Tuesday, July 28, 2009
I've Gone Nuts!
After years of reading and re-reading books, magazines and blogs dedicated to the subject of healthy and environmentally friendly living, noting the suggestion to stop using laundry detergent and start washing my clothes with soap nuts, thinking there was no way that could work and purchasing another expensive bottle of Seventh Generation laundry detergent (the only kind that didn't give Jordan a major eczema breakout), I've taken the plunge. Between this blog entry and this one I became convinced that this was something I had to try. So I headed to NaturOli and bought a sample pack of soap nuts. So far I've done three loads of laundry with them, and they seem to be working at least as well as the Seventh Generation detergent. Soap nuts can be used whole, ground into a powder, or liquefied for use as laundry detergent, all purpose household cleaner, shampoo, etc. For the laundry, I'm leaving the soap nuts whole. My sample pack came with a cloth bag containing five nuts. All I have to do is toss them in the washer with the clothes (after soaking in hot water for three minutes if I'm doing a cold water wash), then take the soap nuts out with the clean laundry and hang the bag with the nuts in up to dry so they don't get moldy. The soap nuts can be reused approximately five times. When they're used up, I'll throw them in the compost pile. Soap nuts grow on trees, are healthy, economical, and kind of fun to use. I would encourage all of you to go nuts with your laundry!
Tuesday, July 21, 2009
Hard To Believe, But True
Last night I was at the computer (working on this blog actually) while Jordan was getting ready for bed. He had just gone to the bathroom when he came over and informed me that his butt hurt. So I told him to bend over so I could see if anything was wrong. While he's bent over pantsless and I'm leaning over to see what's going on, our neighbor walks up to the front (screen) door to let us know that he put Jordan's bike by our garage door. So he gets a lovely view of me inspecting my son's butt. I started laughing hysterically, told Jordan it looked fine, but he could put some ointment on it if he wanted and thanked the neighbor. Meanwhile, Jordan looked up, startled, fell over and crawled behind the coffee table to put his butt out of view.
Later, Justin and I were having a friendly discussion regarding the dishes, and their need to be done on a regular basis. I maintained that I have been doing them most of the time lately, and he seemed to think that wasn't true (I knew I was right though). Then, he had the nerve to say that I should do them more often because I use more dishes. Yeah, I use more dishes than he does because I cook most of our meals! And then he added that I should also do the dishes more often because I feed the kids more often! Men!!! (I do have to admit though, that he saw the error of his reasoning, and we both had a good laugh).
Later, Justin and I were having a friendly discussion regarding the dishes, and their need to be done on a regular basis. I maintained that I have been doing them most of the time lately, and he seemed to think that wasn't true (I knew I was right though). Then, he had the nerve to say that I should do them more often because I use more dishes. Yeah, I use more dishes than he does because I cook most of our meals! And then he added that I should also do the dishes more often because I feed the kids more often! Men!!! (I do have to admit though, that he saw the error of his reasoning, and we both had a good laugh).
Monday, July 20, 2009
Diapers For Sale
*Note - If you are easily offended by hearing about #1's, #2's, or the use of the word "potty" in place of the more formal "toilet" do not read this post.
Not to brag or anything (okay, yes, I am bragging), but Sasha has been officially fully potty-trained since about mid-June. That's right, day-time, night-time, at home, in public, no more "little potty" potty-trained. Although she still sometimes has accidents during the day when she doesn't quite make it to the toilet in time, or forgets to "scootch" back enough (causing pee to shoot out between the toilet and the toilet seat), she's never wet the bed. Sometimes she wakes up and cries until we take her to the bathroom, some nights she sleeps through. In case you couldn't tell, this makes me really really proud and really really happy. Not only are we saving probably $75 a month on diapers and what felt like hours a day changing diapers, but I can now leave the house with only my purse (as long as it contains a child-approved snack). Sasha even used the outhouse without much complaint on a recent camping trip, and after many failed attempts, managed to go #2 in the grass along the Kickapoo River while we were canoeing. Luckily there was a field full of cows nearby, and I convinced her that she should poop in the grass the way cows do. I give most of the tribute for her stellar training experience to the cloth diapers we used most of the time. She definitely knew when she was wet, and she definitely didn't want to be. I suppose the rest of the tribute goes to the fact that she's a girl. I remember that most of my sisters trained pretty easily, and Karlye was fully potty-trained by the time she started staying overnight at our house when she was two and a half. Jordan, on the other hand, didn't pee in the pot until he was at least three years old, and then insisted on pooping in a diaper until he was three and a half. I was afraid he wouldn't be able to start pre-school if he didn't get a move on. Poor Sasha doesn't start pre-school until a year from this fall, and can't wait to go.
Not to brag or anything (okay, yes, I am bragging), but Sasha has been officially fully potty-trained since about mid-June. That's right, day-time, night-time, at home, in public, no more "little potty" potty-trained. Although she still sometimes has accidents during the day when she doesn't quite make it to the toilet in time, or forgets to "scootch" back enough (causing pee to shoot out between the toilet and the toilet seat), she's never wet the bed. Sometimes she wakes up and cries until we take her to the bathroom, some nights she sleeps through. In case you couldn't tell, this makes me really really proud and really really happy. Not only are we saving probably $75 a month on diapers and what felt like hours a day changing diapers, but I can now leave the house with only my purse (as long as it contains a child-approved snack). Sasha even used the outhouse without much complaint on a recent camping trip, and after many failed attempts, managed to go #2 in the grass along the Kickapoo River while we were canoeing. Luckily there was a field full of cows nearby, and I convinced her that she should poop in the grass the way cows do. I give most of the tribute for her stellar training experience to the cloth diapers we used most of the time. She definitely knew when she was wet, and she definitely didn't want to be. I suppose the rest of the tribute goes to the fact that she's a girl. I remember that most of my sisters trained pretty easily, and Karlye was fully potty-trained by the time she started staying overnight at our house when she was two and a half. Jordan, on the other hand, didn't pee in the pot until he was at least three years old, and then insisted on pooping in a diaper until he was three and a half. I was afraid he wouldn't be able to start pre-school if he didn't get a move on. Poor Sasha doesn't start pre-school until a year from this fall, and can't wait to go.
Tuesday, July 07, 2009
Kids Say...
Karlye thinks the peacocks at the Milwaukee Zoo are in the enclosures with the other animals to watch over them. (Can I get a peacock to babysit my kids?)
Jordan loves pie and dinosaurs so much that he coined himself a "pie-ranasaurus".
Sasha calls the zoo the "kazoo", calls Grandpa Jake's Gator utility vehicle the "Gatorade", and calls parades "kaprades".
Jordan loves pie and dinosaurs so much that he coined himself a "pie-ranasaurus".
Sasha calls the zoo the "kazoo", calls Grandpa Jake's Gator utility vehicle the "Gatorade", and calls parades "kaprades".
Wednesday, June 03, 2009
My Baby's A Big Girl
I've suspected that Sasha's been having nightmares for a while now, and last night confirmed it. I was in bed sound asleep when all of a sudden at 12:30 I hear Sasha start to cry over the baby monitor. The crying quickly escalated to screaming, and then I heard her thump out of bed and run for the door. I went upstairs and she was laying against the bedroom door sobbing "I'm scared of spiders" over and over and over again. I told her it was a bad dream, tucked her into bed, succumbed to her request for "one last more song", and allowed her to put me into a stranglehold while I sang so that she would feel secure. It would have been funny, except for the big tears running down her tiny chubby cheeks. It's too bad kids start to have bad dreams just when you finally have them sleeping through the night, and coming downstairs on their own in the morning.
In other "big girl" news, Sasha's high chair is posted on Craig's List, as she's been eating (relatively) neatly in a booster at the table for a month or so now. And, the most exciting change of all - she's almost completely potty trained! No accidents for a week or so, and she only wears diapers at bedtime. She says she's old enough to wear her big girl underpants to bed but the sopping wet diaper I change every morning says otherwise. Maybe it's time to take the sippy cup full of water out of her bed, but then she'd whine all night about being thirsty...
In other "big girl" news, Sasha's high chair is posted on Craig's List, as she's been eating (relatively) neatly in a booster at the table for a month or so now. And, the most exciting change of all - she's almost completely potty trained! No accidents for a week or so, and she only wears diapers at bedtime. She says she's old enough to wear her big girl underpants to bed but the sopping wet diaper I change every morning says otherwise. Maybe it's time to take the sippy cup full of water out of her bed, but then she'd whine all night about being thirsty...
Thursday, March 26, 2009
Swiffer Wetjets
Another email from my mom. We got a Swiffer or a Clorox Readymop or something several years ago because Justin hated how nasty our other mop was getting and wanted something disposable. We both thought the smell of the cleaning pads was overwhelming, and I hate chemical cleaners and disposable products in general, so we compromised. We kept the mop, but instead of the cleaning pads they sell in the store we use an old sock with the mop and a spray bottle of homemade cleaning solution (1 cup water, 1 cup vinegar, and 15 drops essential oil which is optional). Then we just toss the sock in the wash after each use.
>>>Recently someone had to have their 5-year old German shepherd dog put down due to liver failure. The dog was completely healthy until a few weeks ago, so they had a necropsy done to see what the cause was. The liver levels were unbelievable, as if the dog had ingested poison of some kind. The dog is kept inside, and when he's outside, someone's with him, so the idea of him getting into something unknown was hard to believe. My neighbor started going through all the items in the house. When he got to the Swiffer Wetjet, he noticed, in very tiny print, a warning which stated 'May be harmful to small children and animals!' He called the company to ask what the contents of the cleaning agent are and was astounded to find out that antifreeze is one of the ingredients (actually, he was told it's a compound which is one molecule away from antifreeze). Therefore, just by the dog walking on the floor cleaned with the solution, then licking its own paws, it ingested enough of the solution to destroy its liver. Soon after his dog's death, his housekeepers' two cats also died of liver failure. They both used the Swiffer Wetjet for quick cleanups on their floors. Necropsies weren't done on the cats, so they couldn't file a lawsuit, but he asked that we spread the word to as many people as possible so they don't lose their animals. This is equally harmful to babies and small children that play on the floor a lot and put their fingers in their mouths a lot.
>>>Recently someone had to have their 5-year old German shepherd dog put down due to liver failure. The dog was completely healthy until a few weeks ago, so they had a necropsy done to see what the cause was. The liver levels were unbelievable, as if the dog had ingested poison of some kind. The dog is kept inside, and when he's outside, someone's with him, so the idea of him getting into something unknown was hard to believe. My neighbor started going through all the items in the house. When he got to the Swiffer Wetjet, he noticed, in very tiny print, a warning which stated 'May be harmful to small children and animals!' He called the company to ask what the contents of the cleaning agent are and was astounded to find out that antifreeze is one of the ingredients (actually, he was told it's a compound which is one molecule away from antifreeze). Therefore, just by the dog walking on the floor cleaned with the solution, then licking its own paws, it ingested enough of the solution to destroy its liver. Soon after his dog's death, his housekeepers' two cats also died of liver failure. They both used the Swiffer Wetjet for quick cleanups on their floors. Necropsies weren't done on the cats, so they couldn't file a lawsuit, but he asked that we spread the word to as many people as possible so they don't lose their animals. This is equally harmful to babies and small children that play on the floor a lot and put their fingers in their mouths a lot.
Baby Carrots
My mom emailed me this information. I don't buy baby carrots anyway (except sometimes organic ones for a party), because whole carrots are less wasteful and more cost effective (also the greens are good for you). Anyway, this doesn't surprise me in the least, but it is good to know.
> >>> >> The following is information from a farmer who grows and packages carrots for IGA, METRO, LOBLAWS, etc. The small cocktail (baby) carrots you buy in small plastic bags are made using the larger crooked or deformed carrots which are put through a machine which cuts and shapes them into cocktail carrots. Most people probably know this already. What you may not know and should know is the following: once the carrots are cut and shaped into cocktail carrots they are dipped in a solution of water and chlorine in order to preserve them (this is the same chlorine used in your pool) since they do not have their skin or natural protective covering, they give them a higher dose of chlorine. You will notice that once you keep these carrots in your refrigerator for a few days, a white covering will form on the carrots, this is the chlorine which resurfaces. At what cost do we put our health at risk to have esthetically pleasing vegetables which are practically plastic? We do hope that this information can be passed on to as many people as possible in the hopes of informing them where these carrots come from and how they are processed. Chlorine is a very well known carcinogen (cancer causing agent).
> >>> >> The following is information from a farmer who grows and packages carrots for IGA, METRO, LOBLAWS, etc. The small cocktail (baby) carrots you buy in small plastic bags are made using the larger crooked or deformed carrots which are put through a machine which cuts and shapes them into cocktail carrots. Most people probably know this already. What you may not know and should know is the following: once the carrots are cut and shaped into cocktail carrots they are dipped in a solution of water and chlorine in order to preserve them (this is the same chlorine used in your pool) since they do not have their skin or natural protective covering, they give them a higher dose of chlorine. You will notice that once you keep these carrots in your refrigerator for a few days, a white covering will form on the carrots, this is the chlorine which resurfaces. At what cost do we put our health at risk to have esthetically pleasing vegetables which are practically plastic? We do hope that this information can be passed on to as many people as possible in the hopes of informing them where these carrots come from and how they are processed. Chlorine is a very well known carcinogen (cancer causing agent).
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
A Day In The Life...
(Got this idea from a friend's Facebook post.) Wouldn't it be fun to get a peek into what others do on any given day? Today, tell us what you did! All the details. Here is mine from yesterday:
6:00 - Alarm goes off. Turn if off and decide to sleep until it's time to get Jordan up. Reset alarm for 6:45.
6:15 - Decide I won't be able to get back to sleep, and I really need to get some freelance work done. Drag myself out of bed and turn on the computer. Check email, start this blog entry and transcribe notes from interviewing the Nelson brothers (twin dentists) on their retirement from their Oregon dental practice.
6:50 - Go upstairs, wake up Jordan and tell him to get dressed. Continue transcribing notes.
7:10 - Make Jordan breakfast (oatmeal with cherries). Continue transcribing notes.
7:20 - Finish with dental interview notes. Reply to an email from the Banana Lady (a freelance client) and do a little freelance book-keeping.
7:30 - Supervise Jordan's final preparations to school and send him outside to wait for the bus. It's pouring but he insists on waiting outside rather than in the garage. I can't send him with an umbrella because the school considers them dangerous.
7:45 - Check Facebook, make tea, and get Sasha up when she starts yelling for me. Get her in her high chair and give her the rest of the oatmeal. Throw some hamburger soup together in the crock pot for supper since I've got to take Jordan to the dentist late this afternoon. Wash Sasha's hands and face. Start the dishwasher.
8:30 - Change Sasha's diaper and get her dressed (she insists on eating breakfast in her pj's every day now). Go through the whole list of shows that are on that she's allowed to watch, and start the recorded episode of Peep that she finally chooses. Clean up the kitchen. Read part of the Practicing Hospitality book I'm reading for an online book discussion group while drinking my tea and eating the leftover oatmeal. More Facebook.
9:00 - Go through the whole TV show selection thing again with Sasha, settling on a recorded episode of Veggie Tales in the end. Give her the "this is your last show for the morning" warning. Get dressed, brush teeth, use dental pick in lieu of floss, rinse with homemade calendula mouth rinse, comb and straighten hair in an effort to remove weird bumps caused by sleeping on damp hair. Spend several minutes trying to decide if getting a hair cut qualifies as a necassary expense with Justin facing lay-off in May. Check email and decide to reply to a few Facebook posts later and get some things done around the house now.
9:30 - Go through fridge, freezers and cupboards to see what food we have and what we need. Edit meal plan and grocery list file accordingly; print it out. Do laundry. Sasha helps until she gets bored, says "I done helping now" and goes off to play. Answer an email from Ann checking to make sure I made it home alright from the airport Sunday night. Skin and chop the frozen tomatoes (from last summer's garden) I got out this morning now that they are partially thawed and add them to the crock pot. Wash the knife and cutting board and leave them out to dry.
10:30 - Check Outlook To Do list. Fill a pitcher with water and set it out to warm up so I can change the water in the goldfish bowl later. Back up My Documents file to my flash drive.
10:45 - Heat up leftover Mexican casserole and open a can of pineapple for lunch. Put Sasha in her high chair, eat, and try to convince her to eat the casserole after she demolishes the pineapple.
11:00 - Hang another load of wet laundry up to dry, keep feeding Sasha, clean the kitchen.
11:30 - Get Sasha out, wash her up, clean the high chair, give her the "you have 5 minutes to poop and pee before I change your diaper warning".
11:40 - Finally give up and change the diaper, even though she hasn't pooped yet. Leave for work.
12:00 - Put Sasha down for her nap in my boss's bedroom. Work - processing orders, sending renewal reminders, going over the extra things I need to know how to do when he's on vacation for 3 weeks, answer emails, issue registration codes, deal with past due invoices, etc.
2:15 - Sasha wakes up. Go get her and pack up the pack-n-play. Go back down to finish backing up the files. Leave. Go to the grocery store.
3:10 - Get home, put away groceries, eat a quick snack and tell Jordan to brush his teeth when he finishes the snack Justin gave him.
4:00 - Drive to the dentist. Make Jordan's next 6 month appt. even though I have no idea if we'll have dental insurance in 6 months. Wait.
5:00 - Drive home. It's pouring and I can hardly see anything. Jordan goes on and on about the two prizes he got from the dentist.
5:30 - Shovel in a bowl of hamburger soup and some cheese and bread with butter. Make fruit smoothies for everyone. Make blender waffle batter and leave to sit out overnight (per the recipe which requires soaking the grains to remove the phytates, whatever those are).
6:15 - Drive to the Oregon Library for my Healthy Moms meeting. It's raining even harder now. Check out a few books and then go to the meeting. This month's topic is juicing and sprouting. Drink fresh wheatgrass juice, fresh orange/apple juice, homemade kombucha (a fermented tea), and two different kinds of Mona Vie while discussing various things and joking about doing "shots" at the library.
8:30 - Drive to Beth's house (in Oregon). Still raining. Hold baby Violet and talk.
10:00 - Drive home. Still pouring. Finish the Amanda Quick book I'm reading for the 10th time at least while eating cold bacon. Turn on HGTV and watch the end of some show while eating a piece of chocolate and half a piece of bread and butter.
10:35 - Wake up Justin (who is asleep on the couch). Set alarm for 6:45 even though I know I should set it for 6:00 to do some freelance work before the kids get up. Brush teeth and go to bed.
6:00 - Alarm goes off. Turn if off and decide to sleep until it's time to get Jordan up. Reset alarm for 6:45.
6:15 - Decide I won't be able to get back to sleep, and I really need to get some freelance work done. Drag myself out of bed and turn on the computer. Check email, start this blog entry and transcribe notes from interviewing the Nelson brothers (twin dentists) on their retirement from their Oregon dental practice.
6:50 - Go upstairs, wake up Jordan and tell him to get dressed. Continue transcribing notes.
7:10 - Make Jordan breakfast (oatmeal with cherries). Continue transcribing notes.
7:20 - Finish with dental interview notes. Reply to an email from the Banana Lady (a freelance client) and do a little freelance book-keeping.
7:30 - Supervise Jordan's final preparations to school and send him outside to wait for the bus. It's pouring but he insists on waiting outside rather than in the garage. I can't send him with an umbrella because the school considers them dangerous.
7:45 - Check Facebook, make tea, and get Sasha up when she starts yelling for me. Get her in her high chair and give her the rest of the oatmeal. Throw some hamburger soup together in the crock pot for supper since I've got to take Jordan to the dentist late this afternoon. Wash Sasha's hands and face. Start the dishwasher.
8:30 - Change Sasha's diaper and get her dressed (she insists on eating breakfast in her pj's every day now). Go through the whole list of shows that are on that she's allowed to watch, and start the recorded episode of Peep that she finally chooses. Clean up the kitchen. Read part of the Practicing Hospitality book I'm reading for an online book discussion group while drinking my tea and eating the leftover oatmeal. More Facebook.
9:00 - Go through the whole TV show selection thing again with Sasha, settling on a recorded episode of Veggie Tales in the end. Give her the "this is your last show for the morning" warning. Get dressed, brush teeth, use dental pick in lieu of floss, rinse with homemade calendula mouth rinse, comb and straighten hair in an effort to remove weird bumps caused by sleeping on damp hair. Spend several minutes trying to decide if getting a hair cut qualifies as a necassary expense with Justin facing lay-off in May. Check email and decide to reply to a few Facebook posts later and get some things done around the house now.
9:30 - Go through fridge, freezers and cupboards to see what food we have and what we need. Edit meal plan and grocery list file accordingly; print it out. Do laundry. Sasha helps until she gets bored, says "I done helping now" and goes off to play. Answer an email from Ann checking to make sure I made it home alright from the airport Sunday night. Skin and chop the frozen tomatoes (from last summer's garden) I got out this morning now that they are partially thawed and add them to the crock pot. Wash the knife and cutting board and leave them out to dry.
10:30 - Check Outlook To Do list. Fill a pitcher with water and set it out to warm up so I can change the water in the goldfish bowl later. Back up My Documents file to my flash drive.
10:45 - Heat up leftover Mexican casserole and open a can of pineapple for lunch. Put Sasha in her high chair, eat, and try to convince her to eat the casserole after she demolishes the pineapple.
11:00 - Hang another load of wet laundry up to dry, keep feeding Sasha, clean the kitchen.
11:30 - Get Sasha out, wash her up, clean the high chair, give her the "you have 5 minutes to poop and pee before I change your diaper warning".
11:40 - Finally give up and change the diaper, even though she hasn't pooped yet. Leave for work.
12:00 - Put Sasha down for her nap in my boss's bedroom. Work - processing orders, sending renewal reminders, going over the extra things I need to know how to do when he's on vacation for 3 weeks, answer emails, issue registration codes, deal with past due invoices, etc.
2:15 - Sasha wakes up. Go get her and pack up the pack-n-play. Go back down to finish backing up the files. Leave. Go to the grocery store.
3:10 - Get home, put away groceries, eat a quick snack and tell Jordan to brush his teeth when he finishes the snack Justin gave him.
4:00 - Drive to the dentist. Make Jordan's next 6 month appt. even though I have no idea if we'll have dental insurance in 6 months. Wait.
5:00 - Drive home. It's pouring and I can hardly see anything. Jordan goes on and on about the two prizes he got from the dentist.
5:30 - Shovel in a bowl of hamburger soup and some cheese and bread with butter. Make fruit smoothies for everyone. Make blender waffle batter and leave to sit out overnight (per the recipe which requires soaking the grains to remove the phytates, whatever those are).
6:15 - Drive to the Oregon Library for my Healthy Moms meeting. It's raining even harder now. Check out a few books and then go to the meeting. This month's topic is juicing and sprouting. Drink fresh wheatgrass juice, fresh orange/apple juice, homemade kombucha (a fermented tea), and two different kinds of Mona Vie while discussing various things and joking about doing "shots" at the library.
8:30 - Drive to Beth's house (in Oregon). Still raining. Hold baby Violet and talk.
10:00 - Drive home. Still pouring. Finish the Amanda Quick book I'm reading for the 10th time at least while eating cold bacon. Turn on HGTV and watch the end of some show while eating a piece of chocolate and half a piece of bread and butter.
10:35 - Wake up Justin (who is asleep on the couch). Set alarm for 6:45 even though I know I should set it for 6:00 to do some freelance work before the kids get up. Brush teeth and go to bed.
Sunday, February 22, 2009
What A Week
So, here I am, typing away at 2:30 in the morning when I should be sleeping. This week really dragged me down. It started with a really busy weekend, which was fun but not at all restful. Saturday we went to a pancake breakfast in Albany, then took the kids to the bank. We decided that Jordan and Karlye are old enough to have an allowance ($1.50 a week, split 3 ways between church, savings, and spending - woo hoo!) and to start learning to manage their money. In preparation we emptied their piggy banks and had them deposit the money in the "big bank". It was even more fun and educational than I had planned because they got to go in the back with the teller and watch all of their change be counted. Then it was off to the mall to play and eat lunch; then we picked up Marta and Micah and went home. Justin and I had league bowling in the evening, and I bowled my best game ever, a 149, topping my pathetic 91 average by an impressive 50 points. Since it was Valentine's Day, we went out to eat afterwards, and then we came home and crawled into bed. Jordan was up half the night throwing up, but was fine the next morning so we all went to church. Then we drove to Janesville and spent the afternoon with Lydia, Brandon and the boys before dropping Karlye off in Monroe. By the time we got home it was 7 o'clock (bedtime for the kids) and we still hadn't eaten supper. Monday evening Jordan came down with a fever, Wednesday Justin had a root canal, I spent the week fighting cramps, a headache, and a sore throat, and Friday Sasha started sneezing, coughing, and feeling miserable while we were going going going running errands, etc. Friday night we switched Sasha from her crib into her "big girl" toddler bed so that some friends who recently had a baby could have the crib, and that went surprisingly well. She stayed in bed all night, and well after she was awake in the morning, not actually getting out until I went upstairs to get her dressed and she asked for and received permission to get out of bed. Then today, or I guess now it would be yesterday, Justin spend most of the day at Pitcher's Pub participating in Bar Olympics. I had a 3 hour team meeting with a freelance client I've been doing a lot of work for lately, which happened to be at the same time Jordan was supposed to be at a pool party. We also got several inches of snow which needed to be shoveled before I could leave the house. Thankfully my mom was able to come out and watch Sasha, and at the last minute the pool party was rescheduled for next week since the birthday boy came down with strep throat. Tomorrow we're driving to Watertown to help celebrate my niece Hailey's first birthday. All in all, I'm so thankful that every day is a new day with blessings of its own, and I'm praying for an easier week this coming week so that I can relax and start breathing again. Now I'm sending myself to bed, hoping that I'll be able to get back to sleep.
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
Young Love Update
Jordan's friend Mya came over after school yesterday. Jordan was so excited all weekend about it. Yesterday morning he came down for breakfast wearing a WI Badger sweatshirt. He informed me that he wore that shirt to Mya's when he went there to play, and she loves Bucky Badger and she chased him around all day, so he thought she would chase him around all day that day too. Then he said, "I'm going to stand by Mya in line, and I'm going to sit by Mya on the bus. That's my plan for the day." After breakfast he made me go upstairs with him to see how perfectly he'd made his bed and laid out his pajamas (which he never does) so that his room would be nice when Mya came over. There was a lot of talking and giggling and running around yesterday afternoon. When they finally sat down to color, I overheard Jordan telling Mya that God says you have to love everyone, and that means that he has to love her too.
On another note, I decided that I'm going to read the whole Bible, but I'm going to start with the New Testament. Today I was reading from Matthew 6, and the following passage really spoke to me (as anyone who knows me can imagine it would - since I do worry about money etc. rather a lot): Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not more valuable than they? Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?...So do not worry, saying 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough troubles of its own.
On another note, I decided that I'm going to read the whole Bible, but I'm going to start with the New Testament. Today I was reading from Matthew 6, and the following passage really spoke to me (as anyone who knows me can imagine it would - since I do worry about money etc. rather a lot): Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not more valuable than they? Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?...So do not worry, saying 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough troubles of its own.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)