The Strangest Thing

Last night, I hosted the first meeting of a book club that we are starting at church. It's just a bunch of girls meeting to talk about a book we're reading. Our first book is by Dr. Kevin Leman, 7 things he'll never tell you, but you need to know. We had a really fun time . . . nothing too serious, just fun talk about the way God made men:)

At one point, we ended up talking about making beds--I'm not sure how we got on that topic, but we did. Two women in our group talked about how they make their bed before they get into at night.

Really? I have never heard of this before!

I asked them if they made it in the morning, and they said no, that they only make it right before they get into bed at night so that that the covers are all straight.

I have just never heard of this before and thought it was a bit strange! If you don't make your bed in the morning, why go to the trouble right before you mess it all up again?

My two friends, however, were adament about the importance of making the bed before going to sleep:)

Does anyone else out there do that?

I think I might have to try it and see what they are talking about!

Self-Control at Kohls

Kohls was having a huge sale today. Like 60% off sale if you went to the early bird part.

I love Kohls. I love the clothes, the housewares, the purses, the shoes. I love most of Kohls and usually have a hard time leaving without something cute.

Today, I went in to buy a comforter and sheet set for the vicar's apartment and I was so proud of myself. I went straight into the store, headed to the bedding department, picked out my comforter, and proceeded right to the checkout.

I passed the cute kids clothes, the shoes, the cute new purses, the new capris that I really thought might look cute on me, and I went and paid. I didn't stop once to look and be tempted. Sure, I saw lots of stuff that I could certainly use, but I didn't stop. Nope--just kept going.

I got a steal on the comforter too.

Now that's what I call self-control at Kohls. A first for me.

I'm in love with the steam mop

I guess you know you are old when you get excited about corded appliances . . . I was super excited about the new toaster oven that Nate gave me for my birthday, but I have a new love. The Shark Steam Mop.

I hate mopping the floor. I hate the mess on the floor. Those two things don't go together, so I decided to try the Steam Mop.

It's awesome! You just fill it with water, wait 30 seconds, and mop the floor! It's as clean as regular mopping with no sticky nastiness on the floor, and it dries in minutes so the kids don't have to be herded out of the kitchen for a long time while the floor dries.

So there it is . . . my commercial. But I love the Steam Mop and if you hate mopping and are looking for an easy solution--check it out!

I am.

I am a mommy, but my girls are not babies anymore. My mommy role is the same, but always changing.

I am a teacher, but not to kids, but to adults who are getting their lives together.

I am a wife, with a wonderfully forgiving, understanding, and one heck of a cleaner husband.

I am a pastor's wife, sometimes uncomfortable with life in that bubble.

I am a daughter, too far away from my parents.

I am a graddaughter, too far away from my grandma.

I am a friend, always learning and growing, trying to figure it out.

But most of all I am here. I am in this spot for a reason. I have the life that I have, the job that I have, the friends that I have, the house that I have--all for a reason. And it is all so very good. Ashamedly, I've been too much of a complainer to myself and others around me. (I think I mentioned in an earlier post that I've had a bad attitude for a while now.) But God gave me all of these good things, and I don't want life to pass me by while I dwell on the hard and difficult things.

I have quit lots of things I'm involved in--which is not a bad thing. I am no longer teaching the women's Bible study. I am no longer working as an administrative assistant from home. I am no longer volunteering for any big projects at church. I am taking a step back to let all the good in my life happen and focus on that. (Not to say that volunteering at church isn't good--the time committment isn't good at this point). I have a new job that allows me to work for three hours a day and devote the rest of my time to my family. I want to do just that. I want to play Barbies with my girls without worrying about what project I have to work on next. I want to paint Abby's room and fill photo albums (and yes, I have finally accepted that scrapbooking is never in my future because I detest crafts), and take baby dolls for a walk with my girls.

I've realized that complaining about the things that I wish were different gets me nowhere. I have a beautiful family and precious time with them that won't be here forever. Pretty soon they'll be on their cell phones talking to boys and wearing makeup. And before that happens, I want to take the time to just "be" their mommy and all that goes with that.

Life is good, my family is good, and I look forward to focusing on that goodness.

I might need a margarita before noon

I am not a huge drinker. Red wine gives me headaches, beer makes me tipsy too fast, and alcohol in general makes me sleepy. I cannot afford to be sleepy these days with two little girls demanding my attention all day.

But sometimes, a raspberry swirl margarita from On The Border sounds so very good.

Now would be one of those times. It's 7:50am. Some mornings the girls aren't even out of bed at this time, but they've been up testing my patience for about an hour now.

I got on the exercise bike this morning (this is the first time I've consistently exercised since my Penn State days) and rode for about 25 minutes. During the last half of the ride, Abby sat next to the bike, whining about wanting to go downstairs. I knew she just wanted a yogurt (the drinking kind) and I asked Nate if he would get one for her so she could fill her tummy and I could ride in peace for the last 10 minutes. He refused because he was sure that she would spill it all over the floor--which she never does with drinking yogurt. And while I understood Nate's point, it is such a mental struggle to even get myself on the exercise bike and I just wanted to finish my time whine free. That didn't happen, and I listened to "ounstairs mommy, ounstairs" for the next ten minutes.

Jenna gets up and immediately starts crying because she didn't get to give Nate a hug before he left. He left about 2 minutes before she got out of her bed.

Next, Jenna refused to take her Pull-Up off and laid on the ground for a good 5 minutes whining about how she didn't want to do it.

As Jenna is getting changed, Abby tried to tell Jenna something and Jenna ignored her. Abby came running out of her room crying her head off because her big sister was ignoring her. After I cleared that up, we headed downstairs.

After getting downstairs and agreeing that the girls would have waffles and strawberries for breakfast, I started making breakfast. Jenna whined because it was taking too long, and then after I put her plate in front of her, she whined some more about the fact that the pieces I cut (which is the way I cut them all the time, per her request) were too big.

While I've been typing this post, there's been no more crying or whining--so the day is looking much better! Don't get me wrong--I know that kids cry and whine, but we had an awful lot of it in such a short period of time first thing this morning, and I seriously thought about getting the blender out:)

Why not wear snow boots in 95 degree weather?

Abby chose her own shoes this morning, and insisted on these pink snow boots. I didn't argue, because it's not worth trying to rationalize with a 2 year old. I am a firm believer in picking my battles, and this is not one worth picking.

So what if we got snickers in Target and the grocery store as we went about our shopping? Abby knows what she wants and I was not about to get in the way of this one:)

Such High Hopes

I've been having a hard time finding a dinner that everyone likes. Abby is the biggest issue. Some days she likes ham, some days she doesn't. Some days she likes mac and cheese, some days she doesn't. Some days she likes hot dogs, some days, she doesn't. I hate to make multiple meals for dinner--I'm into everyone eating the same thing each night. But as Abby began crossing things off her list of food items that she liked, I was forced to try to come up with new meal ideas.

So, I dug back to my childhood and pulled out the old pot roast. My mom made pot roast a lot. It was good, but I have never, ever made it in our 8 1/2 years of marriage. Not because I don't like it, but mostly because I had no idea how to make it (okay, I'm a bit embarrassed about that) and never looked up the recipe. So, I looked it up, got out my slow cooker, and made this fabulous pot roast that every single person in our family devoured. I really mean devoured. Nate, Jenna, and Abby all ate their first helping, and asked for more. This does not happen often.

I had high hopes for tonight. I planned to make the pot roast again, sure that it would be a hit and a hassle free dinner.

I was wrong.

I prepared the pot roast just like before (at least I think I did) and was excited about our family meal tonight. Keep in mind that Nate isn't home every night and I am not the best meal planner. I often pull something together at the last minute. But tonight, I had a plan, and a good one.

After the side dishes were done, I went to cut the pot roast and realized that I had to really work at cutting the meat. Pot roast is not supposed to be like this. The pot roast was as hard as a rock and not edible. So everything else is ready and I have no meat to serve. The kids have been scavengering for an hour-which, in our house, means that they are sneaking into the pantry and climbing counters to get food because they are so hungry. I am desperate to feed them a good meal. So, what did I pull out?

Hot dogs. Seriously . . . . I am so disappointed that the meal that everyone will eat is not going to happen and I had to resort to hot dogs.

On top of that, Nate ended up not being home for dinner and, you guessed it. Abby says, "Mommy, I no like gahgogs."

At least I tried.

Such high hopes.

More on our Disneyland Adventure

As I was reading my blog post from yesterday on our trip to Disneyland, I was a tiny bit embarrassed. I am not the best writer in the world, but that last post was pathetic, and I apologize to you all. I really wanted to get a few pictures up and tell about our trip, but I ended up writing a fragmented account of our trip. If that were an English essay and I was grading it, I would have given myself a failing grade.

So here's, hopefully, a better account of our wonderful trip last week.

My parents came down before our trip and spent the weekend with us, which was so wonderful! We went to the Monterey Bay Aquarium and got ready for our travels. We left Monday and gave ourselves the whole day to travel. #1 We had a 6-7 hour car ride. #2 We have two children who can barely make it to Target without complaining and #3 All the adults in the car would definitely need a break from those who were 4 or under in the car. We were right. We left at 10 and got in at 7:30pm. We were smart to leave a whole day.

We have portable DVD players, but haven't used them in a long time--for several reasons. #1 We don't take long car trips anymore since we have to fly to see everyone we know. I don't let the kids watch tv in the car to go 20 minutes away. I had to entertain myself, so do they. #2, Jenna used to get car sick.

I can't say used to anymore, because by the time we got to Gilroy (20 minutes away), she was looking green after watching the DVD players in the car. No throwing up, but my hope of having the girls zoned out by the DVD player was dashed and I had to deal with their every need, complaint, and issue.

We stayed in the Residence Inn, which I am now in love with, but is still 2nd to the Hampton Inn. We booked a suite with two bedrooms and a living room and kitchen for the kids. My parents had one bedroom and we had another with the girls. It was perfect for Disneyland and our sanity. They put on a killer breakfast with kids' tables and Mickey Mouse Clubhouse on flat screen tvs all over the room. It was perfect.

Disneyland itself is definitely a magical place and we were so very happy to experience it with my parents. The girls were in awe every time they saw a character walk down the street, and even more so when we got to meet the princesses. They have these autograph books, where you can put a picture next to the page that the character signs. My mom got one for Jenna and her first signature was Cinderella's Fairy Godmother. After she finished signing her book, Jenna walked up to me, almost in tears, wondering why the Fairy Godmother had scribbled in her book:) I had to explain that she signed it. How cute. She soon got over it and understood the process.

We spent most of our time on the Merry Go Round and the Tea Cups. We also liked the little princess area, that I can't remember the name of right now. One time, we caught a story told by Sleeping Beauty and another time we caught a lesson by several of the princesses on how to dance like one. I do have some advice for anyone considering this as a vacation. Do not take your children on "Snow White's Scary Adventures" because you think the "Snow White" part will erase the "scary" part. Not true. Jenna refused to go on any more rides that were inside buildings like the Snow White ride was.

Jenna was also afraid of the pirates from the "Pirates of the Caribbean" ride. She was convinced that they were roaming the park after her. Luckily, they didn't find her:)

Abby had just as much fun as Jenna did! Here are her names for the princesses. I have to write this down so I remember it:

Snow White (her favorite)= Oh White
Cinderella = Cindayahyah
Sleeping Beauty = Seeping Booty (kind of funny!)
Jasmine = Gamine
Ariel = Yoyo

The ride home was torturous. I really was counting on the DVD players and that was out of the picture given the large possibility of Jenna puking. The girls were exhausted, as was I. They were never satisfied with any snack, activity, or answer when they asked every five minutes, "When are we going to be there?" At one point, Nate told me that I was being awful, so I had to straighten up a bit, but I strongly contend that driving the car is a way easier job than sitting in the back with children. Next time, I am going to stake my claim on driving if I can.

So, two days was enough for me, but a magical and wonderful experience that I'm so happy to have shared with my parents and our friends, the Gibsons. I'm also happy that we live close enough to visit again someday.

Our Disneyland Adventure

Last week, we took the girls to Disneyland and it was such a wonderful, awesome experience. We only went for two days, and I'm glad that's all we did. We were all worn out and ready to go home! My parents came with us and got to witness, first hand, the absolute joy on the girls' faces when they met the princesses face to face. The former senior pastor at Mt. Olive, lives close to Disney, so he and his family met us there for one day and had a blast as well.

The princess breakfast really was the highlight for the girls. We ate breakfast at a place called Ariel's Grotto--which is way expensive--and the princesses came around to each table and talked to the girls before they took their picture with them. It really was priceless and I think Abby just stood in amazement the whole time.

Here are a few pictures from our time at Disney.

Another slot in my DVD player is gone forever

Well, maybe not forever, but for a long time.

We have a DVD player that holds six DVDs at the same time in our van. Currently, and in this order, this is what we have in there:
1. Worship mix music made by Nate--lots of Lincoln Brewster and Chris Tomlin.
2. Paul Baloche--a great Christian songwriter
3. VBS music from two years ago--Fiesta
4. VBS music from one year ago--Wild Ride
5. Hannah Montana (not complaining about this one)
6. Wheels On The Bus (fun kid songs)

So yesterday we walked into the church lobby and saw THE table. It's the one we've been waiting for for a while now. The VBS table with the VBS cds available for sale. This year, VBS is called Power Lab and has some really great songs. I enjoy these songs just as much as the girls do and don't mind the fact that I will be listening to them for the next two to three years on a daily basis. We've already made up a fun dance routine to the first song:)

I just have to tell you that we've had the first two VBS DVDs in our car since they first came out one and two years ago. Now, I have to figure out which slot in my DVD player that I will permanently give up. If I were selfish, I'd get rid of the Wheels on the Bus, but if I weren't selfish, I'd get rid of one of my worship CDs. I definitely can't get rid of either VBS cd or Hannah Montana. And I"m not willing to get rid of my worship mix because I really love that one. So, it's down to Paul Baloche or Wheels on the Bus. I'll let you know what I decide.

Today

A few things in my world right now . . .

1. My parents are coming at the end of this week and we are all going to Disneyland together! Jenna, especially, is so very excited to meet the princesses and see where they live. This will be an awesome experience and we are REALLY looking forward to it.
2. I am working hard to find a new apartment for the next vicar. The current ones live in a place that I picked out and thought was nice. A few weeks ago, there was a prostitution ring busted and a guy arrested IN THEIR BUILDING who was wanted on criminal charges in another state. We can't have the new vicar living there! So of course, I am looking for nice places without criminals. Wish me luck.
3. I am enjoying my new job--teaching Saturday GED preparation classes.
4. I got home from the women's retreat yesterday. I was a co-coordinator and I think it went pretty well. You know when you have those moments with God when he tells you something that you've been trying to figure out for a while? Well, God told me that I have a bad attitude this past weekend, so I'm working on that . . . and I think I agree with him:)
5. Abby wants to do everything herself: change her own diaper, dress herself, brush her own teeth, get her own utensils, buckle her own carseat, walk by herself-she often refuses to hold my hand, and fix her own hair. As you can imagine allowing a two year old to do some of these things without assitance can be very messy and/or frustrating. My patience has been tested a lot lately.
6. My friend, Tamara, sent me a YouTube clip this morning of Bon Jovi and the All-American Rejects singing, "It's My Life." The subject line in her email was "a bright start to your day." She must know that God told me that I have a bad attitude and needed some JBJ to start my day today. She knows me well:)
7. Because my parents are coming, I will be spending the next few days planning each meal, cleaning carpets, working in the yard, and generally making sure that everything is ready for their arrival because my husband loves when they come and wants everything to look good and be perfect. He's obsessive about the carpets and the massive carpet cleaning starts in a few hours. So fun, so fun!

I can't believe she said that . . .

As I was getting breakfast ready this morning, a conversation between me and Jenna went like this:

Jenna: Mommy, can I wear my Easter shoes today? You know the pink ones with the sparkles?
Me: No, Jenna. We only wear those on Sundays now.

Looking over her shoulder with a scowl on her face, her hand on her hip, and her little rear end sticking out, she said . . .

"If you don't be good to me, you'll have to talk to the booty butt!"

I almost cracked up right there!! Where the heck did she learn that? I didn't know if I should laugh or scold her for telling me to talk to her butt.

I did both.

Odds & Ends

Nate left this morning to go to St. Louis to meet our new vicar (can you believe the seminary gives him a vicar?) and I am already bored. My house is picked up, the dishes are done, the laundry is in a good place, I have no work for Arlene, and my kids are in bed. I am thoroughly looking forward to The Bachelor tonight, but that's a whole other post.

So here are a few things in my world today:

1) I bought this new scrapbooking software. Tamara--I know, I can't compare to the scrapbooking goddess that you are, but I have to do something with the 5500 pictures on my computer. If I can't get my act together to get into this digital scrapbooking thing where you arrange pictures on templates (or create your own--but I'll probably stick with the templates) then I'll just have to resign myself to being okay just printing out pictures to put in albums. I REALLY want to be a crafty scrapbooker, but I am not. I hate crafts. I was so happy when our MOPS group banned crafts. That's just me. But I want to have a good record of our kids and our life together. I want to at least have albums, scrapbooks would be great even if they are faker digital ones.

2) The Bay Area has lots and lots of homeless people. It is very common to have a homeless person on all four medians at a busy intersection asking for food or money. When I take Jenna to preschool, there is this one guy who is ALWAYS at the median in the left hand turn lane right before her school. I always feel awful because I have no food to give him. (I don't give money usually, because I'm not comfortable with that). Every day, I see him and look around my car to see if I have anything to give him. I always figure that he doesn't want Goldfish crumbs, so I try to remember to bring some food from home. I never remember. But today I did. And he wasn't there. I even packed him a whole roll of Oreos. Oh well, I'll try again soon.

3) I've been feeling a bit isolated lately and am so happy that I get to go to my grandma's 94th birthday party in May. I hate not being able to get in the car and go to family functions. But I am really happy to be able to go to this one. It's been over a year since I've seen her and last time I talked to her on the phone she told me that she hoped she would see me before she dies. I have to go and want to go, she's my grandma, and I love her.

4) I was so proud of Jenna today. In the car, "Livin' On A Prayer" by Bon Jovi came on, and she said, "Mommy, I know this song and I love it. What's that guy's name? Jon Jovi?" So proud . . . So proud.

5) We just discovered Skype. It's awesome and free.

Baptized or Bathtized?

I came across the most hilarious thing earlier this week while my kids were playing in the bathtub! As I was busy straightening the bathroom up, they started pouring water on each others' heads. I didn't pay much attention at first, because they love to pour cups of water all over the place in the bathtub. Then I looked back and this is what I heard and saw:

Jenna: Abby, lean back because I am going to bathtize you.
Abby: No, Ja Ja (her name for Jenna)
Jenna: Come on, Abby. I'll be Daddy, and you be the baby.
Abby: Okay Ja Ja.

Abby leans her head back and Jenna pours water on her head and says, "Now you're bathtized into God's family. Yay Abby!"

After I laughed under my break, as not to interrupt this hilarous site, I wondered if Jenna forgot that Abby had already been baptized. Hmmm. . . And I also wondered if they are really interchanging the words "baptize" and "bathtize" or if "bathtize" is just the bathtub version of the baptisms Daddy does at church. I'll have to ask Jenna.

So today, there was a baptism at church and both girls happened to still be in church at that point. (Abby usually makes it to the sermon and then we take her to the nursery.) The conversation between them went like this:

Jenna: Hey Abby, that little baby is getting baptized just like us!
Abby: No baff (bath) Ja Ja (Jenna). Where the baff (bath)?

I hope one day, my children understand the real meaning of being baptized, but for now it seems to be a fun game they play in the bathtub.

Go ahead . . . I'm sure you are all thinking that I'm a terrible pastor's wife/mommy who lets her kids play baptism in the bathtub. Hey, at least they get that a baptism includes water!

I can't wait to share this story with them when they are 12:)

A Date with Daddy

Nate and Jenna went to the Giant's game yesterday and had some wonderful Daddy & Jenna time. As Jenna was getting ready to go--putting her hat and sunglasses on, Abby thought she was going too. She found her sunglasses and walked out the door and said,"Bye Mommy!" She was REALLY upset when she realized that she couldn't go. Nate only had two tickets and she was still recovering from the nasty stomach flu that hit her the day before.

The members of our church share season's tickets to Giant's games and draft for them each year. We have awesome seats, but due to the blazing hot sun and the fact that there's not much melatonin in either Nate or Jenna's skin, they moved to the seats with shade.

When I asked Jenna what her favorite part of the day was, she said cotton candy and Daddy. :)

Candy For Dinner?

We have this bowl of M&Ms and jelly beans that are on our kitchen counter. They are far enough where the girls can't reach it without getting a chair to swipe some. In the past few days, Abby has been working very hard to get her chair to the counter fast enough to be able to get to the candy bowl before I catch her in the act. But today, she tried a different approach. She quietly snuck over to the counter and reached up as far as she could. She got the edge of the candy dish and slid it to the edge. This is all while I am about five feet from her with my back to her.

When I heard the bowl being dragged to the edge of the counter, I watched her for a minute:) She kept looking back at me with this smirk on her face carefully watching me to see if I would catch her. When our eyes met, I said, "Abby, you can't have any candy. We are having dinner soon."
With that same smirk she said, "Abby numma nummas (M&Ms)?"
I said, "No M&Ms for dinner."
Abby said, "Chocolate dinner?" (She wanted chocolate for dinner.)
I said, "No chocolate for dinner."
Abby said,"Foot acks dinner?" (Fruit snacks)
I said, "No stinker--no fruit snacks for dinner."

All of this with a sneaky little smirk on her face. But oh so cute:)

A Lesson in Contentment

I lead a women's Bible study on Tuesday mornings, and today was the last day in our series on contentment. I am constantly amazed at how God continues to shape, mold, and teach me as I go. I have been leading this Bible study for six weeks (although I was gone a few for vacation) and just today realized what a gift I was given in terms of contentment.

Nate and I have been struggling with the issue of me going back to work for a while. To be frank, in order for us to make it financially out here, I need to work. I wish it weren't that way, I wish that every time I turn around a utility bill wasn't going up or that a gallon of gas wasn't getting closer to $4 a gallon every day. (We are currently at $3.79.) But we were told that before we even came here. We knew that most women worked and we knew that our decision for me to stay home with the girls wouldn't last forever and that we'd be tight for that time. But now it's time for me to jump back into teaching and there has been much to think about.

For weeks, I obsessed about what I should do. Should I teach full time at a public school and put my kids in daycare all day? Should I work at a Christian school where both girls could be in school/daycare on the same campus as me? Should I look for something part-time?

I almost immediately threw out the idea of working at a public school (although I could have made good money there) because I couldn't bear the thought of getting up super early to hand my kids over to another woman to raise (at least Abby). I just couldn't do it. There are women that are completely comfortable with full time daycare and I respect their decision, but for me personally, I just couldn't see myself doing that. Not with Abby being too young to even be in preschool.

I contacted all the Christian schools in the area, and not one had an opening for a middle school language arts teacher. I then gave up and told God that if he wanted me to work, he would have to figure this all out. Then I saw a job posting for the adult school. Long story short--it looks like I will be teaching a Monday-Saturday GED test preparation class in the morning from 9-12. Perfect. I can do part-time. Jenna can be in morning preschool and Abby can go to a babysitter for four mornings a week. Nate is home on Friday and Saturdays and can be with the girls then.

As I have been obsessing over how I am going to contribute financially to our family, God has been working up a plan that meets all of our needs. As soon as I gave the situation to him and took myself out of it, a great situation came up. Now, if I had my choice, I would always be teaching 7th graders, but I am excited for the new teaching road ahead and know that if God made that path straight, than it must be a good one.

I am content.

A Good Day Is . . .

1. When Jenna does not fight me about what she is going to wear. Usually she only wants to wear Easter type dresses and that doesn't work most days.
2. When my jeans have just come out of the dryer and they fit well without showing off my belly fat.
3. When Jenna agrees to take a nap and I get to take one too.
4. When Nate is home in the evening.
5. When I actually plan a healthy meal instead of standing in front of my pantry at 5pm trying to figure out what to make.
6. When Abby doesn't make some mess that is a pain to clean up. For example in between #5 and #6, she climbed up on the office desk, grabbed the black Sharpie marker that I thought was out of reach, and colored all over the computer monitor. Lovely.
7. When we get to take our "babies" (the girls' dolls--no I am not pregnant) for a walk around the neighborhood.
8. When I get to have coffee with a friend.
9. When I get to go to Target. I'll take this one with or without kids.
10. When my house is clean before I go to bed.

A Confession

A few weeks ago, I was so excited about Abby's progress in potty training. I wrote that she was all but potty trained and that I was so excited for diapers to be a thing of the past.

I jinxed myself.

While she was doing so well with potty training, she would go through a ton of diapers. She'd get a new one every time she went, so I decided to get her those Pampers Easy Ups--the ones with Dora on them. Since I got those for her, she has not gone on the potty. I thought it would be easier for her to slip them on and off and she wouldn't waste as many. But, she's quit all together.

So, I am confessing that my daughter is not potty trained like I said before. I am still buying diapers. And we are back to square one with potty training.

Lesson learned? Never change the routine of a potty training child and never write about it on your blog.

Tidbits from our trip to Houston

We just got back from a week long trip to Houston, Texas. We did our vicarage there and made some friends who have become our family. Here are some highlights from the trip.

-Perpetual sweat. 89 degrees and 89% humidity. When you live in the Bay Area where there is 0% humidity, this is quite an adjustment.
-A shopping trip to Target. This was great because #1 it was with Tamara, #2 we walked up and down every single aisle and got to carefully look at anything we wanted because #3 the kids weren't with us.
-Cindy's chocolate martinis. So yummy.
-Going to church and sitting next to my husband.
-Not being anyone's pastor (or the pastor's family). I am not the pastor, as you all know, so I guess Nate was just Nate this week and I was happy for him to be just Nate this week.
-Seeing our kids get to know and love Shelby and Seth (Chuck and Tamara's kids).
-An evening of excellent Mexican food, a good margarita, and a few hours of singing along to the Bon Jovi DVD.
-Watching Seth pin Abby under a large bucket. Her little legs was hanging out and she was crying so hard. I so wanted to go grab my camera because it really was a hilarious sight, but I would have felt guilty for leaving my screaming, scared child under a bucket while I snapped a picture of her.
-Visiting with Nate's aunt and uncle. They are so loving and giving and fun to be with. We love connecting with family we don't get to see often.
-Experiencing the friendliness of Texans. There really has to be something to Southern hospitality. People wave to you, they talk to you in stores--it's a phenomenon that I've only seen in Texas.
-The best pedicure ever--Really, this place (and I can't remember the name of it) tops all the other places I've been. Not that there's been many, but if I lived in Kingwood, I'd have a hard time avoiding that place.
-Going to the zoo and watching Seth chase ducks in the mud.
-The best part was just being able to spend time some of our favorite people in the whole world. They love us and we love them.

Happy Birthday Abby!

Abby's 2 today!

Nate = Murray Wiggle

Jenna doesn't like to go in the nursery anymore, so she usually sits with me in church. But tonight, she REALLY wanted to sit with Nate. That couldn't happen because Nate did a reenactment type thing of the Last Supper and played the part of Jesus. So he wasn't sitting in the pews. Jenna went up to Nate before the service started, and the conversation went something like this:

Jenna: Daddy, can I sit with you tonight?
Nate: Sorry, sweatheart, not tonight. I won't be sitting in the pews.
Jenna: Well how about tomorrow night, we have church then too. Can I sit with you
then?
Nate: No, I have to sing with the band tomorrow night.
Jenna: So that makes you a Wiggle then? (Obviously since he sings in a band.)
Nate: Which Wiggle does that make me?
Jenna: Murray Wiggle, since you play the guitar and sing on stage:)

Three Things I Can Never Find In My House

#1 I can never find muffin cups when I want to make cupcakes. Why? My children think that they are to be used for all kinds of art projects. They especially seem to make good snowflakes. Abby constantly tries to use them to carry snacks around, although they constantly fall out because they are only paper. Even if I put them somewhere where I think the girls won't find them, they always seem to sniff them out.

#2 Band-Aids. Everytime I buy new Band-Aids, they are gone within 5 days. As I speak, Abby is unloading the new box of Barbie ones I just bought and put all 35 on her right foot. All this in less than 10 minutes.

#3 My underwear. I really think that I have a lot of underwear. In fact, I know I do. But I have had to hunt for one clean pair every morning the last few weeks. I was lucky enough to find a clean pair in the load I did yesterday. I have an idea where they go . . . I recently found about 12 pairs in a backpack that Jenna conveniently packed. The backpack was buried in her closet. So, I know my underwear is in the house, I'm just not sure where Jenna has put them.

Update on Abby

We are home from the hospital and Abby is doing well after her surgery today. She's a little groggy and not too happy about the bandage on her hand where the IV was, but she's eating and resting on the couch with Jenna watching Barbie, the Magic Pegasus. We'll know she's back to feeling 100% when we catch her scaling the bathroom counter again:)

Before I give you the details of our day, I just have to say that I absolutely love our health insurance. We have Kaiser Permanente, which is an HMO, and it is the best healthcare we've ever received. Guess how much we paid for Abby's surgery today? $5. Yes, $5. That's it. In addition to the low costs for us, they have excellent doctors. In fact, doctors compete to be on staff with them. Kaiser is awesome and our church selected a great plan that is top notch--so yay to both of them. And for those of you wondering why our LCMS church isn't with the Concordia Health Plans, it's because they are way more expensive for the church and for us. I know most LCMS churches wouldn't even dare go someplace other than Concordia for their health plan, but our church does their own thing sometimes and we are grateful that they did.

So I got all the information in the mail regarding Abby's surgery earlier this week. On the sheet, it said that Abby had to stop eating at midnight the night before, but could have clear liquids (which includes Jello, juice, water, popsicles, etc.) until 7:30am. They wanted a 3 hour time frame of no eating at all before her surgery at 10:30am. Then yesterday, I got a phone call from some nurse telling me that she couldn't have anything--no clear liquids at all after midnight. I freaked out a little bit, because I couldn't imagine not feeding Abby something in the morning. She demands gogo (yogurt) the second she wakes up every morning. So, I called the pediatric surgeon's office who sent me the paper saying I could give her clear liquids before 7:30. She said, absolutely yes. She can have a cup of Jello before 7:30.

So, I gave Abby Jello and a little bit of water at about 7:15am. When we got to the hospital, our doctor was ahead of schedule and wanted to take Abby in early, but coudln't because it hadn't been three hours since she had her Jello and water. The doctor and the nurses treated me like I had done something wrong by giving her the Jello and water before 7:30. I kept telling them that the sheet they sent me said I could and that I even called the nurse to make sure. Our doctor was visibly annoyed that I gave Abby Jello this morning and the nurses left the room talking about how awful it was that I did that. So, I felt like the worst mom ever, even though I was told twice it was okay to give her Jello before 7:30.

We had to wait an hour and a half for them to do surgery on another baby while Abby's Jello digested. They brought in this sedative medicine that made Abby act like a drunk little baby. It was so funny! She was talking slowly and slurring her words. Her eyes were rolling in her head and she was giggling at nothing. Pretty funny.

After Abby came out of surgery, the doctor apologized to me about the way she and her staff had acted earlier and said that they needed to all be on the same page about food before surgery. So, I gave her the sheet that was my proof for Abby to eat Jello before 7:30. Needless to say, I felt better about the whole thing after I realized that I hadn't done anything wrong. It was a communication problem between the pediatric surgery department and the anesthesia department.

So, we are thankful for a successful surgery and that it wasn't wasn't a terribly serious health issue. The nurse told me that our doctor was performing 7 surgeries today, all on children under 3. As I saw them coming in an out of the waiting room, I wondered what their condition was. Their parents had scared looks on their faces, much like mine, and I prayed for each of them as they went in. Abby just had a little cyst that had to be removed, but I'm sure that some of those kids had surgeries that were more complicated and scary than hers. We have a lot to be thankful for.

Thank you for all of your prayers today!

Abby's Surgery

We would appreciate prayers for Abby tomorrow. She is scheduled for surgery to remove a urachal cyst. She has a little bubble of skin on the end of her belly button that is growing bigger ever so slightly as it fills up with fluid. Apparently, when babies are born, something inside of them in the belly button area (sorry I don't know the technical terms) closes off, but Abby's did not. So, she has a tiny little opening that is leaking fluid into the cyst (or bubble of skin) on the outside. If it becomes infected, it could infect her insides and that wouldn't be good. So the cyst comes off tomorrow.

I first noticed it when she was a few months old and asked our doctor about. He told me it was nothing and not to worry about it. That doctor turned out to be AWLFUL for many reasons I won't go into, but we switched doctors and when I pointed the bubble on Abby's belly button out to our new doctor, she took one look at it and said, "Oh yeah, that's a urachal cyst and it needs to be surgically removed." Needless to say, we LOVE our new doctor and am happy to be rid of the other one. It's taken a while to get into the pediatric surgeon and get surgery scheduled, but here we are--it's tomorrow.

It's not a major procedure. They have to take the cyst off and tie up the inside, but they have to put her under for it and that's what makes me nervous. Actually, the fact that she can't eat or drink much of anything tomorrow morning makes me really nervous. The doctor says she can have Jello and water before 7:30am, but that's it. So, I am hoping that Abby is okay with Jello and water for breakfast. She loves those Danimals drinking yogurts and the first thing out of her mouth in the morning is usually, "Mommy, I wan a gogo!" (Mommy, I want a yogurt!) So wish me luck trying to convince Abby that the gogo is all gone tomorrow.

Abby will be home tomorrow, but she probably won't feel very good after the anesthesia, so we plan to spent a few days at home recooperating. We'll let you know how it goes tomorrow!

A few fun pictures

The first one is of Jenna trying to imitate me putting on makeup. Doesn't she look beautiful? She'll learn someday that the eyeliner actually goes around the eyes:)

The next one is of us right before we left for Princesses on Ice. It was fun to walk through the streets of San Jose with our little princesses. A fun night!

Miss Independent

Notice the pants in this picture of Abby? Miss Independent. She insists on doing everything herself and accepts no help unless defeat is inevitable.

So, this week, Abby potty trained herself. No, I am not pushing her to be potty trained by two or anxious to get her out of diapers. Jenna wasn't trained until she was 3. I'm a big believer in letting my kids do things when they are ready. She just did it by herself. She sees Jenna and wants to be just like her. About every thirty minutes or so, Abby is MIA and I know exactly where to find her. In the bathroom. Her diaper is neatly thrown in the trash, half the roll of toilet paper is on the floor (why? I don't know, but it happens every time), and she is proudly sitting on the potty saying, "Mommy, I see pawee." (translation, "Mommy, I sit potty.")

I'm pretty excited about the fact that diapers may be a thing of the past in our house and looking forward to the raise that will come in our monthly budget because of it.

So, our little independent, I do everything myself, my way or the highway, go getter, sweet Abby, continues to live up to her personality.

Yay for no more diapers!

Living in the Fishbowl

Thank you to all of you who commented on the post about pastor's wives. I learned that I am not the only one interested in this, and I wonder if maybe there's a need for more communication between pastor's wives and church workers in general about life in the fishbowl. One comment from Megan said she gets to talk about her frustrations with other pastor's wives in the area. I don't have many of those. We don't live in Lutheran land or even Christian land. Only 5% of our community here in the Bay Area even knows of Jesus Christ as their savior. So, these conversations are definitely good for me.

So here are a few more things to discuss. And feel free to ask your own questions. There are probably other issues out there that I am not hitting on.

Finances--It's sometimes hard for me that everyone in our congregation has the opportunity to know how much we make (if they happen to be at the voters' meeting). I've had someone offer to pay for our dinner while we were out with them "because they know how much we make." (It's one thing to do it and another to say it!) Most people our age out here don't own a home because it is crazy expensive. It's almost impossible unless you make a ton of money. We are able to own our home because the church recognized the fact that if they don't help with housing, they would have a hard time getting any pastor to stay here. We are blessed to be in the house that we are, but I often feel weird about it. I guess I feel a little strange that we have a house and so many of our friends and church members are dealing with the crazy cost of both real estate and rent. That is my own issue though.

Tithing. I fully believe that God wants us to put Him before everything else. He wants us to trust him and he wants to take care of us. I am a big believer in tithing--not only because we've seen the blessings that come from it, but most importantly because God tells us to do it and through our giving, others know Christ. But finances are often an issue for all kinds of church workers. We come out of Concordia with more debt than we make in an entire year--and that's usually only school debt. Let's face it, we did not get into this profession to make money, and falling into the debt trap is so easy to do.

My question is--is it okay for a church worker's family not to tithe? That's a hard question to answer, but all I know is that I'm not sure Nate could preach a sermon on tithing, tell his church members to obey God in that area, and not be doing it himself.

Have at it!

Seriously . . .

I was watching the news today and learned that Barack Obama raised 50 million dollars in a month lately and Hillary Clinton raised 35 million in one month. Why can't people donate that kind of money to get rid of poverty, bring clean water to third world countries, or help get rid of the AIDS crisis? Seriously . . .

A discussion on pastor's wives

Nate has a vicar this year. I know that stuns some of you because he hasn't been out of seminary long himself, but the seminary approved his request and we are so thankful that they did. Chris and Cheryl have been wonderful and we will surely miss them when they are gone!

Nate had some really great mentors who have helped shape him into the pastor he is today. Namely, his father, Pastor Al, and Pastor Mike. But with a vicar, Nate has found himself in the position of being a mentor himself. And so have I.

It is actually pretty funny to me that I could be a mentor to our vicar's wife, because I've only been a pastor's wife for about 3 years now. What do I have to offer? What credibility do I have to back me up? Our vicar's wife is actually older than me, and that makes me feel even more uncomfortable!

So all of this has made me think about the role of pastor's wives. I have no idea who reads this blog, but I know that some of you are pastor's wives. Whether you fit into that category or not, your feedback on this post would be just as helpful. It would be fun to hear from all kinds of people on this subject.

What do you think about the following topics?

Should pastor's wives have friends in the church or is it not a smart idea to get too close to anyone?

Is it important for pastor's wives to be visible at church services and other activities?

Should pastor's wives always look nice or have a clean house just in case someone from the church comes over?

How should pastor's wives handle people who talk negatively about their husbands?

Because we are married to pastors, we sometimes have privileged information that other people will do anything to get out of us. What is the best way to handle this?

Should pastor's wives feel the stress to have well-behaved children?

How do pastor's wives handle the fact that their husbands have extremely busy schedules?

Discuss! (Hopefully)

Insanity

Insanity is doing or thinking the same thing over and over and over again, expecting to get a different result.

Instructions from Jenna

"Mommy . . . when I grow up and become a rock star, you are going to have to buy me a bigger guitar and a real microphone that works. Oh, and please find a guitar that has both pink and purple on it. Then I can be a rock star."

Some Things Never Change

When Jenna was a baby, her little arm would always find my neck or face when she was sleeping next to me. It was so sweet--kind of like she just needed to know I was beside her. When Abby was born, I was suprised to find that she does the same thing. That simple touch from a sleeping baby is so sweet.

Our kids don't sleep in our bed. We have never allowed it simply because I could never sleep with a moving child. Abby is almost two and has been a good sleeper for a long time, so we don't have those moments of her sleeping in my arms anymore.

Last night, she woke up coughing. Abby is a drama queen when it comes to coughing. If she has the slightest bit of ickiness in her throat, she'll cough like she's deathly ill. I usually let her cough in her room because holding her or giving her medicine hasn't worked. But we have a houseguest and Abby's room is right next to hers. So, when the crazy coughing began last night, I took Abby downstairs on the couch.

She laid next to me all night with her little hand pressed to my cheek or neck. Every once in a while, I'd catch one of her eyes open, peeking to see if I was still there. And even though I slept very little, I enjoyed every minute of having that little hand plastered to me reminding me of those precious baby moments that are most likely over for us.

Dixie Chicks

Yesterday while I was driving in the car to meet a friend for lunch, I heard a Dixie Chicks song. And for the first time in many years, I heard another Dixie Chicks song on the way home, which makes two Dixie Chicks songs in one day!

You may be asking why this is a big deal to me.

Ever since Natalie Maines made a comment about being embarrassed that George Bush was from Texas, many county music radio stations have all but erased them from their playlists. I remember living in both Missouri and Texas--both areas where county is quite popular--and hearing DJs say that they will never play the Dixie Chicks again because of the "unpatriotic" comment that they made. Keep in mind, this was during the beginning of the war on terror and it wasn't cool (like it is now) to publically be negative about President Bush. So, country music fans all across the country (who tend to be, or used to be supporters of our current president) called for people to stop listening to the Dixie Chicks. Even years later, when they released a new album (which was outstanding) they couldn't get people to come to their concerts. People were still holding that comment against them.

I have always had a problem with those people who were so critical of Natalie Maines. First of all--the Dixie Chicks were HUGELY successful. They have real talent. Who doesn't love "Cowboy Take Me Away" or "Sin Wagon" or "Goodbye Earl?" They are a perfect mix of country, rock, and bluegrass. They appealed to so many people. But with one comment, their fans denounced them and turned their backs on them.

Granted, I realize that celebrities can't just say nasty things without consequences, but to completely write them off and ignore the great music that they produce is a shame.

I used to hear a Dixie Chicks song every time I got in the car. Now, I get excited when I hear one! Let alone two in one day. Maybe that happened because I live on the left coast. The people here probably love the Dixie Chicks for insulting President Bush.

But I still love the Dixie Chicks and value them for what they are--musicians. Not for their opinions.

Conversations in the car are the best

After I pick Jenna up from preschool in the afternoon, she is usually tired and chatty. Those two things make for some interesting conversations in the car. Today it went like this:

Jenna: Mommy, when do you think God is going to give me a baby to take care of?
Me: Not for a very,very, very long time.
Jenna: Well, we better start collecting toys now for my baby. I really hope that God gives me a girl baby.
Me: Oh really? What would you name her?
Jenna: Brietta (after the horse on Barbie the Magic Pegasus)
Me: What if you had a boy?
Jenna: I don't think God will give me a boy baby. But I better pray right now to tell God that I want a girl baby. (She bows her head and quietly mutters a prayer to God--which is hilarious)
Jenna: When I go to preschool and I have my girl baby, you can hold her, okay Mommy?
Me: Okay.
Jenna: I'm going to be the teacher. No, I think I'm going to be a rock 'n roll star and play my guitar, but maybe I shouldn't because I might get a blister. So, I think I'll be a teacher.
Me: You would be great at either Jenna.
Jenna: Yeah, Daddy can teach me guitar and you can show me how to be a teacher.

Funny how they want to be exactly like their parents! Girl babies, guitar players, and teachers. Interesting.

4:50 AM is way too early to be up

Seriously. I've been up since 4:50AM, not because I set my alarm to wake up at this time or because I had a sudden case of insomnia. No. I woke up to a 4 year old redhead about two inches from my face asking me if we could go downstairs and play Pretty Pretty Princess. I tried to tell her that we are only allowed to wake up when the sun is out, but all I saw were two big blue eyes staring at me for another half hour while I pretended to be asleep, hoping she would follow suit.

Needless to say, it's 6:50AM and I've been up for about two hours now.

Seriously.

A Little Bit Obsessed

No one will really talk politics with me (except my friend Lindsay) so I have to write a post about this because it is all just so exciting!

I love the presidential race. I love watching Fox News or CNN and finding out about all the new happenings with the candidates--because something new happens everyday, whether it's mudslinging, polls going up or down, or someone dropping out of the race. Primary days are especially exciting to me, and I love the fact that we live on the left coast, oh sorry, west coast so that we can see the results at dinner time and not have to wait until late at night. So you can imagine how much I'm looking foward to Super Tuesday next week. I have already voted. In California, they're advertising this permanant voting by mail thing, and both Nate and I are doing that. It's just so much easier.

I really don't know who I am going to vote for in November. In CA, we can only vote within our party for the primary, but oddly enough I REALLY like two candidates and they are in separate parties.

Voting is such a privilege and holds such power in our country. With so many important issues facing us both internationally and domestically, I take the process seriously and try my best to learn about each candidate and pick the one that I believe is best for our country.

You may not be as obsessed as I am, but if you have the debate TiVoed for tonight like I do, you might be joining in my obsession!

A rough morning in the nursery

I just finished my monthly nursery duty at church and I need a glass of wine.

If you know me, you know that I would much prefer a room of 7th graders as opposed to a room full of children aged 4 and under. But, I have grown in my little kid skills. Maybe having two of my own has something to do with it, but I still believe that taking care of your own kids is way different than taking care of someone else's--especially 17 of them. Yes, I said 17. We had 17 kids in the nursery today, and that's a lot for our church.

My good friend, Michelle, was helping me today which was so wonderful because she is a preschool teacher and knows exactly what to do in all little kid situations. The morning went pretty well for the first three quarters of the service. And of course, all at the same time, all the little kids wanted to be held because they were tired. One was screaming his head off trying to get out of the nursery and another was hungry and wouldn't take his bottle. We had pinching and crying and sharing issues--all in a span of about fifteen minutes, and it was crazy.

After everyone was taken care of, things calmed down and all was well again, but I am worn out and in need of a glass of wine.

Disclaimer---I am not complaining about the nursery here. I love the fact that I can go to Bible study or worship in somewhat peace while Abby is in the nursery. Laurie, our children's ministry director who runs the nursery, is a saint and handles all of the hard situations (with kids and adults) with ease and professionalism. Because I am grateful for the nursery, I am more than willing to take my turn in there as a parent. I just know that my gifts are with older kids and I get easily stressed out with a room full of little kids. Hence the degree in secondary education and not elementary or early childhood!

Update on the diaper situation

Abby got out of the tape . . . :) Such a little stinker.

Maybe I should consider potty training at this early age.

Duct Tape and Diapers

I finally did it. I taped Abby's diapers with duct tape so that she can't get out of them.

She's so fast and often gets out of her clothes and diapers when I'm not looking. Then all of the sudden, here comes Abby with half of her clothes on. The clothes being off aren't a huge deal to me, although I really hate searching for and putting on shoes and socks every single time we get out of the car. It's the diaper that's the issue for me. Until last night, she has never left a present on the floor or in her crib due to the lack of diaper. Notice I said, "until last night?"

We put her to bed, turned the monitor on, and seriously didn't hear a peep from her. Usually, we can hear her rustling around and we can hear the rip of the diaper tabs coming off. But we heard nothing last night. Maybe we didn't have the monitor volume up enough or maybe she was just being super sneaky and quiet.

Right before bed, Nate went in to look at her and immediately came to get me. He told me to come and look at Abby and bring the camera. She was all sprawled out in her crib looking like a sleeping snow angel. She had a fleece blanket sleeper on with a zipper that goes from the neck to the the foot. She had the zipper all the way down, one leg out, and her diaper completely off. It really was a hilarious sight, but for the first time, we had to clean up a mess in the crib:)

Now, I can't post the picture because she's almost naked and I'm not sure how appropriate that is to post on the Internet, so I'll err on the side of caution.

I've had lots of people tell me that I should duct tape her diapers and I never have. I didn't really think that I would have to go there, but I did it today. She keeps me busy enough during the day, that I think I deserve a few hours of not having to worry if Abby is taking her diaper off and leaving me a mess in her crib.

I haven't checked on her yet this aftrnoon, so I'll let you all know if she found a way out of the duct tape diapers. I wouldn't be surprised if she does, but we'll see!

"I yuh you Mommy. I arry."

And the adventure of our little Abby continues . . .

First, I must explain the outfit in the picture above. I dressed Abby in her purple sweat suit for Jenna's birthday party on Saturday, but Abby had her own idea of what she should wear that day. She was insistent on wearing the pink frilly princess pajamas we bought for her the day before . . . and not under the outfit, but over. So, Abby attended the party (which was at our house) with the lovely outfit you see above.

But the real adventure was this afternoon. I put her in her crib for her nap, fully expecting her to fall asleep within 10 minutes or so. She's always been a great sleeper and has no problem falling asleep easily. About an hour after I put her down for her nap, I went back upstairs to grab something and heard her rustling around. I walked in to see absolutely everything thrown out of her crib and a naked, bare bottom sticking up in the air. She was half naked--no diaper on, pants off, socks off, and onesie undone.

You can imagine the problem that might occur with no diaper on a child who isn't potty trained. I was irritated, while trying not to laugh at the same time, and laid her on the changing table to put her diaper back on. I sternly said, "Abby, taking your diaper off is naughty. It does not make me happy when you throw everything out of your crib and take your diaper off."

I could tell that she knew I wasn't happy and that she was in trouble. She looked up at me with those big blue eyes and grabbed my hand. She put my arm in the crook of her neck and snuggled into it. Looking at me she said, "I yuh you Mommy. I arry. I arry Mommy. I yuh you." (translated means, I love you Mommy, I'm sorry. ) She hugged my arm as hard as she could and blew kisses my way.

How smart is she? She knows how to melt my heart and get out of trouble! Or at least try to get out of trouble.

So sweet, yet such a little manipulator. And she's not even two!

Welcome Baby Jeremy!

We have a new nephew! Jeremy Wade Hartke, son of Matt (brother #3) and Misty Hartke. Everyone is doing fine, and we wish them smooth sailing as they venture home with little Jeremy. This makes grandchild #6 in the Hartke clan for a grand total of 21 in Nate's immediate family!

Happy Birthday Jenna!

Today is Jenna's fourth birthday! We had a birthday lunch at McDonalds with Grandma, Daddy, Julie, Brittany, Alison, and Darren! She then went to the movie theater with Daddy and Grandma to see the new Veggie Tales movie.

This morning, right after she woke up, I said, "Happy birthday Jenna! You are four!" She immediately burst into tears and said that she was upset because she wasn' any bigger than she was yesterday. She wanted to be "big like Daddy" and she thought that when you turn four, you would be bigger and wouldn't be wearing 4T clothes anymore. She said, "Look, Mommy! My clothes are still 4T and I should be wearing a 8 since I am not three anymore."

Whether this makes sense to you or not, I had to try to find some rationality amidst the irrationality. I calmly pointed out that the Hello Kitty shoes we just bought for her were a size bigger than before, so that must mean that she is getting bigger!"

It worked, and the craziness stopped.

Happy birthday to my sweet Jenna:)

Some of my favorite things

1. Beringer's Chenin Blanc white wine . . . I really want to like red wine because people who drink red wine are like people who drink coffee. They're all in this cool club and I feel left out. (I drink hot chocolate at Starbucks) But, I like white wine, and I have fallen in love with the Chenin Blanc.

2. Chocolate Neccos . . . most people don't know what these are, and if they do, they are only aware of the multi-colored Neccos. I only like the chocolate ones. I have found one place around here that sells them--Long's Drugs. Yeah for Long's Drugs.

3. The TV show, "Whose Line Is It Anyway?" . . . I never watched it when it was on during primetime, but Nate started to record it, and we are addicted. It really is hilarious. I love Wayne Brady. That guy can do anything. They always have a guest performer and my favorite is Chip. I love when he is the girl on "Let's Make a Date."

4. The Dirt Devil Broom Vac . . . Yes, another corded item that I am excited about. It's actually an electric vacuum. So when Abby and Jenna dumped half of the animal crackers on the floor the other day and proceeded to walk all over them, I could vacuum up the crumbs in no time!

5. The fact that Abby hasn't figured out how to climb out of her crib yet. I know it's coming though. I've caught her trying a few times. Although, these days, she's too busy trying to get all of her clothes off in her crib before I come to get her. For Abby, being naked is way more important than escaping from her crib. Soon, it'll be both.

Semantics of a four year old

I love to listen to the girls try to figure out the English language. It really is amazing how fast little ones learn and how their little brains put meaning and words together. I love when Jenna busts out with phrases that don't totally make sense to me, but I can see how they would make sense to her four year old brain still learning the ins and outs of language.

We took the girls for swimming lessons yesterday for the first time. Jenna has a fear of big swimming pools and hasn't made it off the steps of any pool in a few years. (Hence the swimming lessons.) Knowing that she was going to a big pool for lessons caused some anxiety for her and the day before, she said, "Mommy, could you please sign me out of swimming lessons?"

I had to think a minute. Then it dawned on me. She was replacing "up" for "out." I had been telling her that I signed her "up" for lessons and she thought it would be a good idea for me to sign her "out!"

I didn't, by the way. And although she still didn't venture past the steps, she was willing to try and says she will let her teacher take her on the kickboard next week. We'll see . . . .

We were playing Memory today, and Jenna beat the pants off me. She doesn't quite get how you win in Memory, and she stacked her pile of cards next to mine (which were much smaller) and said, "Look Mommy! We roped in Memory!" Hmmm . . . another thought provoking phrase. She replaced "tied" which is the common word for that phrase with "roped."

I apologize if this isn't amusing to those of you reading this. As Jenna's Mommy and a teacher and lover of the English language, I get a kick out of stuff like this:)

Just Because They're Cute

A Fashion Guru

For so long, Jenna took no interest in picking out her own clothes. That changes a few months ago, and now we often have days where she picks out the craziest outfits. I thought I'd share because today is one of those days.

Let's start with the hair. She requested pony tails today so that she could choose her own hair accessories. She always wants a bunch of clips in her hair and I have to limit it to a certain number or she would have one of every color! I think she has four in today . . . and if you look closely they all match. I know what you are thinking--the green one really doesn't match, but it does! It matches the green heart on her tights!

Next are the shirts. She LOVES the yellow tank top, and of course, it's too cold to wear it by itself. I thought she's just put it away for summer, but no. She used her problem solving skills and came up with the idea of wearing a shirt underneath it.

The skirt is fine. It's one we've had for a long time that just now fits. Nevertheless, she has to wear skirts these days. Nothing else will do.

The tights. Why do I allow those in our house? The just create crazy outfits like this that I cannot fight.

The shoes. She got these for Christmas and wears them with everything. She even sleeps with them in her bed.

So there you have it. A typical Jenna outfit that is so her. Thankfully, we are not going anywhere today! If we were, all the mothers with four year olds would smile at me and know that Jenna picked out her clothes today:)

Random funnies

We're starting the girls in swimming lessons this Saturday, Jenna has already told me that she won't be going in the water, but instead sitting on the edge of the pool, watching the rest of the kids.

I was so excited that Nate got me a toaster oven for my birthday--our old one was gross. A friend told me that a sign of getting old is being excited about corded items for gifts.

We had guests coming over and I was in a rush to get the house clean. I was upstairs vacuuming and left the girls in the play room. When I got done, I came downstairs to an entire roll of toilet paper ripped into small pieces on the floor. So much for cleaning.

Jenna looked at the tops of my hands the other day and told me that I was a grandma now since my hands had big lines on them. (I think she was referring to the veins.)

I have specific instructions from Jenna on how to give her a "surprise" party for her birthday. She told me that she was going to wait outside while her friends crouched down inside. Then when she walks in, everyone will jump up and yell, "surprise!" Not sure that's a surprise party!

Abby just came up to me with a package of wipes in one hand and a diaper in the other and asked me if I was poopy.

I think I might be a democrat . . . .

I have been a registered republican since I was 18. No wait, I think I orginially registered as a democrat when I was 18 and didn't even know the difference between the two. Then I learned more about the parties and what my own beliefs were and have been a republican ever since.

For a while, I was a one issue voter. Abortion was it for me. I couldn't vote for anyone who would be in support of killing babies. Faith was a huge issue for me as well. To have leaders with lives based in Christ was important to me. That still is. But, I've realized that I can't only vote for people because they support or reject abortion. That's an issue that is great fun and important to debate about, but when it comes down to it, I don't see that as an issue being resolved in the political world anytime soon. I choose to focus on my own family and concentrating on how we choose to teach the girls about the sancitity of life instead of putting all my eggs in one basket on election day.

I've come a long way. I am trying to learn about all the presidential candidates and vote based on faith as well as important issues that must be addressed: health care, the environment, and security--to name a few.

When I thought about the issues that were important to me, I realized that I don't seem to fit into either party very well. So, I took this online evaluation. I had to go through a list of issues, rank their importance and indicate whether or not I supported the idea. The end result was that I am most closely matched (71%) with Bill Richardson, a democrat. And most of my other close matches were democrats. So, I'm afraid that I might be a democrat.

Now, I am probably not going to vote for Bill Richardson because he doesn't have much chance of winning, but I am open to considering others--in all parties.

I might just have to be an independent. We'll see.

If you are my dad or my uncle Wayne and you are reading this, you are probably falling off your chair--both for different reasons.

Most of my posts are about funny things that happen with the girls and I've learned that finding the humor in motherhood and telling you all about it is a positive thing for me. I'm not exactly sure why, but when I laugh about the things that make me crazy sometimes, the craziness doesn't take such a toll on me.

This post, however, is not about a funny thing that happened with the girls. My heart breaks for two families at our vicarage church as well as the people surrounding them.

I love God. I know that everything that happens is in His plan and that everything ultimately glorifies Him. I trust Him and I understand the sacrifice He made for me. I'm having a hard time understanding how two families can be hurting so much as a result of two deaths that were so shocking and hard.

A little girl, just a few months older than Abby, died two weeks ago from an aggressive brain tumor. Her parents, as well as their friends and family, watched her slowly and painfully slip away. An admirable man with a beautiful, Godly family including six children suddenly died yesterday. He will never walk his daughters down the aisle and his family is left in a heap of disbelief and grief that is unimaginable.

Seeing these horrible things doesn't make me doubt God. In the awful things, I see His comfort, healing, and great love, but why them and why now?

My heart breaks for these families and for the people who love them. But I still love God and trust that He will take care of them.

Nate is disqualified

Apparently, having hairy arms disqualifies you from rubbing Jenna's back.

Every night after prayers, I stay with Jenna for a few extra minutes and rub her back. I started that one evening when she was sick and she has asked for it ever since.

The other night, Nate asked Jenna if he could stay and rub her back. She said, "No Daddy, you have hairy arms."
:)

"Clothes Haaaaaaa"

"Clothes haaaaa" is the best way I know how to phonetically spell a new phenonmenon in our house. The word "haaaa" is Abby's word for "off." And there's not way to phonetically spell "haaaa" that does justice to the way Abby says it. But she says it a lot these days.

This morning, I went into her room to find her completely naked. She got her blanket sleeper off as well as her diaper. Thank goodness it wasn't a poopy diaper, but I have that those unfortunate situations this week. Yuck.

Anyway . . .Abby likes to take all her clothes off several times a day. I think it's a challenge for her and she likes to see if she can get out of every outfit that I think is too tricky for her. For example, after the first few times she did this, I started putting a Onesie on her, thinking that she couldn't get that off, therefore, she couldn't get to her diaper.

Wrong.

She got her arms out of the Onesie, pulled the Onesie down to her tummy and proceeded to undo her diaper by reaching in the stretched out neck that was now around her stomach. I thought that was a surefire way to keep her from getting everything off, but I now realize that I have nothing. No defenses against our 21 month old who does not want to keep her clothes on.

So now every time I drop her off at the nursery at church or leave her with friends not only do I have to warn them that she will probably climb on anything she can find, but that she will probably strip as well--and not just the clothes--the diaper too.

On one hand, this is hilarious to me. She is just so amusing and really is a riot most of the day. However . . . when I am trying to get everyone out the door for church or preschool or something important that I am stressing out about, the last thing I want to see is a naked baby running around with her clothes in a pile.

Jenna never did this. In fact, I was worried about her dressing skills when I heard my friends tell me that their kids were always dressing and undressing themselves. Not to fear though, Jenna is an expert dresser . . . she has taken to picking out her own outfits. Needless to say, I only let her wear the yellow tank top over the blue long sleeve shirt with bright pink tights with hearts all over them and her denim skirt when we aren't going anywhere important. Yes, I get stares, but you know . . . she is very proud of herself and learning some independence.

As you can see, getting dressed and staying dressed are issues in our house right now. And while it is a minor inconvenience at times, this is the stuff of life and parenthood that we will always remember.

A New Kind of Moisturizer

Abby is into everything. She thinks that emptying all the toy bins in the middle of the room is great fun and doesn't think that any of Jenna's clothes belong in their drawers. I recently had to put a child safety lock on the pantry door handle so that she couldn't get in the pantry. She had been emptying the bottom two rows and carrying stuff around the house. The last thing I needed was to have vegetable oil spilled all over the family room carpet.

The girls stayed with some good friends of ours while Nate and I went to a meeting last night. They are well aware of Abby's adventurous and curious side, but weren't prepared for her latest antic. Apparently, Abby got into the diaper bag, and rubbed diaper rash cream all over her face. By the time our friend, Matt, discovered all of this, her entire face was white. When we picked the girls up, Matt was afraid to tell us what had happened, thinking that we would be upset. However, we laughed out loud at the thought of her getting into the diaper rash cream. I just wish I could have seen her!

I went out this morning with a friend and came home to find out that she had done the same thing again while Nate was home with her. Only this time, Nate said that she kept saying, "Mommy, mommy, mommy" while rubbing the diaper rash cream all over her face. It seems as if she was trying to put moisturizer on like I do each morning. How funny!

I have not witnessed either of these hilarious incidents, and Nate didn't get a chance to take a picture. If we do get a picture of Abby putting "moisturizer" on, I'll be sure to post it.

A Phone Call to Santa Claus

A few days ago, we were in Kohls doing some Christmas shopping. I wandered into the kids' clothes section (which was not what we were there for, but I can never resist) which is next to the toy section. As I was browsing, Jenna found a Barbie, the Island Princess doll. Jenna loves the Island Princess. She was Barbie, the Island Princess for Halloween, loves the movie, and wants every toy that is related to this particular Barbie. Little did she know that I had bought the same exact doll for her for Christmas the day before.

I tried to tell her that she just couldn't have it. We weren't there to shop for her. That line usually works and she agrees to not whine about everything in the store that she wants. But, this was different. This was Barbie, the Island Princess. Out of desperation to get us out of the store with as little crying and carrying on as possible, I told her that Santa called me earlier in the day and told me that he had that same doll for her in his bag. He was saving it for Christmas and he would bring it then.

This was so great, because she bought it! She happily returned the doll to the toy section and smiled the whole way out of the store, knowing that Santa was going to bring her the Island Princess doll.

She's a smart cookie though, and I should have seen this coming. She then asked me if she could talk to Santa since he had just talked to me earlier in the day. She had some more things to ask him for. So, I thought quickly. I was trying to think of every guy who would be available, be willing to pretend to be Santa, and wouldn't be a voice she would recognize. Chuck. Our good friend Chuck.

I called him, explained the situation, and while he was in the middle of a Sam's Club shopping trip, pretended to be Santa on the phone to Jenna. She bought it hook, line, and sinker and was so excited that she talked to Santa. (Thank you Chuck.) Then in the car, she asked me what Santa's phone number was. Thinking quickly again, I said, 555-CHRISTMAS.

So, Jenna now thinks that Santa is a cell phone call away to 555-CHRISTMAS and that anyone can talk to him any time of the day.

Luckily, she hasn't asked again to talk to Santa. When she does, we might be making another phone call to Santa. :)

Injured On The Job--Doing Laundry

Injured doing laundry? Yes, I am clumsy. I always have been. When I was younger, I often had trouble going up and down stairs. As a teacher, I always tripped over the feet of the kids who were sitting in the front row. When I was a papergirl in elementary school, I actually ran into a telephone pole while delivering papers. I vividly remember the emergency room doctor laughing at me when I told him how I got the cut above my eyebrow. So my clumsiness haunts me again, and this time I have a nickel-sized little goose egg between my eyes to show for it.

Our laundry room is wide enough to fit just the washer and dryer. The dryer is on the left and the washer is on the right. I finished folding the laundry in the dryer, and left the door open, which swings open to the right. As I was getting the laundry out of the washer and putting it into the dryer, I somehow bent down low enough to whack my forehead right on the top of the dryer door that was open. It was a hard smack--I'm not sure how or why I had such a large amount of momentum going from the washer to the dryer, but I did. I hit my forehead so hard that I was dizzy and actually thought I might pass out. I walked to our bedroom and grabbed the phone in case I had to call Nate to come help me.

I didn't pass out, but have this embarrassing goose egg right in between my eyes. When I picked up Jenna from preschool right after this happened, no one said anything, so hopefully it'll stay that way. If not, I've got another clumsy and embarrassing story to tell.

Funny Random Stuff

Jenna has learned to match her clothes. The other day, she was standing on the stool in her bathroom and I was doing her hair. I picked out a green hair clip that didn't match her outfit, and as I was about to put it in her hair she looked up at me out of the top corner of her eyes and said, "Now Mommy, do you see any green in my outfit?" I couldn't believe that she was calling me out on not matching! She said, "There's no green in my outfit today, maybe you should put a pink clip in my hair." I guess she told me!

Jenna is in preschool, and instead of bringing backpacks or having cubbies, the kids are required to bring buckets. We bought a purple sand bucket and decorated it with stickers for Jenna. From day one of preschool, Abby thought she should be in the class too. She would sit in the book corner, reading all the books, or color a page with the big kids while I signed Jenna in. One day as we were walking out the door to go to preschool, Abby grabbed her hot pick princess Halloween candy bucket that I had recently bought for trick or treating. She took it in the car, and as soon as she got out of her carseat, she picked it up and took it in to the classroom, just like big sister, Jenna! She even put it right next to Jenna's on the shelves where they go during class. Everyday now, both girls walk into preschool with their buckets, ready for class. Mrs. Dennis, Jenna's teacher, noticed this bucket thing with Abby and now is ready with some "homework" (a coloring page) for Abby. After we say goodbye to Jenna, I grab Abby's bucket from the shelves and put it in the car for a few hours later when we pick Jenna up and do the same routine all over again!

I was getting ready this morning and Nate was watching the girls so I could get ready in peace. When I was out of the shower, I heard Nate yelling,"No Abby, no Abby!" I thought to myself . . . "Oh, he's experiencing Abby this morning!" Then I heard a crash, which was the candle holders falling over on the dining room table. Then I heard, "Weeeeee! Weeee" While Nate was flipping out because Abby was sitting on top of the table knocking things over, Abby was enjoying every second of it:)

Productivity vs. Fruitfulness

God seems to give me just what I need when I need it.

I lead a women's Bible study on Tuesday mornings at our church, and this particular study is on stress. Each week is broken down into a different subtopics, and this week was "fruitfulness." When I think about the word, "fruitfulness" I often think of it in spiritual terms, I think about the fruit of our labor or the fruit of the Spirit or the fruit that comes from being in a relationship with God.

I never thought about pitting productivity against it though.

There's this pressure all around to be productive. Get more work done, get more stuff, have your kids in all the important activities, volunteer at church, make sure the laundry is done, and the house is always clean and tidy. That is a lot of pressure!

I work part time from home and I was stressing myself out by trying to take care of the girls, the house, and try to work all at the same time. I would fail every time resulting in yelling at the girls and worrying about what I wasn't getting done. I finally realized that trying to get all that done, trying to be too productive, was not good for me. I have been getting one to two migraines a week for a while now, and came up with every excuse in the book like-we live kinda close to the highway so that's what's causing my migraines. Or, it must be hormones. But, I am willing to admit that I was trying to do too much at once and that stress was making life hard.

So as I was going through my Bible study this morning, I realized that God has been teaching me that although being productive is good, trying to be too productive is not. Instead, I should be focusing on being fruitful and living in His will. love, and grace. Doing that will guide my life and result in happiness that I cannot achieve by filling my life with too many tasks.

Being in a hurry and filling my life with too many things is not good for me when it is done for the wrong reasons. So, I am choosing to work towards being fruitful instead of productive. I want to create a happy and balanced home for my family, work from home when the girls aren't awake, and choose activities for the right reasons and not because everyone else is doing it.

I would love to have every piece of laundry clean at any given moment, never have dishes sitting around, have a clean house that is ready for visitors at all times, but I"m pretty sure that God is calling me to create a balanced home and family and raise children that love Him. So, I am trying to do that. No more six way multitasking and thinking about whether Jenna should be in dance, swimming lessons, and preschool. We take one thing at a time and stop to play a game of hide-and-go seek with the girls without worrying about what I'm not getting done.