Ready for December

Over the past week we have celebrated Thanksgiving twice (Thursday & Saturday), my birthday twice (the previous Saturday and Wednesday) and found time to decorate for Christmas and snag a few deals on Black Friday. We've been busy. This time of year is always exciting for me. Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday and decorating for Christmas is one of my favorite things to do. Plus, my birthday is usually sandwiched in between. Occasionally it lands on Thanksgiving, which is even more fun.

When I was younger, my birthday was probably the highlight of November, but now that I'm an adult, decorating my house is definitely my favorite part of this month. I look forward to pulling out all the decorations from the basement each year and transforming my living room for the month of December. I always decorate on the day after Thanksgiving, and this year was no exception, although I did have to wait until Saturday night to finish the tree. I have to give credit to my husband for all the hard work of digging out the boxes of decorations from under the stairs in the basement and carrying them all upstairs for me.

This year I did a few things differently. I built a platform for the tree to keep little hands from pulling it over. I used the box from our TV and an empty computer case to set up a double tiered "stage" and covered it with my holiday table cloth and the tree skirt. It turned out pretty well. I also like the fact that it makes the tree appear taller, showcasing it in our big front window.

I also made an original centerpiece for our coffee table. I used the glass bowl that usually holds some artificial flowers and filled the bottom with mini ornaments. I also put some bendable wreath snaffoos (I have no idea what to call them!) around the inside of the bowl and placed a candle holder with a red pillar candle in the center. I placed the entire thing on a decorative mirror. I can't help but think that this would be an amazing centerpiece for a Christmas wedding. Feel free to steal my idea if you are getting married in December!

Unfortunately, one thing is missing... I put up my Nativity scene on the mantle and discovered the manger is missing! I got it as a gift last year and this is the first time I have opened it. I ended up propping baby Jesus against Mary and he looks like he is standing up. I decided that Nativity scenes never feature a true newborn anyway; this baby is way too big to be a day old! Proportionally, he is bigger than Micah, so it's not surprising that he can stand up. Ha!

Now that the house is decorated, I'm in the Christmas mood. We were invited to a Christmas party today that I am really looking forward to: the annual Tacky Christmas Sweater Party! Yay!

Who's Been in My House?

For those of you who don't know, our house has been on the market for about a month now. This afternoon another Realtor showed it to some people. It was our first showing. My generous in-laws helped us spiff the place up real quick. It was pretty clean to begin with, but we made it really sparkle. Then we all took off. Eric and I took Micah to the mall to walk around. We taste-tested bourbon chicken, checked out the game store, and gawked at expensive stoves and dreamed about buying giant tool chests and deluxe washer-and-dryer sets in Sears. (Okay, so only I was dreaming of deluxe washers and dryers.) We stopped at McDonalds for some dollar menu goodies afterward. We laughed at Micah sitting in the high chair. He gets a kick out of sitting in his own seat. While I munched on french fries, he gnawed on my purse. Such is life with a 7-month-old.

When we got home, our house shown like a beacon on a hill. Literally. All the lights were still on and all the blinds were open. In a dark neighborhood, it really stuck out. I made a mental note to always close the blinds when the lights are on at night... you can see everything.

Inside, it was weird knowing someone had been there, especially because there was evidence. When we walked in, some doors were open and I found shower curtains pulled aside. Some of the lights were dimmed because they must have been testing the dimmers. And the Realtor left a business card on the kitchen table. Eric and I joked that we'd walk in and find them watching the Packer game on the flat screen.

I hope they didn't look at our photos on the mantle or on the walls and think, "what a weird family." I wonder if they read the titles on our bookshelf. Do you think they used the bathroom?

Showing your house is very nerve wracking. It's also weird coming home knowing complete strangers were walking around your house and judging it.

Let the Baby Proofing Begin

Over the past few days, my little man has started lifting himself up off the floor and scooting backwards. I'm sure it won't be too long before he finally figures out how to go forward and then we'll all be chasing after him. He already knows how to open cupboard doors and drawers. We're in trouble!



Today he did something that just cracked me up. He was sitting by the window and he squashed a fly with his thumb. You know it's getting cold outside when the flies are moving around so slow that a baby can kill one with his bare hands! Way to go Micah! I think he was trying to pick it up. I'm sure he would have tried to eat it, too, if he was able. Gross!

Today has been really difficult for me. I have been battling this head cold, and today it reached the peak of intensity. My face was throbbing from sinus pressure and all I wanted to do was sleep, but guess what.... mommies don't get a day off! Fortunately, a Motrin made the sinus pressure bearable. I have a lot of catching up to do now with my Pregnancy blog and laundry, now that I'm coming out of my coma. I really hate colds. I haven't had one in over a year. Yuck!

My husband really helped me out today, though. He did the grocery shopping for me!! Wow, he did a great job, too! He got everything we needed  (for the rest of the month, probably) and a little extra for about $105. Hmm... maybe he should do the shopping all the time. He is really good at finding deals!

I need to add more movies to my Netflix cue. Any suggestions?

Another Season

In my last post I mentioned that Micah had no teeth yet. I spoke too soon! Saturday afternoon, I noticed that my fussy little boy had a "split" gum - and in that little opening was a tiny tooth coming through! This morning he was in much better spirits; the hardest part is over. Today I could feel the sharp little point with my finger. Pretty soon it will be big enough for me to take a photo. I can't believe it's happening already! People always tell you how fast children grow, but you never realize how true this is until they sprout right before your eyes.

The temperature around here is dropping fast. I pulled out Micah's snowsuit and we wore it to church this morning. I discovered that he loves it, and it is a surefire way to get him to doze off. He is so snuggly in that thing! We went to a harvest party last night and our little guy didn't end up going to bed until 10pm or so. As a result he was very tired today, and ended up passing out for over three hours this afternoon. For a little boy who usually sleeps 30-40 minutes at a time, this was shocking! I didn't know what to do with myself during that time. I ended up reading an entire magazine while waiting for him to wake up. My house was already clean so basically I had nothing to do but lounge and wait for him to wake up. I guess I can't complain about that!

Our family is going through some big changes right now. We are hoping to move 30-45 minutes north of where we are currently, but the housing market may prevent that. I want to live closer to our parents now that we have a son. He needs to be close to his grandparents! We have also been hit pretty hard by the recession. The increased cost of living combined with me working only part time from home has made things financially tricky. Moving would mean lower expenses, as well, so I'm hoping that works out. But, I know that God has everything under control and he might have something better in mind for us, so I'm keeping an open mind. In the meantime, having our house listed means it has to be spotless 24/7. This is perfect for me - it will force me to make keeping my house clean a habit, something I've been wanting to do for a while. I'm tired of cleaning in spurts and then letting things get messy again. I have found that it's much easier to maintain a spotless house than a "ruffled" one.

I am really looking forward to November. Not only is Thanksgiving in November (my favorite holiday), but my birthday is in November as well. It's not the same as it was when I was a kid, but it's a fun excuse to get together with my family, eat my favorite dinner and indulge in birthday cake.

WAHM

So you want to stay home with your kids, but you can't afford it? I can totally sympathize. Our journey has been a difficult one, and making it work is a continuous battle. Despite the stress of learning how to live on a single income, I would not return to work for anything. I love being a full time mom.

Thoughts on Hard Work

"Time stays long enough for anyone who will use it." -- Leonardo Da Vinci

"She looks well to the ways of her household
and does not eat the bread of idleness." -- Proverbs 31:27

Out With the Old

I've never been very motivated when it comes to housework. I'm not talking about just cleaning, but all things pertaining to maintaining a household: paying bills, organizing, cooking, shopping (groceries), yard work, etc. When I got married and got my own place for the first time, I had to pick up the slack and take some initiative in the home department, otherwise there wasn't going to be anything to eat or wear. I wasn't very successful; many times the sink was overflowing with dishes and Eric had to throw shirt in the dryer to freshen it up before work. Those weren't exactly my glory days as a wife, or even as a human being.

How To Get a Free Bouquet

Step 1: Shed those PJ's and pull on some neighborhood worthy pants. Put some warm clothes on that baby. Grab the stroller, a pair of sharp wire cutters, a vase filled with water, and a pair of garden gloves.

Step 2: Grab your keys and head outside. Breathe in the crisp morning air. Wonder what the crew is doing to the house across the street. Put the pacifier back in your baby's mouth and realize the sun is in his eyes. Put the shade down on the stroller.

Step 3: Keep walking until you reach the outer corners of your subdivision where neither mower nor backhoe have crawled. Scan the field for your favorite colors.

Step 4: Cut a variety of wild flowers, interesting twigs and grasses with your wire cutters. Wear your garden gloves to protect your hands from prickles. Fill up your vase. Worry about arrangement later.

Step 5: Head back to the house. Realize the crew is resealing the driveway to make the unsold house look newer. Wonder if the housing market is ever going to turn around in your area. Wonder if you're unknowingly bringing pests into your home.

Step 6: Unload the baby, the vase, your unsightly "mom" sweatshirt and the garden gloves. Arrange the wildflowers while your baby stares. Top off the vase with water, hoping they will not wilt by tomorrow. Take a few photos since you know they will be wilted by tomorrow. Find a sneaky little lady bug in your bouquet. Decide he's harmless and spare his life.

Step 7: Thank the Lord for gorgeous flowers to brighten your home and your day...

How NOT To Lose Small Parts

Once in a while I come up with a great idea that sort up comes up behind me and clunks me on the head. I use a Medela brand pump and it's fairly easy to clean, especially if you just load all the parts into the dishwasher. Up until this morning, however, I was always stuck cleaning the little white membranes by hand. These things are as thin as paper and easy to lose considering they disappear whenever you place them in a white sink. I have a package of spares, but that's not the point! All of a sudden it dawned on me that I have the perfect little container to keep these things from falling through the cracks in my Munchkin dishwasher basket...

A Tea ball! (And I'm not talking about a bunch of tiny children wacking a baseball off a stick.)

I wish I had ideas like this more often.

No Higher Calling

There is no higher calling according to the will of God, than for a woman to be a wife and a mother. She is designed to be a mother, a nurturer. Her success and worth are not rooted in her position on the corporate ladder, nor in her the shape of her body, nor the smoothness of her face. The measure of a woman lies in the extent to which she serves as the heart and soul of her home, her family. The world's plan, under the mask of feminism and incorrectly labeled as freedom, is in fact a crack in the foundation of family life. God's plan is for a woman to give her best and her all to her family and her home - to her husband and children. He has given her the strength, the creativity, the thriftiness, the love, the care, the attention to detail, the wisdom and the skill to run a household. It's no small job. And woman, wife, mother... is no small position.

1 Timothy 5:10
And having a reputation for good works: if she has brought up children, has shown hospitality, has washed the feet of the saints, has cared for the afflicted, and has devoted herself to every good work.

Genesis 2:24
Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh.

Genesis 3:20
The man called his wife's name Eve, because she was the mother of all living.

Titus 2:4-5
and so train the young women to love their husbands and children, to be self-controlled, pure, working at home, kind, and submissive to their own husbands, that the word of God may not be reviled.

Genesis 2:18
Then the Lord God said, “It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him a helper fit for him.”

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This post was inspired by the book I'm currently reading, Lies Women Believe: And the Truth that Sets Them Free, for the Women of Hope summer bible study. Lie #20: A career outside the home is more valuable and fulfilling than being a wife and mother.

There Is Time...

To do everything (that God has intended for me to do.)

I'm currently reading Lies Women Believe: And the Truth that Sets Them Free for the Women of Hope summer bible study. I think I've reached the most critical chapter of the book for me personally, and that is Lies that Women Believe... About Priorities. Instantly, lie #18 stuck out like a sore thumb.

"I Don't Have Time to Do Everything I'm Supposed to Do."

Could this book be any more relevant to my current struggles? A few weeks ago, I cried while sharing the mountain I've been climbing both emotionally, physically and spiritually. My thought process was as follows:

It's an hourly struggle: 'what am I supposed to do with my time?' I have a million things I could be doing, but I don't know which is most important! Should I work (and try to make some money) or should I play with my son? Should I attempt to clean this house or should I watch a movie with my husband? Should I get the exercise I need or take a nap? Should I spend time in the Word or finish my assigned blog by midnight? At the end of the day, I feel like I have nothing accomplished and I'm still worried about the bank account.

DeMoss presents an entirely different perspective that is incredibly liberating!

"The Truth is that all I have to do is the work God assigns to me. What a freedom it has been for me to accept that there is time for me to do everything that is on God's 'to do' list for my day, for my week, and for my life!"

I need to drop everyone else's agenda and focus on what God has for me to do. Each season of life has its own set of priorities. It has become increasingly clear what my role is supposed to be, and I have learned to take my "to do" list to the Lord to have it cleaned out. When Micah falls asleep for his nap, I ask God, "What should I do with this time you've given me." Usually the important task at hand becomes clear. My Monday may not look the same as my Tuesday because of this. Sometimes dishes sit in the sink until the next morning, but I have a happy baby and a healthier walk with the Lord. I may not get to work on my blog until midnight (I write for Families.com), but it always gets done and we're eating healthier meals these days. I have eliminated the frustration I used to feel when my baby would wake up sooner than expected or need to be held more than usual. When this happens, the truth is clear in my mind: I am a mother, this is my highest priority right now. This is exactly what I should be doing with my time... right now.

As long as I am not wasting time and I am committing my plans to the Lord, I can be assured that I am accomplishing everything He has set out for me to do that day. I can rest easily at night in full confidence that I have finished all that was supposed to be finished.

Mattress Rejuvenation

Eric and I sleep on a very old bed. It was my bed before we got married, and it was my parents' bed before that. In its heyday, it was a pretty luxurious mattress, but 15+ years of sweet dreams have taken their toll. The bed sags in the middle like a hammock, leaving my husband very sore in the morning. Towards the end of my pregnancy, he took to sleeping on the floor on a piece of memory foam. He didn't fit in our queen size bed very well anyway, considering I was taking up so much space with my large pregnant belly and 52 pillows. Then he got accustomed to the floor in the other room during the first few weeks after Micah was born. I started to miss him a lot. We really wanted a new mattress, but they are much too expensive for us right now.
Last night my dad and Eric went to Menards and picked up a 3/4" 4x8' piece of particle board for $10 and brought it back home. They trimmed it and stuck it in between the mattress and box spring. It's like a brand new bed! Last night I got my hubby back! I sleep so much better when he's there next to me - he keeps the bed warm and I like the sound of him breathing. As I was falling asleep, I thanked God for my two men: my big man on my left and my little man on my right. I am so blessed. This morning I felt great, too. The bed was much more supportive. I can't believe what a difference that board made.