Author Archive
Earrings Giveaway!
Posted on: May 13, 2010
- In: Life
- 3 Comments
Emily over at Adventures of Miss Mommy is doing another spectacular giveaway! One lucky person could win these fabulous {and big!} earrings.
What girl doesn’t want more accessories, especially when they are so adorable?!
To enter, head on over to Miss Mommy’s site and sign up! Be sure to tell her you found the giveaway through me.
- In: Life
- 5 Comments
Despite the fact that it’s no longer April, we’re getting a lot of rain. And while I actually don’t mind it (since normally I really do like rain) it’s cold on top of rainy. Meaning, we are staying indoors. A lot. And going stir crazy. A lot.
So, what’s a mama to do with all this indoor time?
1. Have regular play dates
We try to meet up with other kids twice a week. This week? We’ve got a whopping 4 play dates scheduled. And while it totally messes up Hannah’s morning nap routine, it’s a lifesaver for Julia and me.
2. Bring out old toys
Have toys that are tucked away that your kids haven’t touched in a few weeks (or new toys they’ve never seen)? Rainy days, or rainy weeks in our case, are a great time to reintroduce old toys.
3. Clear out the garage
If you have space in your garage, pull out the car and let your kids use the area as an outdoor/indoor play area. Let them ride around on bikes, write with sidewalk chalk, have a picnic or other fun outdoor games.
4. Have movie night during the day
We don’t allow our girls to watch much television. Actually, let me rephrase that – we go weeks without turning on the television and then might watch it for two days in a row. But, typically speaking, watching television for the girls is a privilege (and let’s be honest, it’s a nice break for me too). So, when we’ve exhausted all our options, I like to have Movie Night during the day. Bring out the pillows and blankets, pop some popcorn, get some candy and toss in Curious George. Sometimes I might even fall asleep.
About my friends, that is!
My friend and fellow blogger, Emily, wrote this amazing guest post about Mommybloggers and 10 tips for being effective. You should totally check it out. Even if you aren’t a mommy.
How I Became a Purposeful Mommyblogger
- In: Life
- 5 Comments
I once heard it said that the proof of a good mother was a dirty/messy house. Let me just say, I so don’t believe that. Being a hyper-OCD person, messy and I just don’t mix. I think it’s an important life lesson to teach your children how to clean and be clean. In my mind, dirtiness usually equals laziness – not a characteristic trait I want for Julia or Hannah. However, I’ll admit that since having Hannah I’ve realized that good mothers usually don’t have perfect houses. And here’s why:
Kids don’t care about messes.
Mabel and Hannah couldn’t care less about a dirty kitchen or toys all over the living room. What they care about is being loved and having my attention.
And truth be know, if this
Produces this
And this
I’m okay with a little mess. But, I still think it’s vital to teaching my children how to clean.
Julia Mabel the Tonsil-less Champ
Posted on: May 10, 2010
- In: Life
- 2 Comments
We are five days out from surgery and Julia is rockin’. The first two days we got home, she was really tired and slept a lot. By Saturday, she was back to her normal self, with the exception of the types of food she’s allowed. While we’re still restricting food to softer items (no pretzels, granola, etc) everything else seems to be back on track.
Leading up to surgery, Julia did amazingly well. She was never scared and seemed to actually be enjoying herself in the preparation rooms. Here are a few pictures:
Waiting for the nurses. Told you she was pretty excited.
We had to wipe Mabel down with sanitary wipes before putting her in scrubs.
I got into scrubs, cap and mask so I could take Mabel back to surgery. The entire time I was getting dressed, Hannah kept staring wide-eyed at me. I just knew she was about to freak out. But once I was fully decked out Hannah started laughing hysterically. Apparently I must look funny in scrubs.
One last thing I’ll say: dealing with your child post surgery is kinda like coming back from vacation. For the first few days after Mabel’s surgery, we “overlooked” certain issues since she didn’t feel very well (sorta like you might do on a vacation with extended family). But now, well now it’s like coming back from a long vacation without much structure. Let’s just say, yesterday and today have revolved around reinforcing our house rules. Whew, I think this surgery was harder on us than her! 🙂
- In: Life
- 9 Comments
At least that’s what this photo makes me think:
I’m not sure how clearly you can see the picture, but I’ve drawn arrows to point out Mabel’s tonsils for you. Apparently, every tonsil-less girl gets sent home with this picture – a keepsake for all times. Disney princesses to serve up and deliver your tonsils.
I’m sorry, but this picture kinda freaks me out. I mean, really, a princess holding tonsils? It’s a little weird. But hilarious at the same time. And after all, of all the Disney princesses, Cinderella was a pretty good choice.
Mabel’s surgery went really well. She did great leading up to the surgery – was very calm and not even scared going into the OR. I was able to take her back to the operating room and held her while they put her under anesthesia. After she came to, she was pretty groggy and out of it for several hours. I spent the day with her, while Jonathan took Hannah back home for naps. By about 4pm on Wednesday, Julia’s anesthesia and morphine were wearing off and she was getting pretty grouchy and restless. After dinner, I took Hannah home, but then went back to the hospital to help Jonathan console Mabel (who was getting pretty hysterical about having to stay the night). Once I left, Jonathan said she was up off and on all night. By 7am on Thursday I was back at the hospital to take Mabel home. When I got there, she was crying and refusing to take her medicine despite being in a lot of pain. But once we left, her mood completely changed. All day Thursday (and so far today) she’s been a little deflated and seems like she feels kinda yucky, but her attitude is amazing (given how she feels). She’s been in pretty high spirits and was requesting to go for walks and bike rides. We might just survive our toddler post-operation week!
Never ask a man to do a woman’s job
Posted on: May 6, 2010
- In: Life
- 4 Comments
Cause this is what happens:
Earlier this week Jon changed Hannah’s diaper since I was making lunch. She comes back with her onesie on the outside of her pants. I could barely stop laughing long enough to snap the photo. Maybe it’s a new fashion trend?
On another note – these two look nothing alike. Seriously, it’s like I gave birth to Jonathan’s mini-me:
Goodbye tonsils! Hello ice cream!
Posted on: May 3, 2010
- In: Life
- 5 Comments
Some time last year, we self diagnosed Julia with sleep apnea. She would wake up several times a night gasping for air, scaring not only herself, but us as well. We took her to Pediatric Otolaryngology for an evaluation. They suggested we try a medicinal route first in an effort to shrink her tonsils. It seemed to help for a while, but once she came off the medicine, the apnea came right back. We went back for a follow up and this time scheduled to have her tonsils removed.
Surgery is this Wednesday (which just so happens to be Cinco de Mayo – sigh). We’ve been prepping Julia for what she can expect. She’s very excited about “going to a doctor”. I’m thinking that might change once we’re at the hospital. But, who knows, she some times surprises me with her fearlessness. We got this book last weekend:
She wants to constantly read it and say “goodbye tonsils”, especially when the character gets to eat all the ice cream she wants. I even got masks to cover our mouths in an attempt to get her use to it before surgery.
If you think about it – I’d love prayer for the surgery and post-operation recovery. We’re not sure yet if we’ll be staying overnight at the hospital (it’s usually outpatient, but they want to have the option of us staying if needed), so pray that goes smoothly. I’m bracing myself for two weeks of cranky-Julia, so you can toss up some “give Sarah grace” prayers too. I’ll be taking off blogging for the next few days till I know what to expect with a surgery recovering toddler. This could be interesting…
The fake family photo
Posted on: April 30, 2010
- In: Life
- 3 Comments
12 month photo project is a challenge started by Tara Whitney. Here’s what you do:
- Take a photo of your family once a month.
- Write a few things about that month.
- Make it into a book at the end of the year.
Aha! It’s April 30, which means yet again I waited until the last day to take our family picture. I’d say we’ll do better next month, but I sense a pattern…
April has been crazy busy from start to finish. We’ve started the month off with beautiful weather but are wrapping it up with major rainstorms. I can’t complain – I love rainy days. Although, I am so thankful it didn’t rain for my half marathon (since it’s rained every weekend since then). Hannah least likes the rain. She squints her eyes up and makes this really funny face any time the rain gets on her. Which is completely opposite of Julia, who jumps in puddles and runs around “singing in the rain”. While I’ve seen many similarities between the girls in the last 10 months, I’ve seen some drastic differences. But, the coolest part is seeing a real bond forming between them. As for Jonathan, he’s started a MBA class this month that meets on Friday nights and all day Saturday (thankfully it’s only 4 weeks long). He’s such a hard worker and I’m continually humbled by his willingness, no, eagerness to always provide for us. Our family is truly blessed with each of it’s members – I couldn’t imagine life without either girls or Jon!
And, just because I don’t want to leave you hanging… here’s a real picture of the family.
A Wife Loved Like The Church 
Recent Comments