I texted Greg earlier today and said that HIS kids were driving me crazy today!! I don't know what happened, but Ash has been ridiculously hyper all day, and Kennedy has been fussy unless I'm holding her. It's my own fault, really, for being too ambitious when writing out my to do list this morning. And then did I really think to myself that the kids would calm down if we got out of the house for a little bit and did the grocery shopping? I should have known better! Ash wouldn't sit in the shopping cart, so I had to keep wrangling him in as he would "help" find things that he thought we needed. Kennedy usually sleeps through grocery shopping, but of course not today, so I was constantly putting her paci back in her mouth. I'm shocked that I remembered to get everything on my grocery list (and that I didn't add "bottle of wine" to the list and start drinking it by aisle #3).
Later, when I was nursing Kennedy, Ash was eating quietly in the kitchen. Or so I thought. He had oh so creatively put his straw into his applesauce, spilling it onto his leg, which he was trying to lick off with his tongue. After cleaning him off and refilling his lunch plate, I heard him take his go-gurt tube and fly it through the air, saying, "Super Yogurt! Blast off!" I found a nice blue spot on the chair where Super Yogurt must have "landed."
But here's the thing...my kids are happy. The reason Kennedy is fussy is because whenever I try to feed her, she doesn't eat enough. All she wants to do is stare at me and smile and laugh. How awesome is it that she finds such delight in just looking at me? And it's not like Ash is being deliberately disobedient. I love that he's a vibrant, creative and energetic little boy who sometimes gets distracted because he's having so much fun.
And there was a moment this afternoon when I was changing Kennedy's diaper, with Ash crawling on my back, while texting with a Pampered Chef client and entering her order into my laptop. Seriously, I was doing all these things at one time. And in the midst of the chaos, I felt a peace, knowing that this might have been "one of those days," but I was doing it.
Monday, April 30, 2012
Monday, April 23, 2012
make new friends, but keep the old...
One of the reasons I started this blog was to give myself an outlet for processing all of the changes in my life (because I'm an external processor and my husband, bless his heart, is NOT). So this post might end up being just a bunch of jumbled thoughts, so forgive me for thinking "out loud."
When I was working my next-to-last-week at Covenant a couple of weeks ago, I expected certain things to be difficult--cleaning out my files, going to my last chapel, etc. But I didn't expect to feel so sad about leaving my friends Julie and Janet. It was a very, very busy week for them, and I found myself on the outside, not in the loop with them on the daily activities in the Student Development world, and being much more of an observer when I knew they were overwhelmed and exhausted. It was difficult to know that I couldn't do anything to help them (and, honestly, my departure was actually giving them more work)...but it was even more difficult to get a glimpse into the future, knowing our relationships would be changing. They are and will always be two of my best friends, but so much of our friendship was based on seeing each other every day. I'm sure we'll get together when we can and we'll e-mail regularly and they do such a good job of trying to keep me included...but I know that things will change, and there's not much we can do about it. I've always been pretty good about transitioning in my friendships over the years, but I already really miss Janet and Julie in my everyday life.
But then there are the blessings of new friends and rekindled old friends. Now that I'm less busy during the day, I've been able to talk to my sister Sarah much more often than I could before. (It helps that she's living in the same country now, too!) And I feel a deeper connection with Ang, my best friend and another stay-at-home mom. I love having Sarah and Ang so much more in my life these days. And then there's Rachel, a woman who lives a street over from me, has a two-year-old little boy (Ash's new BFF), married to a sarcastic husband (Greg's new BFF), and who also just quit her job in January to be a SAHM...definitely a blessing from the Lord! We've enjoyed nightly walks with our families, dinners at each other's houses and plenty of playdates for the boys, and now we're talking about reading/discussing a book together. I would be so lonely without having Rachel as a friend--it's amazing how the Lord provides.
We're also in the process of changing churches. When we were at Silverdale, we didn't get involved in a small group or Sunday school class, but since I was so involved at Covenant, I didn't feel like I was lacking Christian fellowship. Now that I'm at home and out of the Covenant community, I find myself wanting to join every Bible study and small group suggested to me. Not so much for Greg, though, and we're still trying to find the balance of introvert/extravert needs in a marriage. :) I know two things, though. First, I need to be growing in my spiritual walk, and I typically do that best through Christian community. But second, I also know that I have a tendency to overcommit and get too involved in too many activities. It's not just about me anymore, as my activities affect the time I have with my husband and children. So I've decided to take my time and really pray about small groups, Sunday school classes, book clubs, nursery duty and other regular commitments before I sign up. I know that I will need to be involved in something somewhere--it's how I'm wired. But before jumping in and then realizing I'm in too deep, I need to spend more time praying about where God wants to use me, my time and my energy.
I think it would be easy to be lonely as a stay-at-home mom, and honestly, there have been times in the past few months (okay, days) where I've cried because I've felt alone in this transition. But when I take a step back and look at the friends who God has placed in my life (even those who physically live farther away), I know that I'm extremely blessed. He alone is sufficient, but I praise Him for His provisions of fellowship as well.
When I was working my next-to-last-week at Covenant a couple of weeks ago, I expected certain things to be difficult--cleaning out my files, going to my last chapel, etc. But I didn't expect to feel so sad about leaving my friends Julie and Janet. It was a very, very busy week for them, and I found myself on the outside, not in the loop with them on the daily activities in the Student Development world, and being much more of an observer when I knew they were overwhelmed and exhausted. It was difficult to know that I couldn't do anything to help them (and, honestly, my departure was actually giving them more work)...but it was even more difficult to get a glimpse into the future, knowing our relationships would be changing. They are and will always be two of my best friends, but so much of our friendship was based on seeing each other every day. I'm sure we'll get together when we can and we'll e-mail regularly and they do such a good job of trying to keep me included...but I know that things will change, and there's not much we can do about it. I've always been pretty good about transitioning in my friendships over the years, but I already really miss Janet and Julie in my everyday life.
But then there are the blessings of new friends and rekindled old friends. Now that I'm less busy during the day, I've been able to talk to my sister Sarah much more often than I could before. (It helps that she's living in the same country now, too!) And I feel a deeper connection with Ang, my best friend and another stay-at-home mom. I love having Sarah and Ang so much more in my life these days. And then there's Rachel, a woman who lives a street over from me, has a two-year-old little boy (Ash's new BFF), married to a sarcastic husband (Greg's new BFF), and who also just quit her job in January to be a SAHM...definitely a blessing from the Lord! We've enjoyed nightly walks with our families, dinners at each other's houses and plenty of playdates for the boys, and now we're talking about reading/discussing a book together. I would be so lonely without having Rachel as a friend--it's amazing how the Lord provides.
We're also in the process of changing churches. When we were at Silverdale, we didn't get involved in a small group or Sunday school class, but since I was so involved at Covenant, I didn't feel like I was lacking Christian fellowship. Now that I'm at home and out of the Covenant community, I find myself wanting to join every Bible study and small group suggested to me. Not so much for Greg, though, and we're still trying to find the balance of introvert/extravert needs in a marriage. :) I know two things, though. First, I need to be growing in my spiritual walk, and I typically do that best through Christian community. But second, I also know that I have a tendency to overcommit and get too involved in too many activities. It's not just about me anymore, as my activities affect the time I have with my husband and children. So I've decided to take my time and really pray about small groups, Sunday school classes, book clubs, nursery duty and other regular commitments before I sign up. I know that I will need to be involved in something somewhere--it's how I'm wired. But before jumping in and then realizing I'm in too deep, I need to spend more time praying about where God wants to use me, my time and my energy.
I think it would be easy to be lonely as a stay-at-home mom, and honestly, there have been times in the past few months (okay, days) where I've cried because I've felt alone in this transition. But when I take a step back and look at the friends who God has placed in my life (even those who physically live farther away), I know that I'm extremely blessed. He alone is sufficient, but I praise Him for His provisions of fellowship as well.
Saturday, April 21, 2012
Potty Training Boot Camp
So Ash had been doing fairly well with potty training in Novemberish. (And by that, I mean he would still wear a diaper all day/night, but when we would make him sit on the potty right when he woke up, etc., then he would go.) But then the holidays and company and Kennedy's birth all put that way down on the priority list.
Well, I finally hit a wall where I realized that I was being lazy and Ash was being stubborn. I declared yesterday as the day for Potty Training Boot Camp. We stayed home and changed him into big boy underwear.
I made some Crystal Light (a fun drink he usually doesn't get) and put it in a cup with one of those "silly straws." He started drinking like crazy, and I would ask him every 5-10 minutes if he had to go potty. Well, actually, I didn't ask him if he had to go, I just told him we were going. :)
We had a couple of accidents where he started to go in his underwear, but as soon as he did, he told me and I ran him into the bathroom. Every time he went on the potty, he got a "gummy"--leftover Easter candy, which I kept in a glass bowl in the bathroom.
So at some point, it really just seemed to click with him! I decided to not ask him if he had to go, but just watch him...and sure enough, he would look at me and just say with a worried look, "Mommy??" Lots of encouragement and lots of cheering, and he was in love with his potty and big boy underwear (which he even brought with him for his naptime, since I kept him in a diaper then). He even got to the point where he would want Rosco or Kennedy to come in and watch him. :)
Last night, when he was going to bed, he said he had to go potty again, and I told him he could go in his diaper, but he didn't want to. I figure that was a good sign. Then today, he was outside with Daddy (diaper on) and told him when he had to go potty...and again a little later, he told Daddy and came inside and went #2 on the potty! We haven't had an accident since yesterday morning, which is awesome. I'm sure we'll have setbacks along the way, but we are WAY far ahead of where we were just two days ago. Yea Ash!!
Well, I finally hit a wall where I realized that I was being lazy and Ash was being stubborn. I declared yesterday as the day for Potty Training Boot Camp. We stayed home and changed him into big boy underwear.
I made some Crystal Light (a fun drink he usually doesn't get) and put it in a cup with one of those "silly straws." He started drinking like crazy, and I would ask him every 5-10 minutes if he had to go potty. Well, actually, I didn't ask him if he had to go, I just told him we were going. :)
We had a couple of accidents where he started to go in his underwear, but as soon as he did, he told me and I ran him into the bathroom. Every time he went on the potty, he got a "gummy"--leftover Easter candy, which I kept in a glass bowl in the bathroom.
So at some point, it really just seemed to click with him! I decided to not ask him if he had to go, but just watch him...and sure enough, he would look at me and just say with a worried look, "Mommy??" Lots of encouragement and lots of cheering, and he was in love with his potty and big boy underwear (which he even brought with him for his naptime, since I kept him in a diaper then). He even got to the point where he would want Rosco or Kennedy to come in and watch him. :)
Last night, when he was going to bed, he said he had to go potty again, and I told him he could go in his diaper, but he didn't want to. I figure that was a good sign. Then today, he was outside with Daddy (diaper on) and told him when he had to go potty...and again a little later, he told Daddy and came inside and went #2 on the potty! We haven't had an accident since yesterday morning, which is awesome. I'm sure we'll have setbacks along the way, but we are WAY far ahead of where we were just two days ago. Yea Ash!!
Thursday, April 19, 2012
Big brother, stylish sister?
Ash loves holding his sister, especially when I'm taking pictures. I didn't even tell him to kiss her like that!
And I'm pretty sure that Kennedy is rocking this dress because she's three months old. Purple leopard print skirts are not going to be common wardrobe choices in the future.
Wednesday, April 18, 2012
and so it begins
I'm hesitant to be starting a new blog. Some of you might remember that I didn't do a very good job at keeping a blog when Ash was born (http://gregandemilyford.blogspot.com/); the last post I wrote there was almost exactly two years ago. I also don't want to be the stereotypical stay-at-home mom who has this entire blogging community that she doesn't know in real life, who asks people to "add" her and posting pictures of her recent coupon-crazy purchases and how she threw an entire handcrafted birthday party for only $3.
But I'm also realizing that I've started to turn into "that mom" who overloads facebook with statuses about funny kid sayings and way too many pictures of her kids. I can't help it, though, that Ash and Kennedy are the two most beautiful children in the world, and it's actually a crime for me to NOT post things about them all the time. So to give myself an outlet, and because there might be a few people out there who want to read what I'm feeling through this career transition (hi, Mom!)...well, here's my blog.
And what better way to start my blog than with some recent pictures and a video of Ash, talking about me staying at home with him. :)
But I'm also realizing that I've started to turn into "that mom" who overloads facebook with statuses about funny kid sayings and way too many pictures of her kids. I can't help it, though, that Ash and Kennedy are the two most beautiful children in the world, and it's actually a crime for me to NOT post things about them all the time. So to give myself an outlet, and because there might be a few people out there who want to read what I'm feeling through this career transition (hi, Mom!)...well, here's my blog.
And what better way to start my blog than with some recent pictures and a video of Ash, talking about me staying at home with him. :)
http://vimeo.com/40633973 (Click this to see the video of Ash.)
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