Posts Tagged ‘Windham Familia’
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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.
June just might be my favorite month. Well, actually, I have 4 favorite months and June just happens to be one of the four.
Hannah turned 1 two weeks ago. It was an amazing time of fellowship with our friends and family. Having her turn 1 seems far more surreal than with Julia. Now that Hannah is getting older, that just means Julia is getting even older. A very bittersweet feeling. As for The Bear, she’s a walking machine. From her first step, it took her a few weeks to really gain confidence – but now – now she wiggles out of my arms until I put her down so she can walk. She refuses to wear shoes, which doesn’t surprise me in the least given Julia’s original reaction to them.
As for Julia Mabel, we are getting some where in the “Why?” department. Last week I started a new rule that she needs to ask full sentence questions {“Mama, why are we going for a walk?”} to help 1) stop her asking so many why’s and 2) make her think through her questions. Oddly enough, the full sentences haven’t slowed her down nearly as much. They did for a couple of days, but not any more. But, I think we’re both less frustrated by the question/answer conversations because we are having just that, a conversation. Secretly I wish there were a way to get paid every time she asks “why?”. I think I could easy use that money to pay for both girls to go to an Ivy League university.
Jonathan officially left his PhD program. He had resigned in May, but after some processing, decided that perhaps he needed to stay in the program after all. As it was, he was enrolled in the Department of Engineering {DE} but doing research under the School of Library and Information Science {SLIS}. Jon regularly sees his advisor from SLIS but never from DE. When he went to speak to his DE advisor, he was informed that too much time had lapsed between his comprehensive exams and dissertation so he would need to retake the comprehensive exams {and a few classes?}. Well, long story short, he decided enough was enough and he left the program. It was hard on him at first, but as time goes on he’s feeling like he made the right decision.
It seems like every month goes by faster. It’s been a joy to reflect back each month a really take everything in.
Going Green – What did I just eat?!
Posted on: June 28, 2010
- In: Life
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Most Americans don’t like talking about the meats we eat. We prefer to not associate our chicken sandwich with having ever been a chicken. I’m in that same category. I love meat. I love burgers, steaks and roasts. But, I love animals. Yet, even though I love looking at cows in the pasture, I don’t need to see that cow in between pasture and my plate. For a while I’ve flirted with the idea of being vegetarian, but my love of steaks trumped my love of cows.
Then I read The Compassionate Carnivore by Catherine Friend. Now, compassionate and carnivore might prove to be an oxymoron, but for this meat loving gal I didn’t think so. Friend talks about how it’s not wrong to eat meat – but that we need to consider where our meat comes from and how it gets to us. She places strong emphasis on buying local meats that are free range and “happy”. Granted, no animal is happy about being slaughtered for food, but the idea that you can choose for your meat to be raised and slaughtered in a caring environment.
Here’s what we have done to be more compassionate carnivores:
1. Buy local meats – We bought a quarter buffalo about 2 months ago. We liked the farmer’s hands-off approach to raising the herds and his emphasis on having them killed in-field rather than undergo stress in transit to a abattoir. I’d suggest this site for more information: Eat Wild
2. Eat vegetarian when we eat out – Ok, this one is hit or miss. I make every effort to eat vegetarian when I can’t ensure that the animal was free range, but we’ve also let it slide a few times. I’m ok with that, since this is a slow process and is taking time to adapt I don’t expect us to give up old habits that quickly.
3. Read, read, read – The more you know, the better decisions you’ll make. Get a good understand of how animals are suppose to be raised {that chickens actually aren’t vegetarians} so that you can make more informed choices for yourself and family.
4. Practice grace – Seems odd to talk about giving grace to others because of your food choices. But you’d be surprised out how black and white this issue can become. We said early on, we aren’t going to choose our self-made diet over loving people. Which means – you serve it, we’ll eat it. If given the choice, we’d request our preferences. But, if someone has gone out of their way to prepare me a meal, I will consume it with delight.
What about you? How are ways that you practice being a compassionate carnivore?
Happy Father’s Day!
Posted on: June 20, 2010
- In: Life
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I can’t even begin to tell you all just how much I love Jonathan as a father. He is truly the dad to the Windhamettes that I always wanted as a girl. He is kind and loving. He is thoughtful, affectionate and ever-giving. He showers them with attention that only a father can do. It is beautiful and has brought me much healing in regards to father/daughter relationships. I am more than blessed to share this life with him. More than blessed to have him as the father of two vivacious girls. In every sense he has truly earned, not the title of father, but the prize of being called a daddy.
Happy Father’s Day, Jonathan! I love you and can’t tell you enough for how amazing of a father you are! Thank you for sacrificing for our family and for striving to stay the course with your Heavenly Father so that you can continue being the father our girls need.
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Yesterday afternoon our family had lunch out. While we were eating it stormed. Bad. I even commented to Jon that the clouds seemed to be going in a circular motion {never a good thing} and the winds were crazy. We came home to downed tree branches, scattered patio furniture, stray animals running around and no electricity. It was about an hour before naptime and honestly all I could think was “Thank You God our sound machine has back-up batteries!” My kids can’t sleep without white noise.
The afternoon felt almost pioneer-y, no noise, no real distractions. The girls even set up a fort under the kitchen table {which, for some reason, screams pioneer to me}. During naptime I started reading Pride and Prescience – a Jane Austen spin off mystery. It seemed quite an appropriate time period for my afternoon. By dinner, the electricity was still out, but since we have a gas stove, we were able to cook. My romantic flare kicked in and I seriously debated cooking a roast in a huge stock pot and serving it in wooden bowls. Instead I made bean and cheese tacos. Always a fast and easy winner with the family.
By dark, we still had no power so we made use of all our Kandela Candles from Leah’s old business. Once the girls were in bed I sat in the living room reading my Jane Austen-eques book and Jonathan said I must be eating all this romance up. Which I was. 😉 Around 1 this morning the power came back and we’ve been living in modern society since. Kind of a shame. I think we might have to have more no-electricity days. It was just too peaceful.
My Hannah, My Precious
Posted on: June 15, 2010
- In: Life
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One year ago today, Hannah Michelle graced us with her presence in this world. It has been one amazing adventure and I can’t imagine life without her laughter, smile, and snuggly hugs and kisses. The first 6 weeks of adjusting to life with two children were rocky {that’s being polite} and I seriously thought I would not make it. But as time progressed, things got easier {actually, does raising kids get easier, or do we just learn to cope better??}.
I must admit, I was smitten with Hannah from the beginning. Her features reminded me so much of Julia but her temperament was almost opposite {she slept 6 hours straight the third night she was home – Julia didn’t sleep 6 hours straight till she was 4 months old}. And now? Now, she continues to remind us she is her own person in every right. Hannah loves to eat and will make it known when she’s hungry and you aren’t getting her food fast enough. She will sit in her high chair and growl/grunt/scream until you hand over the food. It’s quite a sight.
One of my favorite things about Hannah is her cuddling. She wants to lay in my lap and just hug and snuggle. Not all the time, but when she does, it melts my heart. She’s becoming quite the walker and talker. Her favorite words are “mama”, “papa”, “bye” and “moll” {short for Molly, her bear}. Hannah has started to attempt “Julia” but mostly gets “ju” at best. But, she loves her big sister and when they get to laughing, I see a joy that makes any hardship in mothering completely worth it.
Reading Dr. Seuss' ABCs to Grandpa
Hannah, my precious daughter, you are a delight and joy to my life. Your presence in this family is irreplaceable. The joy you have brought Daddy, Julia and me can’t even be described. This last year has been amazing and we look forward to many, many more years.
What a weekend, what a party
Posted on: June 14, 2010
- In: Life
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We hosted the “Party of all Parties” this weekend. We wanted to celebrate the remodeling of the kitchen {and show off the new place to those who hadn’t seen it}, rejoice in making it a whole year with two kids and to, well, party.
Here are some highlights:
Kids playing soccer
Hannah showing them how it's done
Balancing acts
Mingling
Cute babies
A bear cake for The Bear {Hannah's nickname}
Debating on eating cake
Sampling the icing {Omi giving her some encouraging words}
Digging right in!
"Omi, did you try this cake? Holy cow, it's good!"
And no party with the Windhamettes would be complete without a little crying.
It's my party and I'll cry if I want
Of grandparents and kids
Posted on: June 11, 2010
- In: Life
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My parents came into town late Wednesday night to celebrate Hannah’s birthday with us this coming weekend {still in shock that she’s turning 1…}.
Grandpa is a professional photographer and this is how the girls know him best:
Which I love because by the end of every trip we have some amazingly awesome pictures of the girls.
And even though the girls haven’t seen my parents since Thanksgiving, when they woke up on Thursday morning you would have thought it was as though we spend every day with Omi and Grandpa. It’s been a wonderful two days and I’m looking forward to an even better weekend.
“That’s it, I’m done”
Posted on: June 9, 2010
- In: Life
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While there are about 3 good things to like about having Jonathan gone this week, there are about 3 million to love about having him home. Today, after reading a wonderful post on discipline by Emily at The Adventures of Miss Mommy, I thought I’d share the 4 things I do when I’m just done with parenting.
1. Tickle like crazy
I know that might seem weird, but when my kids are driving me crazy and I think I might lose it, I tickle them. Why? Because it relieves all sorts of tension. They start laughing, which makes me laugh and before we know it things seem a lot lighter and easier. It might not last long, but it helps get us by for 15-20 minutes {which honestly makes a huge difference}. So, if you see me tickling the girls a lot one day, it’s not because I’m just that awesome of a mama, but because I’m trying to keep it all together.
2. Scream
Ever felt like screaming at your kids? If not, you really must be a super-mama and have taken all my super-mama powers from me, because some days screaming seems like all I can do. And, actually, I’ve started screaming. Not at my kids, but with my kids. I read once in a parenting magazine about a mom who would have Tarzan screaming contests with her kids, so she could release some frustration with them without releasing it at them. When we do this, Julia gets the biggest kick out of it and we all walk away feel a little less stressed.
3. Walk away
Let’s be honest, mamas need breaks. I’ve locked myself in the bathroom before because I just had to have a moment alone. Sure, the girls were screaming at the door, but I needed two seconds to decompress. Walking away helps me reassess and recompose myself so that I can stay focused and in “control”. It also gives me a chance to pray like mad.
4. Pray, pray, pray
I’ve taken to using the 5-10 minutes while I’m nursing Hannah before naps to pray. I ask God for grace and direction for the rest of our day. I pray for peace and strength. When I walk away, I pray. I check my own heart to make sure that I’m staying the course and parenting with grace. I ask God to reveal sins and to help me stay in the Spirit while I battle the world {which can at times be the tantruming of a 1-yo}.
If you’ve read many of my posts, you’ll know I’m not perfect. Far from it. I’ve screamed at my children, I’ve not walked away when I should have, I’ve not prayed when I needed to. I’ve failed a 1,000 times over. But, I know God is still here, still guiding me along. And I keep going because I know that parenting is one race I don’t want to give up on.
What do you do when you’re done?
Reasons I like Jonathan being gone
Posted on: June 8, 2010
- In: Life
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I decided rather than wallow in self pity about Jonathan’s absence this week, I should write a list of all the reasons I like him being away from the house. Here are the three I came up with {the first two came really easy I might add…}:
1. I get a lot more sleep
By nature Jon is a night owl and I am an early bird. Since Hannah was born I have taken to staying up late with Jon so we can spend more time together. But, I still wake up early. Meaning, I get less sleep. However, while he’s away, I normally am in bed asleep by 9:30 {and I’d even consider that on the late side}.
2. My house stays really clean
One of the things I loved about Jonathan while we were dating is that he was a clean guy. His room was clean, he was organized, etc. And while that’s transferred to our marriage, it seems like when “Daddy’s home” our house is a mess. Not that he’s doing it, it’s just that typically speaking, we aren’t nearly as concerned about how our house looks as we are about spending family time together. But, while he’s away, I get into ultra-organized-mom mode and our house stays in pretty great condition {which is a plus this week, since my Mom will be here tomorrow night and we are hosting a party on Saturday}.
3. I get a cooking break
I love to cook. Yet for some reason, if Jonathan’s not eating with me and the girls, I just have no desire to cook a big meal. So all this week, my menu plan looks like this: bean and cheese tacos, quesadillas, beans and rice, oatmeal, cereal, spaghetti pie. Impressive, don’t ya think?
I came up with a few other reasons, but I didn’t think “Sleeping with a baseball bat in my hands” or “Getting to drink a full pot of coffee” were really valid reasons to celebrate my single motherness for the week.
Why I love Iowa in the summer
Posted on: June 7, 2010
- In: Life
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Every summer, Iowa City hosts Summer of the Arts. Each weekend the city holds different events or festivals. They all prove to be pretty awesome and we’ve really enjoyed them more and more each year. This weekend was Arts Festival – a celebration of local and regional artists. On Sunday they have Children’s Day, with different {free} activities for kids to do. The biggest hit was a 5/6 ft tall cardboard castle set up for painting:
Julia could have stayed at the castle for hours she loved painting so much. The only draw back? The paint wasn’t washable. Seriously. Who gives kids non-washable paint?? Like my friend, Leah, said “Clearly a mom wasn’t in charge.” Never the less, the castle did give us the idea to make our own last night for painting this week while Jon is out of town. But, I can guarantee I’ll be buying washable paint!
A Wife Loved Like The Church 
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