THE hair cut

I think maybe I've been complaining a lot lately- pregnancy has that effect on me.

While my favorite subject to complain about it my strange pregnancy related pains, I've also recently found opportunity in NJ's latest haircut. I spent good money and took him to the same place as last time, but I had to use a different girl because the girl who cut NJ's hair last time was out that day. Haruph! Then I didn't know I needed to insist that they scissor cut the top. So, of course, she did what was fast and easy and gave him a buzz. Then, she charged me more than twice as much as the other girl!!! I was so tired and in so much pain (it was near the end of the day) that I didn't even have the emotional energy left to express my dissatisfaction, which, unfortunately, is very unlike me.

I've been asked by a few grandparents for pictures, so I snapped and snapped until I found some cute ones that I took while we were playing catch with the soccer ball. For some reason he didn't want to kick it that day... (as always, click on it to see it bigger)

I know, the hair cut is not THAT bad- he's cute and looks a lot like daddy! -but I wanted it longer for our holiday photos and really, if I'd wanted it buzzed, I would have done it myself!

ICKY!

Daddy's been gone most of this week and we've been talking up the pumpkin carvings- like, "When daddy gets back you two will carve the pumpkin together!" NJ's been very excited about the whole idea. He loves to spot pumpkins in the stores, eat pumpkin bread and talk about carving so I thought the pumpkin carving event would be a BIG hit. But just at soon as we opened our orange beauty up and NJ got a look at the seeds and strings, he said, "No, no, icky icky" and started making his get-away. In fact, he really didn't want to even be able to see it. I think at one point he literally gagged when he saw grandma pull a handful of gunk out!

The little man kept his distance as daddy scraped and cleaned. We did end up convincing him to try to help draw a face on, but really, he was hesitant until the little saws came up. He was very interested in cutting the pumpkin- until he got a chunk out. Daddy asked him to pick it up and throw it away, but he was having none of that!

We actually had a second pumpkin, but it seemed like too much work to carve it when NJ wasn't at all interested. Oh well! Maybe next year!

The inevitable happened this morning

I went out front to pull the trash can in and told NJ that if he went and got his shoes he could water the potted plants. But when he came back with his shoes he accidentally locked the deadbolt instead of opening it. Then he couldn't figure out how to get it unlocked. Of course, I have no keys, the back door's locked (plus there's a pad lock on the gate- can you see a big pregnant lady trying to scale the wall?) and my cell phone is in the house.

I tried to get him to unlock it but he said he couldn't. He said, "Mommy do it, Mommy do it" and started crying. I started contemplating how easy it would be to break into my house through a window (I'm always telling my hubby that's how any bugler would get it) and then realized that NJ can barely reach the deadbolt. So, I told him through the door to go get a step stool. (For some reason, he choose the one from his bedroom- the heaviest and furthest away.) I guess the added height helped because he got it open. *sigh* I have a house key in my bra now (stupid maternity jeans have no pockets!)

A Two Year Old With Opinions????

Last year, I was visiting my sister right before Halloween and we did a fun project where we made the kids costumes out of hoodie sweatshirts, felt, and glue! It was great! The only problem is that it was so hot on Halloween here in Yuma that I could only bear to put him in it for a few minutes at a time.

This year, I've been thinking for months about making a costume! NJ's really been into jumping lately, so I thought I a Tigger costume would be great! Can't you just see a little two year old boy jumping around in a Tigger costume!?!? For some unknown reason I never doubted my ability to sell NJ on the idea- he's barely two years old, after all. At first he didn't really get the concept, but after I told him all his friends would be wearing costumes, he agreed to the concept. Simultaneously, I've been working on the Tigger idea. We've been reading a lot of Pooh books lately and I've been really talking Tigger up! I was thrilled when he fell in love with a small stuffed Tigger at Walmart, which I uncharacteristically bought for him. Then, in accordance with my general parenting philosophy, I gave him a choice between being a Tigger and a frog costume. However, he refused to get excited about either. Sometimes when we were talking about it, he'd say "frog." I generally chalked it up to him still not getting the costume concept.

Wow, now that I write it all out, it seems so premeditated and manipulative... it really wasn't like that... honest! I don't even know why I got so sold on the Tigger idea to begin with.

Anyway, I was very excited about making another costume at first, but lately I've been a little more panicky about it. I picked up another course to teach (rather unexpectedly) and suddenly I've got way more to do than time to do it in. So yesterday we visited a few stores looking for a pre-made costume. I was disappointed to not find any Tiggers in his size, so we looked through some of the other costumes. My primary complaint with the bought costumes for kids is that they're made all footsie jumpsuits made out of polar fleece- don't they know that it's still HOT in some parts of the world???? So, I was focusing on the cooler, simpler costumes. The problem with these is that they're $30 and only consist of a vest, a hat and some trinkets, but whatever- Halloween is in less than two weeks and I can't have my boys costume-less- especially after I told him ALL his friends would have costumes!

So, we're looking through the train conductors and the cowboys, the firemen and the veterinarians but he's just looking at me, totally unimpressed. We go to leave the store and pass by the fleece jumpsuit costumes and do you know what he says? "Di-saur mommy! Di-saur!" Seriously? dinosaur? Since when is he old enough to get ideas on his own?????? I look and sure enough, it's three different adorable dinosaur costumes made for below freezing temps.

We leave the store, and don't mention it again, but now, anytime anyone asks him what he's going to be for Halloween, he says, "di-saur!" with that cute little two year old voice...

So, last night we went to Joann's to look at patterns. When looking at the kids on the patterns, NJ picks out the one kid in a dinosaur outfit, so I pick it up and head back towards the material. Now, I don't really sew a lot, my machine doesn't even have a stretch stitch, and I've never made anything from one of those patterns in an envelope so I called my mom in Tucson for a consult. After a few minutes she says, "It's too bad I'm not there to do it with you!" (It really is too bad because she's a pro at this stuff and NJ loves to watch her work, as shown in these photos from last month!) and then she adds, "how about I just make it for you and send it over next week?" *audible sigh of relief* I'm not sure I realized how stressed I was feeling about this silly costume until she offered to make it. I said, "Yes, thank you!" and instantly felt better (even though NJ was beside me yelling about something and my husband was sitting there looking pitifully tired.) Next she asks about colors and, to my surprise, NJ quickly says "Green!" (I should have know he'd have an opinion.)

Pheeeeew!

Every candle, every tart burn, every electric tart warm I own is currently activated to try to mask the smell of 60 bags of cow manure. Who cares that I'm mixing cinnamon, pine and nutmeg scents? I'm pregnant and the smell is so real I can taste it every time I step outside. If I had a potpourri face mask I'd be wearing it.

On the plus side, we should have a beautiful law in a week or two! My poor husband looks like he's been through boot camp, but his wife wanted a beautiful winter lawn, so... he mowed, he raked, he thatched, he raked, he thatched again, he (and his goooooood friend) raked, he seeded, he spread manure, he raked, and he watered! What a man!!!

When it was all done he said, "Happy Halloween Honey!" I guess with that much work it seemed like it should be for a specific occasion. ...hum, maybe I ought to consider myself lucky that he didn't say, "Merry Christmas Honey!" I think it might have been enough work to justify it.

So clever

NJ got this great art easel for his birthday. The chalk board side has a cool tray for holding the chalk, but the paper side has no place for your crayons. I thought I was soooo clever when I bought some magnetic mesh locker baskets from Target on clearance and a metal strip from home depot. I planned to nail the metal strip on and then the baskets could hang on it. But then realized I could just attach those baskets directly onto the easel since they were mesh! I got out my thumb tacks (all my nails would go all the way through and out the back side) and got NJ allllllll set up. As soon as I walked out of the room, I hear him say, "UH OH!" I run back in only to see one of the baskets ripped off! *sigh* not so clever after all....

An Airplane Cake

I'm so excited! NJ's 2 year old birthday party is tomorrow! His birthday was actually in August, but with the crazy travel, doing a birthday party in August just wasn't going to happen.

I was really sad about it until my husband suggested that we just do it in September- why didn't I think of that myself?

NJ's always been fascinated by airplanes so I decided months ago that it had to be an airplane party. My favorite part of all this is, by far, making NJ's cake! My mom always made us shaped cakes when we were little and I love the thought of continuing the tradition. (Maybe after I finish scanning all of my mom's old photos in I'll post of pics of hers too!) My mom acted as a babysitter and sous-chef, baking the cake and mixing the ice for me (I seriously could not have gotten this done on my own).

I started by searching the internet until I found a plane I liked. Then I blew it up on my printer, transferred the pattern onto wax paper, cut out the wax paper, laid that on the cake and cut out the cake. Then I drew on some of the interior lines with a toothpick and started icing the darkest parts first. Each time I was ready for more icing, I asked mom to make it a little lighter. I used a pastry bag to just make little stars all over the cake and that’s it! Didn’t it turn out nice? I’m so excited for tomorrow!!

The Big Boy Bed

With the new baby coming in just a few months and my last trimester taking place during the holidays, I'm feeling a sort of overwhelming pressure to get all the furniture switched around and the new nursery set up. Several days ago, when I was threatening to freak out, my hubby helped me finish getting my office and the guest room combined. Today, my wonderful mother in law, after two weeks of helping my sister in law move, mustered a little extra energy and helped me get NJ's Big Boy Bed set up before she headed home! Yay! (Thank you, again!)

So, today's nap was the first sleeping experience in the new bed. Initially he wanted to play and, of course, he had to see how far he could push me. But when I head him playing with the blinds, in an effort to get a peak out the window, I went in there and reminded him it was nap time. To my relief, within a half hour of being put down for a nap he was solidly asleep. At this point I couldn't resist tempting fate and sneaking in for a few pictures! (As always, click on the photo to see it bigger- and please forgive the graininess of the photos, it was a little dark and I hated to use a flash!) Apparently he's taken an immediate liking to having a pillow but is not as good with the blanket! Hopefully I'll find just the right comforter soon!

Home Sweet Home

August was such a blur. I spent 10 days at my sister's house in Austin and then three days in Tucson for some Realtor training. Then I left NJ with my parents for three days and come home to trade all my clothes for the next step up in the maternity wardrobe and host a baby shower of a good friend. Then my hubby and I went back to Tucson for two weeks while he did some work-related training. So, poor NJ was away from home for 31 days! I think he started asking about "home, home, home" around day 6 and by day 20 it had progressed to "Go home? Go home?" The poor kid was probably wondering if we'd moved! I tried to explain to him that it was just a long vacation, but I never know how much he understands.... Regardless, I totally know the way he felt.

Don't get me wrong: I LOVED my trip to Austin! It was so much fun to have the three cousins together! We did all sorts of wonderful activities with them and my sister and I did scrapbooking almost every night. I managed to create an entire 8x8, 11 spread album about a trip my husband and I took back in 2005 before we had kids, complete with journalling! Then one night, my brother in law was kind enough to watch the kids while my sister and I went out for a nice dinner, just the two of us! Good times, good times!

I also loved my time in Tucson- even if I was injured and flat on my back for an entire week of it. I did manage to get baby boy #2's quilt designed and the fabric picked out so mom could start working on it and I managed to start scanning some of mom's old pictures while organizing them. It was also great to be there when my mom got a new laptop so I could help set it up and try to make it as identical as possible to the old one.

Still, there's just something about home... When I got back I didn't even want to think about ever leaving again, but after one single week in the 108F heat, I'm ready to go back to Tucson where the highes are 90 and it rains almost every afternoon...

Camping Boy

We went camping again the first weekend of August. It was so nice to get out of the heat, even if we never really got cold. (The highs were around 112 in Yuma and 85 where we were camping.) It was a long drive for just two nights, but anytime I get to go camping, I'm happy.

We met my parents up in Northern AZ for an archery shoot near Happy Jack. When we got there, my dad took NJ to check out some of the targets and 'ride' a few of them. Initially NJ was a little frightened by the elk (they are huge after all) but Granddad convinced him it would be ok. (Click on the image for a bigger version)

That night NJ got to sleep in Granny and Granddad's camper because we had to keep all our windows open and NJ doesn't sleep well when the temp's below about 70 (we're lizards, ok?). See, we had a little incident with gasoline on the drive up and since I'm pregnant, I could barely stand the smell, so... all the windows and vents were left open all night long.

The next day, NJ got to go walking around with Granny and played around camp, picking up sticks, hitting trees and generally being a boy. It really amazes me how boyish little boys are- where do they learn all this from???

Overall, it was a great trip and, as always, I'm anxious to go again!

All Men Read the Paper

My brother-in-law just informed us that all men read the newspaper! Actually I think he was telling us that when the men go for donuts on a Saturday morning (as he and his 4 year old son had just done), they have to have a newspaper to read. My sister and I were intrigued- we naturally assumed that they went to chat- silly girls!

Anyway, the conversation reminded me of thes pics I took a few days ago. My hubby loves to read the paper too and I guess it's rubbing off.

Look, the baby has gone from throbbing blob to a mini me! Here she is on 7/1/09. You can see her head on the left (she's looking right at you!) and her stubby curved body on the right. Honestly, she looks a little uncomfortable in the photo, but in the sonogram she was wiggling around so much, I know she's not cramped. In just six more weeks we'll get to find out if she's really a girl!

Buffalo Wing Cravings

So, it's looking like the food item of choice this pregnancy is going to be buffalo wings- with NJ it was cheep fried fish. It seems like every day I'm thinking about hot wings and trying to figure out how I can snag a few- not that I haven't been craving some fish too. The problem is that the good places for wings here, The Native New Yorker and Buffalo Wild Wings, are both sit down joints. I don't think they even do curb-side carry out! Although, honestly, as tight as our budget is these days, carry out isn't very practical either. So, I made Lacy's Buffalo Chicken dip! It's SOOOO yummy and has really hit the spot. Another plus is that I can use the leftover Frank's Red Hot Sauce as a dip for my chicken fingers. In case my cravings are contagious, here's the recipe:

Buffalo Chicken Dip

2 (10 ounce) cans chunk chicken, drained (or a rotisserie chicken, shredded)
2 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
1 cup Ranch dressing
3/4 cup Franks Red Hot Sauce
1 1/2 cups Shredded Cheddar cheese

Celery (for dipping)
Tortilla chips (for dipping)

Preheat oven to 350.
In a large bowl mix the chicken, cream cheese, ranch, hot sauce, and 1/2 the cheese and blend.
Spread the mixture in a glass/pan.
Sprinkle the rest of the cheese on top.
Bake for approx. 30 minutes or until cheese on top is completely melted.

Seeing Her Heartbeat

Yay! We went to our first official Ob appointment today and got to see our baby's heartbeat on the ultrasound! Now I can publish all those posts I've been writing (ok, the 3 posts I've managed to squeeze in between reading my economics text book, creating quizzes and power points, grading papers, showing houses, writing contracts and closing deals) about being pregnant. (One, Two, Three)

Running Head: ON BEING A PROFESSOR

Hopefully some of you can laugh at a little APA humor.... why do we use APA anyway?

So I just finished my second week of teaching last night and I have to say, it's soooooo much more work than I expected. It's fun and I like it, but I'm really looking forward to the second time I teach the same class so there won't be so much invention involved!

I think the most satisfying part of it is seeing the students learn the material and enjoy it. I had several of them tell me that they were enjoying the class and one student even told me how NOW she understood why she should have learned algebra, "but algebra always used boring examples- not interesting ones like this class!" WOW!!! SO COOL!!!!

And so, I press on. I'm working way too many hours these days (suddenly I have three buyers all interested in purchasing a house), but it's all good stuff and Grandma has been nice enough to come over for four days and help out with NJ. I asked my husband several times, "When you invited your mom over, did you tell her I was near a melt down? I think she deserves to know what she's walking into." "Did you mention that I needed help? I'd hate for her to plan on a relaxing vacation only to find me totally unavailable the whole time she's here." "Did you ask her if she was ok playing with NJ all day every day?" I never got a straight answer from the hubby, but my MIL is here and doing soooo much to help, so I maybe she just knew.

Maybe it all just seems like so much because I'm sooooo dog-gone tired. How is it that I forgot how tiring the first trimester is???? I wasn't going to forget anything (ha!).

Six weeks and five days

Can I just call it seven weeks? I still feel barely pregnant and it's very annoying. In fact, I often don't feel pregnant at all!

But then, I'm so exhausted that I feel like I should be 38 weeks along- I can't do any of the Jazzercise routines without loosing my breath and I constantly want naps. Plus my sense of smell and taste has gone awry, not to mention I'm light headed every time I stand up and, the worst one, all my ligaments feel like they all let loose! ...and how it is already uncomfortable to lay on my stomach. Isn't it too early for all this? I'm barely pregnant!

I keep coming back and editing this post- how could I forget these hormone headaches? Ug- they feel a lot like sinus headaches... I had them bad with NJ too- I remember most of Thanksgiving 2006 I wanted to crawl in a hole! So maybe the timing's all normal. But still- how is it that I end up with all the strange pregnancy symptoms- I can't count the number of times I complained to my Ob about something crazy during my pregnancy with NJ and he'd just nod and smile and say, "That's pregnancy."

Campering

We just got home from a great camping trip! I have tons of work to do unloading the camper and working on my lesson for my next Econ class, but I just realized that I never blogged about our trip to SFO and now many of the details are hazy... maybe I'll try to go back and write about it when my hubby's around- his memory for details is waaaaaaay better than mine! Anyway, I think I better write a quick bit about our Memorial Day weekend before it all slips away!

When I was a kid we'd go to these archery shoots every summer (a bit like rounds of golf except you shoot an arrow at a target instead of hitting a ball in a hole). We'd meet my aunt and uncle at the shoots and dry camp in the National Forest. My dad always shot and when I got old enough, I got a bow and started shooting too. There were so few little girls who participated that I'd often get 1st or 2nd place in my class. My aunt and uncle always shot too and my mom has even recently picked up shooting every now and then (when there are no grandbabies around). We've been doing this long enough that we've made friends with other shooters and these shoots are the only place we get to see them. So by the time the night falls and everyone gathers around the camp fire, we usually have a nice crowd!

During the six years my husband and I lived in Michigan, I really missed all the camping. When we finally found a way to get back to Arizona, I was ready to start camping again! Every Memorial day there's a shoot at Clint's Well, AZ (south east of Flagstaff). It's around 7,000ft in elevation and all pine tress. Last year we went with our 9mo. old son, NJ, and didn't get there until midnight Friday night. It had snowed that day and we were all accustomed to the 110F heat of the Yuma desert. So, instead of crawling into our tent, we gratefully accepted a bed in my parents' camper. NJ froze and cried. He shortly ended up in my sleeping bag with me. I didn't sleep much because I was paranoid about rolling over on him, but we made it through. The weather got a bit better and we managed to use the tent to play in, even if we never slept in it! Soon after, we bought a small travel trailer and we've really enjoyed it and its furnace.

This year it looked like the weather was going to be much warmer! So, I was super thrilled that my husband managed to get a 4-day weekend! We haven't been camping since elk camp last year and I was eager to go again. We invited some of our friends, M&M, who are avid backpackers. The whole "campering" experience, as she called it, was a bit new, but we loaned them an ice chest and they improvised easily.

Of course, the day before we left, the weather started to turn cold. It's a double shame because not only did we end up camping in the cold, but we missed the last beautiful weekend in Yuma! We drove the last hour or so in a downpour and when we got to the Clint's Well service station, I had to run through the rain barefoot in shorts because all my warm clothes were in the camper and I was not about to get $150 leather sandals wet. After a bit of confusion, and a wardrobe change, we filled the camper with water and headed out to find the rest of our family in the forest.

My uncle gave us some very explicit directions, but we missed the turn somehow and quickly found ourselves on a narrow, very bumpy, steep, muddy road. Given the fact that we were pulling a camper, we couldn't just turn around anywhere, so we just kept going and going and going. When a slightly wider, less steep, area presented itself, I jumped out and started directing my husband so he could do a three point turn with the camper on this bumpy, muddy road. In all honesty it worked out easier than I thought.

We started back down the hill and stopped at a road that looked like it had a paper plate with my name on. Turns out it said "Willie" and not "Julie" but I had to get out and walk over to it to see that. At this point, M&M, who had been following us through all this in their all-wheel drive CRV offered to give me a ride back to my husband. However, when B saw me get in their car, he kept driving. Huh.

At the next road, Mr.M stopped the CRV and I got out and tried to wave B down. Picture me running through the mud and the rain, arms waving widely, calling out to B, Mr.M honking in the background... but B just kept driving. In fact, he got back on the highway! Huh.

At this point, M&M drove over to me and offered me a ride again. Mr.M suggested that we drive south down the road and see if it was, in fact, where my family was camping. I agreed- after all, I don't even know where B has gone. It turns out that he had missed the road and decided to just drive back to the service station to turn around. So when he got back, we were no where to be found. Not having the directions, he turned north.

When M&M and I found my family, I really wanted to turn around and go find B and lead him to camp- after all, he was alone with a baby and a dog, pulling a camper- but M&M were feeling a bit lucky to have made it through the mud holes the first time without four wheel drive, so instead, Mr.M and my dad went walking. Soon after, My uncle and his friend got in a truck and drove back too. Ms.M and I hung out in my mom's camper for a few minutes and then, when we couldn't take it any more (and the rain had stopped) we started walking back too. About half way back to the main road, I see our 4-Runner, pulling our trailer, come barreling up the road. I instantly knew B wasn't driving. B doesn't drive like that with my trailer! Sure enough, My Uncle was driving! I had to laugh- it was soooo typical for him to end up behind the driver's wheel! In the end, we were really grateful for every one's help. We got the camper set up and even managed to eat a warm bowl of soup at a reasonable hour.

The rest of the trip was pretty typical. The rain stopped and started, but didn't affect our plans too much. NJ struggled to sleep every night so we had to run the furnace until I was sweating. But, during the days, he had a wonderful time playing in the dirt and making weapons of sticks (where do they learn this?), following daddy, discovering beetles and caterpillars, leading our dog around the forest, making friends with other kids, and gathering fire wood.

Other highlights include my aunt and uncle's granddaughter using an old toilet seat they found in the forest as a table in the fort she built with another friend's grandson,
and my husband lighting the old washer turned fire bowl.

The drive home was long: 8.5 hours of driving- which included 45 min for lunch, 46 min in stop and go traffic when there was an accident on the freeway, 12 min lost to diaper changes, 21 min dumping the black water tank, and a total of 40 min worth of gas stops. Now why does Yahoo Maps think it's a 5 hour drive????

But NJ entertained himself almost all the way home!

Guess What?

Now, I'm REALLY excited!! We found out last week that we're pregnant! Yay! The only problem is that we're not really telling anyone yet.... Now how am I supposed to write a post and not mention being pregnant???? I hate to just not write about it because I really wish I'd written more down when I was pregnant with NJ. All I remember is being miserable. I suppose the only solution is to write until my heart's content, but leave it all in draft mode until my hubby decrees that it's time to tell. So, if you're reading this (sometimes I wonder if anyone reads these at all!) then it's many days old, but at least it's recorded for use in future cases of mushy mommy brain.

So, the baby should be born Jan 19, 2010 and I've already decided her name! Don't ask me why I think it's a girl- maybe it's wishful thinking, maybe it's just some crazy pregger esp, maybe it's because I'm craving everything sweet. When I was preg with NJ, all I wanted was something salty and deep fried. Long John Silver's fried fish became a favorite. I'd be driving down the road, no where near a fish joint, and I would swear that I could smell the heavenly scent of fried fish. Now, i don't even want to be near Long John Silvers. All I want is ice cream, sour patch kids, and fruit juice! My sister makes these awesome smoothies in her Vitamix.... yum, they sound soooo good!!! (you should do a post or two about them!)

Other than the food cravings, I really don't feel pregnant at all. It's strange really. I keep thinking that for sure this is going to all end poorly in another few days, but each day ticks by without any miscarriage. Maybe it's just too early for all the yucky stuff? I remember being so miserable the whole time with NJ... maybe this is just further evidence that this baby's a girl!

Unlike my poor friend, I still find coffee yummy- I'm just drinking it with considerably less sugar and trying to cut the caffeine way back.

Goodbye Baby Blue, Hello???

We just got back- hum, I guess it was a week ago now- from a wonderful little trip! We've been trying to save more money (I'm a Realtor, so you can guess how lean things are feeling), so we weren't going to do any flying vacations, but then Baby Blue died.

She was a blue 2001 Ford Taurus and she was the only car we've ever bought (or likely ever will buy) new. We got her in the winter of 2000, just months after graduating college, getting married, and moving to Michigan to start our life together. Don't tell her, but I really wanted to get a Camry at the time. However, Ford was offering great financing and Toyota wasn't offering anything. Being so young and still working on school loans, we sure didn't have cash to buy a car, so we went with the financing we could afford.

Baby Blue was good to me for over 9 years and 130,000 miles. While I didn't call her by her proper name very often, we had a connection. It was harder than I imagined to part with her, but when we found out she needed a $2,000+ repair to be drivable and started to think about the fact that most Taurus need a new $3,000 transmission around 100,000 miles, we decided it was time.

As God would have it, just days after finding out about Baby Blue's 'needs,' we were complaining to a friend, G, in California and he said that he had a Camry he was wanting to sell! We found some one-way tickets for about $100 each for just three weeks later, when Brian had several days off (for the fancy vacation we were supposed to be taking). Another wonderful friend loaned us their Altima for the three weeks, so I wouldn't be without wheels while B was at work. (we're so spoiled!) Then G generously offered us his spare room for a few days, so we got to make a vacation of it (more about all that later). After three great days in and around Sonoma Valley, we drove the Camry back home, stopping at my sister-in-law's new condo along the way.

So, here's where you come in. My pretty silver Camry needs a name! It needs to be something fitting, yet still flattering... something that inspires him/her to greatness! Thoughts?

Easter Basket Fun

I wish I had more time to blog about this, but I wanted to post the pictures anyway. NJ got sidewalk chalk in his Easter basket (did you know that a box of 20 is less than $2?) and had a great time playing with it! The funny part, which I didn't have my camera ready for, is that he had more fun washing the chalk off than drawing it on! I suppose anything that involves water will always win out with him!

I'm So Excited

And I Just Can't Hide It...

I know it's a bit of an over-reaction, but I'm super excited about the Kid-Carrying Backpack I bought off Craig's list for $30! We've been wanting one for a long time but they're usually $100-$200! We have a trip coming up to the San Francisco area where we plan to do a little hiking and I kept thinking- how in the world are we going to go hiking with NJ???? So, crisis adverted! Yay! Bring on the Redwoods!

Stickers

My mom just left after being in town for a few days- she vacuumed, mopped, cooked, entertained, gave me rides when my car broke (ug), etc... and so today NJ and I both needed something extra fun to help take away the sting of the Granny-Letdown-Effect. So, I brought out the new 124 dinosaur sticker stack!!! Sure, the red dino was decapitated almost immediately and the green lost it's tail soon after, but I'm just so excited that NJ has finally reached the age where stickers are fun! I know, it seems little and silly, but I was a big fan of stickers as a kid- my sister might even say I was obsesive, or compulsive, or maybe just cruel (but that's another story entirely). Now, I once again have a great excuse (as if scrapbooking wasn't excuse enought) to buy cheap, fun stickers and stick them all over!!!

Professor Update

It's really very exciting! I've always wanted to teach- I can remember all the back to elementary school- we were learning about addition and subtraction and I was able to help my friend understand and she said to me, "you should be a teacher some day." Ok, so maybe I should choose my careers on the advice of a 1st grader (is that what grade you learn addition and subtraction?), but it always stuck with me.

Later in life I learned how little teachers are paid (my mom was a teacher) and decided to go into a more lucrative field. However, I never lost that desire to teach. When I got my first real job after college at a big corporate headquarters, I found that I really enjoyed giving training presentations and teaching people about the management systems we were helping them implement. When we had our annual conferences, I always complained a bit, but really I loved getting up in front of several hundred people and telling them and the latest environmental regulation or how to use the new software we were providing for them.

I can't quite put my finger on what it is about sharing knowledge that I get a kick out of. I think it must have something to do with my sister. I can remember when all her unsolicited "worthless tidbits of information," as I liked to call them, annoyed me to no end, but I soon came around and now agree with her that "there's no such thing as worthless information." Now, I just eat it all up. I love listening to NPR and reading The Economist (when I can get my hands on a free copy- it's way expensive!). I'm also enjoying this article I have to read as 'homework' for my how-to-be-a-University-of-Phoenix-professor class. It's about how students learn, whether knowledge is socially constructed or discovered.

I hope I enjoy teaching as much as I plan!

NJ's First Air Show

B took NJ to the Air Show today!!! It's something B used to do with his dad and since NJ LOVES anything that flys, I knew they both would really enjoy it. According to B (I stayed home and took a nap- no need to interrupt father-son time!), NJ was really interested in everything and was really taking in the crowds and all the sights to see with the vendors and such. I'd really love to include a pic here of NJ at his first air show with his daddy, but daddy only took pictures of airplanes... silly daddy.

UofPhx Update

I heard Wednesday that I passed the interview/audition for the University of Phoenix! Yay!!! Now I just have to take their 5 week, one night a week (traditional UofPhx style) faculty certification course. The next course starts march 23, but I'm not sure if I can make that one... So I guess it's all in God's time.

Yay!

Professor Abels?

Several weeks ago I sent my resume to the University of Phoenix with the thought of becoming a professor. In some ways it seemed like a long shot, but in other ways it seems like the most natural thing in the world!

When they emailed back asking me to come to their assessment I decided I should think about it. How much out-of-class time does it take to teach a class? Do I have that time? (Will anyone take me seriously?) Will teaching be as rewarding as I hope or is it like most jobs: there's a reason they pay?

Honestly, I really really love my Realtor work. Real Estate is interesting, every thing's tied to it, I get to work with people... it's a lot of fun! Do I really want to take time away from that and away from my son to teach? Fortunately, UofP is all evening classes, so, since NJ goes to bed at 7 every night, being gone one evening a week from 6-10 isn't so bad. In some ways it might be an ideal job! I have ALWAYS loved teaching in any fashion....

After some time letting it marinate in my mind I decided to go for it. On Monday (the RSVP deadline) I realized that the assessment was actually on Friday! eak! Well, I RSVP'ed for the assessment and went about getting ready. The assessment involved a 15 minute presentation on a topic related to the subject you want to teach, a "leaderless group activity," and a two page "analytic writing assignment" to be turned in on the day of the assessment. But first I have to fill out the formal on-line application. So, I started with that and found that I couldn't get past the first step because they required 15 graduate level credits in the subject you were interested in teaching... Well, my MBA was pretty well-rounded and there isn't any subject (except maybe the generic "management") that I have 15 credits in. So, I promptly sent them an email, on Tuesday, withdrawing from the process. I was disappointed, but a little relieved too- after all, that paper and presentation were going to be a lot of work and I have a pretty hectic week.

Then on Wednesday, I got an email back saying that I had misunderstood the requirements on the website, that I was eligible, and they would like me to come to the assessment. I tried to tell them I would have to wait for the next one, but they weren't thrilled about that. Then, my sister stepped in and convinced me to just go for it: "what's a little 15 min presentation and a 2 page paper?????"

So, with less than 48 hours to prep, I went for it. Honestly, once the presentation was created, I couldn't imagine what I would change if I had another month to prepare, so I guess it worked out. Plus, they gave me an extension on the paper until Sunday night, so really it wasn't so bad. I knocked that out during NJ's nap today (what a wonderful baby to choose today to take an extra long nap!). So now I guess we just wait and see what they think.... Friday's presentation seemed to go well and the leaderless group activity was painless, so.... time will tell...

Frozen Glass

Mom never likes to use glass in the freezer. I guess now I know why.

I'm There

You know that spot where "I'm hungry" and "It's too late in the baby's nap the make kitchen noises" meet? Well, I'm there. Where are you now, State Farm?

Milk Mustache

As any growing boy does, NJ loves to get to drink from the sippy cup without the lid. However, we only do it when we're trying to get that last little bit out of the bottom of the sippy cup... On Sunday, we were doing just that and I guess there was more left in the cup than usual because when he tipped it up, A LOT came out! Can you see the milk clinging to his eyelashes??? He thought it was really funny and Max loved to help clean up! I really love his smile.

An Almost Funny Valentine's Day Story

I think every parent has one or two main fears when it comes to their kid. Some moms hover over their infants bed to watch for signs that he's stopped breathing. Some moms constantly run to the doctor, convinced their child has a new disease. Personally, I'm always afraid NJ will be kidnapped. The thought haunts me and will even keep me up at night (that's a big deal for me) occasionally. I try to lay it all before God and trust that he will watch over my son, but that piece in the back of my brain will sometimes remind me that God never promised us that our children will always be safe. We live in a fallen world and often suffer the consequences of someone else's actions...

Anyway, I had a horrible kidnapped dream Friday night. I think we were at some sort of street fair. The point is that someone took NJ and I spent my dream running up and down the streets screaming his name and breaking down sobbing. -not one of my favorite dreams. When I woke up, it was to the sound of NJ coughing and crying. I've got to tell you, I have never been so happy to hear my baby cough and cry. So, that's how my Valentine's Day began. A little traumatic, but I woke up, so it's all good. Still, that kind of dream tends to haunt me the rest of the day.

Fast forward a few hours. I've got the radio on and NJ and I are playing and vacuuming the family room (he LOVES the vacuum). Out of the corner of my eye I catch some sort of movement in the kitchen. My first thought is that NJ threw something- he does this a lot, but when I turned, he was standing right behind me. As I'm trying to convince myself that my eyes were just playing tricks on me, the memory of my dream seeps back in and I decide that I better check it out anyway. I operate under a general rule of thumb that it's better to face my attackers head on than let them sneak up behind me and slit my throat without me ever seeing it coming. So, I slowly walk around the bar and then TOTALLY FREAK OUT when there's actually someone there!

Now let me stop here and tell you that my husband and I have a strict no-sneaking-up-on-someone-in-their-own-house policy. People get shot doing stupid things like that! So when I say I totally freaked out, I mean I screamed, the adrenaline kicked in and, fortunately for my husband, I stifled the fight reflex by immediately sobbing. I honestly don't know what I would have done had his face not been the first thing I saw.

Turns out he had gotten off work 2 hours early and gone to get me flowers on the way home from work. But he hates going places in uniform, so he was wearing his workout clothes, which were, of course, black. All he needed was a ski mask and he would have been the perfect perpetrator.

Apparently, he wasn't planning on sneaking up on me, but when I didn't hear him come in, he thought it would be cute to get NJ to take me the flowers, so he was trying to get him to come over and take the flowers before I noticed. Unfortunately, Nj was too enthralled with he vacuum, and like me, hadn't heard daddy come in over the ambient noise.

In the end, NJ did carry a bouquet of flowers, although I had to encourage him to come to me- he was a little apprehensive with mommy sobbing. Someday I'll probably laugh about Valentine's Day 2009.

Kids Klub

I've been struggling with how to write this and best capture the tone... I wish I were a better writer because it really makes me laugh! I guess in the end, I'll just write it down and if nothing else, it'll help me remember the basics of the story- I know I won't forget the tone! ;)

I try to go to jazzercise every day (which means I tend to go three or four times a week). The main reason I choose to drive 1/2 hour to Jazzercise rather than go to the gym with a pool that's 10 minutes from my house, is the Kids Klub child care. I know all the teachers that watch the kids and they do a really great job. NJ struggled with separation anxiety when he was younger, but now, he knows all the teachers there and rarely even notices me leave.

So, after my workout a few days ago I go to pick him up and they're outside playing in the giant sandbox / playground. As I stand there and wait for him to make his way across the yard I start chatting with one of the teachers and she tells me, "He fell down again today and has a little scrap on his face. I'm so sorry. It's just that he insists on playing with the older kids and they play a little rougher. He didn't cry though, so I don't think it's too bad..." I assure her it's not a problem. I know how stubborn NJ can be.

A few days later, I come to pick him up and they're outside again. Same thing: I standing waiting and one of the teachers comes over to chat. This time she says, "So, he has another scrape on his forehead. He wanted to go on the slide and he insisted on doing it by himself- he kept pushing my hand away. He did good the first time, but the second time he kinda fell into the sand right at the end. But he didn't cry, so I think he's ok..." Again, I assure her that it's fine and I appreciate he trying to help him, even though he never wants help with anything.

Another few days go by and I have another converstation. "No scapes today, but he got a bunch of sand in his hair when he fell trying to keep up with the bigger kids. We keep trying to convince him to play with the other babies, but he's just not interested..."

In Need of a Latte

My Latte (cappuccino & milk) has been in peril these days. This cappuccino machine (and the one I had before it) came with a perfect little carafe. Perfect except that they break very easily. (Insert some soft, very sad music here.) After breaking the first one I searched high and low for a replacement carafe- after all, you can buy replacement glass pots for coffee makers- why wouldn't someone sell a replacement cappuccino maker carafe? I still wonder why... I never found one. Finally I gave up and sent the old machine to Goodwill and bought a whole new machine, just for want of a carafe. So, when I broke the second carafe, I wept. (...music gets louder, stronger, maybe even tragic) I had been so careful with this delicate flower. In my defense, all I was doing is pulling the lid out, which had dropped down inside. It didn't seem particularly rough, but the thing just fell apart in my hands!

Well, I wasn't about to buy a third machine, just for the carafe, so I started experimenting. (music switches to silly clown music) I have a mug that fits perfectly, but it's a bear to pour, so I was constantly making a mess or burning myself. I had some pourable containers, but they were either plastic (not good at this heat- they'd probably give off hydrocarbons and give me coffee cancer) or wouldn't fit. (circus music stops, slow, serious, sorrowful music begins) *sigh* Ug. It's bad enough to have this kind of problem, but to have it in part of my morning caffineene routine was enough to drive me to Starbucks, which I love, but I'm really trying to save up for an ipod!

(music takes a triumpant turn) Then, I saw a beautiful jewel on the Wal-mart shelf . Call me crazy, but this little glass one cup pyrex measuring cup has brought me great joy! It's less than three inches high, it's pourable, and it can take the heat! YAY! My Latte is Safe Again!

*Sigh*

Today was full of... um... let's call them 'challenges.' NJ hit me again, he threw his blocks, he threw his food, he threw a tantrum. My main tool for discipline is having him take breaks in his crib when he misbehaves, but I think he might have spent more time in the crib than out today. Ug. We even went for a special 2nd nap to try to improve things...

Then, just after prayers, with the lights off and the music playing, he held my face in his hands, smiled the sweetest smile I've ever seen, and rubbed noses with me.

*sigh*

All that other junk can fade- all I want to remember is the feel of his tiny hands on my cheeks, his itty bitty nose, and his loving smile.

So Proud

Nolan was so proud of himself this morning when he managed to eat a whole bowl of oatmeal with a spoon all by himself!!! (Ok, so mommy was proud too!!)

The Sweet Smell of Routine

It's so close I can almost taste it! My hubby has changed shift 6 times since the new year and every time he does, it throws my world upside down. I used to think that however hard it was on me it had to be harder on him- after all he was the one who was trying to modify his sleeping patterns. But now I'm coming to think that maybe it's not so hard on him because it doesn't seem to bother him so much (or maybe I complain enough for both of us and he doesn't want to add to it?). It could be very simply that his personality handles a lack of routine better than mine- it's hard to know.

Anyway, today starts what is supposed to be six months of the same shift. So maybe I'll be able to get back to some semblance of a routine. Maybe I'll get back to regularly cooking one a real meal (which I define as a main dish, a veggie, bread, and a salad) each day. Maybe I'll get my house cleaned up, maybe I'll get my next real estate newsletter out...

Yes, as much as I'd like to think I'd spontaneous, I need routine and I'm super excited about its return.

Underestimating

It's so hard not to underestimate NJ. He's not really talking yet, so it's easy to assume he doesn't really understand much yet either. But I'm constantly reminded that he understands everything we say: This morning, after breakfast, he was moping around the family room pointing to where his toy bin usually is and whining. I reminded him that he had a lot of toys in his room and suggested he play with them, so he ran off to his room. A few moments later he came back around the corner making some complaining sounding grunts and turning back and forth. Daddy took the bait and followed him to his room where his box of mega blocks was partly pulled out from under the bed, but stuck on one piece that was a little too tall. So, daddy helped him out and returned to the kitchen. But just seconds later, NJ comes back out again making more complaining noises and pointing to his room. We both look at him a moment or too and finally daddy figures it out and says, "maybe you'd like to bring your mega blocks out here to the family room to play with them here near us." After a split second look on concentration, the biggest smile appeared on his face and ran back to his room and started gathering them up! Daddy pitched in and soon NJ was happily playing with toys in the family room.

My Teeth Itch

I'm going a little bit crazy these days. I need some sort of project I can sink my teeth into. (Does that make me as mordacious as my son?) I'd really like to do more work with my real estate business but seeing as how I don't have anyone I can drop NJ off with at a moment's notice, I struggle to make that work. So, while I wait for my one year old to turn six, what should I do? Do other moms struggle with this? It seems like all the other moms I know are very happy and content. Why do my teeth itch?

I keep tossing around the idea of becoming a Stampin' Up Demonstrator, but I worry that I wouldn't be able to keep up the $300 quarterly quota without pressuring friends to buy stuff they don't really want. I've tried finding another RE agent who needs some help with their paperwork (something I can do after NJ's gone to bed at night) but it's a painfully slow market and no one wants to pay anyone else anything. I volunteered to help out with computer stuff at church, but there's not much they need done that can be done from home. A friend offered to let me have a cut if I sold some of her stuff on ebay and I may go ahead with that, but I wonder if I'll struggle to make it to the post office in a timely manner to sell the sold stuff. My sister thinks I should sell some of my papercrafting on etsy and that may work on too, I guess we'll see. I've set up shop, so let me know what you think. Go to: www.arizonamade.etsy.com Maybe I'll come to love the post office ...

I'M CRAFTY!!!

I got my bachelor's in Environment Science in 2000 and got a cool in-house-consultant type job in Michigan right out of school. In 2002 I got accepted to a master's program with my company in conjunction with EMU and started working on my MBA. In the middle of my MBA I changed from the environmental department to the compensation department. It was a crazy change, but my boss was an amazing teacher and I love how different it was. But still, it was all very left brained. So, after a long day of Excel and Access I found I really enjoyed some brightly colored paper and a pair of good scissors, or even a nice piece of fabric and a sewing machine. But I was not a crafty person (I'd say to myself).

After I graduated my husband got a job transfer and we moved to Yuma, Arizona in 2006. I telecommuted but soon grew tired of sitting at home alone all day. I had been dreaming of doing something entrepreneurial for 4 years and I had been doing research for about a year trying to determine what the best venture would be. I ended up choosing to become a Real Estate Agent because I wanted to work with people, I didn't want to have to buy a franchise, and I really enjoyed the experience when we bought our own home. Real Estate is great! You have the softer sides of working with someone through a highly emotional experience, but there's also a lot of contracts and financial calculations to keep my left brain happy.

Then, I had a baby and just like they all said, he changed everything! I feel called to stay home with my son and I enjoy the growing relationship we share. However, I find it difficult now to do much with my real estate work. I try to keep a listing or two, but mostly I just help out friends when they need to buy or sell their home. I miss my real estate work, but I regularly remind myself that I've got the rest of my life to work- he's only small for a few years and then the schools steal him away. So, as a stay-at-home mom, I find my strange schedule is actually very conducive to all those crafts I've been secretly doing for all these years.

Why secret? I didn't like to talk about them too much because I thought that most people would view me as less credible in the business world, it they knew I was "crafty." Is that true? Tell me, when you think about your friends, do you generally consider your crafty friends to be less business minded? Would you want your crafty friend to be the one handling your finances? Would you expect that a CPA could make a beautiful scrapbook?

I’ve been thinking about this a lot and I’ve recently decided that I’m being very silly. I’ve decided that the traits that made me excel in Corporate America are the same traits that make me “crafty:” I like to try new things. I focus on continuous learning. When I fail, I try, try again. I truly believe that anything you set your mind to, you can do (not perfectly, of course, but then, what’s the cost/benefit justification for perfection?). So, I will now, from this day forward, admit to being crafty. There, I’ve said it, “I’M CRAFTY!”

Now that we have that out of the way, I’m going to try to post my projects on a separate blog, so as to not interfere with the delicate flow of the literature you find here. (I’m being funny, so you should laugh here.) Check it out and comment if you like it.

Baby Sweet Pea

If we are what we eat then my baby's a pea. Tonight he ate almost 8 ounces of peas! Maybe he was making up for lost veggies at Granny's- from what I hear he didn't want to eat any veggies at Granny's house, and, of course, he didn't have to do anything he didn't want to do!!! ;)

The Lion Sleeps

In the Jungle, the mighty Jungle, the Lion sleeps tonight... Is it a permanent solution to our taggie troubles???? I'll let you know

Hair, Through the Years

I'm one of those people who loves change. In fact, I have to change my hair at least once every six months. It's been long, it's been short. It's been light, it's been dark. Every time I go to my beautician I ask her to do something different- you know, I'm one of those people who CONSTANTLY changes their hair. You just never know what I'm going to look like next!!! LIVIN' LA VIDA LOCA!

For some reason it occurred to me to document the crazy progression of hair in a blog (strange things occur to me when I'm trying to get to sleep). So, I set about to kill and hour scrounging up a few pics of me over the years. Besides the fact that it was incredibly difficult to find pictures where I didn't have all my hair back in a pony tail, I noticed the strangest thing: my hair has changed very little! Sure, there was a year or so of short hair, but I always seem to come back to the same old look... *sigh* Man! What if I'm not spontaneous either!?!?!


Oh wait, that middle one is actually my mom on her wedding day... hey, maybe it's genetic...

Taggie Troubles

I've got problems. Well, ok, NJ has problems. Really, the little guy just has one major problem: He's thrown taggie overboard, yet again, and now having to suffer through a nap, kicking and screaming just to let me know how he feels. Honestly, I am really stumped on what to do.

Let me back up: NJ's never been a fan of the pacifier- he's gone the thumb sucking route instead. A friend of ours gave us this wonderful little supper soft thing with tags all around that we loving refer to as Taggie. Taggie quickly became a sleep prop and now NJ's totally attached. As soon as he gets taggie in his hand, the thumb goes in the mouth and ah, that feeling of total peace washes over him. In fact, I even made three more just like it so we could always have one handy.

But lately, he's been throwing it out of his crib- I don't mean it accidentally slips through the crib rails, I mean it's laying on the other side of the room. Then NJ starts screaming, I go in to check on him, he points to taggie, I hand it back, lay him down, and walk quietly out of the room only to have the process start over a few minutes later.

So, a few weeks ago, I told him, "Hold on to taggie really tight because if you loose him or throw him, he's gone for the rest of the nap and you won't have him until the next sleeping time." Of course he threw it and we had to endure an hour of him crying with me checking on him every 10-15 minutes to try to console him and calm him. It was especially hard because I never really know what he understands. But, the next nap time, WA-LA, he kept taggie with him!

Then the next day, his dad laid him down for the nap. Either NJ was testing dad, or testing the lack of a warning, but he threw taggie and we endured another hour of crying and checking. Then we had a few glorious days without any taggie throwing. I thought, "Wow, it worked- how smooth was that?"

But then came Christmas and grandparents and cousins and now we've regressed. Some naps he'll do ok, some, not so much. I've tried giving him once chance, but that didn't seem to help. In fact, I think the lack of consistency just made the problem worse.

What do I do? Do I take it away completely? He's only 16 months old! That seems so soon to take it away! Plus, if I take it away it'll probably just push him to be more reliant on his thumb, right? -and I can't just take his thumb away! Then there's also the fact that the taggie is good in so many circumstances- like when he's in the car and we want him to sleep or when a babysitter is taking care of him... But right now, it's just causing problems... ACK! ARG! UG! What do I do???

"...as working (out) for the Lord..."

I've always had to drag myself off the exercise. It was a necessary torture treatment. But recently, in the spirit of experimentation, I started exercising for the Lord. I don't mean that I've decided it's part of God's law that I must work out three times a week for 30 minutes. I mean that when I go work out, I treat it as a form of worship! It felt like a crazy hair-brained idea when I started, but something magical happened: I started to really love working out! I mean, I really enjoy it! It became the best part of my day! Now, when I do aerobics, I imagine David, the man after God's own heart, dancing before the Lord in II Sam 6. When I feel a little silly doing some routine, I remind myself of David's response to his wife, who thought he was making a fool of himself, “I will become even more undignified than this.” When my body gets tired and wants to quit, I recite I Cor 9:27, “I beat my body and make it my slave.”

I suppose it shouldn't surprise me so much, but when I exercise to the Lord as a form of worship, it's so much more fun, so much easier than when I do it all on my own. The pain is still there, but it's easier to take if I'm working for the Lord.

“And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him… Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men” (Colossians 3:17,23)

The Tower of Babel

So I'm trying to read through the Bible in one year with our paster, Sam, and several other members of our church. Sam's got a little blog where he writes a bit about that day's reading and then we can all go post questions and thoughts. I think it's fabulous! It's like an online book club! You should join us!

Today in our reading was the story of the tower of babel and although I've hear the story a thousand times, it was just today that I finally got it. I never really understood why God was so against them building the tower, but now, it all makes sense!

God wanted the people to spread out, multiply, and worship him, but instead they tried to build a tall tower- a way to reach the heavens and "make a name for themselves." With their numbers, they would have succeeded in reaching way up high, but of course they would never be like God. Still, with the great human weakness of pride, the people would think they were like God. They would focus on how much they could do and what they could accomplish, instead of seeing that they were actually small, sinful, and in need of God.

I think God loved humanity too much to let them waste their existence accomplishing things. Sure, there's nothing inherently wrong with working and accomplishing, but when done out of pride, it consumes us. We were not made to accomplish things. We were made to worship God. Our work needs to be a form of worshiping God, not a reason for others to admire (worship) us! When God stirred up humanity’s language, he reminded them who was God and hopefully helped them to see that they needed to worship God, not try to become god.

This all really hits home to me. I had a long struggle with my own need to accomplish, achieve, and produce results before it finally sunk in that God wants a relationship, not performance.

The Shack

I recently read The Shack by Wm. Paul Young.

I really liked the book. I know there's been some controversy, but I think people are just being too literal. It's fiction, people! Get over it! The book brought about some new ideas in my head and he articulated something in ways I've never heard articulated. Some of the pictures he painted have really made me think and have given me new insight. I think most of the people who have objections are spending too much time trying to define God rather than trying to discover God. No matter how smart you are or how many time your read the bible or how great a scholar you are, you'll never be able to define God! He won't fit into any box! We'll never fully understand who and what God is- in some ways, that's what's so great about him!

Christmas 2008

This year for Christmas all the family came to my house: My mom and dad, My sister and her husband and two sons, and my sister's three in-laws! Unfortunately, B's mom and sister couldn't make it, but I suppose it worked out, because this way no one had to sleep in the common areas. Of course, mom and dad got suck out in the camper, but then it sounded like they had to fight to keep their spot from some of the folk sleeping in the house, so maybe it wasn't so bad after all. So, even though 9 adults and 3 kids in one house sounds like the set of a Will Ferrell Christmas Special, it was smooth and delightful. Everyone pitched in and helped out and we even managed to find enough chairs to all sit down to one big meal each day!

On Christmas day, NJ had a fabulous time opening gifts and otherwise tried to monopolize his Granny whenever possible. The Men fried a turkey, the women made everything else, and we all, plus a few extras, sat down to a beautiful Christmas feast!

A few days later, a few of us took the kids to the West Wetlands park. If you've never been there, let me tell you, it's crazy cool! The park is a giant castle with rubber floors. We all had such a great time! NJ got to slide, which he LOVED so much he dove in on his belly one time, and I even got to be a little silly (I'm refering to my climbing, not my coat- it really was quite chilly!)


But then, my little baby boy tripped on some faux decking and busted his lip!

Daddy swooped, Mommy ran to get tissue (wondering if all the blood was going to stain his adorable cream coat), and Aunt D took photos. What a heart breaker photo! Look at my little man! He was so brave and tough...

...and really, quite happy to play a few minutes later! Isn't strange how, as a mom, your child's pain hurts you far longer than it does them?