Well, it finally happened. I forgot to publish a "Thankful Thursday" post. I know, I know. Terrible. Your whole day was messed up, wasn't it? You've probably been unable to tear yourself away from your computer, as you sit there hitting "refresh" and waiting on baited breath for an update. I'm surprised the world is still turning this morning.
I started it yesterday, but did not complete it. Nor do I have the time to do so now. Why? Because my precious husband has taken the day off and I'm not going to use time I could spend with him by sitting in front of this computer for another second! So that is what I'm thankful for - a whole day to spend with my best friend and daughter (complete with a lunch date!) Enjoy your Friday and your weekend, if you can get back on track after your disappointment.
Thankful Thursday
Thursday, January 21, 2010
I'm lying in bed about to go to sleep and I remembered that I hadn't written a Thankful Thursday post! Lucky for you, I'm just that dedicated, so here goes:
1. God's Word. In Bible Study, we're doing a Precept Study on the first half of the book of Daniel. A lot of it contains stories I've heard my whole life, but am just now taking the time to reexamine and dig into. The details (some not at all like I was taught growing up in Sunday School) are amazing and I love the new lessons I'm gaining as I look at it from an adult's perspective.
2. My big brother, B. His birthday is coming up on Sunday and it's a good time to express how thankful I am for him. We've definitely gotten closer over the years and especially so since we both had kids.
Though I know it's really difficult for you to imagine, I used to be the typical annoying little sister. I loved tagging along with him and my other older brother and am sure it used to drive them insane. One of my favorite memories of him, though, happened one time when he was babysitting me. We were all outside playing and a yellow jacket stung me. B rushed over, scooped me up, and carried me inside. After he scraped the stinger out, he dried my tears and put a band-aid on it for me. That was huge. And almost as memorable as the time Mom made him get out of the van and walk/skateboard the mile and a half home because he wouldn't stop making fun of me. ;) Love you, B. Happy Birthday!
3. Planning. I've got a couple of things in the works now and love the thrill I get from it. Audrey's first birthday, though still five months away, is creeping it's way to the top of my to-plan list. (That's different than a to-do list in case you were wondering. First you to-plan, then you plan/to-do, then you do. ) FUN!
4. Beautiful weather! Though today was rainy, we've had some gorgeous days and very warm temps this week. I enjoyed getting out and soaking it up with worrying about Audrey getting frostbite.
5. Etsy. If you haven't heard of it, it's an internet marketplace where you can buy and sell handmade items. There are a million things in a bunch of different categories. You can find some really neat stuff if you don't get overwhelmed searching! www.etsy.com
Shew! Now we can all sleep peacefully. Sweet dreams - about more updates and pics coming soon!
1. God's Word. In Bible Study, we're doing a Precept Study on the first half of the book of Daniel. A lot of it contains stories I've heard my whole life, but am just now taking the time to reexamine and dig into. The details (some not at all like I was taught growing up in Sunday School) are amazing and I love the new lessons I'm gaining as I look at it from an adult's perspective.
2. My big brother, B. His birthday is coming up on Sunday and it's a good time to express how thankful I am for him. We've definitely gotten closer over the years and especially so since we both had kids.
Though I know it's really difficult for you to imagine, I used to be the typical annoying little sister. I loved tagging along with him and my other older brother and am sure it used to drive them insane. One of my favorite memories of him, though, happened one time when he was babysitting me. We were all outside playing and a yellow jacket stung me. B rushed over, scooped me up, and carried me inside. After he scraped the stinger out, he dried my tears and put a band-aid on it for me. That was huge. And almost as memorable as the time Mom made him get out of the van and walk/skateboard the mile and a half home because he wouldn't stop making fun of me. ;) Love you, B. Happy Birthday!
3. Planning. I've got a couple of things in the works now and love the thrill I get from it. Audrey's first birthday, though still five months away, is creeping it's way to the top of my to-plan list. (That's different than a to-do list in case you were wondering. First you to-plan, then you plan/to-do, then you do. ) FUN!
4. Beautiful weather! Though today was rainy, we've had some gorgeous days and very warm temps this week. I enjoyed getting out and soaking it up with worrying about Audrey getting frostbite.
5. Etsy. If you haven't heard of it, it's an internet marketplace where you can buy and sell handmade items. There are a million things in a bunch of different categories. You can find some really neat stuff if you don't get overwhelmed searching! www.etsy.com
Shew! Now we can all sleep peacefully. Sweet dreams - about more updates and pics coming soon!
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Babies Don't Keep
Monday, January 18, 2010
In one of my Bible Study classes a few months ago, a group of us moms were lamenting about how there is never enough time to get everything finished that needs to be done. One of the ladies spoke up and shared some wisdom that her mother-in-law had recently told her. She'd reminded the young mom that one day she would have nothing else to do but to clean house. As we all mumbled in agreement and solemnly nodded over that thought, another lady (who has 18 month old twins, God bless her) broke the silence and said, "That's all well and good. But seriously - who's going to do the laundry?" Hi-larious.
If only there were just a few more hours in the day, right? How would you spend them? Personally, and assuming Audrey was asleep, I'd probably catch up on housework, cook a decent dinner, or actually finish my Bible Study homework. Maybe I'd find time to get back into coupon clipping, return some calls, or write more blog posts (I know...you're begging for that to happen.) A few weeks ago I would've added exercise to that list, but I'm actually doing okay in that department at the moment...check back with me in another month.
However, the one thing I try really hard to keep off that "not enough time to do" list is spending time with Audrey. Yes, the laundry has to be done. Yes, the bills have to be paid. Of course there needs to be a level of basic housekeeping that gets accomplished to keep the bugs (and child services) away. But, after I lay her in her crib at night and go downstairs to put her toys away, I'm happy. As I throw everything in her toy basket, inevitably turning on the one with the most annoying music by accident, I smile. The mess means we played hard. It means I took time to get on the floor with her and interact. I'm not always the best at remembering how important that is.
And, though it sounds ridiculous because she's only seven months old, she has grown so fast! Everyone warned me ad nauseam how quickly it would go by. I already wish I'd held her more when she was teeny tiny and would sleep in my arms. Now she squirms like a big girl who has a million things to go discover and see and do. Breaks my heart.
So, yeah. I wish I had more time. But there will come a day when all I have to do is clean house. Or work out. Or read. Or do whatever else I want to do that I just can't seem to squeeze in right now. But if the to-do list is longer than the day is long, as it usually is, I think I'll err on the side of enjoying my kid.
I'll leave you with this precious poem I found that fits so perfectly:
If only there were just a few more hours in the day, right? How would you spend them? Personally, and assuming Audrey was asleep, I'd probably catch up on housework, cook a decent dinner, or actually finish my Bible Study homework. Maybe I'd find time to get back into coupon clipping, return some calls, or write more blog posts (I know...you're begging for that to happen.) A few weeks ago I would've added exercise to that list, but I'm actually doing okay in that department at the moment...check back with me in another month.
However, the one thing I try really hard to keep off that "not enough time to do" list is spending time with Audrey. Yes, the laundry has to be done. Yes, the bills have to be paid. Of course there needs to be a level of basic housekeeping that gets accomplished to keep the bugs (and child services) away. But, after I lay her in her crib at night and go downstairs to put her toys away, I'm happy. As I throw everything in her toy basket, inevitably turning on the one with the most annoying music by accident, I smile. The mess means we played hard. It means I took time to get on the floor with her and interact. I'm not always the best at remembering how important that is.
And, though it sounds ridiculous because she's only seven months old, she has grown so fast! Everyone warned me ad nauseam how quickly it would go by. I already wish I'd held her more when she was teeny tiny and would sleep in my arms. Now she squirms like a big girl who has a million things to go discover and see and do. Breaks my heart.
So, yeah. I wish I had more time. But there will come a day when all I have to do is clean house. Or work out. Or read. Or do whatever else I want to do that I just can't seem to squeeze in right now. But if the to-do list is longer than the day is long, as it usually is, I think I'll err on the side of enjoying my kid.
I'll leave you with this precious poem I found that fits so perfectly:
Mother, oh Mother, come shake out your cloth
Empty the dustpan, poison the moth,
Hang out the washing and butter the bread,
Sew on a button and make up a bed.
Where is the mother whose house is so shocking?
She's up in the nursery, blissfully rocking.
Oh, I've grown shiftless as Little Boy Blue
Dishes are waiting and bills are past due
The shopping is not done and there's nothing for stew
And out in the yard there is a hullabaloo.
But I'm playing "Kanga" and this is my "Roo."
Look! Aren't her eyes the most wonderful hue?
The cleaning and scrubbing will wait till tomorrow,
For children grow up, as I've learned to my sorrow.
So quiet down cobwebs. Dust go to sleep.
I'm rocking my baby and babies don't keep.
- Ruth Hulburt Hamilton, 1958
Another version:
I hope that my child, looking back on today
Will remember a mother who had time to play;
Because children grow up while you're not looking,
There are years ahead for cleaning and cooking.
So, quiet now cobwebs, dust go to sleep.
I'm rocking my baby, and babies don't keep.
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The Name Game
Friday, January 15, 2010
A lot of people have asked us why we chose the name Audrey. Believe me, it was no easy task. We had some very specific guidelines that we wanted to follow and it took just about all nine months to settle on our choice:
"Audrey" - meaning "regal" or "noble strength"
"Jean" - meaning "God is gracious"
So how did we get there? Well, we knew that we wanted her to have the middle name Jean (which is my mom's middle name, David's grandmother's name, and a shortened form of my middle name) so we started searching for something that would fit well with that.
Of course we both had to like it and we didn't want it to conjure up bad memories of anyone, so that automatically narrowed it down from an astronomical number to about thirty. It was important, too, that if she was going to share the name of a well-known celebrity or famous person, that it be someone we respected. (And while Audrey Hepburn had flaws, I'm sure, I have always loved her style and graceful poise. Not to mention all of her humanitarian work.)
We agreed that we wanted it to be easy to spell, preferably with only one way to spell it. This was important because we usually have to spell "Sinyard" (which, I mean really? It's SIN and YARD). We didn't want the poor girl to have to waste who knows how much time over her lifespan spelling both her first and last names.
On top of all that criteria, we didn't want it to be shortened. We wanted something classic, but that would fit her as a baby, a child, and a grown woman. It couldn't be too "old" or "adult" sounding. We also threw out any names that were on the top ten most popular lists for the past couple of years. We wanted it to be unique, but not weird. Known, but not shared by another girl in every class for her entire academic career.
Initials were taken into consideration, as was her monogram. We didn't want to spell any dirty or weird words, but fortunately the "J" in the middle took care of that. We carefully thought through any possible rhymes that would make her the object of cruel playground taunting. And since we had a boy's name we really liked, we also wanted it to sound good with that in case she had a brother down the road.
We read and reread thousands of possibilities in name books, wrote and rewrote lists, ranked and re-ranked our top choices. We spent hours thinking about it, discussing it, and trying it out. We finally settled on what is a definitely a perfect fit.
And this is how introductions usually go:
Kind stranger: "Aw! She's so cute! What's her name?"
Us: "Audrey."
Kind stranger: "Aubrey? That's beautiful!"
*Sigh*
"Audrey" - meaning "regal" or "noble strength"
"Jean" - meaning "God is gracious"
So how did we get there? Well, we knew that we wanted her to have the middle name Jean (which is my mom's middle name, David's grandmother's name, and a shortened form of my middle name) so we started searching for something that would fit well with that.
Of course we both had to like it and we didn't want it to conjure up bad memories of anyone, so that automatically narrowed it down from an astronomical number to about thirty. It was important, too, that if she was going to share the name of a well-known celebrity or famous person, that it be someone we respected. (And while Audrey Hepburn had flaws, I'm sure, I have always loved her style and graceful poise. Not to mention all of her humanitarian work.)
We agreed that we wanted it to be easy to spell, preferably with only one way to spell it. This was important because we usually have to spell "Sinyard" (which, I mean really? It's SIN and YARD). We didn't want the poor girl to have to waste who knows how much time over her lifespan spelling both her first and last names.
On top of all that criteria, we didn't want it to be shortened. We wanted something classic, but that would fit her as a baby, a child, and a grown woman. It couldn't be too "old" or "adult" sounding. We also threw out any names that were on the top ten most popular lists for the past couple of years. We wanted it to be unique, but not weird. Known, but not shared by another girl in every class for her entire academic career.
Initials were taken into consideration, as was her monogram. We didn't want to spell any dirty or weird words, but fortunately the "J" in the middle took care of that. We carefully thought through any possible rhymes that would make her the object of cruel playground taunting. And since we had a boy's name we really liked, we also wanted it to sound good with that in case she had a brother down the road.
We read and reread thousands of possibilities in name books, wrote and rewrote lists, ranked and re-ranked our top choices. We spent hours thinking about it, discussing it, and trying it out. We finally settled on what is a definitely a perfect fit.
And this is how introductions usually go:
Kind stranger: "Aw! She's so cute! What's her name?"
Us: "Audrey."
Kind stranger: "Aubrey? That's beautiful!"
*Sigh*
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Thankful Thursday
Thursday, January 14, 2010
It's been a wonderful week full of social activities and errands. On top of that, Bible Study started back today, which I'm so excited about. I always get a touch of the post-holiday blues, and with the weather being as miserably cold as it has been and David's long work hours, last week was extra rough. But, fortunately, this week has been much better. My calendar is filling up, the temperatures are rising (at least for now), and things are starting to let up at David's job. I gotta feelin'... (little Black Eye Peas for ya.)
With the busyness of the past few days, I haven't gotten a lot done around the house, so this post will be short and sweet so I can get to work!
1. Play dates. As every Mom knows, they're more for the grown-ups than the kids. AJ has very little interest in playing with other babies yet, but I so enjoy the adult interaction. It's great to get together with other moms and compare notes ("Oh! You mean your kid does that too?" or "Thank goodness yours doesn't do that yet either!")
2. Smores. David and I made some last weekend and I've shown quite a lack of self control towards them since then.
3. Lunch with family. On Wednesday Audrey and I met up with David, his parents, and his Great Aunt Joy (or Granny Joy as AJ will call her) for lunch and enjoyed watching them pass her around and love on her. It was nice to spend time together in the middle of the day in the middle of the week for no special reason. We also enjoyed savoring a hot meal while they took turns holding her!
4. Sassy Baby Food Organizer. Now that we've started Audrey on solids, I needed something to bring order to all of those tiny jars in my cabinet. I bought one for fruits and one for vegetables. And yes, for now, the jars are alphabetized. Yeah, I'm a dork. But I'm a happy dork!
5. Things FINALLY slowing down at David's job. He has made it home on time for two nights in a row this week. Please pray that it continues!
More later! Have a fantastic evening!
With the busyness of the past few days, I haven't gotten a lot done around the house, so this post will be short and sweet so I can get to work!
1. Play dates. As every Mom knows, they're more for the grown-ups than the kids. AJ has very little interest in playing with other babies yet, but I so enjoy the adult interaction. It's great to get together with other moms and compare notes ("Oh! You mean your kid does that too?" or "Thank goodness yours doesn't do that yet either!")
2. Smores. David and I made some last weekend and I've shown quite a lack of self control towards them since then.
3. Lunch with family. On Wednesday Audrey and I met up with David, his parents, and his Great Aunt Joy (or Granny Joy as AJ will call her) for lunch and enjoyed watching them pass her around and love on her. It was nice to spend time together in the middle of the day in the middle of the week for no special reason. We also enjoyed savoring a hot meal while they took turns holding her!
4. Sassy Baby Food Organizer. Now that we've started Audrey on solids, I needed something to bring order to all of those tiny jars in my cabinet. I bought one for fruits and one for vegetables. And yes, for now, the jars are alphabetized. Yeah, I'm a dork. But I'm a happy dork!
5. Things FINALLY slowing down at David's job. He has made it home on time for two nights in a row this week. Please pray that it continues!
More later! Have a fantastic evening!
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Thankful Thursday
Thursday, January 7, 2010
We've had a good week, but are definitely ready for warmer temperatures. Once Christmas is over, I have very little use for winter. I braved the chilly weather a couple of times to ward off cabin fever. I bundled AJ up so much that I probably should have been more concerned about heat stroke than frostbite! I think she was outdoors for a grand total of 46 seconds on Tuesday and maybe a minute and a half today as we ran indoors from the parking lot. We've got a long-overdue play date tomorrow, so hopefully "Blizzard 2010" won't force us to cancel.
Here is this week's list. In light of the cold weather, I think you'll detect a bit of a theme! :)
1. Lotion. With this cold weather and my constant hand washing, my skin is so dry that it's cracking! I bought some Aveeno Intense Relief hand cream today and am hoping it'll do the trick.
2. Flannel sheets. Soft. Cozy. Ahhhh. Now if only I could stay in them as long as I want.
3. Hot baths. And I mean turn-your-skin-red-and-get-out-sweating hot baths. A good book or magazine to go along with it is a must, bubbles are optional.
4. Fuzzy, comfy socks. I must have a million pairs, which is good, because somehow they all end up under the covers at the bottom of the bed and stay there until I change the sheets. Apparently my feet get a lot warmer once I've gone to sleep.
5. SNOW! Though it didn't last long, it was so beautiful and peaceful. Audrey stared out the window at it for a long time, which for a six month old translates to approximately three minutes. Maybe we'll get another chance later this season for something a little more substantial.
Stay warm!
Here is this week's list. In light of the cold weather, I think you'll detect a bit of a theme! :)
1. Lotion. With this cold weather and my constant hand washing, my skin is so dry that it's cracking! I bought some Aveeno Intense Relief hand cream today and am hoping it'll do the trick.
2. Flannel sheets. Soft. Cozy. Ahhhh. Now if only I could stay in them as long as I want.
3. Hot baths. And I mean turn-your-skin-red-and-get-out-sweating hot baths. A good book or magazine to go along with it is a must, bubbles are optional.
4. Fuzzy, comfy socks. I must have a million pairs, which is good, because somehow they all end up under the covers at the bottom of the bed and stay there until I change the sheets. Apparently my feet get a lot warmer once I've gone to sleep.
5. SNOW! Though it didn't last long, it was so beautiful and peaceful. Audrey stared out the window at it for a long time, which for a six month old translates to approximately three minutes. Maybe we'll get another chance later this season for something a little more substantial.
Stay warm!
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Weekend Review
Monday, January 4, 2010
I'm pretty sure it's time for a weekend review, at least. It's hard for me to remember what day it is because of David's insane work schedule lately. His office was closed Friday, but he still had to work Friday night. He worked all day Saturday, Sunday night until about 1am, and got up this morning to start another crazy week. Please continue to pray that it lets up soon. Playing single mommy is wearing on me, and the workload is burning him out. It's been a really tough few weeks and we're ready for some relief.
Griping aside, we had a good weekend. On Friday we gave Audrey her first baby food - sweet potatoes. "They" recommend vegetables first so the baby doesn't get a sweet tooth. Our pediatrician says this is really a bunch of bunk, because breast milk is sweet. We decided that sweet potatoes would be a happy middle ground. She ate three or four bites like a champ and then all of a sudden decided she didn't care for them much. I guess her taste buds took awhile to catch up! Her face displayed her disdain for them and we captured it all on video and in pics, which I'll get around to updating again one day.
On Saturday, I got it in my head that the Christmas stuff needed to come down immediately. I dread this part every year and ask myself why I need so many holiday decorations. Then when I'm pulling them out the next season and loving every minute of it, I remember. Anyway, with David at work, I climbed into the attic and hauled down all the empty boxes and began packing things away during Audrey's nap time. Having not slept well the night before and since I did an intense workout that morning, I was regretting my decision pretty badly by mid-afternoon. But, at that point, I was committed. (Or maybe I needed to be committed.) I got most of it finished and it's now sitting in our spare bedroom waiting to be put back in the attic. I'm crazy, but I'm not crazy enough to lift those heavy boxes back up without his help! Although, I bet if I threw my back out, he'd have to take off work...Hmmm...
Anyway, Sunday was a little bit of a break. David's parents came over and watched Audrey while we went out to lunch. Afterward, we ran to Wal-Mart. Now I need to confess that I had previously made a New Year's resolution to quit shopping at Wal-Mart. You're thinking "Wow. Way to take a stand against the evil empire that imports 80% of its stuff from China and contributes to the insane materialism of our country." That too. But selfishly, I just can't stand the headache. The money saved is rarely worth the hassle, long lines, poor customer service, and shady clientele. I frequently find that I become an angry and (more) impatient person there, and it's better to avoid it if possible. However, I have really been wanting a dumbbell weight rack and figured that short of driving across town to a sporting goods store, they were our only option. They had just what we were looking for. Dang you Wal-Mart and your stupid tendency to stock everything under the sun. Maybe I'll just try to limit my visitations to once every couple of months.
SO, we came home after a brief break and spent a couple of hours hanging out before David had to go back to work. That night, after Audrey went to bed, I watched Julie & Julia. It was a very cute movie that almost made me want to learn to cook. Almost. (Earlier in the week, I watched The Proposal. That's the one good thing about when David works late or is out of town - I get to catch up on my chick flicks! Although I do stay up way too late watching them.)
And that was our weekend. Hopefully we can spend all of this next one with David. Hope your new year is off to a good start! More updates (and hopefully some less boring and more insightful posts) soon!
Griping aside, we had a good weekend. On Friday we gave Audrey her first baby food - sweet potatoes. "They" recommend vegetables first so the baby doesn't get a sweet tooth. Our pediatrician says this is really a bunch of bunk, because breast milk is sweet. We decided that sweet potatoes would be a happy middle ground. She ate three or four bites like a champ and then all of a sudden decided she didn't care for them much. I guess her taste buds took awhile to catch up! Her face displayed her disdain for them and we captured it all on video and in pics, which I'll get around to updating again one day.
On Saturday, I got it in my head that the Christmas stuff needed to come down immediately. I dread this part every year and ask myself why I need so many holiday decorations. Then when I'm pulling them out the next season and loving every minute of it, I remember. Anyway, with David at work, I climbed into the attic and hauled down all the empty boxes and began packing things away during Audrey's nap time. Having not slept well the night before and since I did an intense workout that morning, I was regretting my decision pretty badly by mid-afternoon. But, at that point, I was committed. (Or maybe I needed to be committed.) I got most of it finished and it's now sitting in our spare bedroom waiting to be put back in the attic. I'm crazy, but I'm not crazy enough to lift those heavy boxes back up without his help! Although, I bet if I threw my back out, he'd have to take off work...Hmmm...
Anyway, Sunday was a little bit of a break. David's parents came over and watched Audrey while we went out to lunch. Afterward, we ran to Wal-Mart. Now I need to confess that I had previously made a New Year's resolution to quit shopping at Wal-Mart. You're thinking "Wow. Way to take a stand against the evil empire that imports 80% of its stuff from China and contributes to the insane materialism of our country." That too. But selfishly, I just can't stand the headache. The money saved is rarely worth the hassle, long lines, poor customer service, and shady clientele. I frequently find that I become an angry and (more) impatient person there, and it's better to avoid it if possible. However, I have really been wanting a dumbbell weight rack and figured that short of driving across town to a sporting goods store, they were our only option. They had just what we were looking for. Dang you Wal-Mart and your stupid tendency to stock everything under the sun. Maybe I'll just try to limit my visitations to once every couple of months.
SO, we came home after a brief break and spent a couple of hours hanging out before David had to go back to work. That night, after Audrey went to bed, I watched Julie & Julia. It was a very cute movie that almost made me want to learn to cook. Almost. (Earlier in the week, I watched The Proposal. That's the one good thing about when David works late or is out of town - I get to catch up on my chick flicks! Although I do stay up way too late watching them.)
And that was our weekend. Hopefully we can spend all of this next one with David. Hope your new year is off to a good start! More updates (and hopefully some less boring and more insightful posts) soon!
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