so we've been feeling like it's been "summer vacation" for oh about 2 months now... but it's really been kickin' in and these days both our jewel and i both don't want to do school... so this week has been kind of an off week. monday was reading day and i just let her read to herself, i read to her, and we even did math, reading style. then she had swim lessons.
she's been going to swim lessons everyday so that seems to tire her out. sometimes, if i'm able, we've been going early and hitting the pool before her lessons start. this is a bit of a sight since i never learned to swim!
tuesday, i had a meeting for CC that took up the afternoon and then it was off to swim.
today, we had a dentist appointment for our jewel and me, a doctor's appointment for our precious, and then swim. we're also watching my friends' twins as she has a surgical procedure done today. i managed to make my blueberry jam and get in a quick run this morning. digressing a bit, but i'm only 3 weeks into my training and already i'm sick of running. this is NOT a good sign!
tomorrow i have another meeting for CC in the afternoon and we'll have the twins with us all day so that'll take up thursday.
friday, our jewel has her last spring swim and gym class from another gym and then we're rushing her to the daily swim lesson right after that... i know a whole lot of swim is going on these days.
so i'm thinking that i'll probably resume school again next week. fortunately, i've made the schedule so that her summer schedule ends by lunch time so it's not all crazy and she still has plenty of time to run outside and play with friends. i think the question i've been getting the most these days is, "you homeschool through the summer????" they look at me like i'm crazy. but honestly i love it. it's the best way to go for us. we take breaks throughout the school year and so if some in the family is sick, or has a birthday, or whatever, we can take it out without the stress of trying to make up for it. besides, i remember all that review that was done at the beginning of each school year to make up for all that memory loss during the summer and it's such a waste! so this way, we just plug along at a nice pace and there's no stress :)
Showing posts with label mid week recap. Show all posts
Showing posts with label mid week recap. Show all posts
Wednesday, June 13, 2012
Thursday, May 24, 2012
update
so i've been spending the last several days praying, pondering, sometimes, just kind of going but not thinking (know what i mean?)
we received some news earlier this week that i'm still processing. i'd really like to go hide somewhere for the next several months - preferably where i will know no one, somewhere on a nice secluded beach, somewhere other than here... makes me think of "no man is an island" bit... but alas, that's not the life we live and i don't think it's the life God intends. i've been pondering this idea of what it means to live victoriously and powerfully in the kindgom of God. no, it's not some crazy off the deep end weirdo christianese... it's the idea that God said that He who is in me is bigger than what's in the world; it's the promise that God says, I will never leave you or forsake you... so if God - Almighty, Powerful, Reigns over all - God is inside of me and He promises me that He came to give me life, than shouldn't my life be characterized by His promises?
there are days i wake up in the morning and i feel like i've got a serious hang out (it could be the carbs - i'm still figuring it out), but it's definitely not alcohol cause i definitely didn't have any - unless you count using rubbing alcohol to wipe my earrings. and there's a lie that satan whispers in my ear. "i don't want to..... " and then the "if onlys" kick in... and i have a choice - i can agree and be miserable - which i admit i do quite often sometimes, or i can discern what God is saying versus what Satan is saying. You know, satan's been lying to us since the beginning of time.. and it's the same ol' lie. "Did God really say.... "
so, i'm still meditating on what God's words say but i have to admit it's been a wrestling match of the heavenlies.
on a lighter note, i really think i'm seeing the effects of carbs in my diet. we didn't do a lot of carbs for a while and just last week i re-introduced rice into our everyday eating and i feel awful. in fact, i think it's causing me to run a 45 second slower pace during my runs. but oh man! does it taste so good going down. so the question is, is it worth it?
on a brighter and more worthy note, our jewel reminded me today of 1 peter 5:7 - cast all your anxieties upon Him because He cares for you.
we received some news earlier this week that i'm still processing. i'd really like to go hide somewhere for the next several months - preferably where i will know no one, somewhere on a nice secluded beach, somewhere other than here... makes me think of "no man is an island" bit... but alas, that's not the life we live and i don't think it's the life God intends. i've been pondering this idea of what it means to live victoriously and powerfully in the kindgom of God. no, it's not some crazy off the deep end weirdo christianese... it's the idea that God said that He who is in me is bigger than what's in the world; it's the promise that God says, I will never leave you or forsake you... so if God - Almighty, Powerful, Reigns over all - God is inside of me and He promises me that He came to give me life, than shouldn't my life be characterized by His promises?
there are days i wake up in the morning and i feel like i've got a serious hang out (it could be the carbs - i'm still figuring it out), but it's definitely not alcohol cause i definitely didn't have any - unless you count using rubbing alcohol to wipe my earrings. and there's a lie that satan whispers in my ear. "i don't want to..... " and then the "if onlys" kick in... and i have a choice - i can agree and be miserable - which i admit i do quite often sometimes, or i can discern what God is saying versus what Satan is saying. You know, satan's been lying to us since the beginning of time.. and it's the same ol' lie. "Did God really say.... "
so, i'm still meditating on what God's words say but i have to admit it's been a wrestling match of the heavenlies.
on a lighter note, i really think i'm seeing the effects of carbs in my diet. we didn't do a lot of carbs for a while and just last week i re-introduced rice into our everyday eating and i feel awful. in fact, i think it's causing me to run a 45 second slower pace during my runs. but oh man! does it taste so good going down. so the question is, is it worth it?
on a brighter and more worthy note, our jewel reminded me today of 1 peter 5:7 - cast all your anxieties upon Him because He cares for you.
Saturday, March 3, 2012
it's 2012/2013 already?
i'm already well into the 2012/2013 school year. can you believe it?
busy sharing about CC, hiring tutors, directors, etc.
also, on my to do list is coordinating and planning for our summer 3 day homeschooling conference. it's been so busy here!
am trying desperately to find time and motivate myself to run. it's been terribly difficult to do without accountability. the running group here meets crazy late - 9am on saturdays. it's so ironic to me - down south, i had to beg my running pals to meet me after 6am and here i can't seem to find running groups who meet before 8.
looking back over the past several months, i have to say that i'm so impressed with our jewel's academic developments. i can't believe how much she has learned. i decided to sign her up for a standardized assessment test the end of april so that it'll help me to see if she's on track with stuff and if there are any holes we need to fill in. as a note to self, here's a list of stuff she's been working on:
1. Poetry: memorizing "Paul Revere's Ride" by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow.
She's about 1/2 way though.
2. Latin: memorizing John 1:1-7 in latin
3. Geography: learning US map - states, capital, features
4. Grammar: almost done w/ the book 1. i'm debating if i want to move to book 2 or if i should take a break and work on something different.
5. Math: Will be wrapping up math u see but will probably buy saxon 2 math and go back over it as review.
6. Literature: we've been reading through American Dream and it's tied in really well with our American History.
7. Science: she's going through a BJU book. it's not my favorite but it's her time to see other gals her age once a week and the moms who lead it are fabulous at coming up with science experiments.
8. Spelling: She's been going through spelling rules and a list but I'm not sure if this is sufficient or if i should get a separately. the other thing that i need to be better about is doing this on a weekly basis and just doing the test every friday. this seems to be the subject that i get loosy goosey on so it's been more like a test every other week.
9. Timeline; memorizing the major people & events that affected western civilization.
busy sharing about CC, hiring tutors, directors, etc.
also, on my to do list is coordinating and planning for our summer 3 day homeschooling conference. it's been so busy here!
am trying desperately to find time and motivate myself to run. it's been terribly difficult to do without accountability. the running group here meets crazy late - 9am on saturdays. it's so ironic to me - down south, i had to beg my running pals to meet me after 6am and here i can't seem to find running groups who meet before 8.
looking back over the past several months, i have to say that i'm so impressed with our jewel's academic developments. i can't believe how much she has learned. i decided to sign her up for a standardized assessment test the end of april so that it'll help me to see if she's on track with stuff and if there are any holes we need to fill in. as a note to self, here's a list of stuff she's been working on:
1. Poetry: memorizing "Paul Revere's Ride" by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow.
She's about 1/2 way though.
2. Latin: memorizing John 1:1-7 in latin
3. Geography: learning US map - states, capital, features
4. Grammar: almost done w/ the book 1. i'm debating if i want to move to book 2 or if i should take a break and work on something different.
5. Math: Will be wrapping up math u see but will probably buy saxon 2 math and go back over it as review.
6. Literature: we've been reading through American Dream and it's tied in really well with our American History.
7. Science: she's going through a BJU book. it's not my favorite but it's her time to see other gals her age once a week and the moms who lead it are fabulous at coming up with science experiments.
8. Spelling: She's been going through spelling rules and a list but I'm not sure if this is sufficient or if i should get a separately. the other thing that i need to be better about is doing this on a weekly basis and just doing the test every friday. this seems to be the subject that i get loosy goosey on so it's been more like a test every other week.
9. Timeline; memorizing the major people & events that affected western civilization.
Sunday, February 19, 2012
random update
1. i started running again. this time i'm really going to take it nice and slow. i ran a couple of miles a few times last week. this week, i did 2, 3, and then 3.5 today. oh it feels so nice to be out there again!
2. i signed up for wineglass. i'm so excited! it's exciting the prospect of being able to run a marathon again. i'm sure my time will be pretty blah, but that's ok - i'm just hoping my back will hold up.
3. our jewel was so excited today. she won her first chess game against the computer. i love seeing sheer joy on the faces of children. there's nothing like it - that unadulterated joy is like none other.
4. it's amazing how a catchy tune can make you sing geography. this week it's the US rivers and i've been unintentionally singing it or humming it all week!
5. our precious is growing leaps and bounds. she's 5 months and yet she's in 9 mo. clothes. i've got to get myself down to my parents and pick up some 12mo clothes right quick!
6. i'm starting to get a little stressed out about putting on a parent homeschooling conference this summer. i just started thinking about it today and i've got so much to do that it's pretty crazy... so i might just put off thinking about it a few more days. ha ha ha.
7. it just occurred to me that i've been wanting to paint my nails for over a month now, but i haven't been able to find the time. every time i think of it, i think of something that i have to do that will require them getting messed up - like the pile of laundry staring me in the face. hum, i wonder if my nail painting is going to be like my hair cuts - twice a year.
2. i signed up for wineglass. i'm so excited! it's exciting the prospect of being able to run a marathon again. i'm sure my time will be pretty blah, but that's ok - i'm just hoping my back will hold up.
3. our jewel was so excited today. she won her first chess game against the computer. i love seeing sheer joy on the faces of children. there's nothing like it - that unadulterated joy is like none other.
4. it's amazing how a catchy tune can make you sing geography. this week it's the US rivers and i've been unintentionally singing it or humming it all week!
5. our precious is growing leaps and bounds. she's 5 months and yet she's in 9 mo. clothes. i've got to get myself down to my parents and pick up some 12mo clothes right quick!
6. i'm starting to get a little stressed out about putting on a parent homeschooling conference this summer. i just started thinking about it today and i've got so much to do that it's pretty crazy... so i might just put off thinking about it a few more days. ha ha ha.
7. it just occurred to me that i've been wanting to paint my nails for over a month now, but i haven't been able to find the time. every time i think of it, i think of something that i have to do that will require them getting messed up - like the pile of laundry staring me in the face. hum, i wonder if my nail painting is going to be like my hair cuts - twice a year.
Friday, February 3, 2012
random tidbits
just randomly thinking back to the birth of baby #2. it was odd to think that i was stone silent during the entire time. with #1 i was ms. chatter box. but with #2, you couldn't get me to talk for anything. i think it was the prospect of the c-section that left me speechless. i don't think my man has ever seen me that silent. i think it scared him. isn't that odd? that silence can scare a man?
today i learned that our jewel's ballet teacher isn't going to be there anymore. i really liked him as a teacher and now i'm bummed. i don't think i would have switched her over to this school had i known he was going to be gone only after 3 weeks of us being there :(
do you ever look around your house and see all the projects you want to finish but know it'll probably never get done? ie. the island in our kitchen that we had upcycled and topped off with a wine rack. pretty cool concept if we could just finish it. or what about my wing back chairs that i seem to re-upholster/ slip cover everywhere we go... it's time for another change but that's probably not going to happen either. and lastly, my kitchen table that we painted two years ago.. it needs to be stripped of the paint and re-stained. yes, i knew i was going to do this when i first painted it, but i wanted to paint it anyways....
kiddo tidbits:
- our jewel: she's an amazing big sister. honestly, she has got to be the best helper this side of town! she's doing remarkably well in school and i've been really impressed with how much she can handle on her own. this week we finally met our neighbor next door and it turns out they have an 8 year old daughter (only child) and so they had their first playdate yesterday. it's so awesome to be able to just pop over next door and they seem to be getting along splendidly. could this be her new kindred spirit?
- our precious: i can't believe how big she's getting. i've got to bump her up as she's outgrown her infant carseat at almost 5 months. her eczema seems to be subsiding. yeah!
but she's STILL not sleeping through the night!!! me thinks she's not getting enough to eat while nursing as she seems to take a full feeding each time she wakes up in the middle of the night. the problem is that she hates the bottle and she's very hit or miss with the rice porridge... so it's been a doozy trying to supplement. i'm really at my wit's end. last night i was so tired, i fell asleep at 8:45pm. however, i was as tired as ever when i got out of bed this morning at 7am because our precious eat every other hour!!! i was thinking back to the last few months and i realized that since she's been born, i have not slept more than 4 hours in a row. it's taking it's toll on my body and my memory is worse than ever.
today i learned that our jewel's ballet teacher isn't going to be there anymore. i really liked him as a teacher and now i'm bummed. i don't think i would have switched her over to this school had i known he was going to be gone only after 3 weeks of us being there :(
do you ever look around your house and see all the projects you want to finish but know it'll probably never get done? ie. the island in our kitchen that we had upcycled and topped off with a wine rack. pretty cool concept if we could just finish it. or what about my wing back chairs that i seem to re-upholster/ slip cover everywhere we go... it's time for another change but that's probably not going to happen either. and lastly, my kitchen table that we painted two years ago.. it needs to be stripped of the paint and re-stained. yes, i knew i was going to do this when i first painted it, but i wanted to paint it anyways....
kiddo tidbits:
- our jewel: she's an amazing big sister. honestly, she has got to be the best helper this side of town! she's doing remarkably well in school and i've been really impressed with how much she can handle on her own. this week we finally met our neighbor next door and it turns out they have an 8 year old daughter (only child) and so they had their first playdate yesterday. it's so awesome to be able to just pop over next door and they seem to be getting along splendidly. could this be her new kindred spirit?
- our precious: i can't believe how big she's getting. i've got to bump her up as she's outgrown her infant carseat at almost 5 months. her eczema seems to be subsiding. yeah!
but she's STILL not sleeping through the night!!! me thinks she's not getting enough to eat while nursing as she seems to take a full feeding each time she wakes up in the middle of the night. the problem is that she hates the bottle and she's very hit or miss with the rice porridge... so it's been a doozy trying to supplement. i'm really at my wit's end. last night i was so tired, i fell asleep at 8:45pm. however, i was as tired as ever when i got out of bed this morning at 7am because our precious eat every other hour!!! i was thinking back to the last few months and i realized that since she's been born, i have not slept more than 4 hours in a row. it's taking it's toll on my body and my memory is worse than ever.
Wednesday, January 11, 2012
back pain continues
today marks day 5 that i've been rendered immobile. my man said that he now sees a bulging in my back from the hardened muscles that are trying to overcompensate.
meanwhile, my place is a complete disaster, i have a presentation on Friday to prepare for, CC starts next week, and oh yeah, my sweet precious is STILL NOT SLEEPING THROUGH THE NIGHT! running almost seems like a distance dream. sigh sigh sigh.
meanwhile, my place is a complete disaster, i have a presentation on Friday to prepare for, CC starts next week, and oh yeah, my sweet precious is STILL NOT SLEEPING THROUGH THE NIGHT! running almost seems like a distance dream. sigh sigh sigh.
Sunday, December 11, 2011
updates
i know, it's been a while. it's been crazy around here.
1. our baby has been sick ( just common cold, but it's completely messed up her schedule and she's getting up quite frequently during the night - every other hour!)
2. i've got a new job with classical conversations as a service manager.
3. we're moving this week but in the mist of a lot of uncertainty -- ie. our lease is still not signed yet! - it's made for a major lesson in trust!
4. i'm sorry, i'm so tired, that i don't even remember what 4 was.
but yes, i'm still alive and plugging along in life.
1. our baby has been sick ( just common cold, but it's completely messed up her schedule and she's getting up quite frequently during the night - every other hour!)
2. i've got a new job with classical conversations as a service manager.
3. we're moving this week but in the mist of a lot of uncertainty -- ie. our lease is still not signed yet! - it's made for a major lesson in trust!
4. i'm sorry, i'm so tired, that i don't even remember what 4 was.
but yes, i'm still alive and plugging along in life.
Tuesday, November 1, 2011
oh no!
yesterday was oct 31... halloween. i took pictures of our jewel and our precious' costumes - today! the day AFTER halloween. then later today, i looked down and realized that i forgot to give our jewel the glow in the dark flower wand that i got special to match her costume while they went trick or treating yesterday. ugh! the irony is that our jewel found it last week and asked about it. i was caught off guard and i lied - saying it was for CC. (no, i don't advocate "white lies"... i was caught off guard and i wanted to apologize and ask for forgiveness for the lie. but i coudln't do that without giving away her fun surprise...)
it's a long winded way of saying that i was definitely NOT of top of things this week.
speaking of which... the week's been rather ick because i'm just now starting to feel better after being sick for almost a week. i think our precious is sick :(
lately i've found that i'll randomly think of something i want to write about as a memory point on this blog, but will forget by the time i actually get on the computer. as i mentioned on my last post, i am trying to limit my computer time during the day. i've found that if the computer is turned off at night before we go to bed, then i'm less tempted to get on the internet and steal time away from school. i guess i could write it down on a piece of paper - old school... if only i didn't lose the paper. man! if i get Alzheimer's one day, i doubt my man will notice. seriously, my memory is getting THAT bad! sheeze!
Sunday, October 23, 2011
week's recap
1. conversation with my man:
my man: are you in the mood for a late night snack?
me: oh yeah! let's get something!
my man: what do you want?
me: ohhh! how about a salad?!
my man: sometimes, you and i are just not on the same page!
2. went for my first run in 10 months this past thursday. 2 miles. averaged 10 1/2 min pace. not bad for first run. second run was 2 miles w/ my jewel on her bike. harder run the second time. 3rd run this morning wasn't easier... hoping it'll get easier soon!
3. had a wake up call this week when our jewel spoke some truth about my technical distractions. so now there's a new school rule. no email or phone during school hours for mommy. what a difference it's made! why didn't it occur to me sooner?!
my man: are you in the mood for a late night snack?
me: oh yeah! let's get something!
my man: what do you want?
me: ohhh! how about a salad?!
my man: sometimes, you and i are just not on the same page!
2. went for my first run in 10 months this past thursday. 2 miles. averaged 10 1/2 min pace. not bad for first run. second run was 2 miles w/ my jewel on her bike. harder run the second time. 3rd run this morning wasn't easier... hoping it'll get easier soon!
3. had a wake up call this week when our jewel spoke some truth about my technical distractions. so now there's a new school rule. no email or phone during school hours for mommy. what a difference it's made! why didn't it occur to me sooner?!
Friday, October 14, 2011
end of the week recap
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| a typical homeschooling day. i disliked this stuff in school yet our jewel loves it. |
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| they melt my heart! |
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| my girls |
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| this one just cracks me up! our precious gives us this look all the time and we're trying to come up with a funny name for it... but nothing yet. our jewel is lovin' on our precious like crazy. it's wonderful to observe. |
Wednesday, October 5, 2011
mid week recap
wednesdays are long days for us.
we leave for CC at 7:45AM and get home around 4pm. then our jewel has ballet at 5:15 so it's a fast dinner and then out the door. (fortunately, my man has been able to leave work early the last 2 weeks to be able to take her to ballet).
so while they are at ballet tonight, i thought i'd whip up some chicken risotto. i love the vibrant color of green peas against the creaminess of the arborio rice. unfortunately my man hates peas. so as the submission wife, what do i do? i put them in of course! it's healthy for you, my man so eat up :)
as a side, today's weather is just so perfect - for running of course. but i'm still banned from running and it's just miserable for me not to be able to lace up!!
we leave for CC at 7:45AM and get home around 4pm. then our jewel has ballet at 5:15 so it's a fast dinner and then out the door. (fortunately, my man has been able to leave work early the last 2 weeks to be able to take her to ballet).
so while they are at ballet tonight, i thought i'd whip up some chicken risotto. i love the vibrant color of green peas against the creaminess of the arborio rice. unfortunately my man hates peas. so as the submission wife, what do i do? i put them in of course! it's healthy for you, my man so eat up :)
as a side, today's weather is just so perfect - for running of course. but i'm still banned from running and it's just miserable for me not to be able to lace up!!
Tuesday, October 4, 2011
update
my man mentioned that he has been writing on his blog more than i have... which says a lot considering he writes MAYBE once a month...
so i thought i'd jot down a few "latests"...
1. my man had a conference in the city a few weeks ago and i accidentally sent him to brooklyn instead - making him 1 1/2 hours late! yikes!
2. CC is well under way and it's been busy keeping up w/ the homeschooling group, homeschooling our jewel, and having an infant.
3. our precious infant is doing really well... however we were down w/ a routine and in the last 3 days, all of a sudden she's off - not in terms of her schedule but in terms of her sleeping abilities - she's crying lots more before her 7pm and 10pm sleep, which seems so odd to me. i can't figure out what's up - i've checked all the obvious - ie. diaper, hunger, burping, etc...
4. my brain is scattered! i feel like i have ADD - i can't seem to focus and i'll come to the computer because i remembered that i was supposed to send someone an email but then i get sidetracked by the inbox and i completely forget to email that person until the most inopportune time - ie. when it's midnight and i'm trying to go to bed and i've got 10 million things racing through my head. also, i feel like i'm telling our jewel to do 10 million things at one time and she gets frustrated with me. partly it's because i forgot that i told her about the other 9,999,999 other things i told her to do and the other part because my brain just has 10 million things on it's mind all the time. sigh!
5. i've been convicted about having a grumbling spirit these days so i've been praying and trying to be more diligent about having a heart of thanksgiving before God. i find that i've been complaining more to my man and i think it's been getting him down :( i'm tired, weary, and dragged low by life's woes :(
6. 3 out of the 4 last soccer games have been cancelled for our jewel. i feel bad because i know how much she's looking forward to it.
i think that's all i have right now. my jewel's waiting for school.
so i thought i'd jot down a few "latests"...
1. my man had a conference in the city a few weeks ago and i accidentally sent him to brooklyn instead - making him 1 1/2 hours late! yikes!
2. CC is well under way and it's been busy keeping up w/ the homeschooling group, homeschooling our jewel, and having an infant.
3. our precious infant is doing really well... however we were down w/ a routine and in the last 3 days, all of a sudden she's off - not in terms of her schedule but in terms of her sleeping abilities - she's crying lots more before her 7pm and 10pm sleep, which seems so odd to me. i can't figure out what's up - i've checked all the obvious - ie. diaper, hunger, burping, etc...
4. my brain is scattered! i feel like i have ADD - i can't seem to focus and i'll come to the computer because i remembered that i was supposed to send someone an email but then i get sidetracked by the inbox and i completely forget to email that person until the most inopportune time - ie. when it's midnight and i'm trying to go to bed and i've got 10 million things racing through my head. also, i feel like i'm telling our jewel to do 10 million things at one time and she gets frustrated with me. partly it's because i forgot that i told her about the other 9,999,999 other things i told her to do and the other part because my brain just has 10 million things on it's mind all the time. sigh!
5. i've been convicted about having a grumbling spirit these days so i've been praying and trying to be more diligent about having a heart of thanksgiving before God. i find that i've been complaining more to my man and i think it's been getting him down :( i'm tired, weary, and dragged low by life's woes :(
6. 3 out of the 4 last soccer games have been cancelled for our jewel. i feel bad because i know how much she's looking forward to it.
i think that's all i have right now. my jewel's waiting for school.
Friday, August 26, 2011
end of the week recap
1. this week our jewel applied what she's learning in grammar by saying: "ok, i've got 2 interrogatives and one declarative. the first is, can i sleep in your bed? and aaaaaalso, what can i eat when i we get home?... " my man and i just looked at each other and burst out laughing ... who talks like that?! the homeschool lingo is starting...
2. i've had 2 people come up to me in the past few weeks and say - "i didn't know you were pregnant. you don't look pregnant!" really?! i'm 38 weeks, people - i assure you, i look VERY pregnant!
3. i'm back to eating lots of carbs... lots of refined, processed, bad-for-me ones. it's so bad for the baby but it's what my taste buds want :(
4. i am so tired; my body feels weary, and mentally and emotionally i am drained. my man and i were reading ps 34 the other day and it refreshed me - i do need to extol God in my day to day more. i'm wallowing in my fatigue.
2. i've had 2 people come up to me in the past few weeks and say - "i didn't know you were pregnant. you don't look pregnant!" really?! i'm 38 weeks, people - i assure you, i look VERY pregnant!
3. i'm back to eating lots of carbs... lots of refined, processed, bad-for-me ones. it's so bad for the baby but it's what my taste buds want :(
4. i am so tired; my body feels weary, and mentally and emotionally i am drained. my man and i were reading ps 34 the other day and it refreshed me - i do need to extol God in my day to day more. i'm wallowing in my fatigue.
Thursday, August 18, 2011
mid-week recap (at the end of the week)
1. my man took our jewel on their first date night tonight. it was the cutest thing you've ever seen. he came to the door, brought her flowers. they had a grand time. the funny thing was, he was telling me that as they were leaving the house, he said, " you look beautiful tonight!" and she said, "do i look hot?"
the back story is this... yesterday was our 9th anniversary and we were going to go out. i generally hold to the idea that the spousal relationship trumps the relationship with the children... but see, there have been little signs here and there - subtle - but still there - that made me think that our jewel needed a little extra TLC with the baby. she's been an only child for almost 7 years and now she's going to be sharing the attention of her parents. she's really excited for the baby, but i've been noticing some things that made me wonder if there's something going on in her heart that she can't fully articulate. and then there was also the fact that quite frankly, i had a lousy day, i was exhausted as could be, and honestly, i just wanted to prop my feet up and watch tv while eating ice cream - which is exactly what i did while they were gone.
anyways, i hope our jewel looks back on this one day with fond memories. i hope that she sees that she is dearly loved and that as much as her earthly father loves her that God's love for her is exceedingly great.
there was more to the week, but as i sit here at the computer, my mind seems to draw a blank. i think that's a clue that it's bedtime for me.
the back story is this... yesterday was our 9th anniversary and we were going to go out. i generally hold to the idea that the spousal relationship trumps the relationship with the children... but see, there have been little signs here and there - subtle - but still there - that made me think that our jewel needed a little extra TLC with the baby. she's been an only child for almost 7 years and now she's going to be sharing the attention of her parents. she's really excited for the baby, but i've been noticing some things that made me wonder if there's something going on in her heart that she can't fully articulate. and then there was also the fact that quite frankly, i had a lousy day, i was exhausted as could be, and honestly, i just wanted to prop my feet up and watch tv while eating ice cream - which is exactly what i did while they were gone.
anyways, i hope our jewel looks back on this one day with fond memories. i hope that she sees that she is dearly loved and that as much as her earthly father loves her that God's love for her is exceedingly great.
there was more to the week, but as i sit here at the computer, my mind seems to draw a blank. i think that's a clue that it's bedtime for me.
Friday, August 12, 2011
"mid-week" update at the end of the week
1. i love it when i wake up in the morning, go into the kitchen and see a nice cold bottle iced coffee in the fridge left by my man. i'm not a coffee drinker but this really hits the spot some mornings.
2. i miss my ratty ol' sneakers, the pounding on the asphalt in the darkness of the still early morning, the tired yet fresh feeling of being done with the workout.
3. i have my eyes set on this. October 7, 2012! Registration opens Dec 1, 2011 - yeah!!!
4. i had a revelation about myself last night - i wondered if i'm an extremest about this idea of "your word being your bond".... not so much in a personal environment... but i'm talking in a professional environment. if someone says to me, "i will have this to you by monday"... i expect that you will get it to me by monday. if you don't get it to me by monday and there is no explanation why, then now i don't trust you and your words don't have credibility with me. yes, this has happened a lot this summer...
(as a caveat, i know life happens... it happens to all of us - i'm not talking about the follow up call that says "i'm sorry, there was a family emergency"... i'm talking about the no follow up call and no ownership of the fact that they didn't live up to their word".
as i was talking to our jewel about the power of words, we talked about how it's important to follow through on whatever it is you commit to, that you can't take it back once it's said, and that there are consequences for the words spoken. i want our jewel to know that if i verbally commit to something for her, that it doesn't mean, "i'll try" or "maybe".... it means, i WILL. we live in an age where words seem to have lost their meaning - it has taken on an idea of "i intend to but if something else comes up, then oh well... " i want to model to her the power of words.
2. i miss my ratty ol' sneakers, the pounding on the asphalt in the darkness of the still early morning, the tired yet fresh feeling of being done with the workout.
3. i have my eyes set on this. October 7, 2012! Registration opens Dec 1, 2011 - yeah!!!
4. i had a revelation about myself last night - i wondered if i'm an extremest about this idea of "your word being your bond".... not so much in a personal environment... but i'm talking in a professional environment. if someone says to me, "i will have this to you by monday"... i expect that you will get it to me by monday. if you don't get it to me by monday and there is no explanation why, then now i don't trust you and your words don't have credibility with me. yes, this has happened a lot this summer...
(as a caveat, i know life happens... it happens to all of us - i'm not talking about the follow up call that says "i'm sorry, there was a family emergency"... i'm talking about the no follow up call and no ownership of the fact that they didn't live up to their word".
as i was talking to our jewel about the power of words, we talked about how it's important to follow through on whatever it is you commit to, that you can't take it back once it's said, and that there are consequences for the words spoken. i want our jewel to know that if i verbally commit to something for her, that it doesn't mean, "i'll try" or "maybe".... it means, i WILL. we live in an age where words seem to have lost their meaning - it has taken on an idea of "i intend to but if something else comes up, then oh well... " i want to model to her the power of words.
Sunday, July 31, 2011
random thoughts
1. i really really really really want to run. i think my legs don't but my inner soul is craving it.
2. i should NOT eat sweets before i go to bed. it leads to VERY weird dreams.
3. my man and i were talking last night about a hypothetical situation... what if your daughter came home w/ a guy that you really really did not approve of... and he insulted you to your face. and by insult, i don't mean, he doesn't like what you're wearing; by insult, i mean... he basically tells you he wants to get serious with your daughter. how would you handle it so that you don't alienate your daughter but still speak truth into the matter? ok, the mama bear in me says by this point i would have learned how to use a gun and i would use this opportunity to show him what i know (yes, in my mind i would be able to take down a squirrel at 500 yards). ok, the rational side of me says, take our daughter aside, speak calmly to her and then take the boy outside and shoot the squirrel... :)
i think we live in a culture where people think it's ok and actually expect gratitude from the parents when the boy goes to the parents to tell them what their intentions are, no matter how foul those intentions might be. when did this become ok?
4. on the opposite side of this, i'm rereading anne of green gables for our book club this month. i get transformed into the world of anne every time i read it... sigh.
5. our jewel started ballet this week and it's very cool to see how much she's enjoying it. we'll see how she feels about it at the end of the summer session.
2. i should NOT eat sweets before i go to bed. it leads to VERY weird dreams.
3. my man and i were talking last night about a hypothetical situation... what if your daughter came home w/ a guy that you really really did not approve of... and he insulted you to your face. and by insult, i don't mean, he doesn't like what you're wearing; by insult, i mean... he basically tells you he wants to get serious with your daughter. how would you handle it so that you don't alienate your daughter but still speak truth into the matter? ok, the mama bear in me says by this point i would have learned how to use a gun and i would use this opportunity to show him what i know (yes, in my mind i would be able to take down a squirrel at 500 yards). ok, the rational side of me says, take our daughter aside, speak calmly to her and then take the boy outside and shoot the squirrel... :)
i think we live in a culture where people think it's ok and actually expect gratitude from the parents when the boy goes to the parents to tell them what their intentions are, no matter how foul those intentions might be. when did this become ok?
4. on the opposite side of this, i'm rereading anne of green gables for our book club this month. i get transformed into the world of anne every time i read it... sigh.
5. our jewel started ballet this week and it's very cool to see how much she's enjoying it. we'll see how she feels about it at the end of the summer session.
Thursday, April 28, 2011
mid-week recap
this week it's been a whole lot of driving and a whole lot more of fatigue.
i realized that i drive about 2 1/2 to 3 hours a day. it's probably not that much for those who commute into the city but for someone who really does not care for driving, it's wearing me out :(
in other news, we took advantage of national pretzel day and got free pretzels.
we also took advantage of baskin robbin's 31 cent scoop day and got ice cream.
it's the little things, i guess. my man said that while it's kind of silly to be going around town looking for the bargains, one day we'll look back on it with fond memories.
so cheers to cheap deals!
i realized that i drive about 2 1/2 to 3 hours a day. it's probably not that much for those who commute into the city but for someone who really does not care for driving, it's wearing me out :(
in other news, we took advantage of national pretzel day and got free pretzels.
we also took advantage of baskin robbin's 31 cent scoop day and got ice cream.
it's the little things, i guess. my man said that while it's kind of silly to be going around town looking for the bargains, one day we'll look back on it with fond memories.
so cheers to cheap deals!
Saturday, April 2, 2011
random thoughts
1. i really really really miss running. i get jealous every time i see someone run outside! i think about it constantly and often randomly ask my man how my irritability level is from not running. he's been rather gracious b/c i think i'm being a bigger pain then he's letting on.
2. i'm very grateful for my man's servanthood and his willingness to make dinner tonight. chicken and peas risotto w/ left over lentil soup. it actually went pretty well together but oh so filling! note: heavy cream in the risotto is fabulous. it was farm cream, which was incredibly thick this time. my friend said it was more like clotted cream. (this is probably what messed up my ice cream).
3. we seem to do craft in spurts around here. honestly, i'm not really into kids' crafts. i do enjoy adult crafts (home decor stuff mainly), so you'd think that i'd enjoy doing crafts w/ our jewel too... but nope. today was craft day - my man and our jewel made a jacob's latter. then she and i started an easter egg wreath. i wish i was more systematic w/ this as i know she enjoys doing them but b/c it's not something i enjoy, it doesn't come naturally, nor does it even cross my mind unless i happen to see something that inspires me to put together a craft project for her.
4. i spent the afternoon volunteering at a consignment sale. i also consigned stuff this year (first time ever). i'm not sure if i'll do it again. i went through 6 years worth of clothes which was a task in itself. then to have to tag each thing (which i did wrong the first time b/c i missed that it had to be printed on cardstock) and go through every item to make sure there were no stains, rips, etc. i thought about ironing b/c it was recommended... but that idea quickly died after i saw how long this entire process was taking. honestly, i don't know if it's going to be worth it for me to do this again. i doubt i made that much $ off of the sale.
2. i'm very grateful for my man's servanthood and his willingness to make dinner tonight. chicken and peas risotto w/ left over lentil soup. it actually went pretty well together but oh so filling! note: heavy cream in the risotto is fabulous. it was farm cream, which was incredibly thick this time. my friend said it was more like clotted cream. (this is probably what messed up my ice cream).
3. we seem to do craft in spurts around here. honestly, i'm not really into kids' crafts. i do enjoy adult crafts (home decor stuff mainly), so you'd think that i'd enjoy doing crafts w/ our jewel too... but nope. today was craft day - my man and our jewel made a jacob's latter. then she and i started an easter egg wreath. i wish i was more systematic w/ this as i know she enjoys doing them but b/c it's not something i enjoy, it doesn't come naturally, nor does it even cross my mind unless i happen to see something that inspires me to put together a craft project for her.
4. i spent the afternoon volunteering at a consignment sale. i also consigned stuff this year (first time ever). i'm not sure if i'll do it again. i went through 6 years worth of clothes which was a task in itself. then to have to tag each thing (which i did wrong the first time b/c i missed that it had to be printed on cardstock) and go through every item to make sure there were no stains, rips, etc. i thought about ironing b/c it was recommended... but that idea quickly died after i saw how long this entire process was taking. honestly, i don't know if it's going to be worth it for me to do this again. i doubt i made that much $ off of the sale.
Thursday, March 31, 2011
mid-week recap
1. so i've been a little busier this week b/c i've been driving my man to and from work and also taking our jewel to school (normally she's in carpool in the morning so all i have to do is brush my teeth and pack our jewel her snack). while i have to admit that i don't like getting out of bed earlier or going out in the cold, i have really enjoyed our family time in the car together. we've been praying for the day and it gives my man and me a few extra minutes to talk w/o the distractions of the internet. i have to say that for a split second, i entertained the idea of working off one car so that we can continue this but honestly.... that only lasted that split second.
2. this week i've been pondering the idea of what it means to hear God's voice. do you think that you find yourself going through the day, doing your thing... and not really listening? sometimes, i think we're listening but really we're just kind of coming up with our own answers to our prayers and then telling God this is how i want you to answer... we may not say it in those words, but that's what our actions say. so this week, i've been praying that i can listen. no agenda. no stipulations. just have an open heart that wants to stick around and hear what God's got to say.
3. on a completely different topic, have you ever had something really good at someone's house. they tell you the recipe. you go home and try to replicate it and it's not at all what you ate?? that's what happened to my lentil soup this week. it just goes to show that not all ingredients are the same. fortunately, my friend/ mentor isn't secretive about what she did so i figured out that while most of our ingred. were the same, the quality of the ingred made all the difference in the world. isn't that true of life sometimes? two people can do the exact same thing - but one puts that extra level of care and effort into that and that makes all the difference. it's about the heart attitude in the process, more than the outcome.
if you're curious, here's the lentil soup recipe:
diced carrots and onions (i also used celery).
4. i've started reading this book called: Fannie's last supper by Chris Kimball (the guy who does America's Test Kitchen and started Cook's Illustrated). It's about a recreation of a 12 course Victorian meal, in true Victorian style (thus using stoves from the Victorian era, etc). it's part culinary history and part cookbook. it's pretty fascinating. the other day, i just happened to be tv surfing and i was able to catch the PBS show that aired based on this book. i'm not sure i would have wanted to live in that era; but i do think that we've lost a lot in terms of culinary appreciation and food preparation that was prevalent in the Victorian era.
5. i'm so over winter. it's the end of march and there was snow in last night's weather forecast. are you kidding me???? fortunately i didn't wake up to it but last week, two days in a row, i woke up to whiteness on the branches and the ground. this is no good, people! i need my warmer weather.
2. this week i've been pondering the idea of what it means to hear God's voice. do you think that you find yourself going through the day, doing your thing... and not really listening? sometimes, i think we're listening but really we're just kind of coming up with our own answers to our prayers and then telling God this is how i want you to answer... we may not say it in those words, but that's what our actions say. so this week, i've been praying that i can listen. no agenda. no stipulations. just have an open heart that wants to stick around and hear what God's got to say.
3. on a completely different topic, have you ever had something really good at someone's house. they tell you the recipe. you go home and try to replicate it and it's not at all what you ate?? that's what happened to my lentil soup this week. it just goes to show that not all ingredients are the same. fortunately, my friend/ mentor isn't secretive about what she did so i figured out that while most of our ingred. were the same, the quality of the ingred made all the difference in the world. isn't that true of life sometimes? two people can do the exact same thing - but one puts that extra level of care and effort into that and that makes all the difference. it's about the heart attitude in the process, more than the outcome.
if you're curious, here's the lentil soup recipe:
diced carrots and onions (i also used celery).
- i sauted mine in chicken fat (from grass-fed chickens) and organic olive oil
- she sauted it in duck fat (huge difference!)
- also, while both of our carrots were organic, hers were from whole foods and mine was from costco. i have to say, the sweetness of her carrots came through in her soup. i couldn't replicate that subtle sweetness in mine.
- while both of our chicken stock came from grass fed chickens, i boiled the chicken.
- she said making broth from roasted chickens is a lot more flavorful.
- also, i used brown lentils and she used french lentils.
- in addition, she also added tumeric. (she said the tumeric probably wasn't the big difference).
4. i've started reading this book called: Fannie's last supper by Chris Kimball (the guy who does America's Test Kitchen and started Cook's Illustrated). It's about a recreation of a 12 course Victorian meal, in true Victorian style (thus using stoves from the Victorian era, etc). it's part culinary history and part cookbook. it's pretty fascinating. the other day, i just happened to be tv surfing and i was able to catch the PBS show that aired based on this book. i'm not sure i would have wanted to live in that era; but i do think that we've lost a lot in terms of culinary appreciation and food preparation that was prevalent in the Victorian era.
5. i'm so over winter. it's the end of march and there was snow in last night's weather forecast. are you kidding me???? fortunately i didn't wake up to it but last week, two days in a row, i woke up to whiteness on the branches and the ground. this is no good, people! i need my warmer weather.
Thursday, March 17, 2011
HAPPY ST. PATRICK'S DAY! and mid-week recap
i'm about as far away from irish as you can possibly get but i'm always up for a reason to celebrate.
today's reason for celebration was the servanthood of my man who got up an hour early to pick up bagels for all. we sat down and had a nice leisure breakfast w/ bagels, muffins, and coffee (or in the case of our jewel hot chocolate)... actually i ended up drinking her hot chocolate too. he even went as far as setting the table and everything. such a dear man!
mornings like these just encourage my heart!
in other news, i may have mentioned in the past my man's obsession with espresso. not coffee - espresso. and when i say obsessed - i mean, obsessed. it all started about 8.5 years ago when we got a basic espresso machine as a wedding gift. that began the journey of learning espresso. soon, it was upgraded to "miss silvia". (that's actually the name, my man did not name her). he then got a manual espresso machine (le pavoni) where you can control the pull of the cup. (how quickly the water goes through the espresso grind). then it went to researching grinders and upgrading that. from there, it proceeded to researching beans. he even went as far as buying beans that were roasted the night before and fed ex'd to your door so that you would get it exactly 3 days after the roasting - as that was the optimal time to grind them. so you think that would be it, right? of course not! as of this week, he has begun buying raw beans so that he can roast them himself. he made his first batch earlier this week. he's been experimenting with when to grind them. it's amazing how different the coffee tastes when you grind them 1 day after versus 2 days after the roasting. he's met a few guys who makes my man look like small potatoes - so of course that has spurred my man on to new heights. i find this whole thing amusing, entertaining, and just overall enjoyable to watch. mainly because if you know my man at all, you know he's one of the most humble guys you'll probably meet in life. he's also very easy going - not really bothered by much in life. but give him a bad cup of espresso - esp. if you are a certain italian restaurant that has a very good espresso machine and toots good espresso - and he will turn his nose up to you. one of these days, i would not be surprised if he sets up his own barista bar in our basement.
also amazing is that after 8 1/2 years, he's finally gotten me to enjoy an occassional cup of coffee... i do not care for coffee. i think it's bitter and just plain nasty. but he's finally figured out a combo that works for my palate and that my man agrees is enjoyable for him as well. i would tell you what it is; but i think if he were ever to open an espresso bar, it would be on his menu as one of his signature cups. i will give you a hint - it will be called cappuccino miele.
oh and over the weekend we got to see some relatives who came down from upstate to visit. my man's aunt, her mother, and her two girls came down for a weekend shindig. it was cool to see 3 generations of females enjoying each others' company. we hit lunch and then adventure aquarium. do we have pictures? of course not! that would be so unlike us! we pull out the camera to get a picturisque shot w/ the phily skyline behind us, only to see the battery was dead! boo hoo!! but it was a good time had by all and the afternoon flew by. it was especially nice that my man's cousins were so into our jewel and let her lead them all over the displays.
today's reason for celebration was the servanthood of my man who got up an hour early to pick up bagels for all. we sat down and had a nice leisure breakfast w/ bagels, muffins, and coffee (or in the case of our jewel hot chocolate)... actually i ended up drinking her hot chocolate too. he even went as far as setting the table and everything. such a dear man!
mornings like these just encourage my heart!
in other news, i may have mentioned in the past my man's obsession with espresso. not coffee - espresso. and when i say obsessed - i mean, obsessed. it all started about 8.5 years ago when we got a basic espresso machine as a wedding gift. that began the journey of learning espresso. soon, it was upgraded to "miss silvia". (that's actually the name, my man did not name her). he then got a manual espresso machine (le pavoni) where you can control the pull of the cup. (how quickly the water goes through the espresso grind). then it went to researching grinders and upgrading that. from there, it proceeded to researching beans. he even went as far as buying beans that were roasted the night before and fed ex'd to your door so that you would get it exactly 3 days after the roasting - as that was the optimal time to grind them. so you think that would be it, right? of course not! as of this week, he has begun buying raw beans so that he can roast them himself. he made his first batch earlier this week. he's been experimenting with when to grind them. it's amazing how different the coffee tastes when you grind them 1 day after versus 2 days after the roasting. he's met a few guys who makes my man look like small potatoes - so of course that has spurred my man on to new heights. i find this whole thing amusing, entertaining, and just overall enjoyable to watch. mainly because if you know my man at all, you know he's one of the most humble guys you'll probably meet in life. he's also very easy going - not really bothered by much in life. but give him a bad cup of espresso - esp. if you are a certain italian restaurant that has a very good espresso machine and toots good espresso - and he will turn his nose up to you. one of these days, i would not be surprised if he sets up his own barista bar in our basement.
also amazing is that after 8 1/2 years, he's finally gotten me to enjoy an occassional cup of coffee... i do not care for coffee. i think it's bitter and just plain nasty. but he's finally figured out a combo that works for my palate and that my man agrees is enjoyable for him as well. i would tell you what it is; but i think if he were ever to open an espresso bar, it would be on his menu as one of his signature cups. i will give you a hint - it will be called cappuccino miele.
oh and over the weekend we got to see some relatives who came down from upstate to visit. my man's aunt, her mother, and her two girls came down for a weekend shindig. it was cool to see 3 generations of females enjoying each others' company. we hit lunch and then adventure aquarium. do we have pictures? of course not! that would be so unlike us! we pull out the camera to get a picturisque shot w/ the phily skyline behind us, only to see the battery was dead! boo hoo!! but it was a good time had by all and the afternoon flew by. it was especially nice that my man's cousins were so into our jewel and let her lead them all over the displays.
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