Five out of six of us are asleep upstairs right now. And John is in the big crib for the first time in big brother's room tonight. I can ask for a miracle - that he will out of nowhere sleep through the night, right?
It's been a long Monday following a long weekend of mother-in-law. I'm off to sleep. Here's to Tuesday!
Monday, September 8, 2008
Sunday, September 7, 2008
The Woman Who Smiled
Two weeks ago in church, our family was seated toward the front of the church as we always are, in hopes that if our children can better see what's going on, they'll learn and appreciate the Mass. John was squawking a little, but only sporadically, and not enough (in our opinion) to take him out of the service quite yet. A woman in front of me leaned over and said to her neighbor, "They should sit in the back."
I was so angry! Not only did I resent her lack of patience toward my child (or maybe children in general), but, as usual, I was already dealing with my own issues. I am part of a book group reading the book Life Giving Love, which presents and defends the Catholic Church's teaching on being "open to life", against contraception, and, just generally pro-kid. So here I am as a recent convert trying with all my heart to really understand and embrace these teachings which are new to me and somewhat difficult - but I do see God working in my heart and mind. Then I go to Mass at the DARN SAME CHURCH THAT TEACHES THIS STUFF and some rude lady wants to relegate my family to the rear of the church where we won't bother her!!! I wish I had swallowed my wounded pride and prayed for that woman, but I didn't. I told God I hated his church and I wandered in tears around the outside of the building with my baby in my arms until I realized that I didn't have my car keys and it was too hot to be outside. I spent the remainder of the service NOT participating in the Eucharist and roaming the hallways until John went to sleep in my arms.
Today, we sat up front in church, same as usual. Just after we were settled in our seats, John started jabbering and capturing the attention of everyone around us. A woman in front of me turned around and just BEAMED at my baby with the most lovely smile. After church, I put my hand on her shoulder and said, "I just want to thank you for smiling so nicely at us. That's not always the expression I get and it made my whole day." Of course, I'm tearing up like a basketcase by the time I finish talking, but somehow it was healing. She said a few nice words and that was that. Because of her (since I'm honestly not capable on my own), I can now forgive that woman from two weeks ago. I don't hate the Church. And I VOW to always smile at people in church - especially other moms and their beautiful children.
I was so angry! Not only did I resent her lack of patience toward my child (or maybe children in general), but, as usual, I was already dealing with my own issues. I am part of a book group reading the book Life Giving Love, which presents and defends the Catholic Church's teaching on being "open to life", against contraception, and, just generally pro-kid. So here I am as a recent convert trying with all my heart to really understand and embrace these teachings which are new to me and somewhat difficult - but I do see God working in my heart and mind. Then I go to Mass at the DARN SAME CHURCH THAT TEACHES THIS STUFF and some rude lady wants to relegate my family to the rear of the church where we won't bother her!!! I wish I had swallowed my wounded pride and prayed for that woman, but I didn't. I told God I hated his church and I wandered in tears around the outside of the building with my baby in my arms until I realized that I didn't have my car keys and it was too hot to be outside. I spent the remainder of the service NOT participating in the Eucharist and roaming the hallways until John went to sleep in my arms.
Today, we sat up front in church, same as usual. Just after we were settled in our seats, John started jabbering and capturing the attention of everyone around us. A woman in front of me turned around and just BEAMED at my baby with the most lovely smile. After church, I put my hand on her shoulder and said, "I just want to thank you for smiling so nicely at us. That's not always the expression I get and it made my whole day." Of course, I'm tearing up like a basketcase by the time I finish talking, but somehow it was healing. She said a few nice words and that was that. Because of her (since I'm honestly not capable on my own), I can now forgive that woman from two weeks ago. I don't hate the Church. And I VOW to always smile at people in church - especially other moms and their beautiful children.
Saturday, September 6, 2008
Writing
You don't need to read about my weight GAIN of all things.
My revelation about authority issues is worth hashing through, but until I get some more sleep I don't think I can gather the thoughts.
And I really want to hear what you might think about this "secret" blog I keep reading, but I don't have the guts to share it yet.
So... inspired by Laura and her Erma Bombeck post, I want to list my favorite authors. If I ever fulfill my dream of writing something publishable (is that a word?) - these are the writers I would credit with being my role models:
Erma Bombeck (truly an idol of sorts)
Dave Barry (sorry, I'm no literary giant)
Jane Austen (maybe this will give me SOME credibility)
Judy Blume (it's hard to believe Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret didn't influence me in some way since I read it 243 times - plus you gotta love a censored author... kinda)
Betty Smith
Anne Rice (though I fought against reading her for a LONG time and will never read her pre-conversion stuff - it's just not my genre)
Shel Silverstein (yes, I'm serious)
whoever writes for Dave Letterman - (I have to admire anyone who can just pull crap out of the hat of their imagination like that and be big-network for sooooo long--- of course I realize this is not just one guy all this time, but it's a fun thought in my little head)
Jack Handey. If you know who Jack Handey is, you are my best friend. If you don't know who Jack Handey is, let me share a brief excerpt from one of his books (4 are on my shelf). You may have heard of him on Saturday Night Live, unless you are/were thoroughly offended by that show, which I can actually understand. Anyway, the excerpt: "Sometimes the beauty of the world is so overwhelming, I just want to throw back my head and gargle. Just gargle and gargle, and I don't care who hears me, because I am beautiful."
I know I'm forgetting some... many, even. But those are the standouts.
My revelation about authority issues is worth hashing through, but until I get some more sleep I don't think I can gather the thoughts.
And I really want to hear what you might think about this "secret" blog I keep reading, but I don't have the guts to share it yet.
So... inspired by Laura and her Erma Bombeck post, I want to list my favorite authors. If I ever fulfill my dream of writing something publishable (is that a word?) - these are the writers I would credit with being my role models:
Erma Bombeck (truly an idol of sorts)
Dave Barry (sorry, I'm no literary giant)
Jane Austen (maybe this will give me SOME credibility)
Judy Blume (it's hard to believe Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret didn't influence me in some way since I read it 243 times - plus you gotta love a censored author... kinda)
Betty Smith
Anne Rice (though I fought against reading her for a LONG time and will never read her pre-conversion stuff - it's just not my genre)
Shel Silverstein (yes, I'm serious)
whoever writes for Dave Letterman - (I have to admire anyone who can just pull crap out of the hat of their imagination like that and be big-network for sooooo long--- of course I realize this is not just one guy all this time, but it's a fun thought in my little head)
Jack Handey. If you know who Jack Handey is, you are my best friend. If you don't know who Jack Handey is, let me share a brief excerpt from one of his books (4 are on my shelf). You may have heard of him on Saturday Night Live, unless you are/were thoroughly offended by that show, which I can actually understand. Anyway, the excerpt: "Sometimes the beauty of the world is so overwhelming, I just want to throw back my head and gargle. Just gargle and gargle, and I don't care who hears me, because I am beautiful."
I know I'm forgetting some... many, even. But those are the standouts.
Friday, September 5, 2008
I asked Kevin what I should blog about...
...since I don't have any great inspiration. He suggested the riveting topic: "Igneous Rock Formations." I really thought he'd come up with something.
So this reminds me that on a secret blog I like to read, the writer's husband contributed a post. He observed that 1) lots of blogs are all about eating and/or are dedicated to recipes; 2) it's common to list random facts about yourself; 3) a lot of bragging goes on about kids with accompanying photos. I'm going to try all three!
1) My recipe of the day. I hosted a "first day of school" prayer brunch last week and my new friend Monica brought these muffins. They were delicious and are (relatively) low-fat so I asked for the recipe. Here it is:
Sweet Muffins
2 cups Bisquick
1/3 cup sugar
1 egg
1/4 cup applesauce
1/2 cup nonfat milk
Chocolate chips, or whatever sounds good
Combine ingredients and drop into greased/sprayed muffin tins. Bake at 400 degrees for 13-18 minutes.
2) Random facts about myself:
I am much more a night person than a morning person and look forward to my kids' teenage years when they stay up late and sleep in late. I'll be right there with them.
Today I discovered I have big issues with authority (which is funny considering I just signed up for a church with a Pope) and I want to work through this issue. I think it might have ties to everything from my eating habits to anger issues.
I just don't get sick of "Friends" reruns. Or "The Office."
I've never had arthritis.
Songs on my iPod with cuss words in them make me run faster and with more energy. (Why is this, by the way?)
I really really really liked Ronald Reagan.
3) Bragging about my kids and accompanying photos:
Joseph will be singing a solo in church this Sunday! (His father's genes.)
Cayna only took 9 days of Kindergarten to start writing her name properly (not using all caps).
Bethanie has the most beautiful laugh in the universe.
John is so smart he figured out that biting Mommy is a big "NO!" so after he takes a chunk of my flesh he starts furiously shaking his head "no".
And here are the photos:
This is Bethanie playing intently on a small pier on the big Snake River. We were on our summer vacation in Idaho and the kids all spent MUCH time catching minnows and water spiders.
Joseph was proud of a few non-uniform t-shirts we bought him toward the end of the school year -- this is one of them. He is pictured here in the 70+ year-old log cabin we stayed in on our vacation. It was quite rustic, that's all I'll say.
Handsome John in a swing at the Bighorn Sheep park. I could brag on and on about what a wonderful little boy he is, but truth be told he ate some sheep poop soon after this photo was taken.
Cayna is a joy and a beauty. This is the best photo to share since she's wearing her favorite piece of clothing - a swimsuit. No matter the season, she almost prefers swimwear to princess regalia.
So this reminds me that on a secret blog I like to read, the writer's husband contributed a post. He observed that 1) lots of blogs are all about eating and/or are dedicated to recipes; 2) it's common to list random facts about yourself; 3) a lot of bragging goes on about kids with accompanying photos. I'm going to try all three!
1) My recipe of the day. I hosted a "first day of school" prayer brunch last week and my new friend Monica brought these muffins. They were delicious and are (relatively) low-fat so I asked for the recipe. Here it is:
Sweet Muffins
2 cups Bisquick
1/3 cup sugar
1 egg
1/4 cup applesauce
1/2 cup nonfat milk
Chocolate chips, or whatever sounds good
Combine ingredients and drop into greased/sprayed muffin tins. Bake at 400 degrees for 13-18 minutes.
2) Random facts about myself:
I am much more a night person than a morning person and look forward to my kids' teenage years when they stay up late and sleep in late. I'll be right there with them.
Today I discovered I have big issues with authority (which is funny considering I just signed up for a church with a Pope) and I want to work through this issue. I think it might have ties to everything from my eating habits to anger issues.
I just don't get sick of "Friends" reruns. Or "The Office."
I've never had arthritis.
Songs on my iPod with cuss words in them make me run faster and with more energy. (Why is this, by the way?)
I really really really liked Ronald Reagan.
3) Bragging about my kids and accompanying photos:
Joseph will be singing a solo in church this Sunday! (His father's genes.)
Cayna only took 9 days of Kindergarten to start writing her name properly (not using all caps).
Bethanie has the most beautiful laugh in the universe.
John is so smart he figured out that biting Mommy is a big "NO!" so after he takes a chunk of my flesh he starts furiously shaking his head "no".
And here are the photos:
This is Bethanie playing intently on a small pier on the big Snake River. We were on our summer vacation in Idaho and the kids all spent MUCH time catching minnows and water spiders.
Joseph was proud of a few non-uniform t-shirts we bought him toward the end of the school year -- this is one of them. He is pictured here in the 70+ year-old log cabin we stayed in on our vacation. It was quite rustic, that's all I'll say.
Handsome John in a swing at the Bighorn Sheep park. I could brag on and on about what a wonderful little boy he is, but truth be told he ate some sheep poop soon after this photo was taken.
Cayna is a joy and a beauty. This is the best photo to share since she's wearing her favorite piece of clothing - a swimsuit. No matter the season, she almost prefers swimwear to princess regalia.
Thursday, September 4, 2008
Is it too much to ask? (bit of a complaint post)
I really want to be able to leave a load of laundry in the washer for a day or two (or even longer) after it has completed a wash cycle without the black creeping mold on the doorseal getting so increasingly awful.
If I'm going to succeed in lowering my sugar intake, I'm going to need to find another breakfast besides sweetened cold cereal that is just as low maintenance in the morning when I am half asleep and not about to actually COOK.
Same goes for lunch, actually, when I think about it.
And dinner. Although I rarely try to serve my family cold cereal for dinner, it has been known to happen under certain circumstances.
For a bug service to actually RID MY KITCHEN OF FREAKING FIRE ANTS???????
My nearly one year-old could change my life if he would just sleep longer than 3 or MAYBE 4 hours at a time. Let's add this up: thanks to sleep deprivation while pregnant due to having to pee through the night; and crazy newborns who have to eat nonstop to maintain their 11-pound figures; then they stay in the habit througout the first year --- I have not slept through the night in AT LEAST 21 months, ladies and gentlemen. No wonder I'm a moody son-of-a-gun.
It is after 10:00. I gotta go to bed.
If I'm going to succeed in lowering my sugar intake, I'm going to need to find another breakfast besides sweetened cold cereal that is just as low maintenance in the morning when I am half asleep and not about to actually COOK.
Same goes for lunch, actually, when I think about it.
And dinner. Although I rarely try to serve my family cold cereal for dinner, it has been known to happen under certain circumstances.
For a bug service to actually RID MY KITCHEN OF FREAKING FIRE ANTS???????
My nearly one year-old could change my life if he would just sleep longer than 3 or MAYBE 4 hours at a time. Let's add this up: thanks to sleep deprivation while pregnant due to having to pee through the night; and crazy newborns who have to eat nonstop to maintain their 11-pound figures; then they stay in the habit througout the first year --- I have not slept through the night in AT LEAST 21 months, ladies and gentlemen. No wonder I'm a moody son-of-a-gun.
It is after 10:00. I gotta go to bed.
Tuesday, September 2, 2008
Donuts Have Carbs???
This is one of my favorite stories and has turned into an inside joke with Kevin and me.
Our friend Jason's dad was overweight and diabetic. His health was in serious jeopardy and he went on the Atkins diet or some version of it. One day Jason walked in on his dad munching on a box of donuts and commented on the awful food choice. His dad, (I imagine donut crumbs falling from his lips) seeming surprised, responded, "Donuts have carbs?"
That kills me! That little three-word quote is our quip whenever something is PAINFULLY obvious, but somebody misses it.
Why am I telling this story?
I keep trying to cut out sweets. Not all carbs or flour - not that drastic, but still pretty crazy for me --- ice cream, cookies, cereal. It's difficult, to say the least - which is unfortunate since it makes a wonderful and noticeable difference in my mental state and patience level which of course makes a noticeable difference in my parenting. And in my marriage. And in my overall outlook on life. But I keep giving in after about two days.
Enter Kevin. He has decided to give up sugar with me. Dandy. Won't even have it in the house for ourselves. But we were all at Trader Joe's the other night and thought it was only fair to buy our children a box of cookies. They picked oatmeal dippers with an icing drizzle. Later I saw Kevin pick one out and eat it. I was shocked - he is the bastion of self-control (nothing like me). "Did you give up already?" I asked. This did not bode well for my commitment, I'm telling ya. But he answered, "No. Why? Do these have sugar in them?"
"DONUTS HAVE CARBS???"
Well, fair is fair, so I had one too. Which would have been okay, maybe - all in the name of humor and Cheers to our old buddy Jason. But fast forward to today. I ate SIX!!! I made it all day staying within my Weight Watchers points and then blew it with the Sugar-free (NOT!) cookies. Ugh.
I am getting back on the wagon right now. I really do want to lose this last 10 pounds and I'm going to succeed and I'm going to post the success right over in my sidebar. But if you have a second, better pray for me.
Our friend Jason's dad was overweight and diabetic. His health was in serious jeopardy and he went on the Atkins diet or some version of it. One day Jason walked in on his dad munching on a box of donuts and commented on the awful food choice. His dad, (I imagine donut crumbs falling from his lips) seeming surprised, responded, "Donuts have carbs?"
That kills me! That little three-word quote is our quip whenever something is PAINFULLY obvious, but somebody misses it.
Why am I telling this story?
I keep trying to cut out sweets. Not all carbs or flour - not that drastic, but still pretty crazy for me --- ice cream, cookies, cereal. It's difficult, to say the least - which is unfortunate since it makes a wonderful and noticeable difference in my mental state and patience level which of course makes a noticeable difference in my parenting. And in my marriage. And in my overall outlook on life. But I keep giving in after about two days.
Enter Kevin. He has decided to give up sugar with me. Dandy. Won't even have it in the house for ourselves. But we were all at Trader Joe's the other night and thought it was only fair to buy our children a box of cookies. They picked oatmeal dippers with an icing drizzle. Later I saw Kevin pick one out and eat it. I was shocked - he is the bastion of self-control (nothing like me). "Did you give up already?" I asked. This did not bode well for my commitment, I'm telling ya. But he answered, "No. Why? Do these have sugar in them?"
"DONUTS HAVE CARBS???"
Well, fair is fair, so I had one too. Which would have been okay, maybe - all in the name of humor and Cheers to our old buddy Jason. But fast forward to today. I ate SIX!!! I made it all day staying within my Weight Watchers points and then blew it with the Sugar-free (NOT!) cookies. Ugh.
I am getting back on the wagon right now. I really do want to lose this last 10 pounds and I'm going to succeed and I'm going to post the success right over in my sidebar. But if you have a second, better pray for me.
Monday, September 1, 2008
September Dawns
If it sounds like I'm trying to be a tad poetic, I am. Looking at my good friend's new homeschool blog, complete with soft photo and poetry, I'm feeling breezy. (Okay, now to break out of that mode for a moment: I'm recalling the episode of friends where Monica leaves psycho messages on Richard's answering machine but tries to play it off saying, "I'm breezy!")
But here I am, another new month on the horizon. It's a birthday month in our family, as well as the month in Las Vegas that marks the beginning of more cool evenings and eventually days. Both of these are fun prospects.
I've had a satisfying day. I've been organizing and throwing things out. These activities recharge my batteries like little else. Since I'm a list freak, I'll consider some "to-dos" for September and come back in 30 days to see what I completed.
Finish removing wallpaper border in guest room
Watch "Into the Wild" directed by my fave Sean Penn
Form my opinion on new Republican vice-Presidential candidate
Lose 4 pounds
Start removing wallpaper border in master bath
Plan and throw 1st birthday party for John
But here I am, another new month on the horizon. It's a birthday month in our family, as well as the month in Las Vegas that marks the beginning of more cool evenings and eventually days. Both of these are fun prospects.
I've had a satisfying day. I've been organizing and throwing things out. These activities recharge my batteries like little else. Since I'm a list freak, I'll consider some "to-dos" for September and come back in 30 days to see what I completed.
Finish removing wallpaper border in guest room
Watch "Into the Wild" directed by my fave Sean Penn
Form my opinion on new Republican vice-Presidential candidate
Lose 4 pounds
Start removing wallpaper border in master bath
Plan and throw 1st birthday party for John
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