Parting is such sweet sorrow...

As of a couple weeks ago, Mia no longer takes a nap. Actually she would take a nap but, as a result, not go to sleep until 10PM. Totally unacceptable. So we tried eliminating the nap, and, to our surprise, she did pretty well with it, with the very happy outcome of her passing out by 7. It's been a slightly bumpy adjustment...mostly for me. That bit of time in the afternoon when both kids were napping was, as I called it, my moment of serenity. ;) Not only could I have a bit of time to myself, but it was the time of day when I could be productive. Phone calls, cleaning, etc, etc. I'm finding it hard to keep her occupied and still be productive. And unfortunately it's very hard to not rely on the TV to entertain her for a bit so I can get things done. I just thought she would be taking a nap for another year at least! (Can't you just hear the whiny tone in my voice?) Anyways, enough of my tirade here...on the bright side, I have my evenings back! This fact makes it a pretty good trade-off even though it's been an adjustment.

I wrote the above paragraph earlier today, and now that I read it over it sounds very whiny and rather annoying....thought about just not posting, but I figure-- what the heck-- take it or leave it, this is whatcha get....

The Ultimate Experiment

I've decided that parenting truly is the ultimate experiment. Being a mom is probably the most important and the most difficult job in my life, yet I went into it with no on-the-job experience. What the heck did I know about being a parent? Unfortunately for my kids...especially my first-born, I'm learning as I go.

Another irony is that I'm supposed to be teaching my kids how to become independent, responsible adults...yet many times I feel like I'm still learning my own lessons in this regard. I feel like a fool telling my 2 year old to not react out of anger when I do it myself. At least I have the good 'ol apology to fall back on. I remember when I was a kid, my dad would get mad, over-react, huff, puff, snort, stomp...and then disappear for a bit...then he'd show back up and apologize for the way he acted. Even as a child I remember being impressed with this act. It was like, "Wow, my dad's human!! He makes mistakes too!" Well, now I'm in those shoes. I've had to do it several times-- apologize to Mia for yelling or over-reacting.

On a different note, I had to share yet another one of my stupid, funny mommy-head moments. Yesterday I locked my keys in my car. And, oh yeah, my kids were in the car too! I've almost done this a couple times before-- so for that reason I usually keep my keys tucked in my pocket. Somehow I had a brain fade and didn't do that this time. I got lucky in that I almost always unbuckle Mia before I get out of the car (so that she can climb out Maggie's side). So, it took me a good 5 minutes of coaching Mia to push the unlock button-- but she did it! She even seemed rather amused that I was stuck outside! Don't think I'll be making that mistake again (hopefully)!

Winter musings

Well, winter is officially here. We had our first real snow a few days ago. And after living here for over a year now, I still like winter...it's charm hasn't worn off yet. Maybe living in the desert for 7 years has given me a greater appreciation for the uniqueness of each season, I don't know. Granted there are plenty of inconveniences and hassles that go hand-in-hand with winter...it took me a half hour just to get out of the house the morning after it snowed...had to warm up the car, brush off the snow, scrape the windshield and bundle up the kids and myself. Can be quite an ordeal to get somewhere! All that said though, I am a sucker for all the lovely aspects as well. Burning logs in the fireplace, cozy scarves, fuzzy slippers, candles, watching the snow fall...but most of all I love the dampening effect that the snow has outside. Everything seems so quiet and serene-- all is peaceful. Now I'm sure come February I'll be anticipating spring, but in the meantime I'm enjoying it. :)

The good, the bad and the ugly...OK, just the bad and the ugly

I've become aware that I tend to mainly take pictures of my kids when they're looking cute and clean. Fact is though, we have many a messy moment around here. Messy food, snotty noses, stained clothes, bedhead hair, tantrums and fits...you get the idea. So recently I made a point of snapping a few photos of our not so beautiful moments...

Why is it that my kid's favorite food also happens to be one of the messiest?? But, since I count marinara sauce as a much needed veggie, I have to bite the bullet. So my question is...do kids love spaghetti because it's yummy or do they just love to make a mess?!

Maggie got a hold of one of Mia's uncapped markers-- oops! ;) Thank God those markers are non-toxic...seriously!
Mia had a nasty fall on the sidewalk the other day and scraped up her chin and lip...gotta love the war wounds from childs play. :)

New look

I did a little house-cleaning on my blog and decided to spice things up with a new background. In all honesty, I was feeling a little inadequate...in regards to my blog, that is. In reading other people's blogs, I can't believe how fancy shmancy some of them look with their amazing backgrounds, fonts, headers...and all their super fantastic edited photos. Makes me feel very amateur...which I am I suppose!

Anyways, I'm donning this new background and look for the time being. I do really like it, although it does seem a little bright. Let me know if it's too hard on the eyes. FYI...here's the link to the website I got it from for FREE! That's right, FREE and perhaps more importantly, FREE of work on my part! Woohoo! http://simplychicblogs.blogspot.com/

Picture Perfect

The only time I can get Mia to cooperate for a photo these days is if she's holding Maggie. I snapped some cute ones of them the other day...just had to post them!

Maggie's 1st Birthday

On Saturday we celebrated Maggie's 1st birthday. It's hard to believe she's 1...strange because it seems like it was both just yesterday and forever ago that she was born. I spent some time reminiscing throughout the day....what I was doing at the corresponding time of day and such, recalling the feelings I was experiencing, etc, etc. If you'd like to see pictures of Maggie's birth day and read her story you can go here: http://mamabeng.blogspot.com/2007/11/maggie-elisabeth.html.

We had a small party for her with some friends. Gabe and I were thankful that we didn't have to celebrate Maggie's birthday alone...it's so nice to have made some wonderful friends here in IL. We love it that Maggie is known...that other people are witnessing her grow...that they also get to see her scoot around on her bum. ;) As you can see in the pictures, Maggie loved her cupcake. She was taking big grown-up bites until it started falling apart--then she realized she could make a mess with it!

Advent Conspiracy

Every year I have a hard time with the commercialization of Christmas. Don't get me wrong, I like to get my kids a few gifts and I enjoy putting up a Christmas tree in my home, but it just seems like it's out of control. The disgusting display of Black Friday is just one example. So I was stoked when I found out that my church is getting involved in what's called Advent Conspiracy...I've excerpted a snippit from their website.

"The story of Christ's birth is a subversive story of an upside-down kingdom. It's a story of promise, hope, and a revolutionary love that is still changing the world to this day. So, what happened? What was once a time to celebrate the birth of a savior has somehow turned into a season of stress, traffic jams, and shopping lists. And when it's all over, many of us are left with presents to return, looming debt that will take months to pay off, and this empty feeling that we somehow missed its purpose. Is this what we really want out of Christmas?

What if Christmas became a world-changing event again by turning our focus back to the birth of Christ? What could happen to your family if this focus was celebrated in loud, bold and totally unexpected ways? What if you could actually trade your season of stress for a season of celebration and unbelievable memories with your friends and family? What if all of this could save a life at the same time? It can. Welcome to Advent Conspiracy

People are dying from the lack of clean water. In fact, it's the leading cause of death in under resourced countries. 1.8 million people die every year from water born illnesses. That includes 3,900 children a day. The solution to this problem is directly beneath our feet. Drilling a fresh water well is a relatively inexpensive, yet permanent solution to this epidemic. $10 will give a child clean water for life. That's not an estimate. It's a fact. And here's another fact: Solving this water problem once and for all will cost about $10 billion. Not bad considering Americans spent $450 billion on Christmas last year. Our hope is that, by celebrating Christ in a new way at Christmas, the church can serve as the leading movement behind ending the water crisis once and for all."

Isn't this AWESOME? The idea isn't that you don't buy gifts at all-- it's that you buy less. And you make a point of giving gifts of relationship (i.e. a gift that would encourage spending time together). Also, instead of buying pointless gifts that aren't needed, give the gift of life. It's incredible that only $10 can get a child clean water for life! How can we NOT do this?? I'm absolutely stoked to be involved in something like this...wish I would've known about it earlier. If you like what you read, go to their website to find out more.
http://www.adventconspiracy.org/

CareBear

At the beginning of October we went back to AZ for my best friend Carrie's wedding, or CareBear as many of her family and friends affectionately call her. It was my first time back since we had moved...I thought it would feel strange or that I would be sentimental but I, must say, I wasn't in the least. I truly felt like I was visiting and that I had been gone much longer. Some of that may be attributed to all the hustle and bustle of our visit. Not only was I very busy with all the activities involved with being in a wedding, but my parents were back from South Africa and my sister (and her husband and 3 kids) were there from CA. It was really wonderful to see everyone. Mia had a great time trying to keep up with all her older cousins.

My lack of sentiment upon returning to a place I lived for 6 years makes me think....fact of the matter is, I can uproot and move without much emotion. Don't get me wrong, I miss people that I leave but honestly I don't get too torn up about it. Sometimes I think something is wrong that me that I am this way...Is it because I've moved around so much in my life? Or maybe something about my personality? Or both? Every move I've made has been exciting...I felt like it was a necessary, new step in my life. Even when I think back to being a kid. When I was 11, my family moved from Missouri to Los Angeles. That's quite a big move and a big change for a child of 11, but I remember being so excited about it! And I felt the same way about moving to Arizona then just recently, of course, to Illinois. I told Gabe the other day that at this point I'd be open to moving anywhere. I mean...why not? You only live once, right? I love it that I've gotten to live so many different places. I feel like it's enriched me as a person.

Anyways, I wasn't really intending to go off on that rant but I guess I'll go with it...back to Carrie's wedding though. Boy oh boy was it a beautiful wedding! I seriously think they got everything perfect about that wedding. The colors, the setting, the flowers, the food-- the BRIDE! Carrie looked absolutely breath-taking. Several of us were commenting that she was the most beautiful bride we'd ever seen. No doubt about it-- she was radiant. I have nothing but the best wishes for Carrie and her wonderful husband Jeremy. You guys are beautiful baby! ;)

Hallo-holy-crap-I-ate-too-much-candy

I do it every year. I eat too much stinking candy. This year I purposely put off buying our Halloween candy until the day before Halloween. And you'd think maybe I'd buy something I don't like to prevent me from pigging out. Nope! I bought the bag with the Almond Joys, Snickers and Reeses!

So this year we dressed Mia up as a Sunflower. I wanted to get her a ladybug costume because she is borderline obsessed with them, but I just wasn't finding anything good. So, a Sunflower with ladybugs on it's stem had to do. Oh, and it being 50% off at TRU helped too. :) Maggie was a little lion, and a very cute one at that! We took them trick-or-treating to a few houses. Mia was very shy (as expected), yet has been asking to go trick-or-treating every day since Halloween--go figure!

Pumpkin time

A couple weekends ago we ventured out to the pumpkin patch. Actually, it was more like a fall-themed amusement park. They had a miniature zoo, playground equipment in vehicle shapes, restaurants, a harvest store, pony rides...I could go on here. And it even had the huge parking lot and crowds to match! It was a cool place, but it was WAY too crowded. If I ever return there I've made a note-to-self to only go on a weekday.

Anyways, we joined the ranks of parents who endeavor to get that perfect picture of their child sitting next to pumpkins. It's pretty funny really...we all sound the same..."Mia...Maggie...look over here...smile!...sit next to your sister...stop doing that!...say cheese!" You get the idea. One thing I've figured out is that no matter how hard I try, my kids just aren't going to cooperate (at the same time) for a photo. And trying to get a family photo-- forget about it!!! I'm posting the family shot we took because it's pretty funny. I don't know if you can see but Mia was crying in the background and Maggie was twisting to get out of my arms. ;) The friends we went with got a great family picture. Their daughter is beautiful, photogenic and cooperative! Oh well, what are you going to do!? There are worse problems than this to be sure.

Twinsies

With it getting down into the 40's at night now, I got to break out the fleece PJs the other day. I don't usually put the girls in matching outfits, but when I was buying these fleecies for Mia I just couldn't resist buying the same ones for Maggie. Don't they just look so cute together!? It's times like this...when they're being sweet to one another that really melt my heart. Makes those times when Mia has been harassing Maggie ALL DAY a little more bearable. ;)

Fall delights

Well, fall has arrived and brought with it the cool, crisp days. I'm pretty sure I've rambled on this blog before about how much I love fall...so I won't go off again. Anyways, I got to break out some of Mia's hand-me-down sweaters for Maggie. I just couldn't resist doing a mini photoshoot with Maggie all decked out in her autumn garb...although I have to admit that it took quite a bit of effort to get a picture with her wearing the hat. She takes them off immediately after I put them on her! After reading my friend Carol's blog, I had to "borrow" her hand-me-down photo idea and post a pic of Mia wearing the same outfit. I have to laugh because I remember when I took that picture of Mia (in Arizona) it wasn't even cold enough to need a sweater! I was just dying to put her in some cold weather clothes!

Mia, (almost) 7 months

Maggie, 11 months

A confessional of sorts

So I've been thinking lately about how motherhood is stretching me, making me grow and bring things out in me I didn't expect (some good and some bad). One of the things I've been pondering is how I personalize things that my child does. I had one such experience today that did just that. A friend and her little boy came over for lunch today. While the kids were playing, Mia all of the sudden threw a rather large, clunky toy right at the boy's head. Of course, I had to immediately discipline her and make her say sorry...but I also had the distinct feeling of embarrassment. I was embarrassed that MY child threw a toy. I heard myself say, "she's never done this before". In this case it was actually true, but still, I know how it is to hear other moms say that. And many times I have thought to myself, yeah right. Well now I was one of those moms!

So it made me ponder why we as mothers personalize the things our children do as well as the difficult things we experience as moms that are out of our control. Whether it's not getting to breastfeed your baby (at all or not as long as one hoped), or your birth plan not going according to plan at all, or having your child be aggressive, or dealing with tantrums, and on and on the list could go. We start to feel insecure and wonder if we're a bad mother. Do we personalize simply because we are selfish beings at our core? We want others to think we're a good mom? Maybe it's a good thing, maybe it spurs us on to be a better mom. ?? I suppose that's looking for the positive in a pessimistic way. I'm just wondering if there's a positive side to it all...if we SHOULD personalize such things or if we should always be exerting ourselves not to do so. Regardless, I know it's something I experience and in talking to many other moms I know they experience too. There's much comfort in that at least...

Expectations

OK so obviously I haven't been on top of my blog as of late. I was serioiusly thinking of quitting and deleting it (again!). I mean, I'm not very good about regularly doing posts, and honestly I have a very miniscule amount of readers. Last night, for some reason, I looked through all my old posts and pictures. And I must say, I really enjoyed it. I had started this blog with hopes of keeping in contact with friends and family, but what I didn't expect to find was that it serves somewhat as a journal and mini-snapshot of life's past events. As of September 1st we have lived in Chicagoland for 1 year. So maybe looking back over the past year was extra special considering so many new events and such took place. Regardless, I found I enjoy my blog just for personal reasons-- to look back and reflect. So for this reason I plan to continue....

Summer photoshoot

Here's just a small handful of the pictures we had taken by a wonderful, local photographer back in June. Both kids weren't exactly cooperative, but she managed to get some great shots.

Pals

6 years

Yesterday Gabe and I celebrated our 6 year anniversary. Our wedding day seems forever ago-- in a good way! I feel blessed to have what feels like my perfect match. :)

Maggie love

I realized I haven't really written about what Maggie is like these days. Most of you know that as a very young baby she could be rather unpredictable. She had these crying spells in the evenings where she was inconsolable, she was a swing addict, and she was pretty poor sleeper. Well, almost exactly around 4 months things changed dramatically--not that she was ever that bad--but she became such a sweet, compliant baby! She just goes with the flow no matter what. She's happy pretty much all the time and your guaranteed a smile if you smile at her. I absolutely adore her sweet personality.

It's hard to believe she's 6 and a half months old already. I've actually gotten kind of sentimental about it lately! Being my second, I know that the future holds many tantrums, battles of will and not as many cuddles so I think I'm cherishing the "baby days" more this time around instead of always looking forward to the next stage. By the way, Maggie is pretty much sitting up now. She still topples over a good bit but she's about there.

I was telling Gabe just last night how much I love having 2 kids. It was a hard adjustment at first, and those first 3 or 4 months after Maggie was born were pretty rough at times. Having a newborn is hard no matter what, but add in there having an independent, strong-willed toddler and it can get interesting. Plus, it was wintertime...definitely NOT the best time to have a baby! And, we were still adjusting to being here in IL and not really knowing anyone. Having virtually no help with 1 kid is manageable, but having 2 kids....well, it just makes me wish I had a little outside help sometimes. Anyways-- all that to say that I fell like things have come full circle now. I feel well adjusted to life with 2 kids. Not to say I don't have my hands full and have those moments where I feel as if I'm going to lose my mind, but I'm in a good place now and enjoying my 2 girls.

Spring visits

Sorry about my absence from the blog world...not that I was really missed all that much (boo-hoo!). In my love-hate relationship with blogging, I am currently residing in the "hate" stage. But, none the less, here I am posting because I was inspired by a visit from family this past week.

I love having visitors, especially when it's family. Gabe's twin sisters Amanda and Aubrey (and her husband Justin and their 2 boys) drove out from PA. Boy oh boy did Mia have fun with Drew who is her junior by only 6 days. Their favorite activity was to "take a walk" around the house while holding hands. Too cute. We got to do our fair bit of hanging out (MarioKart anyone?) and Chicago sight-seeing. I've included some pictures of their visit. Isn't that a nice family photo of Aubrey, Justin and the kids? Such sweet, cooperative children. Now compare that to our family picture! And that's the best of several taken! Ha! ;)

The latest

I've had a few people ask me lately for recent pictures of the girls. So, here's a few-- Mia is 2yo and Maggie is 5 months now.

Happy Birthday Mia!

My baby's 2! I know everyone always says it, but I can't believe it! Well, I can and I can't. It seems like just yesterday that she was born, but at the same time, there's no doubt that she's a full-blown 2 year old. Strong will, independence and tantrums are in full swing. I have to pray for patience each and every day. Seriously.

So we had a little party for her this past Friday night. Her Grammy B. was in town for the festivities, which was fun. Without really meaning for it to be, it turned into a mostly Elmo themed party. Elmo hats, Elmo balloons, Elmo bouncy balls, Elmo cards and wrapping paper. What can I say-- the girl loves Elmo! No Elmo cake though-- Mia had discovered cupcakes a few weeks before at one of her little friend's parties and thought they were just to die for so, I made chocolate cupcakes with pink frosting and multi-colored sprinkles. She liked them, but I have to confess that I've eaten WAY more cupcakes than she has!

Mia got lots of great gifts. One of her faves was a little stroller for her dolls. She is starting to like dolls and get into pretend play now. However, she's more excited about wheeling her Elmo doll around in the stroller or squeezing her little behind into the doll stroller. ;)

Grandaddy, Bobo, Tony...

My Grandaddy passed away on March 20th. We were fortunate enough to be able to attend the funeral in Texas. It was a beautiful service-- I always knew my Grandaddy was a good man, but sitting in the service listening to his life in review, I was deeply impressed by the impact he had on his community. He was a community leader, and he will be greatly missed. He was also a family man. Everyone in the family loved and admired him. Grandaddy's inspiring obituary can be found here: http://www.amarillo.com/stories/032408/obi_obits8.shtml

Although I understand it was his time to go, and probably for the best considering the physical battles he was undergoing, I will deeply miss him. To me he was my Grandaddy. As a kid he teased me and pulled my pigtails. He always had such a fun sense of humor! I miss my Grandaddy, and I am grateful for everything he has been to me and my family. It is so comforting to know that he is with our Lord now...no better place to be!

They're gone

My Mom and Dad are in South Africa. Yeah, South Africa. They really couldn't be much further away. Although part of me is sad-- mostly for my kid's sake-- for the most part I am really happy and proud that my parents are doing what they're doing. I find it so inspiring and humbling to think about the personal sacrifice that they are making to pursue the call that God has on their lives. I can only hope that I would have the courage to do the same. So, if you think of them, please pray. You can support their mission and keep up with them on their blog: http://maniac4missions.blogspot.com/

February...

I thought I'd give a family update since it's been a while...

The kids are doing great. Although I definitely can't brag about Maggie's sleep habits, she's getting more and more interactive all the time. She is finally to the stage where she's "playing" (in a baby sort of way of course). She loves to watch Mia run around, and Mia is absolutely obsessed with her. I can't tell you how many times a day I say "don't lay on her Mia," "gentle Mia," etc, etc. But, I also can't say how many times a day Mia gives Maggie hugs and kisses. I've really been enjoying watching them interact. They already have such a sweet bond! One funny thing about Maggie is that she is a loud baby and she loves attention! Whether she's crying or cooing she is just plain loud! Gabe and I just can't get over it-- we're always saying to each other, "Geez, she is SO loud!" Kinda funny...I wonder where she gets it from. ;)

Gabe is doing well at work. However, things are really starting to pick up lately, so there has been quite a bit of pressure on him. If you think of him, you can say a little prayer that he withstands the mounting stress and pressure of this new position.

I suppose I'm doing pretty well too. I've had some nasty cabin fever due to this dreadfully cold weather we've been having-- although I've enjoyed having winter again, I'm definitely ready for spring to be here! And don't any of you Arizona folk dare say I told you so-- I'd still rather deal with our 3 month winter than the 6 month summer of AZ! Besides being stuck inside a great deal and playing with the girls, I've been getting involved in a mommy group. It's basically a group of moms that organize different activities and playgroups and such. It's been a good way for me to meet people. If you need something to pray for in regards to me, you can pray that I am able to be a good witness.

That'll do for now...