What's on my mind

As I sit here, excited that it hasn't been another year since my last blog post, I try to distill my thoughts into a single blog theme but it just doesn't seem to want to move in that direction.  So, I will drizzle out the rumblings in my brain so that maybe I can sleep more peacefully tonight.

I don't usually talk politics on this forum, but since the issue of our economy is all over the news, I will say that it is constantly on my mind.  I thank God that I have a wonderful job!  I am finally working normal hours (except for the early morning calls with the UK) but I am able to leave at a reasonable hour and spend time with Joe, eating supper as a family, and getting kids to practices.  How many people get up every day and their job is to look for a job? Or, how many people have just given up? How many have lost their home to foreclosure?  I have friends that have been out of work for more than 2 years and have drained retirement, savings and are living off credit cards.

Next topic is eating. I know that I am being punished for being a picky eater when I was young!  I have an almost 5 year old who won't even try new foods.  When I ask why he says "because I don't like trying new foods."  Rationale? I am sure he is going to get tired of the 6-7 foods that are in his food diary, but as of right now, the score is child-1 parents-0.

Are computer issues just something that we now have to deal with as a member of society in this century?  I read a news article the other day that said PCs are on the decline and in a few years, because of the enhanced abilities of smart phones, they would move along the path of the dinosaur.  So why do I feel the need to buy a new computer when mine just died?  Should I go with a smartphone and pay the outrageous data fees while limiting my ability to do fun things like digital scrapbooking and irregular blog updates.  I could go with an iPad and do most of the things I need but not have Flash. I could go with another PC and worry about viruses and pay extra fees for every application that I need to have a fully functioning PC.  Or I pay more for a MAC (AH, I can dream).

Joe just walked in the door from class and it is late to I must end for now.  I would love to have your thoughts and input on any of the topics above.

My Life of Clichés

I say this every time, but "where has the time gone?"  This week I took my son, who will turn 5 in October, to his first day of Pre-K.  I have heard too many times to "enjoy this time because before you know it they will be graduating." I really didn't know whether to cry or celebrate his first day of school, but I know that I will look back and say that yes, it did go too fast.

I also realized that for my second child I haven't written much on my blog and I feel like she will miss out on all the little day-to-day thoughts that I used to share regularly before splitting my time between kids, husband, work and home life.

Which brings me to "making time for me" section.  I just started a new job that enables me to leave my job at a decent hour to come home and spend time with .the family.  But I still cannot make it to the gym to workout either at night (since Joe is back in school this fall) or in the morning (since I am usually up until midnight and have a hard time getting up so early).  So I guess I will have to wait until I am an "empty nester" to do the things that I want to do like scrapbooking, working out, writing on my blog and date night.

Speaking of date night, Joe and I used to have a regular date night every Friday but LIFE has made that more of a challenge.  We used to "make date night a priority" and we hear that from others but when you have soccer practice on a Friday evening or birthday parties on the weekends, dates become "few and far between."

But regardless of all this, I know that "God is good" and that is not a cliché but an unfailing truth that sustains me through every point in my life.

Where has the time gone?

As I sit here watching "The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants, Part II," I realized that it has been too long since I have written on my blog.  Why you ask?  Well, let me count the ways:
1. Two kids with activities.  Yes, I am a typical mom now who has T-ball practice and games, soccer practice and games, birthday parties, etc.  I wonder how some people do it without cloning themselves or creating a time warp to fit it all into one day.
2. A house to clean.  Do people really have spotless homes? I'm sure they do if they have a regular cleaning lady, but I can't imagine that the toys are always picked up off the floor or the laundry is clean and folded or the dishes are never dirty in the sink.
3. A new job. My "old" job was exhausting. You can imagine how stress effects your body. I had a second session today with a massage therapist.  The first session was when I was still working for my former company.  After that session I was bruised and the therapist said that my body was toxic. NICE! Today, a week and a half into my new job, she said I was much better. A few knots that were easily worked out and very little toxins in my body.  YEAH!

So, you ask "When do you have time for yourself? What hobbies do you have? What do you do for relaxation?"

I hope to answer these and other tantilizing questions in another blog posting.  In the meantime, enjoy this photo.

God has a sense of humor

Last week was a rough one for our family. Last Friday, when we went in to get my daughter out of her crib, we found out that she had spit up everywhere. Later in the day, she again threw up all over the kitchen floor. I thought it was because Joe had fed her too much zucchini, but by Saturday evening we realized that it was a stomach virus because...you guessed it...Joe came home from work and started throwing up as well.

I have to admit that I am not the most loving toward Joe when he is sick. He will admit that he is a terrible sick person. Let me share and complain for just a minute. Joe came home from work not feeling well but because he had promised our son that he would take him to a movie, he did. After the movie, he came home and started throwing up. I have to say that I don't know of anyone that sounds so horrible when they are vomiting. I know he isn't trying to make it sound more horrible than it really is, but after throwing up he comes into the living room moaning and saying how horrible he feels. This lasted all night long as he laid in bed moaning, slinging his arms over me, begging to die. I have to admit that one time he was in the bathroom throwing up (sounding like he was dying) and I got up and shut the bathroom door. Yes, insensitive.

So God decided to teach me a lesson. Yesterday it hit me with a vengeance. Fever, vomiting, running to the bathroom every few minutes. Just miserable.

So today, I sit here at the computer thinking of how I can ask Joe for forgiveness for being so unfeeling during his misery. Thank you God for your sense of humor.

Starting again...

I'm sitting here watching the Cowboys fight it out on Sunday Night Football with the Eagles. I guess this is as good a time as any to start writing again on my blog.

I can't believe it has almost been a year since I last blogged. I thought I wouldn't have time to keep it up so I just decided to stop writing. Since I wasn't going to write anymore I decided to have my blog printed in a hard cover book so I would have everything in a journal-type book that I could look back on and remember the good times of pregnancy, new babies, marriage and the many other topics I wrote about weekly. After having the book printed (if you ever need a blog printed, I highly recommend Blog2Print) and reading through it, I regretted that I wasn't writing as much with my second child and that I was missing those opportunities to talk about milestones.

Then, a good friend came over for dinner on Friday and I showed her the printed book of my blog. She said, "I loved reading your blog because your personality really came through in your words." Then last night at our cookie exchange, another lady saw the blog book and starting commenting on how my kids and grand kids (I stopped her there as I am not ready to deal with that term yet) will treasure the book and have something to remember when I am long gone.

So, I am back! I hope to be more consistent. Thinking of the topics for each one shouldn't be a problem as Joe says that my mind is like Dominos - I think of one thing then it goes to the next, then the next, then the next and 5 minutes later I can't remember what started the conversation.

I will stop for now and will update this week.

A picture of the family to close.

Busy is good, yes?

I say this every time, but "where does the time go?" I look up and I notice that I haven't written on my blog in ages. Then I remember why.
- Colt (name for my son on this blog) and I sat at the table to color and draw pictures
- Rosebud (name for my daughter on this blog) and I sat for a while just talking (or cooing really)
- Joe and I had a date night (FINALLY!)
- We are now taking a class at our church on Wednesday evenings, Dave Ramsey's Financial Peace University
- Joe has class every Tuesday and Thursday evening
- I have a ladies prayer one Sunday a month
- Joe works two Saturday's a month
- Colt and I worked puzzles (for hours)
- I layed on the floor next to Rosebud (she was playing under the activity gym) and just watched her
- I went on a business trip for four days

It all adds up to quality family time and work. I wouldn't trade it for anything.

Honoring single parents

I have always had a healthy respect for single parents, but at times my mind is jolted with the thought of how challenging it must be at times for those that for one reason or another have to raise children by themselves.

Today (Sunday) I took both kids to church by myself because Joe had to finish a paper for his class. First, I was extremely tired because Friday night I did all Rosebud's feedings to give Joe a break. I expected to get a nap on Saturday but as fate would have it, that didn't happen. We had company over Saturday evening and it ended up being a late night. I got to bed WAY TOO LATE and was exhausted when I got up early this morning to feed Rosebud. I let Joe sleep late so I fed Rosebud and Colt, got them both ready for church and prepared the diaper bag and snack for Colt.

The rest of the time getting to church, ushering them in, watching Rosebud during the service (Joe usually helps), then getting them back to the car and home was almost more than I could take being so tired. AND THAT WAS ONLY ONE TIME!

Like I said, I can't imagine being a single parent and taking care of children each and every day by yourself. God gives special grace to parents.