Busy month!

Wow, I cannot believe Christmas is over. I feel like I've been going non-stop all month.

We planned on going to Mom's the Thursday before Christmas, leave there Saturday morning and head straight to Monte's parents, and then head home Christmas Eve. Christmas Day would be spent at home, and then we'd celebrate with Dad, Bec, and Ken on Wednesday.

Due to the insane amount of traveling, and the lack of space in our vehicle for us, our suitcases, and gifts, we decided to rent a minivan for the week. We loved it! We had a 2008 Chrysler Town and Country - very basic model, but the space! We've decided to change our standards for when we're in the market for a minivan - leather seats and a moonroof just aren't that important, but captain's seats, remote mirrors, and an extended base are.

We actually left for Mom's Wednesday night, so as to maximize driving time without screaming children. They did sleep for about half the trip (not as long as hoped for), but arrived at Mom's completely wired and ready to run around. Crazy! Thursday, we headed out shopping for a booster seat (of all the things we forgot!), and picked up some other grocery items, like Uncle Woody's Caramel Corn! That evening, we headed to Clinton, Iowa, for the Symphony of Lights, a light display at Eagle Point Park. It was really neat, and Isaac and Audrey really loved it! We drove through it a second time just for them, and we adults enjoyed it again, too! We were horrible parents, though, because we took the kids out of their car seats so they could see better. Friday, we opened gifts, which was lots of fun! Phil received Blokus (Tetris in a board game), and proceeded to tromp us all at it - I think he liked it :) We decided to leave Friday night to beat the traffic and drive while the kids slept again. That would also give us a night at home and leave us refreshed before heading to Pigeon. So glad we did!

Saturday, we drove to Monte's parents. Traffic was busy, and it took us an hour longer than usual, so that wasn't much fun. The kids did not sleep much of the time, either. And of course, upon arrival, they just wanted to play with Tori and Christian, who were over at Grandma's. While they did that, Monte and I ran into town to pick up some gifts for Isaac, since Monte's mom hadn't been able to find what she'd wanted for him. We were thankful to get some time away by ourselves, although it made for another late night. Sunday was church (am I ever going to be at my church for Christmas?), and then we opened gifts that afternoon. That went OK - Christian got sick, Audrey and Isaac were exhausted, and Meghann and I had given Tori and Christian the exact same gifts (gift cards and money), so we felt pretty bad for the kids. We were told that's all they wanted, but it's still disappointing to see the crest-fallen faces of kids hoping for a gift to play with. Monday was eat-until-your-pants-pop-open day, plus sitting around playing cards. That's the best part about going over there - Meghann and John love to play cards, too, so I get my fix in. As we were preparing to leave, though, we couldn't find Monte's wallet - we spent two hours searching the suitcases, coats and pants pockets, the van, the gift bags, the bedrooms, and every conceivable place it may have been. We finally decided to just leave, and see if it turned up somewhere (the stores we'd been at were closed by this time, so we couldn't check there). The good news is that the kids were able to play and burn off energy in this time, so they slept the entire way home. We finally arrived home at 12:30 Christmas morning.

That's when the fun began. We had purchased a skee-ball table for Isaac for Christmas. Since there's no possible way to hide an assembled one of those in our basement, we had to wait until that night to put it together. I have never seen so many pieces in my life. The instructions were great, and it was fairly easy to assemble, but it took a long time. A looooong time. We finished it at 4:20 and then crashed. Christmas morning started way too early after that, even though the kids didn't get up until close to 9. Then we had to shower and eat breakfast, so we didn't even start opening gifts until almost 11, by which time Audrey was ready for another nap. But she did great overall. Everyone loved all of their gifts (especially my Xyron 900), Monte's iPod, Isaac's skee-ball table, and Audrey's rocking butterfly. We had a lot of fun relaxing that afternoon, and enjoying our new toys.

To be continued . . .

New link at left

In an effort not to clog up this blog, I've started a new one devoted to all things scrapbooking. That is where I'll post pictures and ideas for new pages, so if you're at all interested in my hobby, that's where to look.

Plus, maybe people looking for scrapping blogs will run across that one, and I can get more varied input.

It's still in its early stages, but I will be adding more soon.

Our Christmas tree

We decided to hold off on getting our tree this year, since we don't want to fight with Audrey for four weeks. But we still want to get one while the getting is good, and early enough to enjoy it. So we think we're going this Saturday. Yea!

In the meantime, though, I am itching to decorate a tree and wrap gifts. So I decided to replace our Thanksgiving tree

with a paper Christmas tree. The original concept included decorating the "boughs" with our Christmas cards, but now there's no room for that.

So here is how Isaac and I spent yesterday afternoon:




If you need to see more detail, just click on the pictures for a full-size view.

Isaac placed the stars and the green lights, and some of the ornaments. And he thinks those are real presents, all for him, that he'll get to open Saturday at the church Christmas party.

Calendar

Christmas is an incredibly busy time, and sometimes keeping in touch with everyone is difficult. So in an attempt to at least let people know what's going on, where we'll be, and why I don't answer my phone all the time, here's a basic calendar of the next month:


So there you have it. If I change anything, I will not update in the below calendar, as it's a PITR.

Yes, we're busy, but it'll be a fun busy!

Scrapbook inspiration

A friend sent me a link to this blog, and I've spent the past couple of days reading it. The funny thing is, her style is very different from my own, yet I still found quite a bit of inspiration. Especially her attention to journaling.

I have always thought that journaling was not very necessary, as my pictures tell enough of a story, but sometimes I look back at some of my books, and wish that I could remember more detail - I think that will only get worse as I age, and more kids are added to the mix.

So I vow to have at least one journal entry for every 3rd spread.

Also, she has started a stash diet - a plan to complete so many pages using existing supplies before purchasing any more (excepting adhesives - really hard to mount pictures or paper without that). Considering Monte bought me a new scrapbook tote for my birthday, and I still can't fit all my papers in there, I think it may be time. So starting January 1, my goal is to complete Isaac's scrapbook through his third birthday (about 26 pages) before buying new supplies. I'll even try working on Audrey's new book, too. I think I'll shoot for 24 pages in her book, so that I have an even 50 pages.

So with that in mind, remember that my diet does not begin until the new year, and I am not forbidden from accepting gifts of supplies during my diet :)

Cryptologic revisited

When I was a kid, we had the Odyssey gaming system (it was like Atari, but nerdier). One of the games was Cryptologic, in which player 1 entered a word (with player 2 out of the room), scrambled it, and then player 2 tried to decipher it.

In one particular game, my brother and sister had entered a phrase that I used constantly. Unfortunately for me, I was having a very hard time figuring it out. So I said, "I'm never going to get this, right mommy?" Of course, "right mommy" was the encrypted phrase. Apparently, I said it a lot.

So now Isaac is seeking validation for all of his thoughts, as well. Every other sentence ends with "right mommy?" It's rather cute coming from a three year old. Right mommy?

Speaking of reviews

This one makes reading reviews worthwhile -

Good, But Not REALLY Good
By The Garbage Man from Oklahoma City, OK on 11/8/2007
Pros:
Realistic, Yellow
Cons:
Comes to Life, Evil, Fights My Dog
Best Uses:
Adults, Imaginative Play
Describe Yourself:
Garbage Man with Son
Bottom Line:
Yes, I would recommend this to a friend

How you use the product:
Well, I use the Ultimate Bumble Bee/2008 Camaro for multiple tasks. It cooks my breakfast, does my son's homework, and feeds the fish. Sometimes, I bring it to work with me, and the guys get a kick out of its gentle design yet feirce facial features.

Things that are great about it:
The color. Yellow reminds me of bananas. I like bananas.

Things that aren't so great about it:
Well, due to its striking resemblance to a cat, my dog treats it as its natural enemy. Sometimes, I will come home to find my dog, Scruffy, battling the Ultimate Bumblebee, in a cage-match style of wrestling. Somehow, the Ultimate Bumblebee wins. Scruffy has a black eye, so I'm thinking that the UB comes to life when I'm not home. Very realistic... a little too realistic.

This is for the Transformer Bumblebee, for those wondering what he's talking about.

Seriously, you've got to be kidding me

I really wonder sometimes about people. I went to Circuit City to see if iPods were on sale, as that is what Monte will be getting for Christmas. So while browsing, I decided to read the customer reviews. Overall, they are very helpful, but every now and then, some bozo posts something like this -

Sound quality
1
Durability
1
Ease of downloading music
1
Cost-Benefit
1
Overall rating
1.0

well
Reviewer: bo from caflornia on Nov 11, 2007
1 out of 10 found this review helpful

well i gess tis ipod i wel got for it s moey so geet oen now pelease

Huh? Do some people just post reviews for the pleasure of bringing down a rating?

Oh, and they are on sale, but not for much. Do I wait for a better deal?

The internet is a grand place

I went online earlier today, in search of a sight witnessed on my drive to Kentucky. I thought the search might take awhile, but apparently, Google knew exactly what I wanted to find, and offered it at the top of the results.

A couple of results down was a site referenced by my sister a few days ago (but I can't remember for what), so I decided to check it out. Interesting site. Some of the points mentioned in the postings reflect conversations that I have had with Bec, Monte, and my small group in recent weeks. This one especially hit me - I brought up a similar concern within my small group, and then I began to wonder if I was describing not just the church in general, but me in particular. The original post was about Dove's Campaign For Beauty, applauding a company that "[shows] us that it's OK to be ourselves."

This is so great and sad at the same time. Sad because the Church is afraid of this kind of message, imagery, and in your face truth. Sad because people are capitalizing on people's need to feel excepted (sic) for who God made them. They will buy into this product and company that only seeks to use them for money, when the church should be marketing this message simply to love on people. Yet we don't want to love on people, nor do we want to extend ourselves out to those in need. We'd rather sit in our pews and feel loved by our God and go home and eat brunch and feel holy.

A spiritual challenge found online, just because I wanted to show my mom this picture.

How nasal is your accent?

I recently ran across this article, and I admit, I was a little confused. I admit that I have a slight nasal accent, but certainly not to the point that is described in the article. Nor have I even noticed such extreme examples as are highlighted. I have always attributed our accent to the constant stuffiness due to season changes and allergies.

I do wonder if part of that is Michigan's isolation from the region. Although we are, of course, at the center of the Great Lakes region, we are not a throughway; no one passes through Michigan on the way to anywhere else, nor do they make a point to come here. Seems difficult to imagine that our language would change with the people around us when we really have little contact with them.

And here's a comment from a know-it-all on a different blog I frequent -

One of the most common examples of this vowel shift is in the pronunciation of Ian and Ann. Young white people in Michigan pronounce Ann like "Ee-yun", and so often think men named Ian from other parts of the country have been given a "woman's name" by their parents.:) Another part of this vowel shift is that many people in cities around the Great Lakes pronounce "bus" the way other Americans say "boss"

Maybe I'm not as young as I like to think (I'm definitely as white as I think), but I have never encountered anyone who had issues with either example given. I hate to have the rest of the nation thinking we sound like a bunch of back-water hicks who can't even pronounce the most basic vowel sounds, when my own anecdotal evidence suggests otherwise.

Dear Abby comments

I know I have felt compelled to before, but I actually did it this time - I responded to one of Abby's letters. As you know, this is a constant struggle for me. So reading her insult a girl who wrote for help felt like an insult to me, as well (typed in red). I will assume that punctuality has never really been an issue for Abby, or she would not have given the lame, impractical solution she did.

DEAR ABBY: I have a problem with time. I am always late, no matter what --
whether it's to class, to see friends, to the movies. I am early occasionally,
but usually I am barely on time or late.

I have tried giving myself time
frames and everything else I can think of, but nothing ever works. I have just
started high school, and I want to shed the reputation of being "the late Miss
Suzie." Do you have any suggestions to help prevent my lateness? -- THE "LATE"
MISS SUZIE

DEAR MISS SUZIE: I'm glad you realize
that you have a problem, because being chronically late is not only evidence of
poor time management, it is also rude and an inconvenience to others.
There is truth to the old saying that when people are kept waiting, they use the
time to count up the tardy person's faults.

I do have a suggestion that
has worked for me. Because you are usually "barely" on time or late, set your
clock 10 minutes ahead. Then "forget" about it and abide by your clock. The
secret is in the forgetting.

I hope that she prints my letter, because it was really good. Any guesses as to what I said?

Boys need men

I mentioned in an earlier post that I was able to spend a couple of hours with my brother Ken, at the end of an incredibly busy week. No, I did not drive to Pennsylvania to see him; he made the trip for a wedding and a funeral.

This visit was near the end of Monte's nearly 6-week stint in Kentucky. We'd just returned back from visiting Monte there, which was great, but Isaac did not have a great deal of time with his Daddy. Isaac was so excited to see his Uncle Ken, whom he'd not seen in three months. Although I play with Isaac a lot, and I know he loves it, I don't have a great amount of strength, and I tire easily (having an infant to care for as well doesn't help). So having Uncle Ken to play with was great for him. He laughed so hard, and begged for more rough play, which I think Uncle Ken was willing to continue, too.

It hit me then that although I'm a great Mommy, there are things that I just cannot offer him as a woman. I love Monte, and he's a great Daddy, but his job takes him away so often. I am so thankful for the men in our lives who serve as other male role models for him.

Church and the churchgoer

As you know, I have been a church attender my entire life, and I usually enjoy it. There are, of course, small frustrations with whatever congregation I'm a part of, but nothing to get truly upset about. But this article highlights a few of my pet peeves:

These are the points that bug me, too:

Sermons are critical. Praise music, though, is my favorite part of the service. It’s where I most predictably meet God. But increasingly, what I’m seeing in churches are praise bands singing songs that are inspirational and performed with excellence, but that are…well…“unsingable” by us rank amateurs. They’re popular tunes that are written for a talented lead vocalist, not for people whose range is a mere octave. So we in the pews are relegated to a spectator role, watching the good folks on stage praise God. They do a fantastic job and we acknowledge it by clapping when they’re done—but the applause is more for their fine performance than it is thanks to God.

When such things happen, the worship time has morphed into a concert—a substitute for a worship service.

“Special music” is another example of this. Some exceedingly capable person wows us with an instrument or a song or both, and we’re awestruck by his or her gifts. This continues for at least five minutes and then we offer a rousing ovation. But here again, it’s become a concert. It’s not corporate worship, it’s corporate watching.

and

We’ve all been there. The music is awesome. The congregation’s voices are growing. Eyes are closed. Hands are raised. Fifteen, thirty, sometimes forty-five minutes go by in a flash because people are meeting God through the experience. It all comes to a crescendo with a closing prayer of thanksgiving and some people wiping away tears. The Spirit has been ushered into this place in a mighty way.

…but then abruptly, the Spirit’s asked to sit quietly in the corner for ten minutes so we can take care of some housekeeping.

Sometimes that housekeeping is a set of announcements that we could just as easily read in the weekly bulletin; sometimes it’s walking the kids to their Sunday school classes; sometimes it’s a church member making a pitch for more participation in a budding ministry. Whatever the reason for the hiatus, it completely torpedoes the moment. People’s hearts have been prepared to hear God’s Word and a powerful message. What they get instead are the logistics for the church picnic. Sit down, Spirit. We’ll call you when we need you again.

The article does not address this, but as someone who prepares the visuals for both kids and adult services, this is obviously something that I care about - when the screen does not match the service. You know, you're singing a song, and then the praise team starts singing something completely different from what's on screen (sometimes this is because they forget what they're doing, but it's usually the fault of the AV person). Or when the phrasing on the screen does not match the rhythm of the song (especially important for new music - visual cues are very helpful). Or the sermon notes aren't in order, or never advanced because the person running it fell asleep. Excellence does not lead to pride - in reality, when practiced, excellence hides the AV person.

So those are my thoughts. Any ideas on how to convey the message to churches? Without sounding like a complainer or an "I-can-do-better" micromanager?

Three-year-old babblings

Isaac has started singing now. He has been asking for a few select songs at bedtime, but hasn't always sung along. Now he'll just break into song whenever, and he sometimes gets the words right. A few snippets of his favorites:

* Yes, Daddy loves me, yes, Daddy loves me, yes, Jesus loves me, yes, Jesus loves me . . . the Bible tells me so - the Bible - God's Word written - God made the world and everything in it.

* Hold up, wait a minute, put looove in it. Can't kick the habit, I've got to have it, I'm what they call a looove in it.

* The B-I-B-L-E, yes, book for me, I stand on God, the B-I-B-L-E!!!

* I may never march in the intry, ride the cavalry, shoot tillery. I may never zoom enemy, YES SIR!

* Happy birthday to you, happy birthday to Mommy, happy birthday to Isaac, happy birthday cake for Naundry, Mommy and Naundry share birthday cake with me, at my birthday party, happy birthday to me!

And a recent phone conversation:

"Hi, Ben. It's me, Isaac. What are you doing? Are you at your house? I'm at my house. I'm in my room. Mommy is busy. No, I don't want to go to Tricia's house [Tricia being Ben's mom]. You want to come to my house? We can play with my toys. Bring your baby. My Daddy is at work. Do you want to go to church? I'm going to church with my Daddy. I like to play with you at church. I have fun! See you later!"

He has many phone conversations with his church friends, using our old phone. He pauses like he's listening, and even throws in a "Yeah?" or "umm hmm" at times. I love listening to his developing language.

Birthday Party!

After a few minor glitches, Audrey's party got into full swing. Of course we had food (Papa John's) and pop, which people tend to like. There was a straw bale maze set up for the kids, and they loved that! At the end was a little kid-sized playbarn, and the kids spent most of the time chasing each other through the maze and around the barn. The adults spent their time mingling and admiring the birthday girl, both in person and via the picture boards. I know they take a lot of time to prepare, but I truly believe the display is the most important aspect of the party.

After dinner, we went on a hayride. We went through the pumpkin patch and along a trail through the woods, where scarecrows abounded. Audrey thought the scarecrows were hilarious! She also loved throwing the straw around with Elayna (a friend from church).

After the hayride came cake. I had made Audrey a small layer cake (dark chocolate fudge with seafoam frosting). She didn't really get into the cake so much, but at least she didn't smear it into her hair. She did start to eat some a little later, but I think she was scared of the frosting texture. Plus, she hadn't eaten her dinner yet, so she was in need of real food.

Next were gifts! She (I) opened Grandma and Grandpa DePeal's gift first, since they had to leave, and she loved the toy. She played with that while I opened the remainder of the gifts for her. She received a lot of clothes! They're all very cute, but I think she'll need a bigger dresser now :)

All in all, it was a great party. The best part was not having to worry about keeping my house spotless to host 25 people.

Incredibly busy week

LAst Sunday, I decided to drive down to Lexington, Kentucky, to see Monte. He has been down there for work for five weeks, with only a couple of visits home. Even though he was working 12-hour days, and I knew I wouldn't see him much, I decided a little bit of time was better than nothing.

While technically I had nothing major going on from Sunday until Wednesday night, I had a lot of work that I should have done for the kids' programming, plus review that I needed to do to run the projector for adult service. That's right, I volunteered for that, too. Plus, I have curtains that still need to be finished, a Halloween costume to start (I have at least cut the pattern), and a birthday party to finalize.

We had a great time in Kentucky, and I managed to keep all of my other duties to the back of my mind, but coming home was too much of a reality check. I arrived back just in time to put together Sunday's presentation, but not very well - it was my first time, and someone was supposed to be there to walk me through it, and she wasn't. So I planned on arriving early Sunday to clean it up. Thursday was take the kids to the beach so I don't kill them day, and Friday was spent preparing learning materials for the alternate kids' worship leader (but they didn't work, so it was a lot of wasted time - sorry, Bec). Saturday was a baby shower for Sarah, which was fun, and then I rushed home to get the babysitter back to her house, briefly cleaned, and then spent a couple of hours with Ken (more in a different post). Then the kids went to bed, and I finished up more church stuff and went to bed at 10:30.

The plan was to wake at 7, leave for church at 8:15, and tie up a few loose ends before anyone needed me. I didn't set my alarm, since the kids serve as my alarm clock, rarely letting me sleep past 7. Oops - I didn't wake up until 8, and we ended up leaving the house at 8:45 - the time I was really supposed to be at church. I actually did get everything done, when I needed to, but I was so frazzled. It was great, though, to sit through service and know that I was done for the day.

I came home from church and decided to set aside all responsibility and just be a mom. I was not going to be a wife, daughter, sister, neighbor, friend, housekeeper, seamstress, laundress, or anything else except the immediate needs of me and my kids (food and potty). Audrey took a nap, Isaac and I played golf and basketball, we ate lunch, danced to Trans-Siberian Orchestra, took a walk to the park, played more basketball, ate dinner, and now we're winding down before bed.

It feels good to recharge. Especially since this is another busy week. Curtains and costume still need to be done, more work for church is needed, and Audrey's party is still not fully planned. But I'll sleep well tonight and start afresh tomorrow.

Important poll!

Please see my poll in the sidebar. I really have no idea how to manage the logistics of Audrey's party. Having this party away from home has its drawbacks.

Cell phones

While we have had cell phones for awhile, and use them for much of our calling (especially long distance), we have not yet given up our land line. Part of it is fear that we'll be without power for a few days and wouldn't be able to charge our cells; part of it is reluctance to share our private numbers with strangers (even though it's much harder to track a cell number); another part is that we have DSL, which is bundled with our land line. So we're really in no hurry to give it up, even though it does seem like a waste of $30 a month.

I realized today another reason for maintaining a land line. Most of us have people in our lives that we talk to incidentally. Here's a common scenario - you call your mom every Sunday, but every now and then, your dad answers; you end up having a great conversation with him instead - one you would have missed had you been able to reach your mom directly via her cell.

I noticed this today when I called my sister-in-law. I really wanted to talk to only her anyway, but I used to just call her house, not her cell. A nephew might answer, and I'd talk to him for a bit. Then my brother would get on the phone and talk for a bit. We didn't often talk about anything important enough to warrant separate phone calls, but we had connecting moments in the midst of our busy lives. I miss that.

Love you guys :)

Silver Lake

I realize I am posting this very late. I could have just posted it with the date it happened, but it'd have been buried, so here's old news.

In the midst of our busy summer, we decided to spend our one non-busy Saturday doing something fun. So we headed up to Silver Lake to ride the dunes, play at Craig's Cruisers, and relax at the beach.

Isaac loved every moment of it. We all did, but it was especially fun for him, as we basically gave him everything he asked for. He loved the dune ride, and we bought him a t-shirt and frisbee to commemorate our visit to Mac Wood's Dune Rides. Then we headed over to Craig's Cruisers for mini golf, bumper boats, and go-carts. Monte and Isaac did all that, while I toted Audrey around and took pictures. Lots of pictures. They had a blast!

We planned to go to the lighthouse at the state park, but it was packed and we just didn't feel like fighting for a parking space and then trekking over the dune. SO we settled for a public access area north of the park, where we played frisbee for a while.

What an incredibly relaxing, fun day. Too bad we don't have the time or money to do it every weekend, although it'd lose some of its specialness if we did.

Here are some highlights of the day:

Single parenthood, round 2

OK, Monte's home for three days, not four. He went into work this morning, and his boss told him he needed to return to site tomorrow instead of waiting until Wednesday as planned. So our fun Tuesday (Monte was planning on taking a vacation day) is no more. We were planning on heading out to the driving range for the last nice day of the year.

Today was spent doing laundry from his last trip, just to pack it all up for tomorrow's 11-day trip. I have spent time getting pictures off the computer that I need for Audrey's birthday, and the computer has been giving me fits. What should have taken about 15-20 minutes took over an hour. But it had to be done before Monte took the computer with him, so I can work on cropping them while he is gone.

Audrey didn't go down for a nap today until 4. Right about the time that we wanted to head out for the beach. So we'll see if we can squeeze in one more trip yet tonight. Wake up, baby girl! And Monte and Isaac, both of whom fell asleep in the living room.

This should be the last trip for awhile. Thank goodness. It'll be nice to have him home again.

Single parenthood

Monte has been traveling a lot for work. He was gone five days, then home for three, then gone for 11 days, and currently home for four before heading out on another 10-day trip. Thankfully, he was home for his birthday and our anniversary, and will be home for the important October birthdays as well. But his absence has been really difficult for us all.

I believe that Audrey had an ear infection the last week of September. So she was grouchy! She was waking up 5-6 times a night, just screaming. Tylenol is great, but I can't give it to her every hour. So I did not get a lot of sleep, which led to very cranky days. Add to that the stress of everyone missing Monte, and we had a really bad time of it.

I was able to get some things done around the house. OK, one thing - I finally made my roman shades for the kitchen and eating area. You know, what I had purchased supplies for 2.5 years ago. So those are sewn and hanging, although we've been having issues with the weight of the one in the eating area and need to adjust the eyelets. We can't raise them yet, so it's really dark in there. But I am happy with the final product.

Next on my list is Kira's Halloween costume. She will be Katara from Avatar, a show that the Blanns have recently gotten into. Since she actually has a Halloween event (at school), her costume is more important than my own children's, which I have decided not to do this year. Lack of time and little interest in spending money decided that for me.

I still have Audrey's party to plan. I seriously don't know when I will get everything done. There's not really a lot to do, but it's all at once, and I don't do well with that.

We're really enjoying our Indian Summer. Last night, we headed out to the beach to watch the sunset. Unfortunately, we all needed the restroom once we arrived, and they're closed for the season. So we decided to head out of the park, eat at KFC, use the bathroom, and return. This all took awhile, because the beach was packed. I have never seen so many people there in the off-season, with about half of the south lot full. And there was a ranger on duty, actually collecting money for day-users. I have never seen that in October. We didn't get as much time at the lake as we'd hoped, but we were able to see the sunset. We stayed until the ranger kicked everyone out. It was a gorgeous evening, and I'm glad that we had that time together at the beach, short as it was.

Back to the kiddos. They sure are demanding.

Blustery Beach Day

This week, fall started. Maybe not on the calendar, but certainly in the weather. Yesterday, waves were 4-7 feet at the beach, water temp was 50, and people were warned against going out on the pier. Video proved it to be beautiful, albeit treacherous. Today was supposed to be similar, but less windy, with waves between 3-4 feet. Perfect.

So I toted Isaac and Audrey out to Holland State Park. Gorgeous. And the wind was enough to warrant a jacket, but not so biting that a hood was required. Those are the best fall beach days. I took loads of pictures, which I just finished loading onto the computer. I haven't sorted through them all, but I did come across this one, which begged to be shared.



I'll post more pics when I have time, just to share the beauty of Lake Michigan with those who can't see it anymore (or those who can't as often as they wish).

Puddles, pants, and priorities

So many times this summer, Isaac has wanted to splash through puddles, because what kid doesn't? I often would get frustrated that his pants and shoes would get all wet and nasty. Even though I was the one to introduce him to the joy of splashing.

Last night, arriving home from our walk, we noticed a very large puddle on our front walk. He ran up to it, but stopped when I asked him not to jump in. Then I questioned the harm. Would it really hurt anything? Isn't that why we have a washing machine, to clean up the messes we make on our clothes.

So Isaac and I hopped in. Of course we got soaked, and we got dirty, but the look on his face was worth it all. We weren't even out there for very long, but what an evening.

Polls

Did you know that I have a poll in my sidebar? What other fun stuff would you like to see there?

Diaper free?

As a mother who is tired of diapers already, I had to at least look into the theories behind "elimination communication," a term used to describe going diaper-free with babies as young as two months. I realized pretty quickly that those who buy into the philosophy are quacks. Then I discovered this commentary. I think Bec in particular will find it funny.

Some mornings, when I sit down to read the paper, I get so aggravated I choke on my coffee.

That's what happened this week, when I came across a story touting the latest trend in parenting: the "diaper-free" movement. It seems that well-meaning but completely insane parents have decided that their babies, from the moment of birth, don't really need diapers. Babies, even newborns, can tell us when they need to use the bathroom, these parents feel, through body language. All you have to do is watch your baby 24/7, look for that kind of tensed-up look on their cherubic little face, and then rush over and hold them over the toilet like a colander of spaghetti being drained into a sink.

Thinking this was a joke, I decided to do a little research on the subject (well, in reality, I just looked at a few websites, but these days that qualifies as research). This movement may not be widespread yet, but it's growing, with a philosophy and a unique lingo in which everyday terms are replaced with fancy new terminology. For example, one of the basic tenets of the diaper free movement is the practice of "elimination communication" (known for years as "looking like you gotta go"). People who master the art of elimination communication are known as "EC'ers" (formerly "folks with too much time on their hands"). When your baby goes in the wrong place, such as their pants, your car, or the neighbor's front porch, it's called a "miss." When they go in the right place, it's called a "catch." (Let's pause for a second while we all wait for the creepy implications of that one to pass, OK?)

Caregivers who practice EC are encouraged to master "cueing," which involves making sounds to indicate to Junior what it is, exactly, you want him to do. Suggestions: "Pssst!" for No. 1, or "Ugh!" for the alternative.

Real parenting experts, the type with degrees, point out that children under the age of 16 months not only have no idea how to tell you they have to go, they're not always sure they're the one who did it. Parents of newborns: Just watch your baby after they've gone (or "missed," to be up to date). For a few minutes, he'll look around, wondering what just happened. Sometimes he'll look at you suspiciously, wondering if you're the one who ruined the atmosphere in his baby room.

The promoters of this movement point out that for ages and ages, humans have raised children without the use of diapers, and I suppose they're right. But human history is chock full of people doing idiotic stuff right up until someone came along and invented a solution. The earliest humans only ate "ABC" meat: animals that had already been chewed by something else, like a saber tooth tiger. Then someone invented the spear, which provided fresh meat. For years after that, they ate everything raw, squatting over their kill, until someone came up with the idea of taking the meat home and cooking it. Finally, someone invented the cheeseburger. My point is, I don't hear anyone saying, "Hey, want to go back to eating decaying carcasses?"

I know that modern diapers take up a lot of space in landfills and are made up of petrochemicals that never biodegrade. Ten thousand years from now, archeologists will dig up those landfills, take one whiff and decide to quit being archeologists. But we have to think of the environmental consequences of going diaper free, as well. Just think of those same landfills piled high with carpets, sofas, easy chairs and clothing, all ruined by babies who have gone "commando" without fully mastering the art of elimination communication.

. . .

All my own kids, unless they decide to become murderous astronauts, have put on their last diaper. But if you do decide to go diaper free with your baby, and I come over to visit, please don't ask me if I want to hold Junior.

And I'm probably not sitting on your sofa, either.

Really profound post

One of the verses to "Wheels On the Bus" sings, "The baby on the bus says 'Waah! Waaah! Waah!'" But every time there is an illustration accompanying the song, be it CD artwork, a book, or even a toy that sings, the bus depicted is a school bus. When do you ever see babies on school buses?

Outback rocks!

Apparently, takeaway orders can now be placed online! I love the internet, and even better, businesses that use it wisely. I'll be eating a Blooming Onion in 1/2 hour. Yum!

Life is precious

I have been a member of a parenting message board for close to three years now. It's an online venue for advice, frustration venting, discussion of news, and basically friendship. Some of the girls have been there longer than I, others not so long, but still, I know many of them better than I know real life friends and even family.

Friday night, one of the girls lost her daughter in an accident. Her daughter was one week younger than Isaac. I bawled for a family that I've never met. Monte doesn't understand how I can care so much. No family should have to experience that pain.

So now, when I'm feeling frustrated with my kids, I remind myself that I have them around. So I hug them and tell them I love them a little more than normal, and also in place of yelling.

Busy Day

We've planned a last minute trip to Iowa to visit Monte's brother. We leave tomorrow morning!

The trip, according to Mapquest, should take 8.5 hours. But the last time we visited them, it took 10 hours. We've decided that any mapping software should ask for the number and ages of children to determine true driving time. A nursing infant and a recently potty-trained toddler will significantly delay us.

It'll be our first time seeing their new house, so I'm pretty excited about that.

I have spent all day getting ready for this trip - three loads of laundry with two more to do; car washed and gassed up; new drive belt for the car (still needs to be changed, but at least we have it); oil change; packing; cleaning the house (can't come home to a mess); and I still have to run to the store for drive-time snacks and food for Audrey.

Crazy busy, but it'll be fun!

Serious topic

On Monday, I purchased a book at the local Christian bookstore. It was on sale, plus I had a $5 coupon, so I picked it up pretty cheap. I didn't really read the synopsis, but it was by a very popular author, and it wasn't part of a series, so I figured it couldn't be too bad.

Bad idea. One subject that I hate to read about is divorce. The basic story is about a couple that has grown apart, stayed together for the kids, and is on the brink of divorce. They just need to get through their daughter's wedding first. So after 300+ pages of non communication and misunderstanding, they decide that 22 years of marriage cannot be tossed aside. But, while the book mirrors my personal philosophy (God does not like divorce, and He never encourages it), it was so formulaic and trite. Much of it read like a comedy of errors of sorts, but without the comedy. As pat an answer as it seems, communication is so important. Why are people so fearful of talking to their spouses for fear of being misunderstood?

So I got to thinking - why do so many turn to God for comfort through the process of divorce? When did the Church start offering healing after a broken relationship instead of healing of it? We are so quick to offer reconciliation for other strained relationships, but at some point, we've decided that repairing the hurt of betrayal in marriage is beyond God's abilities.

That's where I'll leave it. Feel free to discuss in my comment section.

Funny

Who doesn't like Calvin and Hobbes? Of course, it's a lot easier to love Calvin when he's just a kid on paper. When you have the incarnate version in your home, life gets a little harried.




Not funny, but don't I wish it were true? I do love that Isaac still thinks that I have all the answers:

Picture Time

I never post pics, but I don't know why not. I love taking pictures, I have thousands on my computer, and I have adorable children to show off. So here are some of my favorites.

Happily Married

Monte and I will celebrate our 7th anniversary next month. I love him even more than I did on our wedding day. That's it, just a declaration of love.

Birthday Party

As some may know, I started thinking about Audrey's first birthday party last August. I was discouraged because Isaac's first birthday party was so awesome. It's really hard to beat a backyard BBQ at the start of summer. Fall is so unpredictable, and my house can't house that many people comfortably, and I wanted something unique. So I had the idea of a hayride. Not living on a farm, I knew I'd have to reserve a local site. Since I thought it'd be a little weird to reserve a site before she was actually born, I waited.

Time got away from me, but last week I realized that her birthday is only 2 months away! Almost time to send out invitations! Time to make a reservation somewhere, but where? I called a local greenhouse, and they have a pumpkin patch and hayrides in the fall. I had no idea if they even hosted parties there, or what the cost would be. But it was my only idea, so I was really hoping for something reasonable.

Come to find out, they do host parties. With real activities. Besides a hayride, they offer a playhouse for the kids, story time, a corn maze, cider and donuts, and set-up for the party. The only thing I have to do is supply food. And it's very reasonably priced.

So now that I have the site reserved, it's time for invitations. Again, Isaac's first birthday invites were so cute, how could I ever top them? But I worked on them today, and they are so cute. I think they're on par with Isaac's, so yea! Mission accomplished. Since Karen's the only one who reads this, I can safely say that you'll be getting it soon, and you can concur.

Now I just have to plan the menu, decide on decorations, and organize pictures. Once again, not to have Isaac's party remain superior, I will have pictures of my precious girl from throughout the year.

California Dreaming

Monte really wanted to attend a solar energy conference in Long Beach, CA, in September. After much consideration, we decided it was worth the expense, and we'll all go. The conference is for two days, and we'll go for the whole week. It's the week of his birthday and our anniversary, so we'll have a nice celebratory vacation.

Of course, we don't have a place to stay yet. The nearby hotels are booked, but we're looking at some condos for rent. We've found a couple that are right on the beach, but we just need to verify availability.

Isaac heard us talking about California, and asked if we were going. We should have known better than to tell him this early. He is so excited about going, because that's where Lightning McQueen went to race. He believes that he will go there in Daddy's truck, and he'll see Lightning. As he put it at bedtime the other night, "Lightning McQueen loves me. He wants to meet me. Thank you God for California." We believe that Disney's California Adventure has a Cars character meet, so we're looking into tickets for that. But we won't tell him! Shh - it's a surprise!

Isaac "Tiger" Lee

Isaac has always been interested in sports. Playing or watching, it doesn't matter; he loves sports. The obsession started with the usual: football, baseball, basketball. Then we took him mini golfing. Oh, he loved that. So of course, we had to buy him a set of plastic kids' clubs for the back yard. Being the natural athlete he is, he excelled at kiddie golf, too.

Then a couple of months ago, he discovered Monte's golf clubs in the garage. Plastic kids' clubs just don't cut it when full-size graphite clubs are available. Considering that those are designed for someone twice his height, he does really well.

But as one could imagine, a city yard is just not big enough for a budding golfer. So off to the driving range we went. The clubhouse no longer offers kid clubs for rent, so Isaac just used Monte's. He was able to drive the balls about 10-15 yards. Pretty good for a three year old, I'd say.

Now, every time he prays, he thanks God for golf. If we forget at bedtime, he interjects, "And golf!" It's so cute.

As a mom, I'd prefer the discipline of golf to the aggressiveness of football, but I just looked up the price of clubs. Ouch. Maybe football is his future after all.

Potty Training - Part 3

We attempted potty training in February, but Isaac just wasn't ready. We decided to wait and not push him into it. Occasionally, we'd ask if he wanted to use the potty, but he'd decline. Sometimes, he'd wake up and use the potty without prompting, but it was not consistent.

Then, a miracle. June 20, Isaac woke up, used the potty, and begged for "dunnerwear." He had two pee accidents, which he didn't like, and then he was trained. It took another week for poop training, but he hasn't worn a diaper since. He does still wear pull-ups over his underwear for night-time and naps.

Go Isaac!

I have an identical twin sister. We actually do not look very identical, since we have very different styles. But basically, we do. Actually, we did.

Four years ago, I began orthodontic treatment. I hated my smile, particularly my overbite. I had very crooked teeth which just accentuated it. I always wanted my smile fixed, but my family could never afford it, and I certainly couldn't once on my own. Dh knew how important is was to me, but we felt that we just didn't have the money to make it a priority. Bu then dh made a lot in overtime those first few months of 2003, and we decided to spend it on my teeth.

If you've ever had braces, you know that an overbite generally cannot be corrected by braces alone, especially if beginning treatment as an adult. So jaw surgery was presented as an option; I could choose not to have it, but I was advised that I would not see the results that pushed me into seeking treatment. After consulting with two oral surgeons, I decided it was worth it.

So in December of 2005, I had orthognathic surgery. Specifically, mandibular advancement, maxillary impaction, a genioplasty, and sinus void correction. In other words, my lower jaw was pushed forward, my upper jaw was reduced (less gummy smile), chin job, and cheek implants. Let's just say, recovery was a long time.

As one could imagine, my face looks radically different. I am thrilled with the results, and absolutely love my new look. But it took getting used to. For the first few months, people who knew me well didn't recognize me at all. It was very strange. But eventually, my friends started to forget what I used to look like and now see the current me as the always me.

So when my sister sees my friends now, they don't recognize her, even though they've met. They know she's my sister, but still ask where my twin is (she's my only sister). It's very weird that the same people who said they can't get over how much my face has changed now can't remember how I used to look.

All in all, I had a great day! We had Audrey dedicated at church, which was really special. But when celebrating such an event, family must be invited. I am not always in the mood to be with family, especially dh's, but it's just one day, right?

We had a lovely service, Audrey did so well, and everyone who said they'd be there actually arrived in time. Wow!

We invited everyone over for dinner afterward, and ordered pizza and chicken. We had more than enough food, barely enough to drink, and not enough seating. But people seemed to enjoy themselves. It was a gorgeous day, and we got lots of family pics outside. Plus, all of the kids got to run around out there and burn off energy.

Audrey received two picture frames that are just adorable, money, a gift card, a book, and a silver comb and brush set. MIL is also making her a quilt, but she hasn't completed it yet. She'd done the same for Isaac's dedication.

As the ILs were leaving, though, dh asked an innocuous question. He needs to remember not to ask his sister anything, because she will find a way to make it all about her and start drama. So dh and his family stood on my front porch arguing for about 45 minutes. Meanwhile, my family is sitting inside feeling very uncomfortable and trapped. No one wanted to walk into that on their way home, and so were waiting for the situation to calm down. What a lovely end to our party.

Finally, they all left, and dh had our talk about his involvement. While I agree with his arguments, I was livid that he partook in said incident. I wasn't feeling very honored on Mother's Day.

Anyway, after that was smoothed over, dh gave me my card and gift. I received a gc for a massage! I cannot wait to use it. I'd really actually like to get a couple's massage, but this will work! Ds made me a cute necklace at church, which I wore proudly much of the day.

This is the only day that is ever all about me, and I really enjoyed it.

The saga began a week ago. I received a call from the gas company, saying that my gas meter was slated for replacement: would I be available the next day between 8-4 for someone to come take care of it? I said yes, and was told that I would receive a call the next day with an approximate time. So I hung around the house all day, but no one came, and no one called.

Tuesday, at 4:30 pm, I received a phone call asking if I was available that evening for the meter replacement. No, I wasn't, as I had people coming over later, so we scheduled it for Thursday (today).

Today was a beautiful day. I'd had a playdate scheduled at the park, but cancelled to be here for the gas company. I wanted to take a walk around the neighborhood, but was stuck at my house. My sister came over for a bit to keep me company, but I really just wanted to be out enjoying the day, not confined to my house and yard.

4 o'clock came and went, so I called the gas company at 5:30. Our house was still on the schedule for tonight, so we could expect a call later this evening. Having spent the entire day cooped up at home, I was pretty irate. Why should I give up even more of my time waiting on them?

I understand that things come up, but a phone call would have been much appreciated. How hard would it have been for someone to call at say, noon, to say there was no possible way to be here before 3? That would've given me time to walk to the store for milk, and spend some time playing at the nearby park.

It is currently 7:20, and I've still not heard anything. When are they planning on coming?

It's been way too long since I've done this, but I'm finally adding to it.

Potty training has stalled. Isaac is not ready, and we're just all going crazy trying to make him so. He does like to wear "duherwear" but he's not paying attention to his body. We'll try again June 1.

Musings of a mommy

Potty training - Day two

8:00 am - Wake up. I am so not looking forward to potty training an obstinate two-year old. The Pull-up is full of pee (no pooop), and it's time to put on underwear! At least he likes his underwear.

10:00 am - Isaac told us he needed to pee. We were excited that he seemed to be catching on. Well, no, he didn't really need to; he just wanted the M&Ms that come with peeing on the potty. Nothing happened, so no treat.

11:00 am - He peed in Audrey's room. He'd obviously been storing it up, as he had quite a puddle. Took him to the bathroom, reminded him that he needs to let us know, cleaned him up, and went on with the day.

12:30 pm - This time he peed in his room. He also pooped in his underwear. We were just about to eat lunch, after which he'd take a nap, so we just put him in a diaper. We think he's just not quite ready yet.

We'll try again in a week and see if he's willing then.

Musings of a mommy

Potty training - Part two

5:05 pm - Oops! Isaac peed while napping. He's not happy about sleeping in pee. Maybe I should have used Pull-ups for naptime. He's all cleaned up, but a little scared of the potty chair now.

6:15 pm - He peed in his underwear again. He does not want to tell us he needs to pee! I think he's just too excited having Daddy home.

8:30 pm - Finally bedtime! He has spent the last two hours pretending to pee. He won't actually do anything in the potty chair, though. Frustrating. Clean sheets are on the bed, Isaac is in a Pull-up, and tomorrow is another exciting day of potty-training!

Potty training - Day one

We have been building this day up for the past month or so. We bought underwear, with his input, showed him where the potty is, told him he'll be a big boy like Daddy - all the typical stuff. It's very easy to prepare for it in the abstract, but it's much more difficult to implement in reality.

9:00 am - Wake up and eat breakfast.

9:30 am - It's time to change a poopy diaper. I am relieved that he's already pooped this morning, so that we can focus on peeing in the potty. I know accidents await, and I'd much prefer they be liquid. So I reminded him that today he'll start wearing underwear, and he won't need a diaper. So he took his diapers out of his changing basket, and put the underwear in there. But he did not want to go into the bathroom to learn how to use the potty. After ten minutes or so, he realized that this was non-negotiable and that underwear wasn't so bad; he'd try them.

We're leaving pants off today so that he doesn't have to fuss with pulling those down. Plus, he doesn't own a lot of pants, and there's no way I'd keep up on laundry.

9:45 am - He's peed through the first pair of underwear, onto Audrey's blanket. Nice. So I trotted him to the bathroom, showed him how to remove his underwear, made sure he was empty, wiped him clean, and put on a fresh pair. He didn't like pee on his leg.

10:00 am - He's peed through the second pair. This time he was in the bathroom, trying to get his underwear off, so he's learning! I had him sit on the potty again to empty himself, and he did! His face was priceless! He received a treat for trying to make it and for finishing where he needed to.

NOTE TO SELF - BUY MORE UNDERWEAR!

10:05 am - Isaac wanted more treats, so squeezed out a little more into the potty. I think he's figuring it out.

12:15 pm - I'm about to start lunch, so I wanted Isaac to empty himself if needed. He sat down, and peed! Not just a drop to get a treat, but a reasonable amount! Yea! So yes, he got more treats, and lunch of course.

1:15 pm - Lunch is over, Audrey has been fed and changed. Isaac came to me in the nursery and told me, "Mommy, I pee." I asked if he already had. "No, I need pee." So I told him to go. He closed the door and peed again. He even squeezes and shakes to make sure he's empty; it's rather cute.

He still has a little trouble getting his underwear back on, so I have to help with that, but that's better than not being to get them off!

1:45 pm - Isaac is napping. I wonder how he'll do with no diaper or pull-ups while sleeping? He has a waterproof mattress pad; otherwise, I'd not attempt it.

He's still on pair 3 of his underwear. Yea!