad to have a friend who has a sense of humor because I couldn't resist a few silly gifts. I found this onesie set on an Esty site. I love it. I might be the only one, but I do! (Oh yeah, I am good at having a sense of humor. I forgot that one!)

Speaking of babies...I became an Aunt not too long ago! My sis-in-law Erika had her first baby boy, Matthew, on Super Bowl Sunday. Can you believe she went into labor and had him in enough time to watch the game in her recovery room? Great job mom and baby! I haven't met him yet, but we have talked over FaceTime. He looks alot like his dad (Joe's brother Daniel.)

I don't know if I am a good Aunt-ie, yet. I guess we'll just have to wait and see. But I know a couple of little girls who will be excellent cousins and will be happy to smother him with germs kisses and love!

(Ya'll! Aren't sleeping babies the best?)

(Also, since you are never supposed to end a sentence with a preposition, the correct title to my post should be: Things At Which I Am Good. But that just sounded pretentious.)

(Also, I am good at sounding pretentious. And picking apart other people's grammar. While ignoring my own.)

So, what are you good at?

I mean, at what are you good?

Feeling Right

Do you ever have days that don't feel right? Where all the things you have been processing and steeping in and clinging to just boil over?

I had one of those days yesterday. It boiled over into this morning as well, and I had to offer a full family apology before it was even 10 am.  I get started early, don't I?

Suffice it to say, in the global scheme of things, I am totally and wonderfully just fine, all things being equal. It's interesting how I can write about something like love, and then have each of those declarations be put to the ultimate test. That is how life works sometimes.

We finally got our house in Nashville back on the market.  There has been nothing fun about the process, especially the long-distance coordinating of painters and handymen and carpet installers and cleaners. Especially since we thought we had it sold over a year ago only to have it all fall through.

Dissapointing. Tiring. So much of what we can do in the future depends on our house selling, so please pray for us that it sells quickly. It will make a wonderful home for a special family. I am ready to see it GOOOOOOO.

I have seen my husband about 3 days this entire month. That has been hard, needless to say. I was dealing with it well... until yesterday. :) But we all have our limits, I guess. I'm no different. How we express those limits? Well, that's another story!

Oh, and to top it off, I started a new work-out on Monday that was killer. I am soooo sticking with it, but my muscles are screaming. I didn't make it any better by running 3 miles on Tuesday. Ha! I am extra specially sore and walking like a grandma around the house. You are welcome to come and watch me hobble. It makes for some good entertainment. :)

But, I can focus on some good and sweet things, like my girls who are precious, and I can't say it enough how darling they are. At the grocery store the other day Audrey Kate found a cucumber and started eating it straight from the produce bag. Of course she then spit it out on the floor. It was alltogether a winning mom moment for me, but a sweet older woman and her daughter walked by laughing.

Just enjoy them while they are young! She told me.

Oh, I am trying to!

With all the extra Valentine's candy around the house, I continually find my sweet 2 year old dragging her stool around in order to climb onto any surface where she thinks candy might be lurking. She got lucky once and found some bubble gum. I don't let her chew gum and she knows it! She also knows that if she is eating something messy she has to SIT STILL in her chair in the kitchen to do so.

So, she took her stolen loot, crammed all of it into her mouth, and ran to her kitchen chair.

And she just sat. And chewed.

She held her puppy. And she chewed.

I asked her if she was finished chewing, and she said, "No! I NOT!" I have never seen her sit so still for so long. It's amazing what a little bubble gum will do!

I love this picture. Look at those sweet little toes!

She flipped through Abby's puppy calendar. And she chewed.

She is a silly one!

I found an awesome Valentine's card idea from Amanda's blog. We made these for Abby's class at school.

They turned out so cute and were really super easy--and they didn't take much time at all! Despite what the other moms thought :)

We had a sweet Valentine's Day (despite my bad attitude) with our little family and a fondue pot. I was too busy melting cheese and chocolate to take pictures! But it turned out yummy. A fun Valentine's tradition!

Joe brought home flowers for me and balloons/candy for the girls. When he came in with them I said something like, "Oh how fun! The girls will love the turtle balloons!" And then Joe said something like, "Those aren't turtles, those are monkeys in diving suits!!"

I didn't argue...but I was pretty sure that those were turtles. :)

Then the girls came running in, squealing and so excited to have balloons and candy.

The 2 year old sings, Fank-oo fow de tuwtle bawwoons daddy!

Yeah, the 5 year old echoes, the turtle balloons are great!

I'm still trying to figure out how he thought they were monkeys. :)

Hope you all had a fabulous Valentine's Day!!

No Greater Love

{I wanted to write about love, seeing as how this is Valentine’s Day and all. Not just because of this particular day, though, but because this topic has so been on my mind lately. I hesitated to even say anything at all. I realize that many relationships are marked by and fraught with violations and transgressions that go beyond the normal course of matters. Those issues are best dealt with by a professional. But if you, like me, often struggle with what it means to love, truly love, then read on…*}

The grocery store check-out line is where I usually get all my up to date celebrity gossip information. One afternoon, my eyes caught a headline that made me particularly sad. Honestly, most of those headlines make me sad.

But I paid for the magazine and read the article at home. If you are anything like me, you look at all celebrity marriages with a hint of cynicism. Or maybe a large, large dose of cynicism. But all too often, and sadly enough, even though they don’t make headlines, aren’t our everyday, normal people marriages going the same way?
 We just don’t get along anymore. I don’t love him like I used to. We’ve grown apart. She just doesn’t understand me…

The article stirred up in me a special memory from over 15 years ago that has never left my mind...
 I distinctly remember being in the car with my dad that day. He had probably picked me up from school in the little red Sentra, the one with the wedge of wood that was holding up the unusable rear window. I was probably embarrassed as he drove up to the curb, because embarrassed is what you are supposed to be when you are 16 and your dad is picking you up from school in a little red Sentra with a wood wedge holding up a broken window.

Usually in the car with my dad during those turbulent adolescent times there was a silent, unspoken feud between us as to who owned the rights to the radio. Dad was, and is, classical music and opera all the way. I leaned toward rock or country, and pretty typically shunned classical music as a valid form of radio entertainment. I suppose, on this particular day, that I had won the silent feud and managed to finagle my way with the FM, because we were listening to my favorite country station and to my favorite country singer—George Strait.

I was lost in the catchy tune when I heard my dad mutter, “But that just isn’t true! That isn’t right!”

And I peered out of the windows and all around looking for the source of his frustration. That is when he pointed to the radio. The song. It was the song on the radio that had frustrated him enough to speak up. (My dad is a fairly quiet man, and when he does speak an opinion, it is usually wise to listen.)

It was a lovely, lyrical ballad about a man with an engagement ring in his pocket who eagerly asks his beloved to marry him. She tearfully refuses his proposal and begins to explain by telling him that she has tried, tried so hard, to love him, but…

You can't make a heart love somebody,

You can tell it what to do

But it won't listen at all

You can't make a heart love somebody

You can lead a heart to love

But you can't make it fall.

I’m sure, as a naïve 16 year old, I was perfectly happy to accept those facts. You just can’t make your heart love someone. Right?

But my dad’s objections of the lyrical content jolted me. I remember that moment so very well simply because it began in me a clear world-view change.

You CAN make a heart love somebody. Those words he is singing are just not true, my dad had said that day in the car on the way home. Of course, since then it has been a long journey quite often put to the ultimate test by one marriage and two children, but I realize now, more than ever, that love is a choice. I so appreciate my dad’s wisdom that day. When the world sings about love, it is often a very different love than what we experience and understand as God’s children.

When Jesus was talking to His disciples He told them to love one another as He had loved them. He goes on to explain love to them: Greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends.(John 15) And Paul explained that God’s love for us was demonstrated when He sent Jesus to die for us, though were sinners and wholly undeserving. (Romans 5)

Love, the God-kind of love, requires death.

You realize that, in all practicality, you likely will not be required to die a real, physical death. Most of us won’t be called to jump in front of a speeding train, take a bullet, or be sacrificed for ones that we love. (Even though we might be willing.)

But truly loving someone will require a death of our will, at the very least. Our hearts are bent toward self-gratification and self-preservation. Loving someone requires denying our natural selfish tendencies and putting his or her needs before our own.

The most pure, unadulterated love was shown to me on the cross when Jesus bore all that which was supposed to be mine to bear.

Love bears all things.

So why is love so difficult? I know that it is difficult for me, so often, because I don’t want to bear all things! I don’t want to bear the possible rejection or pain associated with loving fully. I don’t want to hear that I have a responsibility to love even when I am not treated lovingly in return.* I don’t want to hear that love requires full forgiveness or patience or kindness even with its recipient doesn’t deserve it.

How wonderful that our Savior didn’t wait until we deserved to be loved to give love and give it perfectly! I pray that He gives me the ability to love that way, His way.

The world’s way of loving (the “you show me love then I’ll show you love”) is incomplete and imperfect and so often it fails. It fills me with sorrow as I observe “love’s” degradation and impurity. A foundation of love built on entitlement, feeling and self-gratification will always falter. But it makes me more diligent as I think about how I love.

Am I loving the world’s way or God’s way?

Not in this life will I love perfectly, but I am so glad to know of One who does love perfectly. He gave His life.

There is no greater love.

We love because he first loved us.

1 John 4:19

Sugar, Sugar

Sweet Audrey Kate has been struggling a bit with nap time. She would like to let it go. Unfortunately, she becomes a raging bull around 5 pm if she goes without a nap during the day. A couple of days each week there is a definite struggle. I want her to take a nap. She doesn't. I usually win.

There are a few occasions, like days she has school or when we have to pick her sister up (during her usual nap time) that can get a bit puzzling trying to schedule her nap. One afternoon last week she fell asleep on the floor watching Curious George with Abby. Abby covered her up with a blanket. Oh, how nice. :) 

Audrey Kate woke up long enough to come to the table for dinner, but she just couldn't quite make it. She fights sleep, so I have never seen her tired enough to fall asleep during a meal or any other time but nap or bed time.

Not at all related to that, I bought the girls a cardboard castle a few weeks ago as a birthday present. I intended to hide it until this summer, but when it came in the mail Joe had been out of town for a few days and I really was desperate for a new activity to occupy my busy children.

It is hands down probably the best $20 I've ever spent.

The girls have decorated it all over, and they play inside its walls many times per day. Of course, there are occasional scuffles and skirmishes inside those walls as well. But I live and survive by the motto that "What Happens in the Castle, Stays in the Castle."

If you are not connected with Zulily, where I purchased this, you should be! They have much more than just kids' clothes--they have it all. And great deals, too.

Yesterday I allowed Abby to have some of my Greek yogurt (it's ok, I don't really like it all that much anyway) and unbeknownst to me, she shared it with her sister. Her sister proudly used it as a waxing agent for the hardwood floors, and we didn't know anything was amiss until little sister came running into our bedroom with Greek yogurt smeared on her pajamas.

It just made me laugh, in an oh-my-goodness-this-is-such-a-mess kind of way, to see her footprints in yogurt. It is similar to tracking a wild animal. If that wild animal is a toddler who is really easy to find.

So, I have been oh so good about keeping the sweets and refined foods out of the house these past weeks. My girls love vegetables and fruits. They are great eaters (last week Abby ate raw asparagus for a snack--how weird is that?!), but like me, they will eat any starchy, sugary, cheesy, sweet, or savory food that is in front of them. I just don't want the battle, so I don't buy it.

Yesterday, though, was just a day of sugar. Joe came home from a week long busness trip, after catching the red-eye back to Tennessee, with a box of donuts.

Then the mail came, and the girls had a package from their Aunt Melinda and Uncle Andrew--full of candy!

The candy is a huge hit, Melinda and Andrew!

I know you shouldn't try to buy love.

But a little sugar goes a long way at our house. (Notice the remnants of chocolate donut still on her face. That is how we roll around here.)

And then? I had promised Abby we would make cupcakes for daddy when he got home. I didn't quite anticipate all the other sweets we would have that day.

But she wouldn't let me forget my promise. So, cupcakes were baked. It is a whole new thing having both my girls want to "help" me with baking. There isn't really room for me at the counter anymore!

We topped off our sugary day with some rousing, and only a tad competitive, rounds of Uno. Abby just learned how to play, and she relishes throwing down a draw 2 or a skip card. Her eyes just light up when she wins. But, I won the most. No 5 year old should go getting a big head about her Uno abilities, that's what I think. :)

So now we have to go finish eating all the donuts and candy and cupcakes to get rid of it all. I don't want sugar in the house, but I would hate for it to go to waste! Now if I can only get past Valentine's Day, our 2nd Annual Fondu Family Date Night (or AFFDN for short), in which marshmallows dipped in melted chocolate will be consumed in great quantity, then I can get back to my no-sugar diet.

As you can see, it is going so well!

Milestones

One or both of my girls pulled some empty DVD cases out of the TV cabinet and left them strewn about the living room and kitchen.

I had the unfortunate joy of stepping over this particular case as I hustled around my kitchen making dinner and preparing snacks and washing dishes and ushering children out the door to the car.

 I know you are wondering why I didn't just pick it up and put it away

but there is just something about being blatantly reminded by Jillian's abs not to eat that second cookie that IS SO HELPFUL.

(Also I am not sure that I would rip anything in 6 weeks but a muscle or two. Just an FYI.)

After a few hours of torture I put the case back in its cabinet, and then I ate that second cookie with no remorse.

Plus, how could there ever be remorse in a house full of silliness?

Joe watched the girls while I went to a meeting, and when I came back each of them (the girls, not Joe) had picked a few accoutrements from my closet and adorned themselves.

I snapped these with my Iphone, so they are a bit blurry,

but I had to show you the rockin' shoes that Audrey Kate was wearing.

I LOVE these shoes. Love. Love. Love them. The one time that I wore these shoes they looked amazing. So cute. But OH so painful. Can you believe it?!

I've decided that if I ever wear them again it will have to be to somewhere that I am only sitting down a whole lot. And where someone will carry me to and from that place where I am sitting down a whole lot. But darn it...my shoes will be the hit of the party! The party where everyone is sitting down.

So, this weekend Joe and I decided to have a stay-at-home date night, in which we put the children to bed early and made ourselves a special dinner. The "putting the girls to bed early" part didn't exactly work out as planned, but we turned on a movie for them. It worked out as well as could be expected, with only the occasional interruption from someone wanting a snack or needing help on the potty.

Our dinner might or might not have included Mai Tai's that welled up longing inside me for my beloved Hawaii. I mean, it might or might not have welled up that longing...

But it most certainly did include a scrumptiously grilled steak. If this doesn't make Jillians' abs cry, I don't know what will. I ate it all, without remorse.

Is it appropriate to put steak pictures on the internet? I'm just not sure what the guidelines are on that subject. I hope it doesn't detract from the finer beauties of this post.

At MOPS last week, I won a small book that contained conversation starters for date night. (I'm sure my MOPS friends will be glad to know I put the book to good use!) I pulled the book out as we were eating dinner (steak, to be exact) and came across the question:

Name 5 milestones that you have had as a couple.

and after I asked the question we sat there for several seconds with blank looks on our faces,

because what, exactly, is a milestone? It was such a good thought-provoking question. We talked about the milestones of becoming husband and wife, going through graduate degrees, becoming mom and dad, moving and starting new jobs and making life-changing career decisions, moving again, and making more life-changing career decisions.

But the funny thing about milestones is that they don't always feel like milestones. Not at the time you are living them anyway. I can look back over the past almost 10 years and I know that we have changed. I have changed. I'm not the same person I was when we got married, or even two years ago. These past two years of motherhood and wife-hood and transition and uncertainty have changed me so complexly that I wouldn't, couldn't, take it back.

Milestones are the things that are happening when you are busy living and toughing it out through hard things. You don't always realize you've hit one until it is past.

As we finished our discussion on milestones, Joe left the table and began earnestly looking for something. When I inquired as for what he was looking, he asked if I knew where he might find his "perfect push-ups." (Have you seen these dics with handles that aid in push-up perfection?) 

So, let me get this straight. After discussing an important and soul-searching topic, my husband had the need to do some pushups? I totally get it.

Thus ended the tranquility of date night. But all good things end at some point. Especially when a 2 and 5 year old get a hold of some perfect push-ups. 

One last thing.

I took Abby outside to get some pictures for her Valentine's Day cards to give to classmates. I will have to share how they turned out--super precious.

Audrey Kate just didn't get what we were doing so she was in just about every other picture, wandering in and out.

Do you see the daffodils springing forth? I can't believe they came out, poor confused things! Well, Audrey Kate was picking them and bringing them to us. Her outfit had me in stitches. Joe dressed her that morning. My family will be happy to know that my husband put her in an LSU shirt. At some point during the day Audrey Kate changed out of her jeans into some pajama pants. When we went outside, she put on Abby's boots. The whole effect is just too much.

By the time I looked up from my photo shoot with Abby, every single daffodil had been picked.

My girl is nothing if not persistent!

Well, I think I've just hit a milestone by finishing this post.

Good job Ellen!