Happy Tuesday, one and all! Spring has sprung here in our house, and we’re obsessed with all that comes with it! Enjoy our funny little sayings!
J, holding his ukulele and wearing his backpack: I’m going to my gig, mom!
J: *tells same story about a robot on our porch he’s been telling for months*
EK: Why do you keep telling that same story, J?
J: I just love stories about robots!
At EK’s preschool music performance…
J: Can I go up there?!
Me: It’ll be your turn next year.
J: I guess I want to go home then.
Talking about Moana…
EK: Okay. Now let’s talk about the waves. (Cue ten excruciating minutes laboring over why the waves moved of their own accord.)
EK: What are you making mama?
Me: Brownies!
EK: You’re just like Lala! (My bestie who always makes sweet treats)
EK: Can I watch you make your coffee in that golden jar, Dad?
This is the golden jar:(It’s a French press.)
Passing the baseball stadium…
EK: You said the baseball opens in April. Is it April?
Me: No, it’s still March.
EK: Okay. I’ll ask you every day, “Is it April yet?” and you’ll tell me when it is. Okay?
Me: …okay…
Holiday mix-up…
EK: You know what’s my favorite month to set up for Easter? March 27!
Me: Wait. What?
EK and I are singing Moana for the hundredth time…
J: You guys! You’re making me annoying myself!
Hope you enjoyed our funnies! What silly things are your kids saying these days?
How do you pray? How often? Whose words do you use – yours? The Bible’s? Those of a trusted pastor? These are questions I struggle with every time I try to pray. I think all answers are valid, and ones that I haven’t thought of are, too. I think prayer is something that evolves as your relationship with the Lord evolves, and that’s a good thing.
I find that oftentimes, when I remember to pray is when I am asking for something. I’ve just heard that someone is sick or hurt. I’m having a hard time being patient with my kids. Or, I’m praying to stave off difficulties or issues in an upcoming situation. Either way, I’m asking the Lord to do my will. Or asking Him to help me with something. Or I’m just plain hoping that His will and my will are the same.
Why would I ever put the Lord in a box like that?
I am all about giving the Lord my honesty: all of my feelings, my fears, my hopes. He’s a big God, and he can handle those things. I can pray continually – without ceasing! (1 Thess. 5:16) – and I can pray about anything and everything (Eph. 6:18). But what I want to pray more often is for HIS WILL to be done, not mine (1 John 5:14). I know He has a plan more wonderful than I can imagine, and while it seems trite to only pray for that, that’s what He loves to hear! “I trust You! Your plan is perfect! I want for me and mine what YOU want for me and mine!” There is nothing greater we could tell Him than how awesome He is, and how we trust Him.
In alignment with praying, I think that worship (all kinds of worship!) can be prayer, also. Taking the sacrament is an act of prayer, communicating with God, a covenantal practice. Musical worship can be prayer; the words and melodies sung and played are indeed a prayer, especially when we know we need to connect with God but don’t necessarily have the words we desire to say. I love James 5:13 – “Is anyone among you in trouble? Let them pray. Is anyone happy? Let them sing songs of praise.” Prayer and praise often go hand in hand. Don’t just pray when you need something (I’m talking to myself, here!) but also pray when you are happy, pray when you are sad, mad, glad, tired, and full of joy. Pray without ceasing, depend fully and always on the Lord.
For me, to pray without ceasing is an act of submitting my will, my words, my actions to Him. This is me saying, “Lord, I can’t do this (anything!) without You.” I know I’m flawed, I’m a sinner, I need and desire His grace and mercy. As in Psalm 40: Come Lord, and pull me out of the muck and the mire; set my feet on solid ground.
Happy Tuesday, y’all! In case you don’t know this already, every Tuesday, I post some hilarious or really cute things my kiddos have said during the week. Right now, here are their ages: EK is almost 5, J is 3, and D is 1.5, so his contributions are minimal. So, here are a few of them from this week! Enjoy!
EK: Can we marry our brothers?
Me: No, we don’t marry the people in our families.
EK: We have to marry someone we don’t know?
Me: Not necessarily. You could marry someone you know already or you might meet them when you’re older.
I was scared what that conversation would turn into.
EK: While we’re at school, do you do your reading and then pick up the sticks?
Me: Yep. Sometimes I do those things.
I’m dying because picking up sticks from the lawn is her outdoor job sometimes. She clearly thinks I do it while she’s not around.
EK: Would you like to try this bell pepper? It’s really spicy.
Me: Bell peppers aren’t actually very spicy.
EK: Yeah, this bell pepper is sweet and comfortable, right Mom?
EK, holding a spoon to D: Carrot?
D: No!
EK: Come on! It’s juicy, it’s sweet, it’s a carrot!
Things a guitarist’s daughter says…
EK: Dad, I gathered all your picks so that D won’t eat them.
All day on Friday (St. Patrick’s Day)…
EK: Happy Mattress Day!
J, professing his love: I like you, Mom. I really like you.
The creepiest thing J will ever say to EK: Baby, come here! Daddy gots you a present! (I’m sure it was related to playing “family” which they often do, but it sounded so creepy.)
EK hands me the ruffle that goes on a sunhat: Here, Mom. It tenaches. (Attaches)
J, pointing at my sis-in-law holding my niece: Are you holding the baby girl princess?
I wrote this piece during the Christmas season, when things were very busy, and I just hadn’t had enough time with EK.
My daughter is like me. She’s so much like me that it’s a little bit scary. For instance, she can run pretty well on a low amount of sleep. I’ve always been that way; slumber parties, college, newborn babies’ schedules: I’ve been a champion of productivity through it all. But now, I have a few toddlers and preschoolers, and they still need sleep, but EK is a the winner. She is often her normal self, even when I know she hasn’t gotten enough sleep.
The week before Christmas, things were hectic (surprise, surprise) and I was up late doing some wrapping. EK wandered out of her room, and found me amid rolls of wrapping paper, ribbons, and tape. Instead of getting frustrated that she’d been in bed for PLENTY long enough to fall asleep, I asked if she’d like to help me. She was thrilled. Hubby was working and the boys had long been asleep, so we stayed up for almost another hour, wrapping presents, tying bows, and she even got to label them all.
At the end of the hour, we were both sleepy, but we had had so much fun just being together, working side by side on a task, and seeing a pile of nicely wrapped gifts at the end. She looked at me when we were finished and said, “Mom! It feels like the middle of the night!” And while it was only about 10:00pm, I knew it must feel that way to her. I was tired too – and I stay up that late every night.
I walked her back to her room, tucked her in, and slid in the bed next to her. She requested a carol or two, and we sang them together. We said our prayers (the second time that evening) and I left to get ready for bed. I knew that letting her stay up with me had been a special treat, a sweet memory for my daughter to latch on to throughout the busy week ahead, when the house would be full of people and I wouldn’t have much time to be with only her. The next day, she didn’t seem extra tired or even a bit grumpy. I think the one-on-one time with me might have been just as restoring as that hour of sleep she lost.
So. As you know, I’m training for a half marathon. The one I had originally chosen is apparently very hilly, and also it’s a little soon for me to feel great about running it. So I’m still training, but I think I’m doing a different race. Last week, I did some speed work (sprints in the wind are basically the worst) and this past week, my goal was to get really good rest. It’s not going well. Every member of our family is suffering from a “mini cold”. It’s not that big of a deal during the day, but when we lay down, the mucus is out of control, and no one is sleeping that well.Evidence of my “windy” miles.
Naturally, I’m more tired than usual since babes are waking and I’m not getting quality sleep because of it. But I’m pushing through! I got 4.25 miles in yesterday afternoon while everyone napped. I’ve still been eating pretty well, and I’ve had less coffee than normal this week (I subbed it for green tea, which has HUGE health benefits). Today was definitely a cheat day-St. Patrick’s Day meant Hubby was playing a lot, coupled with me trying to work a lot but also trying to see him play- it was a lot of on the go. I only had one “real” meal today, at 3pm no less. But at least it was healthy?Post-workout selfie with D since he came along Tuesday morning.
So here is my accountability. I am up to almost 8 miles, with a hopeful 8 miles in either tomorrow or Sunday (likely whichever isn’t freezing cold). I’ve been trying SO HARD to keep up with my workouts and good food, so hopefully the last five miles in the training will come easily! Wish me luck!
Happy Tuesday, everyone! It’s a windy, strange weather type of day here, so a little humor might make us all feel better! Here is a sampling of what my kids have been saying this week…
EK: I want to be a river for Halloween! (Very serious.)
EK: This tooth is about to come out!
Me: Really? Yep, it’s wiggly!
EK: I think it was that pork belly I was eating for lunch. (We had pork belly tacos.)
EK: What car will I drive when I’m an adult?
Me: I don’t know; we’ll have to see.
EK: Maybe I’ll just ride on the green bus.
(Our city buses here are green.)
Me: Did you miss me while I was gone?
J: Kind of.
Me, leaving for a run: Okay, I’m going now. The quicker I go, the quicker I get back!
J, shouting out the door: The quicker you go, be safe on your run!
Me, taking a sip of my wine: As whites go, this one’s not too bad.
J, taking a sip of his water: This water’s not too cold with the ice.
J: I gotta go to the dentist because my teef hurt.
Me: Let me see, bud.
J: *opens mouth where I can only see the front of his bottom teeth*
EK: Tomorrow is Sunday!
Our friend Samuel: What do you do on Sunday?
EK: Put on a dress! And go potty!
Me: *dying*
Talking about the Curious George Halloween special that the bigs are obsessed with…
J, running around in circles: Oh no! No-Noggin is so scary! I don’t know which way to hide from him!!
Speaking of this, J has become quite the story teller. He weaves tales about tooth fairies (with very little understanding about how that works), keys breaking off in doors, and chocolate-eating.
Me, about a dress-up dress: This dress has been through the wringer.
EK: No, my ring is downstairs.
J, hanging out of his classroom, seeing me walk down the hall to pick him up: Mom! It’s me! Your sweet son!
J: What if it was a dinosaur? Or a dinosaurus?!
EK: Mom, when you went to colletch (not college lol) did you have to get on a plane?
Me: No, I just drove in my car.
EK: Can we get on a plane and go back to DisneyWorld?
Me: We will go back sometime.
J: Yeah, we will just have to drove there.
EK: Next time we play hide and seek, in gonna hide in the fridgelator!
J: We just went over some speed bumps!
EK: Wait! How did you remember those were speed bumps?!
EK: We’re home! I see Daddy’s car and the cannolia tree!
Me: I wish cannolis grew on trees.
Hope you enjoyed our humor for the week! What do your kids say that’s a little off?
As a busy, part-time working, mostly-SAHM of three, and a fairly recent long-distance runner, I think a lot about random things while running. I do a lot of over-analyzing, some to-do list building, and some praying. I mean, I’m training for a half-marathon and that takes a lot of time of feet hitting pavement. All that considered, here are a few things that go through my head often while I’m out on a long run.
1. Do I know someone close by? I need to pee. Having three kids has pretty much wrecked my bladder. A friend recently recommended Kegels. I told her I thought that was some bullshit.
2. This is my fastest run ever! This is rarely true. Typically it’s just a bare-minimum pace, combined with a train of thought that’s made me feel like time has passed more quickly.
3. This is my slowest run ever! This is more likely than #2. However, it’s also not always true. Sometimes I’m actually running quickly, but the song I am listening to is too slow. I feel like my feet aren’t hitting the pavement quickly enough.
4. Do I need a snack before I run any farther? I have learned that if I haven’t eaten enough calories (or the right calories) before my run – since I often run in the morning – I’m going to get super tired after mile 4 or so. I’ve been packing some light snack options in that tiny pocket in my leggings. You know, something I can eat while running, without feeling the need to vomit afterwards. This is either a milestone of reaching a distance that feels really far for my body, or else a milestone of being 31 and too tired for this mess.
5. Haven’t I heard this song already? I only take my phone with me to listen to music. I use my FitBit for tracking, and make my iPhone an iPod. I don’t have many songs downloaded on there, and so when I put it on shuffle, and run for an hour, it’s actually possible that I start hearing things a second time. But I’m never quite sure… because what if that was yesterday? My memory’s going.
6. But seriously, when do the park bathrooms open? It’s March, it’s not that cold, and I’d like the bathrooms at my neighborhood running park to open up so that I can pee between mile 2 and 3, and again between mile 5 and 6. It’s a thing. I need to pee. All the time. (Let’s just say it’s because I’m super hydrated.)
7. Tomorrow I’m totally running 8 miles. Or however many miles I think is way farther than today. Because today isn’t a good day for it, but tomorrow will be. Right now, I’m a little tired.
8. Please Lord, don’t let me bite the dust. Inevitably, I get super tired on the stretch just before the homestretch. When I’m almost back to my house, I’m all, “Sweet! Just another half mile!” But just before then, I’m all, “Why did I ever let myself run for this many minutes in a row? I clearly am not hydrated or energized enough for this. I made a horrible decision and I’m going to chip my teeth on the sidewalk when I fall.” But I’m definitely not being over-dramatic about the situation.
9. These leggings are totally too big. I usually run in leggings, especially this time of year before it’s too warm. Recently, I’ve been having issues finding leggings that don’t ride up, or slide down, or twist, or keep me too warm, or let too much wind in. I have several different brands, and they’re all fine, but not amazing. Any tips for me, the OCD running queen?
10. I must be crazy to think I can do this. A half-marathon is 13.1 miles. The farthest I’ve gone recently is 7.2 miles. It seems I have a ways to go. I MUST BE CRAZY, Y’ALL.
But hey! Running makes me feel good, look good, and be able to talk like a crazy exercise freak with a lot of other people, including strangers. Cheers to the insane runners!
Happy Tuesday, everyone! EK and I are in Georgia with my family, but there are still some funnies here! Enjoy your Tuesday!
EK: How did she get you in her belly?
Me: What?
EK: Necie. How did she get you in her belly so you could be born?
Me: *oh no, oh no* Well… she got pregnant.
EK: Pregnant? Well how did you get out? Did they tear her belly and let you out?
Me: Uh, well, she went to the hospital to get me out.
EK: *tries to keep going*
Me: SO WHAT did you learn at school today, sweetie?!
J at bedtime: Will you sing about pineapple tree?
Me: I don’t think I know that one.
J: It goes like this: Pineapple tree, pineapple tree, pineapple tree, tomorroooooow! (In a very melodic voice I might add.) Now you do it!
Me: Well, I think it sounds great when you do it.
J: *repeats song*
EK and J have been making “birthday cakes” out of these manipulatives. EK made one on my bedroom floor, and J came in and saw it…J: Oh, Daddy! What a lovely cake!
J in the car one day, giggling his butt off: The ocean is made out of cookie butts!
Talking about our trip to my parents’ house before we left…
Hubby: What do you want to do there? Want to go shopping?
EK: Yeah! At the food store! In case they don’t have food and need it!
While EK and I were gone, J managed to cut his pinky finger on something. Hubby woke up to him very matter-of-factly telling him that he was bleeding. When I was FaceTiming him later that morning, he described what happened liked this: Well I was in D’s room. And I smashed it! I smashed my promise finger on the black and grey fing. The rectangle. And then I was bleeding on the floor! And I just smashed my little piggy and I came upstairs. (Yes, “promise finger” and “little piggy” are words used to describe his pinky finger.)
It’s that time again… the beginning of yet another month. How is it possible that March is here already? I can’t believe how unseasonably warm it’s been here in NC, and the fact that my allergies are already acting up. But at least I’ve been wearing my Chacos and enjoying some much-needed sunshine! (Well, except for right this second, as it’s beginning to cloud over and look like that rain they’ve forecasted for the evening.)
Anyway, it’s another Currently link-up with Anne in Residence, and this month we’re joined by Carrie at A Stylish Fit as our co-host! Thanks, ladies! Here’s what I’m currently up to…
Watching || This Is Us. I was late to the party, and am still not caught up to the most recent episode, but I’m REALLY enjoying it. It’s fun to see Mandy Moore back around, and I’m loving the dynamics of the triplets as “grown ups”. I still won’t say this is the best show I’ve ever seen, but I truly do enjoy it.
Eating || VERY healthy. As I mentioned last week, I’m doing a fitness challenge and training for a half marathon. This means food as fuel as not as an indulgence, so I’m overhauling my diet to accommodate. For instance, our group is doing “meatless Monday” and so I didn’t have meat at all on Monday! Good thing Hubby is also on board.
Saying || prayers over my half-marathon training, and my knee. Last night I did something stupid, and got my knee bashed from the side. Naturally, I immediately freaked out thinking I’d torn my meniscus or something crazy, iced it, and took ibuprofen and rested for the rest of the night. This morning, I woke up feeling MUCH better, with a bruise in the place of impact, but there is some residual tightness and soreness I’m trying to rest and ice and anti-inflame again today.
Wearing || work-out attire pretty much all day, every day. I’ve never really been one who likes to do this, but it does help me get the workouts in, motivation-wise. AND there’s no point in showering early, drying my hair, putting on mascara, and dressing nicely when I know I’m going on a run in two hours. It’s going to be easier for me to try to knock out the workouts as early in the day as possible so that I can feel like I “got ready” afterwards. I feel a little more like myself when I’m not dressed like a bum all day.
Posting || a little more very soon, hopefully. My Big Jesus (the site I had been writing for weekly) is relaunching as Everyday Exiles soon, and then I’ll be back to writing a lot more and posting about it. I’ve also been featured on Perfection Pending, and will have another post up on her site this week!
Well, what’s going on with you currently? Leave a comment, or link up with us and share!
(It’s a French press.)
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