Kayaking 101

While vacationing to North Carolina, I had the opportunity to enjoy one of my parents favorite hobbies. They kayak in whatever spare time they can grab between working two full time jobs and supporting a teenager by attending sporting events and so on.

I warmed up for this kayaking event by tubing the mighty Chattahoochee with Caleb a few days before. It was leisurely. The river was often so slow that we bottlenecked. Tubing is nothing like kayaking. :)

On Wednesday, we took the leisurely drive to The Scenic Hiwassee. This is a beautiful river that has gentle little rapids and several small shoals. Except for that one part. But we will get to that later.

We sunblocked up and listened to the last words of advice. "When in doubt, stay to the left." Ok. Noted.

Off we three go. My sixteen year old brother, me, and CJ. Things went coasting happily along (aside from the fact that each little rapid had my stomach in knots because I had never kayaked before!!) and Luke would occasionally say something like, "That was a smaller one."

Fast forward half an hour and I am still afloat. I've avoided about ten near capsizes because the kayak I am on is super responsive to the slightest stroke of my paddle. And, obviously, I am not yet that good at maintaining calm, cool, and collected strokes mid scrape, bump, or spalsh. And, once you are sideways, you might as well kiss your dry self goodbye! I'm telling myself, "I'm enjoying this. This is FUN! Look at all this beautiful scenery." But shouting above that was the part of my brain that was saying "It is not IF you go in, it is WHEN. What if I get trapped under a rock and drown?!" Okay, maybe not that last part...maybe.

After passing over a particularly rough shoal on which I got stuck, but not tipped out, I saw Luke leading the way towards another rapid. I got myself psyched up and followed him.

I learned something about rivers. ALL the rapids sound loud. You can't tell how big the rapids are until you are right up on top of them. Well, this one was BIG. And, we were in the middle of the river. Not the left. At. All.

Luke went over and crashed. I had kept just enough distance between us to see him capsize, and then it was my turn. I knew I wasn't surviving it. Couldn't go around it, Couldn't go over it, had to go through it.

For a split second I thought I had actually made it through without capsizing. The conversation in my head was this.

ME (going over the rapid): Oh. WHOA! This IS fun. This is fun.....
ME (after the drop): Hey, I think I made it. WHOA! Nope. I'm going in.

ME (into the water) BRR!! FREEZING!
ME (head underwater): blughebowebs (Translated, "This is fun??" )
ME (emerging back up) That wasn't so bad, ACK!!, I'm about to be creamed by CJ. Shove that kayak out of the way. Oh no! I'm about to get squished in between two kaya...BAM. Ugh. ks. Ahh, the river is wisking me away backwards! I'm slamming into a bunch of rocks. SLAM. Bump. This is NOT FUN!!!!

ME (Out Loud) Somebody help me. OUCH!!

**crickets**

Luke was still managing to climb back in to his kayak in the middle of the rapids. It was a skill I wish we had gone over prior to our kayak adventure. Hindsight. As it turns out I just had to float towards what I thought was my death a half mile down the river until the water was calm enough to get to the edge so I could climb back on. That wasn't bad.

What WAS bad was me thinking that I was going to have to go over rapids again before the water got calm. That was making me freak out! I didn't want to go spilling over more rapids backwards. And, according to Luke from a bit earlier in the trip, the rapids got progressively bigger.

When I finally got back in the kayak I was an emotional mess because I thought I couldn't manage any bigger rapids than the one we had just been over with my limited (read:I paddled around the little lake at Vogel once) experience. Luke then informed me that we had just crossed over the biggest rapids. Best. News. Ever. I was instantly able to pull myself together and truly enjoy the rest of the river. My second toss out was in some huge waves toward the end. That was a piece of cake. No rocks. Big difference. But, the river did swallow my visor. :(

I would have a better time kayaking this river a second time. The ability to have some knowledge of what's around the river bend is comforting!

Admittedly, I might not be very brave when it comes to trying something new and adventurous, but I made it, and I had fun.

Kayaking 101: Learn how to get back in the kayak.

How I think I looked:

How it actually looked:

The End Of My World As I Know It

So, recently, I had a MAJOR change enter my life.

I got an iPhone.

Can we all just take a moment to welcome me into the 21st century?

I am already wondering how I lived without this thing for so long. Seriously. The iPhone is so user friendly. MOM friendly.  I have been enjoying taking pictures, posting videos, and checking Facebook and email while on the go. Actually, I'm pretty sure anyone reading this is already quite painfully aware of my new-to-me iPhone. :)

The need to check the computer when I arrive back home is gone. That took some adjusting! I honestly feel like it has freed up a lot of my time. The computer has a stronger ability to suck me in and divert my attention for longer periods of time. Read: Facebook stalking isn't as phone friendly.

Today we were shopping for Celeste's schools supplies. We had everything on the list except for one particular item...binder pocket with gusset-velcro close...WHAT?? Crayons, check. Markers, check. Pencils, check. This particular gusset-velcro binder pocket was no where to be found. I had guessed every possible interpretation one could make. Did the teacher mean a pencil pouch that had a velcro closure? Was it a certain kind of binder? Just when I had exhausted the last of my resolve to find this item IT dawned on me. I can look this up on my phone!!! And so, I did. Viola! I headed over the office supply area and found them within minutes. Walmart didn't have the velcro closure kind, but that's for another post.

I felt like I could feel my brain starting to function in a different manner. Some may say that is bad. I'm going to forget how to reason. I joked with Caleb about this the other day when the phone died. He asked me, "What time is it?" I quickly responded with a purposeful dead stare, two blinks, and then an, "I don't know, don't ask me. My phone is dead!" Of course we laughed.

My conclusion is that just allows me to reason differently. And, that is FUN.

... I looked up a phone number for a restaurant while sitting in a parking lot and called in a to go order.

... I led a personal training session using some fantastic apps and music from pandora.

...I can look up directions, emails, and documents.

But, I can't blog from an iPhone.

With all this freed up time I might just find myself getting back to the computer for the thing that I used to use it for the most. Blogging.  Thanks, iPhone.

Kid update

Celeste is preparing for her first ballet performance. This means that we have practice several nights this week. Monday we were at the dance studio from 5:30-7:30, and we will be there again tonight for dress rehearsal beginning at 6 and ending who knows when! Tomorrow is the big performance. She dances all of 30 seconds!! :) Gotta start somewhere right?

My good friend, Melissa, has agreed to come and watch Caedmon and Felicity for the evening so Caleb and I don't miss that 30 seconds. A BIG thank you to her!!! Celeste's Great Uncle Dave and Great Aunt Pat are also coming up for the performance and for some White Chicken Chili before hand. I'm am so thrilled that they are coming. And, I DID warn them that her debut is SHORT. But, the ballet is a great way to get you in the mood for Christmas as it is the story of how the Nutcracker came to be. Video of a pink mouse to come soon I am sure.

Caedmon has a Christmas party this next week at preschool. He seems to be enjoying preschool as much as a three and a half year old BOY can. I've really noticed him starting to be more creative in his play here at home. He is finally figuring out how to entertain himself. I think that has been a hard adjustment for him since Felicity arrived. Now, for instance, he is playing with two of his dinosaurs and is quite content. YAY! He was used to a lot of my attention before with Celeste being in preschool four days a week! In hindsight, I can see how this last year has probably been a bit challenging for him. He is a trooper though, and is becoming more and more independent all the time. Ooo, there was just a little pang in my heart. It is so bittersweet.

Felicity turns 8 months old TODAY! At the gym the other day someone I hadn't seen in a while remarked that "She is HUGE!" Ah, there is no better compliment. :) She certainly is a growing girl. She has started to crawl around a bit. The first time I saw her start moving across the floor I got all teary eyed. No one told me that with each progressive kid these milestones get more precious. Maybe I was just being especially emotional that day? She will get her own little post later with some 8 month pictures. :)

Posts coming...

I WILL blog soon.I will blog. I will.

Will I? Blog will I? Soon blog will I?

A monkey, A dragon, And a piece of candy corn

Show N Tell Electronic Style :)

Every kindergartner needs the chance to have Show and Tell. I thought I would give Celeste this opportunity via the web. What a potential audience. :) Though we suspect mostly the Grandparents will watch!

I've got the videos loaded backwards, but I guess that doesn't really make a difference! And in our casual conversation during show n tell, we weren't exactly theologically correct when using the term "the first day", but I didn't think too much about it until I watched the video. Then we got to discuss more accurately the order of creation. :)

Felicity's Stats: 6 months

Felicity had her six month doctors visit yesterday. She has gained about two pounds since her last visit which means she is averaging about a pound a month. Her percentiles have dropped steadily since birth...just like Celeste did. She has gone from the 90th percentile, to the 80th, to the 50th, and now she is in the 30th. I'm hoping the trend reverses soon though with crawling and movement just around the corner I have my doubts. Nonetheless, she is a healthy baby and IS growing. :) I guess our kids are just destined to be small!!!!!

Her weight: 15 lbs. 3.5oz 31%tile
Her height: 25.5 inches 37%tile
Her head circumference: 16 3/4 50%tile

She has met all of the milestones for 6 months except that she "could" be sitting up and she isn't. It still seems like that is going to be a while too. I feel like it is my fault because I don't have a lot of time to sit holding her or propping her in that position so she can practice. She is the third baby afterall. I think I am going to just go into her bedroom one morning and go to pick her up out of her crib and she will be sitting up looking at me!

She had to get the usual three shots at this visit and was already tired going in to them, so she didn't do nearly as well as at her four month check up. She also had the flu shot given to her. This was the only "new" vaccine that she had, and she seems to have reacted a bit more harshly to this vaccine. She has been running a fever around 100.6 and has a swollen hard bump at the shot injection site. I feel so bad for her! She is acting 100% normal though, so for that I am very thankful. I am hoping that by tomorrow morning the fever from the vaccine will be gone!

She doesn't have another appointment now for three months. It is amazing that the doctor visits are already starting to space out. How quickly the time goes by.

Saving $$ without coupons and time

Before Felicity came along, I had gotten into a good routine of clipping and using coupons. Now, there is just no way. I will probably get back to that at some point, but for now, this is what I do.

Each week after all of the ads arrive, I sit down with post it notes and a pen- usually when the kids are at nap/rest time. I also like to grab myself a cup of coffee or a Diet Coke and turn on the TV. :) I look through each paper writing down the deals that are worth price matching. I then stick the post it note to the front of the add. This has been the fastest and easiest method for me...especially when it comes to checking out in the line at the grocery store. I just put down an add on the belt, and then stack all of the items listed on the post it note together near that add. This prevents the time consuming job of jumping from add to add trying to find the price match to show the cashier. :) Yuck. This does mean that I do my shopping at Wal-Mart, so fortunately, I am not a "picky buyer." I do LOVE the regular grocery store, but I simply cannot justify it when I can save so much by shopping at Wally World while our budget is tight!



And, here is my regular deal on boneless, skinless chicken breasts (no coupons, remember!)..here is a picture! I got these two packs of boneless skinless chicken breasts for $1.00 a pound. Also, I got a boneless bottom round roast for $2.49 a pound, but didn't take a picture of that one.

Some Links To Follow

Recently I added two new links to my blog.

The first one I've called "Daily Dip" It is a link to my churches Women's Ministry blog called Stiches. I am one of several authors on this blog which contains a devotional post every Monday and Thursday.

The second is another personal blog that I started a long time ago. It is a recipe blog. I recently started adding my weekly menu to the side. You can click the links in the menu to view the recipes that I am making for this week. :-)

Friday At The Park

The kids and I went to a new park that is pretty nearby our house yesterday afternoon. The weather was so nice! The playground was great, and I felt like it was particularly safe too. I love it when the play equipment has side rails so kids don't just go randomly flying off of the sides. :) Like that happens often...I know it doesn't, but still...Anyway, this is one of those type "safe-er"playgrounds. There is also a nice splash pad so we will have to go back there next summer to play in that portion. Plus, one of the biggest bonuses was that there were a lot of trees which means there was a lot of shade!

There was also a nice walking trail that we explored together. While on our walk Caedmon made Felicity giggle, giggle, giggle. It was her best laughing session yet. She thinks her big brother is just sooo funny. Of course we were all giggling by the time it was over.

The path...

Celeste swinging away!
Cead picked a flower for me. "Here, Mom! You can wear this in your hair." So sweet! It was really small so you can't really see it in the pic.
A really quick pic of Felicity in the baby swing. She isn't really big enough to sit in those yet, but she is getting close!!
Taking a flying leap...it was his best attempt to grab the wheel overhead. Sorry, bud, maybe in another 3 years:) Mommy helped him out later though!
LOVE this. One of the best pics I think I have of the two of these kiddos together.
And, yes, I just need to turn my date stamp off!!

A Steal of a Deal

Today we went to several garage sales. Many of the communities have a garage sale day, and today was that day. I have been wanting to get an exersaucer for Felicity to use, and I know garage sale prices just can't be beat! Plus, I sorta like the bargaining part. I know, I'm crazy.

I guess there are a lot of people that might be scared off by garage sales because you come into contact with strangers "stuff." But, for me, there isn't a lot that bleach water, elbow grease, and a run through the washer can't fix. :-) Besides, how GREEN is it to garage sale! If you haven't ever tried it, I challenge you to do it! It makes a budget streeeeetch. Plus, why spend more when you don't have to?!

Here is the exersaucer I got today. It is in fully working condition.... No stains, fading, tears, and it came with working batteries too. Oh yeah...priced this morning at 25 dollars, marked down to 15 when I stopped by, and I offered 10 and got it with another little toy thrown in. Me = happy. At least, I thought it was a good deal! Apparently someone else does too....post bleach of course :)

Tutu Time

I made a tutu for Celeste last night. It was SUPER easy and was definitely no-sew! It certainly isn't perfect, and could stand to be a bit thicker, but considering I only used materials I had on hand-it works! Total cost, time.

Church Bound

Thought I should put up a short post...that inlcuded a picture or two. This was from this past Sunday. Caleb was holding Felicity during breakfast, and Caedmon asked if he could climb up in Daddy's lap too. Cute.

My Wednesday-Who Am I??

I am going to TRY to make this a short post. Try.

We had cereal for breakfast. Apple Jacks for the kids, and forget the Healthy Oat...Golden Grahams for me. We all had banana. Favorites.

Celeste and I got school in before 8:30 today! Unusual.

I loaded up three kids and went to the gym and worked out. I was very sore from yesterday because I got put front and center. That is an extra motivating spot, know what I mean? Guess I should go there more often...but, I'd like to actually be able to DO everything. I'm still just so out of shape!Anyway....

By the time we got back from the gym it was around 11 and so I started Macaroni and Cheese and Hot Dogs for the kids for lunch. I also prepped some veggies and a pineapple and made two salads. One for me, and one for our friend "NannaJ"(the kids adopted Grandmother), who comes over on Wednesdays to give Celeste a piano lesson. We are so thankful for her! While the kids ate, I straightened up a bit. Dirt.

NannaJ arrived and Celeste went off to have her lesson, and Caed got to go play Nintendo for a little while. Felicity was asleep, and I finished prepping lunch for NannaJ and myself. We had salad and ramekin sized chicken pot pies that I had left over from the other day. There may or may not have been Peanut Butter Pie. I have a sweet tooth. Cavities.

After piano lessons, the kids played outside for a while and I cleaned up lunch, feed the baby, and emailed Caleb. I like to communicate with him at least once during the day. My husband means SO MUCH to me. Love.

I got Celeste and Caed settled in for some rest time. Caed usually naps, but Celeste usually plays quietly. Felicity started her usual afternoon routine of cat napping and eating.I pulled out the weekly ads, a pen, my meal planner paper, and grocery list and went to town planning out next weeks meals. I also take post it notes and attach them to all of my ads and write on each post it the deals in that particular paper. I price match a lot, and I've found this to be the easiest and fastest way for me to show the items in the checkout line.  The TV was on in the background. I like to laugh. Ellen.

I finished up planning, feed the baby again, and Caleb came home. We were running short on time, so we decided to eat dinner after church. We all ate a piece of bread with some peanut butter to hold us over until after we went to church. We ended up eating at In-N-Out tonight for dinner. Animal style, protein style cheeseburger for me, and Double Doubles for everyone else. That's the kind of clean up I like! We didn't get a shake. Chocolate.

And now, here I sit at the end of another day already! This post will be up by 10 because I don't like wasting time. Mine. Yours.

Wednesday edition.

My Tuesday-Who am I?

by Caleb

**Introducing my first guest post....So excited to have Caleb write something for this blog!!! And, since we are ONE, I figured it would be a great time to hear about his Tuesday. And, besides that, let me get in bed before midnight. Selfish, I know! But, you will get to reap the benefits of his fantastic post. :) Enjoy.

Last night was Caedmon's turn to crawl into bed with us in the middle of the night. He usually doesn't wake me up unless he crawls directly on top of me. This time, he was able to squeeze in next to me without disturbing me from my slumber. (And let the record show that when I sent Celeste back to bed the night before, I did at least suggest to her to blow her nose with the Kleenex up on the kitchen counter. In the morning she verified that this had proved effective in alleviating her symptoms.)

Most mornings I wake up to my alarm at about 6:15am. I start coffee, enrobe myself in work-appropriate vestments (Biz Cas), read my Bible, unload the dishes, and free the dog from her crate in the garage and provide her with vittles. At some random point during this progression, one or both of the children of walking age have usually emerged from their bedroom. This morning it was Celeste. I gently reminded her that she'd let the cat starve yesterday, so she promptly scooped him some Special Kitty. (I assured her no harm was done, as he has plenty of stores.)

I woke up Danielle, started water for the farina, and made myself a lunch. You are probably scratching your head wondering what farina is. You should really do something about that psoriasis. And incidentally, farina is the generic name for Cream of Wheat.

After breakfast with the family, I left for work at approximately 8 o'clock and turned around and left for home at about 5 o'clock. To sum up: spreadsheets.

It's nice to come home to the smell of home cooking: marinated pork chops, baked sweet potatoes and salad. Danielle is a great cook! As Danielle finished getting dinner ready, the kids and I got out the Thomas and Friends train tracks and began construction. Felicity was in charge of quality control, testing random track pieces to make sure they could stand up to mild whacks and slobber. We had to halt construction so Celeste could help mom set the table for dinner, and so we could apply for the proper permits and conduct environmental impact analysis.

After dinner--and after seizing the playroom by declaring it blighted and invoking eminent domain--we were able to finish construction on our railroad network. (Alas, since we didn't lay track down the hall and connect to the kids' bedroom, we didn't qualify for Stimulus funding.) Celeste insisted I be Sir Topham Hatt. We have two of these guys, so the other one I called Sir Topham Capp. (I should paint a goatee on his face.)

After that it was clean up train tracks and get the kids ready for bed. Our usual routine is as follows:

1) Dessert

2) Pajamas

3) Brush teeth

4) Read story and children's Bible

5) Give mommy a hug

6) Prayers

7) Lights out.

Occasionally, "bath" will get thrown into the mix. Tonight was one of those nights. I think back to when we had just one kid, and she got a bath every night. But since Texas is in a drought, we're trying to do our part.

So after the kids were tucked in, I indulged in some homemade peanut butter pie and composed this guest post. Hope you enjoyed!

**See, what did I tell you?! Perfect (nearly), right?!

My Monday-Who Am I?

This morning came quickly! I initially resisted getting out of bed because I ended up being awake at 12:30am with Felicity, then at 3am by Celeste's little voice, then again at 6 with Felicity. Celeste is old enough to finally understand that Mommy doesn't want to be awakened any extra in the middle of the night (emergencies only!) since I am still getting up often as it is. I found it very endearing, even at 3am, that she went to her Daddy's side of the bed and asked for help. (I think I would wake up if a fly landed on the doorknob to our bedroom door. I am such a light sleeper!) Celeste's nose was too stuffy and she couldn't sleep. The funniest part was that she asked Caleb if she could please wake me up so she could use my Netti Pot. I never imagined that she would want to do such a thing, but last week when I had a cold I was showing her how it worked, and apparently she remembered! I have discovered that I have allergies, nothing too major I hope, and I am realizing that my kids probably have them too. Caleb ended up sending Celeste back to bed, and part of me was grateful but the other part of me wanted to get up and go help her. I fell back to sleep. Sniffle.

I finally rolled out of bed sometime between 7 and 8. I got dressed head to toe for the gym, and then headed out with a load of dirty laundry to put in the washer. I got that started, and zapped my coffee at the same time. The Fly Lady would have been proud. Celeste was already up and dressed and was standing in front of the hall mirror, and I stopped to help her spritz her hair down with Infusium 23. I highly recommend it for those with unruly hair. I enjoy having a girl and getting to help her fix her hair. I'm a girly girl, or at least enjoy being one when I want. Frizz.

I made the decision to divert from the menu plan for breakfast and served up PopTarts and cored apple for the kids. I don't think I've ever served PopTarts for breakfast before (I have them on hand for a portable snack), so the kids sure enjoyed it this morning! I grabbed a bowl of Healthy Oat cereal and a banana for myself. (HA, Healthy Oat has more calories per serving than the sugary cereals. That is annoying.) Calories.

Since it was a school morning, I knew we had to get started pretty quickly on our schoolwork if we wanted to get anything accomplished before heading to the gym. I started Celeste out with her handwriting. It is by far the hardest part of kindergarten. Celeste still does pretty great with it, but she wants it to be perfect. Wonder where she gets that from? I tend to be a perfectionist too, but I am really trying to emphasize that all she needs to do is give her best, and that is good enough. We do two lessons on Monday so that we can use Friday as an enrichment day. Today, I taught Celeste the letter S (I like teaching!), and she practiced two pages out of her Writing with Phonics book while I got Caed set up playing a game, and feed Felicity, who has been a bit out of sorts because she is starting to teeth and is battling a cold. Multitasking

Celeste and I had just enough time to finish her math lesson before it was time to load up for the gym. She practiced identifying the "teen family", counted by ones to 20, and then practiced writing the number 6...all of this being WAY to easy for her, but hey, that's ok. We have gone over some coins, and that is NOT too easy for her. I am glad she has a little bit of a challenge here and there. If not, I will challenge her. I like a good challenge. I'm competitive. Anyway, we finished and went to the gym. Fun.

I would tell you about the drive to the gym, but I can't remember anything particular from the car ride. I have selective hearing when I drive. Crickets.

The workout this morning was No Limits Circuit. I would say I had a mediocre workout. That always makes me feel bad because I like to do things with 110% of my effort. (See, there is that perfectionist bit again!) It was no fault of the instructor. I was just tired. Fortunately the music was upbeat. I am motivated music that has a driving beat. (Not saying the lyrics are great though.) Don't hate me 'cause I'm beautiful. Seriously???

I picked up the kids from childcare, and Felicity had JUST fallen asleep. I knew she needed to sleep because of her fussy-out-of-sorts morning, soooo I gingerly picked her up and managed to keep her asleep for the walk to the car AND for the transition to her carseat. I told Celeste and Caed that we were going to play "The Quiet Game" in the car, and that no one was to talk because Felicity was napping. They did great with this while I was buckling Caed into his seat. As soon as I closed the back door and went to get into the front seat, I hear Celeste say, "Waaaiiit." in a whiny, whispering voice. She had somehow messed up her buckle. That one whispered word woke up the baby. Babies LOVE kids voices. Man! I felt my madometer starting to rise. I don't have much patience when things don't work out like I plan. So, I had to take a deep breath, and just get over it. I got back out of the car, and went around and helped Celeste get buckled in to her seat too. Hiccups.

Once we were back home, we walked in to Breaking News on the TV. There was a massive chemical fire that was releasing toxic fumes into the air in Waxahachie. So, of course, I have to immediately check out how close that is to us, and I also figure out if we are going to be in the path of the smoke. I worry too much! I also showed Celeste on the map how far away the fire was because she was a little bit frightened. That helped her, and then I sent the two kids out into the yard to play. Fall!!

After the kids and I had a late lunch, it was time for naps. I need naps too! I got all three kids down and folded a load of laundry. I decided I would lay down after I finished folding the first load of laundry. I didn't. Instead, I forced myself to get and fold the second load of laundry first. I hate leaving a task incomplete. I was going to lay down after I finished folding the second load FOR SURE, and wouldn't you know it, I was matching the last few pairs of socks and Felicity woke up. What's a girl to do? I picked her up and talked with her a bit, and about that time, my neighbor girl came over for help. I'm voluntarily tutoring her on Monday afternoons. Tomorrow.

My other kids woke up, and I got tutoring underway. An hour later I walked her back home, and then put Felicity in her swing where she finally took more than a ten minute nap. I started prepping dinner. I turned our leftover Creamy Italian Chicken into individual chicken pot pies by using pop biscuits and the rest of the mixed veggies we hadn't eaten. It was a hit. I am a fan of efficiency, and re purposing food like this makes me happy! Dinner.

Caleb arrived home just as the pot pies were finishing up and we promptly ate dinner. I was planning to meet my friend Amanda to walk this evening at 6:30, so I headed out right after we ate dinner. Caleb stayed with the kids, and helped clean up dinner. I walked my five miles and came back home, kissed the kids before they went down for the night, and started the cycle of feeding Felicity and trying to write this blog. She is making it really difficult, poor baby. I am a goal oriented person, and I am also a list maker. And, since it is my goal to get to bed before midnight tonight, I am going to wrap this post up for the night. So, Dat's All Folks! Porky.

Monday Edition.

My Sunday-Who Am I?

This morning I woke up before the regular alarm because the baby alarm woke me up instead. I was sitting up in bed feeding the baby when Caleb rolled out of bed to turn off the alarm. He got up and went out to the kitchen to start our Sunday morning coffee cake. If you haven't picked up on the theme, Caleb cooks breakfast for us on Saturday and Sunday mornings. It is awesome!! I rolled out of bed and hit the shower with the exciting feeling that I would actually have time this morning to wash AND DRY my hair before church because Felicity had just finished eating. Style!

While getting my hair dry and getting dressed, I talked Celeste through picking out her clothes. Then, I fixed her hair. Today, we pulled it up on the side and she picked out a big white bow to wear. I'm attempting to get her to understand some simple rules of fashion. I never really contemplated how complicated these rules can be until I started trying to explain them to a five year old! I love fashion, and I'm slowly getting better at it. I think. Caleb got Caedmon dressed, and I dressed Felicity. This morning she and I both wore purple. Purple is one of my favorite colors. Once we were all dressed we gathered around the table. I snagged my coffee out of the microwave. I like my coffee hot, and for some reason the coffee pot isn't making it very hot anymore. After we prayed, I jumped right in to reading our morning devotional while we ate. We use a little book that comes in the mail bi monthly. It is called "Keys for Kids." I highly recommend it for anyone with children! Today's story was one about covetousness. We had a nice conversation over breakfast, and shared our goals for the day. Mine was to try to get more laundry completed. I failed. But, fortunately for me, Caleb's goal was to try to help me with laundry today, and he did NOT fail. Woohoo!!

After breakfast I had just enough time to get a crockpot meal thrown in the crockpot before we headed out the door for church. Cooking with the crockpot is such a great idea for Sunday. I made Creamy Italian Chicken today. While Caleb loaded up the kids in the car, I made sure the diaper bag was stocked, grabbed my Bible and phone, glanced in the mirror, and headed out to the car. I am proud to report that we were early! This left me enough time to stop by the desk at the childrens building and look for Celeste's church identification tag. Sure enough, it was there in a basket at the desk. Crisis and long lines averted, I hiked with Celeste upstairs to her classroom while Caleb dropped of Caedmon. I met him by Felicity's classroom back downstairs. Caleb headed off to our BFG and I headed in to the nursing room. After getting the baby fed, I checked her in to her room. She is doing pretty great. She has gone about three times now. I enjoy nursing my baby in that quiet little room. It's just us most of the time, and it is great bonding. I managed to catch the last twenty minutes of our BFG and was even able to contribute to the conversation this morning. I dislike public speaking, greatly. But, at the same time, I like to contribute something meaningful to a conversation, and I am comfortable in my BFG so it isn't so bad. Scary!

I headed straight to the balcony to get our seat for the church service while Caleb went back to the childrens building to grab Celeste. She comes to regular service every week now that she is in Kindergarten. She is really doing well. I heard her singing our worship songs today after we got home. :) Celeste needed to go to the bathroom during the middle of the message. This is the second week this has happened. I like to learn from my mistakes, but I'd rather learn from others mistakes and not make any of my own! But, note to self, make Celeste go potty BEFORE church next time. I walked Celeste out the balcony door, but then sent her to the bathroom alone. I want her to be able to get to the bathroom and back by herself if this happens again. I supervised her from a distance and she made it there and back just fine. Next time, I think she will go it alone. We settled back in, listened to the rest of the message, and Celeste gave her tithe in the offering plate. Cute!

The house smelled really great when we got home! I had everyone immediately change out of their church clothes, put them away, and get play clothes on. Meanwhile, I finished prepping the rest of our lunch. We sat down to eat around 1. Felicity was definitely ready to eat lunch too, so I had to rush through my lunch in order to get back to tending her. Caleb cleaned up the table, and then took the kids to play the Nintendo for a bit while I feed Felicity and wrote the blog for Saturday's post. This took a LONG time because Felicity kept falling asleep while eating. I'd put her down and type, she would wake back up, I'd feed her a little bit more, she'd fall asleep...repeat for an hour! I like a schedule, but she doesn't always cooperate. Exhausting!

Finally, Felicity ate well enough, so I handed her off to Caleb so I could make two peanut butter pies. The kids helped me bake the peanut butter pies by licking the batter from the bowls when I got done pouring the pies into the two pans. I enjoyed having them hang out at the bar watching me and asking me little questions as I went.I had a get together with a group of Mom's from my Mops group tonight. I am our Discussion Group Leader, and it is a great group of women. I enjoy being hospitable, so this is a great role for me to have as I get to plan events, and keep up with all the girls. We met at one of the ladies homes for a potluck dinner tonight. It was such a fun evening! Fellowship!

I came home to a quiet house, but the kids hadn't been in bed quite long enough because they both pitter-pattered out to give me a hug and a kiss. Hugs are one of my favorite things. Especially from your kids! Hugs!

And now, Monday approaches and I wonder how it is already this late and how come I haven't accomplished anything to make tomorrow easier yet(I like to have the kids pick out their clothes, I like to pre-make lunches, and ACK! I forgot to call the gym to make a childcare reservation for Tuesday)...at this point, I will choose to let tomorrow be worried about tomorrow and go to bed...Night!

Sunday edition. :)

My Saturday-Who Am I?

Yep, a day late. Like I said, most of the time these days I am LATE. It's a season. A season, I say!!

This morning(Saturday) I got to sleep in a little bit because Caleb was home and for some reason got up at 6:15 and even better finished reading his Bible. Like, finished the WHOLE thing (again!). I truly do WANT to be that dedicated. I am devoted, but something about this season of life calls for a different fly-by-the-seat of my pants relationship with God. Can I get an amen? I think I might have the pray without ceasing thing under my belt. (Lord, please don't let Celeste fall out of that tree and smash her head wide open. Lord, thanks for this love that is so big it almost hurts. Lord, I said/did/acted the wrong way again. Forgive me. Help me!-I say that one a lot.) Sometime, I will have to write a post about what it is like to be married to a perfect person, or at least a nearly perfect person. But, not today. I easily feel condemned or not good enough....by none other than yours truly, not by Caleb should anyone think that is what I am implying. No way! I need to work on this area in my life. I am claiming God's truths. "And God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work." 2 Corinthians 9:8 And of course in Romans I know I am told that "there is NO condemnation for those in Christ Jesus." I am so thankful that all my mess ups, good intentions, and failed attempts, are all covered by the grace of God. Wow, that's a lot for not even having gotten out of bed yet on a Saturday morning!! Truth.

I got up and threw on some workout clothes, and pulled my hair back into a ponytail. One day, a ponytail won't be my favorite hairstyle anymore. But, for now, a ponytail IS my favorite hairstyle. I knew I would be heading to the gym to get in the workout that I miss on Fridays now that Celeste is in dance. I love working out. I hate how hard it is, but love the way it makes me feel and look! Fitness.

Caleb decided to make Swedish pancakes for breakfast. It is a Herod family food tradition usually served for Christmas morning breakfast. I love traditions, and I love food. I love eating food, and I hate the way it can make me look if I eat too much of it! But, I sat down with the family and ate a hearty meal of Swedish pancakes topped with strawberries and syrup. I enjoyed every bite. Balance.

After breakfast, I headed to the gym and got in my workout. I left my phone at home and drove off with the baby's carseat in my car, so I left Caleb stranded at home for about an hour and a half with the kids. Oops! I don't want to write a sentence describing what that says of me. I'm in denial about my inability to plan out every detail in spite of my best efforts right now! Let's just say, I like being in control! Surrender.

When I got back from the gym I found everyone playing Nintendo. It was an absolutely gorgeous day, so I suggested that we all go on a walk together. Caleb and I loaded up the two big kids in the double stroller, strapped on Felicity in her Baby Bjorn, leashed up Lucy and hit the neighborhood for a stroll. I think living in an established neighborhood is fantastic! There were several garage sales in the area, and we stopped by each one letting the kids shop using their chore money. Celeste is quickly picking up the concept of saving money. We have been out two weeks in a row now, and she is already deciding to save her cash instead of buying one-more-stuffed-animal-she-doesn't-need. Caed is bold about asking how much things are, but he will still throw his dimes around pretending like they are bombs...or something. He still ends up scoring some great deals because he is so cute though. I am proud of my kids! Relaxing.

Upon arriving home, we were all hot and hungry. I made a quick lunch consisting of tomato soup and sandwiches. We ate and then I rounded up the ads and my grocery list to head to the grocery store. On Saturday. At 2. I am shopping at the same time as all of the employed outside the home Moms! I am definitely a working mom. I am a stay-at- home Mom, but man, I found it so funny that this is the best time that I have to do my grocery shopping too. I used to be able to go during the week, but since I started homeschooling it doesn't work out anymore. Anyway, I took Celeste with me while Caedmon took a nap and Caleb watched Felicity. A girl can't learn to early how to shop til she drops! And, boy, did we ever. I had to load up a 48 pound of dog food this trip. What can I say? It was the best deal! That's a lot of dog food. I love shopping-the clothes, accessories, and shoes kind. And I tolerate grocery shopping. I think I say "tolerate" because when I used to shop midweek it was with THREE kids. That isn't really what I consider fun. But, now that I am going on the weekend, I can leave some of the kids home (though I still have to go fast since I have a nursing infant) but it is ultra busy. Errands.

After getting the groceries put away, I shuffled around some laundry. Some from the washer to the dryer, some from the dryer to the bed, some folded, and none of it put away! I hate doing laundry. I think it is my least favorite chore. If I could pay someone to come and do my laundry instead of come and clean my house, I think I would! Oh no. I know what you are thinking. Let me just clear that right up! I wouldn't know what it was like to pay someone to come and clean my house either. I imagine that would also be swell. (Who says that?? Swell...) I was just saying IF I had the ability to choose one option or the other. Cyclical.

I had the great idea that we should grill Salmon outside for dinner, so Caleb fired up the grill which took about a cup of lighter fluid on only 8 and a half charcoal bricks. It took like ten attempts to get those 8 bricks lit for some reason. They seriously were defunct. (If that's not a word, just go with it.) Maybe they got wet? Needless to say, it took forever. Besides that, it was pretty laughable to think that we could grill salmon using only 8 (and 1/2) lumps of charcoal. So, I abandoned the idea and grilled salmon inside instead. I get grumpy when I get too hungry, and I was getting to that point. I used lots of fresh squeezed lemon juice, pepper, and butter. They turned out great a top a salad. It was a healthy way to end the day. Salmon is such a great fish. Sushi.

Caleb put the big kids to bed, and has turned in for the night himself because he was feeling under the weather. I cleaned up the kitchen, started the dishwasher, and then sat down and watched an episode of Friday Night Lights while I feed Felicity. I gave Felicity a bath and then snuggled with her while reading a few blogs. It's been an uncharacteristically calm evening. I like things to be calm and quiet every once in a while! You know how often that happens with three kids? Rarely.

Cheers for a great Saturday!! I think Saturday is my favorite day of the week. Sunday.

Saturday edition.

My Friday---Who Am I??

This morning as I rolled out of bed, (Late @ 7:15 because I had tended baby at 12:30 and 5:00am), I rubbed my burning eyes, and started to think about what I would wear for the day. STARTED...but, before the light was even flipped on and my thought had the chance to complete, I was interrupted by a sound. Screaming. Not the I'm-in-pain or I'm-so-scared kind of screaming, but the I'm-being-teased-and-I-don't-like-it kind of screaming. What a way to wake up in the morning! I'm not really a morning person, but being able to wake up BEFORE my kids makes such a difference (Good morning, Lord. Thanks for another day! I love you, Lord. Help me!). I like doing that when I am able to sleep through the night. Sleep.

After we were all up and dressed, and the kids had gone through their morning chores (dressing, putting away pjs, feeding/watering animals, making beds, sweeping the front walkway), which is harder for me to supervise than to just help them or do it myself, but I want my children to be independent, and I'm not the family maid....we all sat down to have breakfast together. I seriously enjoy preparing and planning meals for us. I value family time! There is something so wonderful about starting the morning out together, sharing a meal, and sharing our goals for the day. We have started saying something we would like to try harder at in the morning at breakfast, and then at dinner we share one encouraging comment about each person. I'm trying to build a strong sibling bond instead of a strong sibling rivalry. Difficult.

After breakfast and clean-up, I appreciate a tidy and clean home, (in print it looks so easy and matter of fact, HA!) it was time to bring Celeste to her morning ballet class. We loaded up in the car and drove downtown leaving plenty of time to unload the stroller, diaper bag, leapster, infant carrier, and two kids (oh, wait, make that three, oops!)...plus stop and kiss a scraped knee from a fall on the curb, and arrive on time to dance class on the third floor. I'm a big proponent for being on time, even though most often these days I end up arriving late. Sigh.

The kids and I left dance class and headed over to visit Caleb at work. I had paperwork to get notarized. We have been taking Dave Ramsey's "Financial Peace University" class on Wednesday nights, and I'm really loving it! I think Caleb and I are fortunate in that we both fall into the "nerd" category (at least where budgeting is concerned). Neither one of us wants to be in debt, and I thrive having a plan to follow (Once again, looks so simple in print-being "debt free"). Anyway, I've decided to withdraw some funds from when I worked as a teacher and use them to help us settle some of our accounts. Decisions.

After getting paperwork notarized, I headed off to my favorite fast food place, Chick Fil A, for lunch. They were having free sandwiches today, and I am all about a good deal, plus we hadn't been in ages due to good ole Dave! To make the deal even sweeter, I got to eat lunch with my dear friend Michelle, who I haven't spent any time with in ages! I am such a social person (but I don't really talk a TON, weird) and I need down to earth friendships. I'm so glad I have some of the friends that I do. They make rough seasons better. Chick-Fil-A.

Upon arriving home, I corralled the kids and got them settled in for some rest/nap time, and I fed Felicity and watched a little bit of Rachel Ray. Did I say I just LOVE cooking?? In another season of life, I wouldn't be surprised if I started a catering business or a bakery. I think I like baking even more than cooking! I have been using Pinterest a little here and there (I feel technology is great!) and have been starting to accumulate recipes that I want to try/retry. Creamy Chicken Enchiladas, chili, crockpot recipes and lots of baking ideas...pies, cupcakes, scones, seasonal treats...anyhoooo. Rachel Ray was making stuffed Poblano Peppers today. Rachel Ray.

Tonight is date night. Our friends the Haynes dropped of their two adorable girls and our house quickly became a bustling, laughing, joyful place full of energy that I only can hope to have again one day. Kids are so great. Energizing.

Blogging is one of my most favorite things. It's just this little piece of world reserved just for my thoughts. (Which, yes, I then share with whoever cares!) Maybe I could write a book sometime? I just don't know about what...kids stories, novels, self-help, educational...maybe I'll just stick with blogging. And reading. Magazines. And blogs. Leslie's.

And thus concludes part one of the Who Am I posts. This is the Friday edition...

The Rolling Champ..6 months approaches

Although Felicity isn't ready to sit up, she has certainly started to figure out that she can roll in order to get from "here" to "there." She is my first baby to do this, and we think it is pretty funny seeing her roll around all over the place! Yesterday, she managed to roll until her lower half was completely under the couch. Hahha. We rescued her of course.

One of the bad parts to all of this rolling is that she now will roll over in the middle of the night, and it startles her so she wakes up. She goes back to sleep quickly though.

Felicity has really been enjoying spending a lot of time on a blanket on the floor with a couple of rattles and blankies scattered around for the purpose of entertaining her. She enjoys swinging, her boucy seat, playing on the floor, doesn't mind her carseat, and most of all loves being held. She is pretty much a phenomenal little baby!! We are so thankful for her and love her so much!!

Here are some pictures of her enjoying some playtime.