That even though we've had a rough year financially, we were able to get some really neat presents for the boys :-) It's not about how much we spent. In fact, some of the things Ethan will enjoy most were a dollar or less!
As I was wrapping presents last night, I thought about what the boys will think of them. One in particular made me smile... Ever since we went to the children's museum last week (part of celebrating Gabriel's birthday), Ethan has asked off and on for a Walmart bag, presumably so he can go grocery shopping. I told him that I couldn't let him play with them because they could hurt Gabriel. But it gave me the idea of buying him some of the reusable ones for Christmas. He saw me put a couple of them in our shopping cart this week and he told me, "Mommy, I want that!" I gave him my Oh, Puh-leeze look and smiled and didn't say anything. They're now wrapped with the rest of his gifts. Can't wait to see his face when he opens them LOL
I don't know how much Gabriel will be into opening presents. Or how he'll react to his new toys. I hope he enjoys himself :-)
Friday, December 24, 2010
Our Christmas
We'll be going to Jesse's parents' tonight for the annual big get-together. We do a fun gift game (Dirty Santa), and eat chicken and sausage gumbo, potato salad, etc. And of course just hang out :-) The kids open their gifts before we do our game and then spend most of the night happily entertaining each other in the playroom.
Christmas Day we usually spend with my dad, his wife, and my brother's family. It's a 2-hour drive each way so it's a long but enjoyable day!
Since we have a late night Christmas Eve and an early morning Christmas Day, we open presents Christmas Eve when we get back home. We don't do Santa so it works out really well! The boys get to open and play with their gifts while Jesse and I spend time winding down and enjoying the boys' excitement :-)
We don't have to get up super early Christmas Day, we don't have to rush through opening presents, and the boys get to play with their new stuff without worrying about time. Sure, they're up really late. But it's so much easier than having to wake them up early and be in such a rush! We wake them up with the anticipation of going to Grand-Daddy's and Meme's who they only see a few times a year. And they get to spend the car trip sleeping ;-) By the time we get there, they're excited and ready for the big day :-)
I'm sure we'll fine-tune the way we do things as the boys get older, but for now this works out great for us!
Merry Christmas to everyone! Hope you have a blessed time with family and friends, and don't forget the Reason for the season!!!
Christmas Day we usually spend with my dad, his wife, and my brother's family. It's a 2-hour drive each way so it's a long but enjoyable day!
Since we have a late night Christmas Eve and an early morning Christmas Day, we open presents Christmas Eve when we get back home. We don't do Santa so it works out really well! The boys get to open and play with their gifts while Jesse and I spend time winding down and enjoying the boys' excitement :-)
We don't have to get up super early Christmas Day, we don't have to rush through opening presents, and the boys get to play with their new stuff without worrying about time. Sure, they're up really late. But it's so much easier than having to wake them up early and be in such a rush! We wake them up with the anticipation of going to Grand-Daddy's and Meme's who they only see a few times a year. And they get to spend the car trip sleeping ;-) By the time we get there, they're excited and ready for the big day :-)
I'm sure we'll fine-tune the way we do things as the boys get older, but for now this works out great for us!
Merry Christmas to everyone! Hope you have a blessed time with family and friends, and don't forget the Reason for the season!!!
Thursday, December 16, 2010
Update Coming Soon...
Gabriel's 2-day birthday celebration and more... Need some computer time to do it :-)
Sunday, December 5, 2010
Making Myself Vulnerable
Most of you reading this already know what I'm about to talk about. But I want, no, I NEED to get it out here "in public."
Ethan's always been high strung. And I mean always. Like since he was a day old still in the hospital. He's always been very sensitive and feeds off our emotions. And oh yeah, he's always had a temper.
There are things he does periodically like throw toys in the playpen where he can't get them out. Methodically break a whole box worth of crayons in half, calmly searching the apartment for every one and breaking it in half. And then immediately crying after he starts breaking them, continuing to break them, and crying when he's done. He went through a period of throwing his sippy/pillow on the floor every night and then screaming to get them back. Not fun when you're trying to sleep. In the car he frequently would throw his sippy/Puppy on the floor and scream to get them back. Not fun when you're trying to drive.
It seems like there's a common thread to all of these - compulsion. And I think he's realizing it himself. He doesn't want his sippy/pillow in bed anymore because he knows he'll throw them down. He doesn't want his sippy/Puppy in the car anymore because he knows he'll throw them down.
I'm trying to walk a fine line. I know mental illness runs in both Jesse's and my families. So the boys do have biological predispositions to it. My degree is in behavioral sciences. Some might say I took just enough psychology classes to be dangerous ;-) I don't want to be looking for mental issues in my kids when there aren't any. On the other hand, I want to notice possible issues and deal with them before they progress to the level of other members of our families. So where's that balance?
I found out about a program at our local state mental health hospital that deals specifically with children age 0-5. They work with the parents and the children and try to take care of smaller issues before they get big. They mainly do play therapy, and they have child psych's on staff that work with that age group if needed. She stressed to me that the focus of the program is on changing behavior, teaching parents how to effectively manage the child's issues, etc versus pushing meds.
I prayed. And prayed. And prayed. I kept asking for confirmation that something really was going on with him. And that this program was the direction we should go. I kept feeling peace about it, no matter how much I deliberated. Every sign I got showed me to take this direction.
We did the intake appointment back in July but weren't able to get all the paperwork together we needed till right before Thanksgiving. Once they get the paperwork from me, we'll go on the assessment schedule. They do many hours of assessments over multiple weeks, fine-tuning as they go. He won't have an official diagnosis (they intentionally avoid labeling at his age), but will have a set of "tendencies" he shows.
I felt much better after the appointment for a few reasons. The lady who ended up doing our appointment is the head of the program. And she AP'ed her kids! That right there put me at ease :) Toward the beginning of our conversation I told her something about how Ethan never let us put him down as a baby and her response was, "So you wore him a lot, right?" Uhhh... Not quite the response I was expecting ;) I was up front that Ethan wasn't vaxed. She said there was another family in the program that didn't either - not a problem. But a lot of the reason I felt better was her reactions to some of the incidents we mentioned. I saw her facial expressions - surprise, concern. It was even more confirmation that we were doing the right thing.
Hopefully within the next week they'll be able to get the rest of the paperwork from us and we'll get on the assessment schedule.
I'll post ongoing updates. Please keep my family in prayer as we take this journey!
Ethan's always been high strung. And I mean always. Like since he was a day old still in the hospital. He's always been very sensitive and feeds off our emotions. And oh yeah, he's always had a temper.
There are things he does periodically like throw toys in the playpen where he can't get them out. Methodically break a whole box worth of crayons in half, calmly searching the apartment for every one and breaking it in half. And then immediately crying after he starts breaking them, continuing to break them, and crying when he's done. He went through a period of throwing his sippy/pillow on the floor every night and then screaming to get them back. Not fun when you're trying to sleep. In the car he frequently would throw his sippy/Puppy on the floor and scream to get them back. Not fun when you're trying to drive.
It seems like there's a common thread to all of these - compulsion. And I think he's realizing it himself. He doesn't want his sippy/pillow in bed anymore because he knows he'll throw them down. He doesn't want his sippy/Puppy in the car anymore because he knows he'll throw them down.
I'm trying to walk a fine line. I know mental illness runs in both Jesse's and my families. So the boys do have biological predispositions to it. My degree is in behavioral sciences. Some might say I took just enough psychology classes to be dangerous ;-) I don't want to be looking for mental issues in my kids when there aren't any. On the other hand, I want to notice possible issues and deal with them before they progress to the level of other members of our families. So where's that balance?
I found out about a program at our local state mental health hospital that deals specifically with children age 0-5. They work with the parents and the children and try to take care of smaller issues before they get big. They mainly do play therapy, and they have child psych's on staff that work with that age group if needed. She stressed to me that the focus of the program is on changing behavior, teaching parents how to effectively manage the child's issues, etc versus pushing meds.
I prayed. And prayed. And prayed. I kept asking for confirmation that something really was going on with him. And that this program was the direction we should go. I kept feeling peace about it, no matter how much I deliberated. Every sign I got showed me to take this direction.
We did the intake appointment back in July but weren't able to get all the paperwork together we needed till right before Thanksgiving. Once they get the paperwork from me, we'll go on the assessment schedule. They do many hours of assessments over multiple weeks, fine-tuning as they go. He won't have an official diagnosis (they intentionally avoid labeling at his age), but will have a set of "tendencies" he shows.
I felt much better after the appointment for a few reasons. The lady who ended up doing our appointment is the head of the program. And she AP'ed her kids! That right there put me at ease :) Toward the beginning of our conversation I told her something about how Ethan never let us put him down as a baby and her response was, "So you wore him a lot, right?" Uhhh... Not quite the response I was expecting ;) I was up front that Ethan wasn't vaxed. She said there was another family in the program that didn't either - not a problem. But a lot of the reason I felt better was her reactions to some of the incidents we mentioned. I saw her facial expressions - surprise, concern. It was even more confirmation that we were doing the right thing.
Hopefully within the next week they'll be able to get the rest of the paperwork from us and we'll get on the assessment schedule.
I'll post ongoing updates. Please keep my family in prayer as we take this journey!
Thursday, December 2, 2010
Christmas Tree Is Up!
This time last year I was 8 1/2 months pregnant. Bad heartburn issues due to carrying Gabriel super high - same as Ethan. Sick with constant colds. Weak.
We didn't get our tree up last year :-( I was just too sick. We didn't get to do hardly anything for our favorite time of year... No going to see Christmas decorations, none of our own decorations. Ethan didn't even get his presents from us till over a month later.
Don't get me wrong. I wouldn't trade Gabriel for any of the things we missed out on! But it was a rough pregnancy, especially toward the end. And we really feel like we totally missed Christmas.
So we're determined this year will be different :-) Number one on our list - Christmas tree! Our living space is so cramped that our full-size tree lives in our storage unit, in anticipation of one day living somewhere there's space to put it up. What we have is a 3-foot tree. It sounds so small but it really seems larger! We've bought ornaments through the years, plus my mom buys us new ones every so often.
We originally planned on putting the tree up Thanksgiving day. But we ended up having to wait till after our big Thanksgiving dinner Saturday. Then it kept getting pushed back. We decided today was IT! The boys and I woke up to find the boxes containing the tree and decorations in the dining room this morning :-)
All day it was one thing after another but we finally got started after supper. I always leave the lights on the tree and was disappointed to find they weren't on when I unboxed it. Then I remembered that two years ago I had to buy new lights and didn't like the way I had wrapped them. So I had taken them off to start fresh the next year. I started putting them on the tree and thought about plugging them in... just to be sure they worked. So I plugged them in and NOTHING. Pushed each bulb tightly in (all 100 of them) and tried again. Still nothing. I found a new set of lights in the boxes (remembered they had been B1G1F) and they worked! But it wasn't enough to cover the tree like I wanted.
So at this point I had three options:
1. Rewrap the lights to try to cover the tree better
2. Go out tomorrow and buy another set of lights - and explain to Ethan that we couldn't do the tree yet
3. Get out and buy more lights
At 9pm I walked to the car and headed a mile down the road to pick up another set of lights. I needed an extension cord anyway.
Got back home, connected the strands, and put both sets on the tree. Plugged it in and BAM! Ever see 200 lights on a 3-foot tree? Some might say it's overkill but we think it's beautiful :-) I added the snowflake garland.
Then came the fun part. Ornaments! We have so many that they can't possibly all fit. So I laid out Ethan's special ornaments (the ones with his name on them etc) and most of the others. He was so excited :-) I explained that he had to put his special ones on first. As he did, I told him the story of each one. "Grandma got this one for you" "Your cousin has one just like this with his name on it" "This one says you're a gift from God" "Look! A frog for our frog-baby" (his nickname as a baby).
After those were on the tree, I let him have at it.
I told him he could put the ornaments wherever he wanted. Jesse and I took turns taking pictures and occasionally holding him up when he asked to reach a high branch. Gabriel played happily on the other side of the gate and periodically peeked at us. He was quite content to let us do all the work while he played ;-) I unpacked the colored candy canes and let Ethan place them on the tree as well. I put a few ornaments but I let him do most of them.
Ethan had the best time! The bottom front of the tree (approximate eye level for him) has multiple ornaments and candy canes on each branch. It LOOKS like a 3-year-old decorated it. And you know what? That's just how it's going to stay. Jesse asked if I was going to move things around later. No way! It's PERFECT the way it is :-D
I found myself getting so emotional tonight. Watching the pure delight on Ethan's face as I lit the tree to test the lights. His pride in being able to decorate it. His frustration when ornaments wouldn't stay where he wanted - usually because the branch had too many on it already ;-) His despondency when one of the plain silver balls fell off and shattered at his feet.
In some ways I feel more like a mommy tonight than I ever have. Watching this child who I hoped for since I was a child and tried to conceive for over two years, who grew inside of me, who I felt move and grow, who I have nurtured physically, emotionally, and spiritually, who I'm watching turn into a little boy right before my eyes. Seeing the range of emotions as he's decorating the tree for the first time. Knowing that next year Gabriel will be helping too. It was such a special time for me that I don't have words to describe it...
P.S. It was so cute listening to Ethan telling me over and over after we were done, "Mommy, I like our tree!" with a very happy smile that lit up his whole face :-)
We didn't get our tree up last year :-( I was just too sick. We didn't get to do hardly anything for our favorite time of year... No going to see Christmas decorations, none of our own decorations. Ethan didn't even get his presents from us till over a month later.
Don't get me wrong. I wouldn't trade Gabriel for any of the things we missed out on! But it was a rough pregnancy, especially toward the end. And we really feel like we totally missed Christmas.
So we're determined this year will be different :-) Number one on our list - Christmas tree! Our living space is so cramped that our full-size tree lives in our storage unit, in anticipation of one day living somewhere there's space to put it up. What we have is a 3-foot tree. It sounds so small but it really seems larger! We've bought ornaments through the years, plus my mom buys us new ones every so often.
We originally planned on putting the tree up Thanksgiving day. But we ended up having to wait till after our big Thanksgiving dinner Saturday. Then it kept getting pushed back. We decided today was IT! The boys and I woke up to find the boxes containing the tree and decorations in the dining room this morning :-)
All day it was one thing after another but we finally got started after supper. I always leave the lights on the tree and was disappointed to find they weren't on when I unboxed it. Then I remembered that two years ago I had to buy new lights and didn't like the way I had wrapped them. So I had taken them off to start fresh the next year. I started putting them on the tree and thought about plugging them in... just to be sure they worked. So I plugged them in and NOTHING. Pushed each bulb tightly in (all 100 of them) and tried again. Still nothing. I found a new set of lights in the boxes (remembered they had been B1G1F) and they worked! But it wasn't enough to cover the tree like I wanted.
So at this point I had three options:
1. Rewrap the lights to try to cover the tree better
2. Go out tomorrow and buy another set of lights - and explain to Ethan that we couldn't do the tree yet
3. Get out and buy more lights
At 9pm I walked to the car and headed a mile down the road to pick up another set of lights. I needed an extension cord anyway.
Got back home, connected the strands, and put both sets on the tree. Plugged it in and BAM! Ever see 200 lights on a 3-foot tree? Some might say it's overkill but we think it's beautiful :-) I added the snowflake garland.
Then came the fun part. Ornaments! We have so many that they can't possibly all fit. So I laid out Ethan's special ornaments (the ones with his name on them etc) and most of the others. He was so excited :-) I explained that he had to put his special ones on first. As he did, I told him the story of each one. "Grandma got this one for you" "Your cousin has one just like this with his name on it" "This one says you're a gift from God" "Look! A frog for our frog-baby" (his nickname as a baby).
After those were on the tree, I let him have at it.
I told him he could put the ornaments wherever he wanted. Jesse and I took turns taking pictures and occasionally holding him up when he asked to reach a high branch. Gabriel played happily on the other side of the gate and periodically peeked at us. He was quite content to let us do all the work while he played ;-) I unpacked the colored candy canes and let Ethan place them on the tree as well. I put a few ornaments but I let him do most of them.
Ethan had the best time! The bottom front of the tree (approximate eye level for him) has multiple ornaments and candy canes on each branch. It LOOKS like a 3-year-old decorated it. And you know what? That's just how it's going to stay. Jesse asked if I was going to move things around later. No way! It's PERFECT the way it is :-D
I found myself getting so emotional tonight. Watching the pure delight on Ethan's face as I lit the tree to test the lights. His pride in being able to decorate it. His frustration when ornaments wouldn't stay where he wanted - usually because the branch had too many on it already ;-) His despondency when one of the plain silver balls fell off and shattered at his feet.
In some ways I feel more like a mommy tonight than I ever have. Watching this child who I hoped for since I was a child and tried to conceive for over two years, who grew inside of me, who I felt move and grow, who I have nurtured physically, emotionally, and spiritually, who I'm watching turn into a little boy right before my eyes. Seeing the range of emotions as he's decorating the tree for the first time. Knowing that next year Gabriel will be helping too. It was such a special time for me that I don't have words to describe it...
P.S. It was so cute listening to Ethan telling me over and over after we were done, "Mommy, I like our tree!" with a very happy smile that lit up his whole face :-)
Tuesday, November 23, 2010
Giving Traditions
Last year was so hectic at this time with me being 8 1/2 months pregnant and still recovering from being hospitalized with H1N1. We didn't get to do the things we want to make traditions. The good thing though is that I think last year Ethan was still too young to understand anyway. So this year we're making a big effort to do the things we missed out on! This past week we've taken on 2 giving traditions.
1. Operation Christmas Child
I explained to Ethan that we were going to pack a box to send to a little boy or girl that lived far far away. I told him the child's family didn't have money to get Christmas presents so we were going to help. I told him there were a lot of things the child wouldn't have and we would get them. Since he has no concept of Santa (we don't do Santa, etc), it wasn't a big deal. I gave Ethan the choice between a boy or girl. He chose a boy. Big surprise ;-) I asked if he wanted the boy to be as old as him or bigger. He picked someone his age. So we were shopping for a 2-4 year old boy :-)
2. Salvation Army Angel Tree
We did this for the first time 2 years ago and really wanted to again. The Walmart we usually shop at didn't have a Tree, but we had gone to the one by my mom's and there was a Tree right when you walk in! I prayed as I circled it, looking at the names and ages of each child, and asked God to show me which underprivileged girl or boy to buy for. And then I saw a little boy named Gabriel. Who is the same age as Ethan. Yes!!!
Most of the items for both boys came from Dollar Tree. Ethan really enjoyed walking around with me, finding treasures for both boys. We distinguished between them by saying "the little boy who lives far far away" or "the little boy who lives in _____ (our town)." As we put things in our shopping cart, I explained to Ethan that the little boy who lives far far away might not have a toothbrush. He needs soap so he can take a bath. He probably doesn't have crayons. Etc. And for the other little boy, do you think he would like this? Etc. Ethan would find something he liked and hand it to me saying, "The little boy needs this." Most of the time it wasn't age appropriate and I'd tell him why. But he was so excited to help :-)
I didn't know how he'd do when it came time to actually pack the boxes. Theoretical giving is one thing, but actually packing the boxes and seeing all this cool stuff isn't yours... Well, that's quite another! But he did great! He eagerly helped me pack both boxes and Daddy came and prayed for the boys receiving them. It went better than I could've hoped :-)
I'm already looking forward to continuing these two traditions next year! I hope to use opportunities like these to give both boys a heart for giving. To put into practice the ideals they're learning everyday. To show and share Christ's love.
Happy Thanksgiving, everyone :-)
1. Operation Christmas Child
I explained to Ethan that we were going to pack a box to send to a little boy or girl that lived far far away. I told him the child's family didn't have money to get Christmas presents so we were going to help. I told him there were a lot of things the child wouldn't have and we would get them. Since he has no concept of Santa (we don't do Santa, etc), it wasn't a big deal. I gave Ethan the choice between a boy or girl. He chose a boy. Big surprise ;-) I asked if he wanted the boy to be as old as him or bigger. He picked someone his age. So we were shopping for a 2-4 year old boy :-)
2. Salvation Army Angel Tree
We did this for the first time 2 years ago and really wanted to again. The Walmart we usually shop at didn't have a Tree, but we had gone to the one by my mom's and there was a Tree right when you walk in! I prayed as I circled it, looking at the names and ages of each child, and asked God to show me which underprivileged girl or boy to buy for. And then I saw a little boy named Gabriel. Who is the same age as Ethan. Yes!!!
Most of the items for both boys came from Dollar Tree. Ethan really enjoyed walking around with me, finding treasures for both boys. We distinguished between them by saying "the little boy who lives far far away" or "the little boy who lives in _____ (our town)." As we put things in our shopping cart, I explained to Ethan that the little boy who lives far far away might not have a toothbrush. He needs soap so he can take a bath. He probably doesn't have crayons. Etc. And for the other little boy, do you think he would like this? Etc. Ethan would find something he liked and hand it to me saying, "The little boy needs this." Most of the time it wasn't age appropriate and I'd tell him why. But he was so excited to help :-)
I didn't know how he'd do when it came time to actually pack the boxes. Theoretical giving is one thing, but actually packing the boxes and seeing all this cool stuff isn't yours... Well, that's quite another! But he did great! He eagerly helped me pack both boxes and Daddy came and prayed for the boys receiving them. It went better than I could've hoped :-)
I'm already looking forward to continuing these two traditions next year! I hope to use opportunities like these to give both boys a heart for giving. To put into practice the ideals they're learning everyday. To show and share Christ's love.
Happy Thanksgiving, everyone :-)
Saturday, November 20, 2010
Exhausting Week
It has been SUCH a busy week! Lots of cleaning/organizing, bringing my mom to get medical tests, preparing my menu and grocery list for our Thanksgiving meal... Tomorrow will be spent running errands. Sunday is church (early morning since Jesse has worship team practice before service). Monday I really need to get my supplements but it may wait till Tuesday.
I hate the busyness. The always-on-the-go. Some people thrive on it. I am not one of them! I prefer more relaxed days. Where all I have to worry about is cooking, cleaning, and taking care of my family.
Last week was really busy too. I just feel like I haven't had time with my family to just BE. Tonight I got to play with Ethan for a while. Silly, laughing, goofy play. It felt good :-) And a bit with Gabey-baby later too. I love seeing the boys happy. Does this Mommy's heart good :-)
Next week will be busier than usual with two Thanksgiving celebrations but I'm hoping after that we can have time to just BE. This family needs that right now... This Mommy needs that right now...
I hate the busyness. The always-on-the-go. Some people thrive on it. I am not one of them! I prefer more relaxed days. Where all I have to worry about is cooking, cleaning, and taking care of my family.
Last week was really busy too. I just feel like I haven't had time with my family to just BE. Tonight I got to play with Ethan for a while. Silly, laughing, goofy play. It felt good :-) And a bit with Gabey-baby later too. I love seeing the boys happy. Does this Mommy's heart good :-)
Next week will be busier than usual with two Thanksgiving celebrations but I'm hoping after that we can have time to just BE. This family needs that right now... This Mommy needs that right now...
Tuesday, November 16, 2010
Big Task DONE!
Last week a friend (Christian, no husband, no kids) came over to return a book and in the course of conversation I mentioned that there were cleaning and organizing tasks I wanted to get done but hadn't had time to tackle lately. She said, "Well, of course not! You're busy raising two young kids! I'm coming over next week to watch the boys and you can get done whatever you want to. Even if it's just taking a long bath." We agreed on her coming two days this week after work (late afternoon).
Today was day #1. I worked and worked and worked but my dining room is cleared out and my food shelves are organized! It feels so good! It LOOKS so good :) I still need to mop in there but things are sooo much better! She's coming back Thursday. My plan for then is to do the clothes in my closet. There's nothing but maternity clothes in there still... And I'm 30 lbs smaller than I was prepregnancy so there's a lot of reorganizing of clothes to do!
Delight yourself in the LORD; And He will give you the desires of your heart. Psalm 37:4
The desire of my heart is to have a clean, organized home again. A place that will be a refuge from chaos. God frequently uses this friend to bless me - whether it's giving me $10 during a rough financial spot, or offering to help with the kids, or offering to come clean for me.
I firmly believe God has called my husband and I to raise our children in a certain way. It isn't popular (at least not around here). It isn't easy. There are other things that take a backburner. Like anything but the bare minimum with the house. But He repeatedly shows me that we're doing the right thing, and brings opportunities like today to bless me.
What a truly mighty God we serve!!!
Today was day #1. I worked and worked and worked but my dining room is cleared out and my food shelves are organized! It feels so good! It LOOKS so good :) I still need to mop in there but things are sooo much better! She's coming back Thursday. My plan for then is to do the clothes in my closet. There's nothing but maternity clothes in there still... And I'm 30 lbs smaller than I was prepregnancy so there's a lot of reorganizing of clothes to do!
Delight yourself in the LORD; And He will give you the desires of your heart. Psalm 37:4
The desire of my heart is to have a clean, organized home again. A place that will be a refuge from chaos. God frequently uses this friend to bless me - whether it's giving me $10 during a rough financial spot, or offering to help with the kids, or offering to come clean for me.
I firmly believe God has called my husband and I to raise our children in a certain way. It isn't popular (at least not around here). It isn't easy. There are other things that take a backburner. Like anything but the bare minimum with the house. But He repeatedly shows me that we're doing the right thing, and brings opportunities like today to bless me.
What a truly mighty God we serve!!!
Misc
Nothing else to title this ;-)
1. My primary internet access is on my (non-smart)phone. Most of my blog posts are written from my phone. So they tend to take a while! Which means I will post when there is something I want to blog about so badly that I'll take the time to T9-type it on my numeric keypad.
2. I started this blog with a draft of brainstorms of topics I would like to blog about. So I do have some ideas :-) At least one post is partially written and saved in my drafts. I'll get around to finishing it eventually!
3. I know of some moms who are Christian and lean toward an AP style of parenting but who are not AP. And the parents who AP are not Christians. So irl I have no one with my beliefs. It can be a very lonely place to be... I see so many of you online and wonder if we're all scattered or if some of you are blessed by having that support irl.
1. My primary internet access is on my (non-smart)phone. Most of my blog posts are written from my phone. So they tend to take a while! Which means I will post when there is something I want to blog about so badly that I'll take the time to T9-type it on my numeric keypad.
2. I started this blog with a draft of brainstorms of topics I would like to blog about. So I do have some ideas :-) At least one post is partially written and saved in my drafts. I'll get around to finishing it eventually!
3. I know of some moms who are Christian and lean toward an AP style of parenting but who are not AP. And the parents who AP are not Christians. So irl I have no one with my beliefs. It can be a very lonely place to be... I see so many of you online and wonder if we're all scattered or if some of you are blessed by having that support irl.
Thursday, November 11, 2010
Sweet Moment
It's been a crazy busy week. We were gone most of today and ended with a quick trip to the grocery store.
The boys and I pulled into a parking spot at our building. I called Jesse for him to come carry Gabriel (in his carseat) inside (standard procedure). I got out, grabbed my water bottle, unbuckled Ethan from the carseat, and opened Gabriel's door so I could lock up. After the doors were locked I started getting the bags out of the trunk. Ethan climbed out of the car and was standing next to me.
Gabriel was fine and then realized he was in the car and couldn't see either of us. He started crying. I talked to him, told him I was still there. He cried harder. I asked Ethan to go stand next to him because he was scared.
Ethan said "Okay!" and started walking to Gabriel's door. As he approached his little brother I heard him say "It's okay, Gay-bee-ull! I'm right here!" in the SWEETEST, most concerned tone. As soon as Gabriel saw and heard him, he stopped crying.
Ethan frequently goes to his brother when he's upset to try to cheer him up. At 3 years old he knows that when a baby cries, you go to him. You comfort him. You do what you can to satisfy his needs and make him feel happy and secure. Because a baby cries for a reason - and it's not to manipulate you.
How does he know this? Because this is how he's been treated. Because this is how he sees his brother treated. Because this is how it's supposed to be...
The boys and I pulled into a parking spot at our building. I called Jesse for him to come carry Gabriel (in his carseat) inside (standard procedure). I got out, grabbed my water bottle, unbuckled Ethan from the carseat, and opened Gabriel's door so I could lock up. After the doors were locked I started getting the bags out of the trunk. Ethan climbed out of the car and was standing next to me.
Gabriel was fine and then realized he was in the car and couldn't see either of us. He started crying. I talked to him, told him I was still there. He cried harder. I asked Ethan to go stand next to him because he was scared.
Ethan said "Okay!" and started walking to Gabriel's door. As he approached his little brother I heard him say "It's okay, Gay-bee-ull! I'm right here!" in the SWEETEST, most concerned tone. As soon as Gabriel saw and heard him, he stopped crying.
Ethan frequently goes to his brother when he's upset to try to cheer him up. At 3 years old he knows that when a baby cries, you go to him. You comfort him. You do what you can to satisfy his needs and make him feel happy and secure. Because a baby cries for a reason - and it's not to manipulate you.
How does he know this? Because this is how he's been treated. Because this is how he sees his brother treated. Because this is how it's supposed to be...
Sunday, November 7, 2010
A Little (Or a Lot) About My Christan Background...
I somewhat grew up in a Southern Baptist church. I say somewhat because our attendance was not consistent. I remember going regularly when I was little. After that there was a period where we didn't go at all. Then a period where I rode with a neighbor. When I was in junior high and the first half of high school I was very involved in our youth group. Good times :-)
The second half of high school I was more into clubs and my boyfriend. College I moved 6 hours away. I was at a Christian college but despite being saved when I was 12, I wasn't living like I should have been. But despite everything, I never stopped praying.
I eventually came back in-state for college. I had been there a little over a month when I met my husband Jesse. He had grown up in a religion filled with rituals and was not saved but not anti-Christian. I started feeling drawn back to God and Jesse and I ended up getting involved in one of the campus ministry organizations. Jesse was saved and baptized in this time.
It was Jesse who went to church first. I wanted to go back but was not a fan of organized religion. The church I grew up in was... well... dead. Half the congregation (and choir) slept through the boring sermons. We only sang old hymns. The church did not welcome African-Americans. We were taught that dancing was not something proper Christians did. We almost had a church split because the choir wanted to clap during a song and Oh My! That's Too Much Like (Gasp!) Dancing! We were taught that speaking in tongues, etc. was not for today. Are you getting the picture here? I had the perspective that all churches were repressive. I now know different but I didn't back then.
I finally decided I wanted to return to church. So I picked up the yellow pages... Yikes! How would I ever decide where to start?! Part of me wanted to stay away from denominations altogether. Part of me wanted something that was at least somewhat familiar. The church I grew up in, despite its faults, had a biblically correct view of salvation. And that's the main thing. We prayed and finally decided to go to a Southern Baptist church. We were headed to one but ended up at another. And it was so different than what I expected! Contemporary praise and worship! And the pastor was DANCING a bit during the music?! WOWZERS... The sermon was interesting. The pastor made jokes and (gasp!) people dared to laugh! We were welcomed with open arms. It was so what I needed in a church at that time... God used that church to break down the walls I had built and to show me that the guilt I was feeling for my past behavior was condemnation and not from Him (Romans 8:1). At the time, that realization was life-changing...
We stayed at that church for a short time before being called to be part of a very small church we were also attending. It was difficult to leave the other church but we knew it was God's will for us.
It's 8 years later and we're still at that church. It's not so tiny anymore through :-) We're a Calvary Chapel member church. It's the perfect balance of being taught through the bible verse-by-verse and allowing the Holy Spirit to lead. To find out what we believe, visit www.calvarychapel.org
So that's the (relatively) condensed version of my journey.
My AP story coming soon in another post...
The second half of high school I was more into clubs and my boyfriend. College I moved 6 hours away. I was at a Christian college but despite being saved when I was 12, I wasn't living like I should have been. But despite everything, I never stopped praying.
I eventually came back in-state for college. I had been there a little over a month when I met my husband Jesse. He had grown up in a religion filled with rituals and was not saved but not anti-Christian. I started feeling drawn back to God and Jesse and I ended up getting involved in one of the campus ministry organizations. Jesse was saved and baptized in this time.
It was Jesse who went to church first. I wanted to go back but was not a fan of organized religion. The church I grew up in was... well... dead. Half the congregation (and choir) slept through the boring sermons. We only sang old hymns. The church did not welcome African-Americans. We were taught that dancing was not something proper Christians did. We almost had a church split because the choir wanted to clap during a song and Oh My! That's Too Much Like (Gasp!) Dancing! We were taught that speaking in tongues, etc. was not for today. Are you getting the picture here? I had the perspective that all churches were repressive. I now know different but I didn't back then.
I finally decided I wanted to return to church. So I picked up the yellow pages... Yikes! How would I ever decide where to start?! Part of me wanted to stay away from denominations altogether. Part of me wanted something that was at least somewhat familiar. The church I grew up in, despite its faults, had a biblically correct view of salvation. And that's the main thing. We prayed and finally decided to go to a Southern Baptist church. We were headed to one but ended up at another. And it was so different than what I expected! Contemporary praise and worship! And the pastor was DANCING a bit during the music?! WOWZERS... The sermon was interesting. The pastor made jokes and (gasp!) people dared to laugh! We were welcomed with open arms. It was so what I needed in a church at that time... God used that church to break down the walls I had built and to show me that the guilt I was feeling for my past behavior was condemnation and not from Him (Romans 8:1). At the time, that realization was life-changing...
We stayed at that church for a short time before being called to be part of a very small church we were also attending. It was difficult to leave the other church but we knew it was God's will for us.
It's 8 years later and we're still at that church. It's not so tiny anymore through :-) We're a Calvary Chapel member church. It's the perfect balance of being taught through the bible verse-by-verse and allowing the Holy Spirit to lead. To find out what we believe, visit www.calvarychapel.org
So that's the (relatively) condensed version of my journey.
My AP story coming soon in another post...
Why Another Blog?
I have a health blog. Multiple private blogs. A personal blog. So why another?
There are parenting issues that I want to blog about. Not appropriate on my health blog - the only public one. And I want the posts to be fully viewable by anyone. Because I know I'm not the only one with some of these parenting issues. And maybe I can encourage someone. Or give someone a different perspective. Or challenge someone's beliefs.
My posts will be from a dual perspective - biblical Christianity, and attachment parenting. You likely won't agree with me on one or the other. But I ask that you prayerfully consider what I have to say.
I would love feedback on the issues I discuss! Just a heads-up though - all comments are moderated before being published. I have no problem approving anyone's comments, even if they disagree, as long as they're written with the golden rule in mind!
Till next time...
There are parenting issues that I want to blog about. Not appropriate on my health blog - the only public one. And I want the posts to be fully viewable by anyone. Because I know I'm not the only one with some of these parenting issues. And maybe I can encourage someone. Or give someone a different perspective. Or challenge someone's beliefs.
My posts will be from a dual perspective - biblical Christianity, and attachment parenting. You likely won't agree with me on one or the other. But I ask that you prayerfully consider what I have to say.
I would love feedback on the issues I discuss! Just a heads-up though - all comments are moderated before being published. I have no problem approving anyone's comments, even if they disagree, as long as they're written with the golden rule in mind!
Till next time...
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