Monthly Archives: November 2016

faith, NaBloPoMo, random thoughts, women

When they go low, we go high.

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Michelle Obama rocked us with these words in her speech at the DNC, and they should still be true now that the election is over.

I’ve seen more hate today on my newsfeed than anything else. People firing at one another, or just firing aimlessly – ammunition for arguments, for hurt feelings, for America to take a giant step backward. I’m not writing today to make any political statements. I told you yesterday that I voted for Hillary, and I would do it again today. But there is something more important right now than who voted for who, or why they did. What’s more important is that we do not let things divide us even further. An election is divisive by nature, but we need to unite under a cause we should all be able to get behind.

Let’s unite to spread love, to be welcoming and hospitable, to be helpful and kind. There is no excuse to spew hatred. I cried myself to sleep last night, and woke crying again this morning. But I refuse to be brought to the level of pointing fingers, blaming anyone and everyone who disagrees with you. Our country is only as scary, ugly, and bigoted as we allow it to be. The way to combat the hate, bigotry, racism, sexism, xenophobia, homophobia, or any other forms of intolerance is to BE THE LOVE. Be the tolerance, be the acceptance, be the encouragement, be the grace for each and every person you come in contact with. Get to know and love people who are different from you. Support them. Love them. Even if it’s tough for you – it’s good exercise.

So as you go about your day tomorrow, the rest of the week, through the end of the year, and prepare for Mr. Trump to be sworn in this coming January, decide how to go high, even if those around you are going low. Those words won’t ever lose their relevancy. Choose the high road, the tolerant road, the road of love.

This post is a part of my NaBloPoMo, where I publish a piece each day in November. Often, I’m exercising my writing muscle and writing something that’s out of the box for me. Thank you for bearing with me and following along.

mommyhood, things toddlers say

Things Toddlers Say

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Happy Tuesday! I hope you’ve gotten out there to vote! If not, there are a few hours left. The kids were really sad that I didn’t take them along with me, because they were very curious. But I also could not see waiting in a long line with a couple of rambunctious toddlers. Next year, maybe.

Anyway, here are the funnies! Enjoy a little lift in an otherwise serious day.
Me, waking J up from a long nap: *snuggle*kiss*cuddle*
J: *big yawns*
Me: You’re the cutest.
J, whispering: Get out of my bed.

On a walk with the kids in two strollers…
Me: Slow down! This is not a race.
EK: Yes it is! Run, Daddy! Run!

On the same walk, passing a family of six…
EK: That was a big family!
Me: They only had one more person than us!

EK, randomly: I texted Samuel from your phone.
Me: Oh, uh, okay…

Classic…
EK: For dinner, I want a hamburger and French fries and ketchup.
J: I want a hamburger and French fries and butter and ANOTHER HAMBURGER!

EK, randomly: Can I take a boat ride and get pregnant?
Me: Wait, what?

We are often trying to make D walk nowadays (he’s stubbornly crawling still) and every time we do it, J follows up with: Hey! Let’s see if J could walk!!

Current Misnomers:
Library=live-bary
Plasma car (a neat ride-on toy we have)=jasmine car
Remote=Bamote

After J was singing his own mash-up of “Twinkle Twinkle” and “ABC” and semi-playing it on the piano…
Me: That was great, bud! You’re so talented!
J: I’m so tired of songs. (Gets up and walks away.)
Me: Okay…

J, just before his nap: I can’t wait for Christmas, Mommy.
Me: Why is that, sweetie?
J: I can’t wait for Christmas and when the snow comes while the sun is down.
(Poor kid doesn’t realize we don’t really have white Christmases in this state.)

Things my kids pretended a large cardboard box was: house, boat, closet, and the ultimate hiding place. For DAYS.

Me: I was thinking we could have Italian for dinner.
J: That sounds ablicious!

Every single morning… Already…
J: IS IT CHRISTMAS?!
Me: Is the tree up?
J: No.
Me: Then not yet.

Well, there are the funnies. Are your kiddos excited about Christmas? Are they already begging to do all the Christmas things?

mommyhood, NaBloPoMo, random thoughts, women

Votes For Women, By Women, For Women

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I won’t lie to you. I got all the feels this morning as I scrolled through my Instagram feed. Pictures and videos of women voting for the first time, women at the polls voting early in this election, women picketing for the right to vote and the right to their bodies, women near and dear to me encouraging the rest of us to exercise our right and privilege to vote.

womens vite.jpg
Image found on Huffington Post.
I’m proud, today. I’m proud to say I got up before the kids to make sure I’d have time to go to the polls. I’m proud to share with my daughter how I took advantage of my right to vote this morning. I’m proud to have finally landed on a decision, and to finally feel good about it. I’ve decided that #ImWithHer.

HillaryLogo1.png
Image from Hillary for America.
I haven’t always been with her. I wouldn’t say I was against her, necessarily. But I can’t honestly say that I’ve been with her from the beginning, like many of my friends have. But I can now say that I voted for her gladly this morning, and not just because Hillary isn’t Trump.

This morning, I voted for her for many reasons, more than I could feel equipped to write about here. But I am extra proud to say that I took part in making history today. When I cast my vote for Hillary, it was one more vote toward my country’s first woman president. It was less than 100 years ago that women couldn’t even vote for a president at all, and here I sat, on the bleachers in the gym of the local elementary school, and filled in little bubbles next to not just one, but several women’s names. I’m proud to be in a country that has come so far, and also recognizes how much farther we need to go. I’m proud to have cast my vote in the direction of progress.

vote.jpeg
Image found on Huffington Post.
Today, I’m helping make history into herstory. I’m helping get the country a little safer and a little more tolerant for my children, especially my daughter. One day, if she wants to run for president, I want her to win. And this might be the beginning of making that possible.

So go. Go out there, exercise your right to vote. Even if it’s not the same vote I cast, you should still do it. I will respect you and love you still, and all the more for just getting out there and making progress. There are plenty of hours left, and it’s important! It matters! Let’s do it, together.


Here are a few links to educate you on how long women waited for the right to vote, and many other rights.

14 Rights Women Have Gained Since Earning the Right to Vote

History of the Women’s Rights Movement

The Fight for Women’s Suffrage

 

holidays, home, mommyhood

Currently

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It’s been a hard week, y’all. Trying to figure out who is well and who isn’t, making it to whatever functions we can, trying to keep up with extra laundry and dishes, sanitizing pretty much everything to stop the spread of germs… I am exhausted. So exhausted that last night while I made dinner, I put my wine glass down and let go of it before it was firmly in the counter. It fell over and shattered on the granite. Like I said, it’s been a week. 

Anyway, it’s time for a little update about what else has been going on! Here’s what I’m doing currently. 

Finishing || my Christmas shopping! I’m almost completely finished buying gifts, and that feels great! 

Hosting || my friend Andrea’s baby shower this Saturday! I’m finalizing my Costco list and getting out my nice serving platters. I can’t wait- I haven’t hosted a nice party at my house in a while!

Watching || Just Friends. I had never seen this movie, and I was scrolling through Netflix comedies and it popped up. First of all, Ryan Reynolds is nice to look at and I’m sure somewhere he has a movie he acted well in. But he’s not exactly a genius, am I right? Secondly, I still enjoyed it. I giggled a little, and saw a few familiar faces I haven’t seen in years. All in all, it’s a B movie for sure, but if there’s nothing else on, I’d watch it again. 

Anticipating || Advent and Christmas. I love this coming season, and I’m actually surprised at myself for waiting to put my tree up. I’m usually an early decorator, but I guess I’ve been a little too busy to get it all together. Probably better that he baby shower this weekend doesn’t have a Christmas theme!

Running || because I go crazy when I don’t. I need to do some exercise and burn energy however i do it, but. Onus points for running because I love the added fresh air and sunshine. I love running this time of year- not too hot and not too cold. I pushed out three miles today at a fast pace because I was time crunched but wanted a hard workout. 

Well, that’s it for me right now. Not too much time for things when people have been sick! What have you been up to currently? Is your tree up?!

home, mommyhood, random thoughts, women

Celebrate. 

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This weekend was one of celebration. First of all, I was able to leave the house and get my extrovert on after days of sickness keeping me quite housebound. That in itself is a celebration, in my opinion! 

But on top of that, I celebrated all weekend long. Friday, there was a huge party for my friend’s 50th birthday. An evening filled with food, drinks, friends and music, it was a celebration of a life lived well, a group of people who have loved each other well, and a continuation of relationships and fun. 

Then Saturday night, I went to a girls’ night. It was a celebration of cooler weather, of bonfires, of wassail and of silly games. I got to know a few new ladies and reconnect with some I haven’t hung with in a while. A wonderful celebration of girlfriends. 

Folks, is there any good thing that isn’t worth celebrating? I mean, seriously. Is there a single good thing, big or small, that isn’t worth a celebration of some sort? I don’t mean greeting card categories: “congrats on your new job!”, “happy milestone birthday!”, or “lovely engagement!” I also mean “good job not losing your sanity at the office today!” and “wow, you showered and went to the grocery store?!” Sometimes, the little things need a celebration. 

In this case, I’m a text-celebrater. I often text my hubby or my girlfriends to say “Everyone is napping at the same time!” Or “My favorite wine is on sale!” because darn it, it’s worth celebrating! In my opinion, celebrating small victories (or just times you went down a busy road and hit all green lights) can lift your mood, and why not share a good mood with your friends?

This post is part of my NaBloPoMo, where I publish a piece every day in November. It may stray a bit from my usual style, but I’m writing each day to exercise the muscle!

books, NaBloPoMo, random thoughts

Will You (Actually) Be My Friend on Goodreads?

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I’ve been a member of Goodreads for several years now, but I don’t think I’m using it to its full potential. Are there any huge Goodreads fans out there? (Come on. Raise your hand, fellow nerds.) Partially, I haven’t been reading as much as I have in the past. You know, becoming a mother and all eats up a lot of your time to read for pleasure. But I also just can’t remember that Goodreads exists. For instance, the other day I logged in from my computer (what?!) and responded to about 75 friend requests from the past nine months. Yep. Nine months. So, if you thought I was weirdly unfriendly on a nerdy, fringe social media site, I promise I wasn’t. I just forget about it altogether. 

But recently I’ve committed to reading more, and that means I need to be seeing the books that other people are loving and recommending so that I can build my list. Truly, new books excite me. But I’ve been in a slump because I’ve just been slowly laboring through LOTR for months now. I’ve commuted to blasting my way through the Return of the King (it’s not like I don’t know how it ends, right?) so that I can start something fresh and new. 

There are several things on my immediate list. First of all, I borrowed the Golden Compass books from a friend, and I want to finish those first. Next, I took a (year-long) break from the Outlander series after Dragonfly in Amber, so I’d like to start back and see what Claire and Jamie are up to. But sometimes I get in a rut when reading series, and I need to break them up with a short, easy to read novel in between them; beach reads, humor, light mystery, or romance are my favorites for this purpose. 

That being said, I’m looking for suggestions for my reading list. I’d love it if you could comment with your trusty favorite, your recent love, or the one you’ve heard is great but haven’t read yet. And seriously, be my friend on Goodreads. 

This post is part of my NaBloPoMo, where I publish a piece each day in November. 

mommyhood, NaBloPoMo, random thoughts

Overcome

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I wrote this some months ago, thinking of submitting it here or there. It never seemed fully cohesive, but I’ve come to a stand-still on how to improve it. So here it is, unfinished, but meaningful to me. It’s time I let it go.

I was overcome.

In an instant, I was overcome with thoughts and fears and hopes and dreams, and overwhelmed by the flood of emotions.

I saw my little ones for what they would become… Independent. Whole. Grown. I saw them that moment not needing me anymore. Not wanting to hold my hand, or worse, preferring to hold someone else’s instead.

The tears came then, even as I strapped my baby into his car seat. His brother was dancing around the room, chanting the name of the cousin we were off to see. That dancing boy wasn’t as clumsy, and he spoke more clearly. What had happened to my barely toddling, nonsense-jabbering baby? He is still there, the same chubby smile beneath the same blue eyes. But so many things are different. The mixed emotions of pride in his growth and sadness in his disappearing babyhood flooded me at the same time. Excitement mingled with nostalgia is the feeling that replaced the months of tiredness mingled with nausea.

I know that when I have a baby, he won’t stay that way. I’m not surprised by the growth and the change. It’s actually the fun part, discovering alongside them, helping them learn and talk and walk and become a little more self-sufficient each day. But there’s a sadness, too, and sometimes, some days, I’m overcome by it. I need to shed a few tears for the baby they’ve left behind, because all I’ll have is memories of that little round face, bald head, or chubby hand. But I will have gained a runner, a cook, a hugger, and a singer. I’ll have a new friend, a hilarious joker, a brave and athletic boy, a smart and sensitive girl. I am glad for the shift. I am glad for the change. But that doesn’t mean I won’t miss the past.

This post is part of my NaBloPoMo, where I publish a  piece each day in November.

faith, holidays, home, mommyhood, NaBloPoMo, random thoughts

Find Your Sabbath in Autumn

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It’s that time of year. The perfect season. Coffee tastes better. The air smells fresher. Cuddling in the blankets a little later in the morning feels so good, especially because it’s a little darker for a little longer. 

I also love the balance that it provides in my own life. Autumn is a busy season. School is in full swing, the holidays are approaching, and if you aren’t careful, there is little rest. But we have also been called to find rest. We have been called to find Sabbath rest (Hebrews 4:9-10) even in the midst of our busy seasons. That doesn’t necessarily mean that the schedules will clear, or that you’ll sleep more, or that it will look any certain way. Rather, it means a shift in thought. It’s a change of perspective. It’s a way of looking at and living in the world with the peace of God in your heart. 

Sounds easy, right?

It’s not. Not always, anyway. It can be difficult to feel peaceful in everything you do. Most workplaces driven by efficiency don’t also have a peaceful atmosphere. Rush hour at 5pm doesn’t hold a peaceful feeling. Your children don’t seem peaceful when they wake at 6am hungry. 

But this is the gift of God: that you shall find Sabbath rest, because He is allowing you to. He has given you that gift, and all you need do is receive it. That doesn’t make it easy, but it makes it available to us. If we can walk in the faith that God has peacefulness and rest for us… that is the real Sabbath rest. 

So this season… this busy season of warm coffee, chilly air, cooking, shopping, carpooling, and preparing… this season is the perfect time to take a minute, and ask the Lord to help you accept that perfect rest. Rest that is the ceasing of striving to do it all ourselves. Rest that is feeling loved and taken care of by the One who is sovereign over every single thing. His gift to us is His peace. We only need to say yes. 

This post is part of my NaBloPoMo, where I publish a piece every day in November. Many of the posts will be writing exercises, sometimes straying from my usual style. 

home, mommyhood, NaBloPoMo, random thoughts

I hate sick.  

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The past few days have been hard. I am fortunate that I’ve had remarkably healthy children, and so true that “sick days” really are few and far between. That might make it even worse that when we do deal with a sickness, no matter what kind or how many members of our family have it, it’s just no fun. 

Today, I’m running on very little sleep. So is Hubby. So are the kids. The boys have had hand, foot, mouth disease, and they’re exhausted, uncomfortable, and upset they missed trick or treating and are still missing school. We are all going a little stir crazy, and wishing we could at least go to the park. But we won’t- we will just wait it out until the fever is totally gone and their wounds heal a little. 

They’ve recovered quickly, thank goodness. But I know from experience that HFMD leaves its marks for weeks. They won’t feel the effects for that long, but I’ll have to explain them for a while, and assure other parents that they aren’t contagious any longer. I mean, I’m a responsible adult. I wouldn’t knowingly send my kids to school a) feeling badly or b) spreading terrible germs. 

That being said, it’s tough. We have an established routine, and now it’s been thrown off kilter. Bedtimes are skewed, naptimes are odd, meals are here and there (especially for the one who had worse sores in his mouth) and we are going stir crazy. We are ready for normal. The bigs have been asking to go to the park and the excuse of “but you’ve been sick” isn’t working that well. We’ve taken walks around the neighborhood (strapped in the stroller, of course) and played in the yard, because their energy is beginning to come back. But my little extroverts are tired of being homebound. 

So here’s to Tylenol and movie watching, and we’ll see y’all out in the real world this weekend. 

This post is part of my NaBloPoMo, where I publish a piece every day in November. Many of the posts will be writing exercises, sometimes straying from my usual style. 

mommyhood, things toddlers say

Things Toddlers Say 

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Happy Tuesday! In keeping with our Tuesday tradition, here are our recent funnies! I hope you enjoy their crazy thoughts!

 Heard in the back seat…

EK: Put the icing in the cookie! You mean on the cookie? No! In the cookie! Ahhhh!

At the gas pump…
EK: Mom! I’m watching for the numbers to stop!
J: And I’m watching for a stop sign!

J, randomly: FLY IN THE HOUSE! FLY IN THE HOUSE!

EK hands me a bunny I had when I was growing up: Look what I bought for you, Mommy!
Me: Um, no.

Necie invited EK to spend the night with her…
EK: I packed for like ten days. And on the seventh day, you will bring me home safely.

EK and Necie drawing lady bugs…
EK: I’ll make Daddy’s in boy colors. 

EK, to the tune of “Happy Birthday”: Happy Halloween to you! Happy Halloween to you! Happy Halloween, all the womans! Happy Halloween, Je-sus!”

Driving past a bulldozer…
EK: J, look out your window! You love those, huh?

Listening to my set list for church while we’re in the car…
J: Mommy! I hear you in the radio!
EK: Yeah, there are two of you in the car!

J, saying our prayers: pray for Wesley and Holly and our cousins. And I want to get in a helicopter and go to Taiwan and see them.
Me: Me too, buddy.

EK and J having a tea party with a stuffed animal…
EK: Mom! We got a serious problem over here!
Me: What’s going on?
EK: This man can’t walk! (Pointing to stuffed animal.)
Me: Oh no! Are his legs broken?
EK: Just this one.
Me: Should we try to find him a wheelchair?
EK: Nah, I’m just gonna fix it.

EK: Do you have Miss Crystal’s number? (Her teacher)
Me: No, but I have her email address so I could send her a message.
EK: Oh. I think it’s 851, but I’ll ask her tomorrow at school.

Well, hope you enjoyed this week’s edition of Things Toddlers Say! Check back every Tuesday for more funnies!