In a funk

Despite having these two cute kiddos around me all day long, I've been in a funk. I haven't had the urge to bake, cook, clean, or anything homemaker related for a couple weeks. It came to a head when I had a full on crying meltdown the other day.

I have really been missing my good friend who moved away to pursue their dream of opening a scuba shop overseas. I've been trying to handle it on my own an not using help from my God, my comforter.

I've been out of the routine of my personal quiet time with God. Sure I've been in the Word everyday with the kids and learning and growing in that sense, but my personal, one-on-one time with my Creator has been replaced by sleeping in due to exhaustion.

I came to the conclusion that two things need to happen...first, I need to do my personal quiet time EVERY DAY again, and second, I need to have a girls night with friends who are REAL.

What is REAL?

Real is inviting someone over EVEN when your house is mess. Because in all honesty, all of our houses look the same: laundry is piled up, dishes are in the sink, floors have breakfast and even lunch crumbs on them, and toys are all over (in my case, books!) If I waited until my house was spotless to have someone over for a playdate or a visit, I would rarely see other adults (besides my hubby). An more importantly I wouldnt have the amazing opportunity to delevop great meaningful friendships with other moms. Isn't that what it's about? Encouraging one another in Christ and not judging each other's houses or parenting styles?!!

Real is also being able to live and get along with someone who may not parent the EXACT way you do. when you let go of that lie that says you need to surround yourself with people who only do things the way you do things, you are free to LOVE them without judging them! (now I'm not saying its ok to be around someone who yells and screams foul language at their kids all the time...exposing kids to this extreme, might my be the best thing. But I'm talking about maybe hanging out with someone who cloth diapers or someone who works part time, if you are one who uses disposables and stays at home).

Real is sharing that you get frustrated with your kids. Everyone handles frustration differently and sharing the good AND bad ways we handle it make us have a deeper relationship with each other. It helps is see how we are all in need of God's mercy and not to feel guilty for making a mistake or goofing up in your parenting as we learn how to deal with new stages (I.e whining, tantrums, hitting, biting, not hating)

Being real is sing able to drop everything and change your plans just to hang out with a friend who might just really need a friend at that moment. This might even mean telling the kids they can watch their movie another time, instead we're going to the park for a last minute playdate cuz otherwise another mommy is going to loose her mind!


Here's to getting out of my funk and relying more on God. And here's to making my quiet time a PRIORITY!!! And please moms, be REAL WITH ME!!
I don't care if your house is a mess..you should see my house and it will make you feel better about yourself!

Mmmmm lemonade

I'm not a huge fan of lemonade because it actually makes me more thirsty when I drink it. Plus it has a TON of sugar in it. However I discovered how delicious I can be when I made it with freshly juiced lemons and sweetened it with stevia. yummy!!

Brooklyn, it's time for bed

So let me state that Brooklyn is not a hard baby to put to bed. When she crawls into her crib she knows it's night night time and she sleeps. She might groan or make a few protesting whines, but then it's off to sleepytown, USA for her.

The other night I nursed her and when I was finished I asked her to fun her night night (pacifier). She likes to have more than one so after finding one on the bed she asked where her other one was. I bent down and spotted it under the bed waaaaaaay in the back. After my amazing elastic reaching arms grabbed the pacifier I realized how in characteristically quiet Brooklyn was. So I looked around for her. After a quick resultless search, I said,"Brooklyn, where are you? It time for night night.". This picture is exactly how I found her. Luckily I had my phone handy to capture her silliness. She was so quiet and then I heard her giggle! Silly girl! Guess this is her first official attempt at evading bed time! s

What a fun day!

A late posts from a couple weeks ago:

Today was so fun! I kept thinking, "thank you, God" all day!

Thank you, God for:

Roman waking up sans "leak" since he was in undies all night!

Homemade yogurt spilled all over Brooklyn just before heading out the door! (store bought would have been so expensive!)

Roman's 20 million questions about cheetahs and other animals on the way to the zoo. His mind is AMAZING!

Free zoo day passes from a playgroup mommy!

My children's enthusiasm about animals and plants and airplanes (the zoo is near an international airport)

My children's obedience to stay by my side in the street ( we didn't bring a stroller!)

Roman running ahead of me on the path just so he could walk next to Brooklyn and "keep her safe"

No meltdowns, although we came close to one with Brooklyn, but it was thwarted by the enticement of sitting in a tractor and milking a pretend cow. Little things...

Brooklyn and Roman not getting annoyed with the 4 potty breaks we took in the 5 hours we were there! And Brooklyn not crying at the deafening sound of the hand driers in the last bathroom!

Brooklyn telling me she had to go potty. Even though she's potty trained, accidents still happen when she is in serious play mode.

Scrounging up enough $ to buy a kettle corn which served as reward for staying by me and not running off without permission.

An older child, Roman, who set a good example for his sister that when mama says "one more turn on the slide" it means only one more turn on the slide despite a cute pouty lip from sister!

Children that understand not to ask for things in the gift shop because 1. we don't need it and 2. We don't have the $ to buy it! (The exit is conveniently located inside the gift shop!!)

Coming home to a neighbor's ginormous tree still in our driveway from yesterday's wind storm. It cracked and fell not 5 mins before chad got home! (earlier that day I cleaned out the garage so that I could park in it.).

Some random person, whom we never saw, that cut down the tree and moved it off our driveway after we got back from the zoo. (our neighbor thought we did it and we thought the neighbor did it)

Homemade Mac and cheese that took 20 mins to make...so yummy!

My Tummy not feeling well so it meant more snuggle time with Roman in our bed reading books about leopards, cheetahs, bald eagles, silly hippos and a little boy who plays soccer. (we all fell asleep together too!).

Here's to praying tomorrow I can thank God for more blessings!

"Yes, I will play with you"

Why am I posting a picture of a half finished load of laundry? Well, this post is meant to serve as a reminder that no matter how badly I need to do something, spending time with my little ones is way more important. Yes they need to learn to use their imaginations, yes they need to have quiet time while mama gets things done in order for the household to run...but more importantly they need to see what it looks like to be selfless and pay attention to others' needs above your own. The laundry will be there in 15 minutes after I play with my blessings. But if I continually tell them to wait while I finish my laundry list of things to do (which could go on forever), what message do I send them? I want him to know that like our loving FAther, I will listen to him when he comes to me and not always put him second. There is, of course, a balance between this and catering to their every need which hinders their independence. For me, I felt the Holy Spirit nudge me today. So I dropped what I was doing and played with him for a few minutes hopefully demonstrating that when someone asks you to play (like maybe his baby sister), although you want to keep on playing your way, it is kind and loving to play with them. I can tell him that until I'm blue in the face, but if I don't live it...he won't ever get it.

It's not about the bunny

I grew up with Easter baskets and an annual indoor Cadbury egg hunt ending in at least one egg left undiscovered only to be found weeks later! At least it was chocolate and not a real egg that would have left an awful smell after a week in hiding!

Those memories are mainly of gradeschool and up. It wasn't the main event of Easter. My parents had laid an important Biblical foundation when we were young. So instead, Easter was always, and still is, about the most amazing selfless act in all of history: Jesus' resurrection, as he promised, from his death on the cross that paid for every single act of sin ever imaginable! It's hard to imagine that! But that is what makes this free gift so special!

I urge you parents to talk with your children daily about Jesus, not just on Easter. Let them know how much he loves them and how he wants to have a relationship with them. They can talk with him, they can have imaginary play with him, they can be kind as he was kind, and show love as he showed love...even for those who hurt him and crucified him. As I type this, I am led to the following passage in the Bible:

Romans 6:9-11
For we know that since Christ was raised from the dead, he cannot die again; death no longer has mastery over him. The death he died, he died to sin once for all; but the life he lives, he lives to God. In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus. (Romans 6:9-11 NIV)

This year, as in years past, our traditions with our kids don't lie Easter bunny pictures or Easter baskets. Those things aren't bad, don't get me wrong...we just aren't doing them in order that we lay this oh-so-important foundation with our kids about what Easter is. So, if you ask Roman what he got in his Easter basket, don't feel bad when he says nothing. For him and Brooklyn we haven't made it all about the candy or the egg hunt...it's about learning about Jesus. And yes, people, as shocking as it seems...a 2 and 4yr old can understand the meaning (on an age appropriate basis) of how much love it took for Jesus to die for us!

Since we are studying the letter E this week and next...yes, we will have an indoor egg hunt tying scripture to each egg, and yes we have made an egg carton cross craft...but no...I draw the line at having my young impressionable children wake up on Easter morning to Easter baskets that some fairy tale bunny left for them...as if they did anything to deserve presents from said imaginary figure...we are all sinners people!!! I'd rather have them wake up to parents showing them countless acts of love as Jesus did, who by the way was a REAL person and is the sinless son of God. We choose to make Easter memorable by playing games with my children, reading books to them, being patient with them when they whine (a stage we are heavily in), washing their feet as Jesus did, reading the Gospel to them as animatedly as possible so it comes alive for them, eating meals with them, saying kind words to each other, and taking care of each other (we are all fighting colds right now).

Easter is not defined by anything else! The stuff sold in the stores would have been a small "splash" but not a huge "cannon ball" activity if we had the money to go spend on such frivolous items. But God has us penny pinching yet again for a glorious reason that we can truly appreciate. Because instead of digging into our wallets to buy Easter baskets, we are digging into the Word of God, drawing closer to him. Wow! Thank you God for a low bank account balance...we are so fortunate to be forced to focus on you, oh Lord! And thank you Lord for papa who splurged and got them much needed shoes today. :-). And their gratitude wasn't: "thanks for the Easter shoes, Papa Easter Bunny." but rather, a big hug and kiss thank you for Papa.

If you are a believer and are doing the Easter Bunny/basket thing, please know that I am not saying you can't do that(who am I to even say that!!), nor am i judging your heart because...I truly believe a balance can be achieved with all of that because it's about the way you present it and how much you emphasize it. The word of God is so true and powerful that he can use an Easter basket or standing in line waiting for the picture with the Easter bunny as a way to share the Gospel with others. So I say, celebrate in your own unique way that the Holy spirit has called you to do. For us, it looks a little different than most, but we are a little weird anyway! Hehehe!

Early birthday celebration

We has an early birthday celebration for roman...he LOVED his cake! In fact, it was how Brooklyn and I got him out of bed...the lure of a birthday cake is hard to deny!