I Closed My Facebook Account

I've been thinking about doing it for a while now, but today I made it official.  I closed my Facebook account.  Why?  One simple reason:  my family is way more interesting than anything that is going on on Facebook.

I began noticing that so much of what I read on there was just negative or useless.  I don't need to hear someone's rants about people at work or read their family drama splashed around for everyone to see.  And it's really not that important to me what you had for dinner every. single. night.  I rarely posted anything anymore, and I was honestly a little queasy about putting pictures of my kids out there.  (One too many Lifetime movies?  Perhaps, but I still had those fears.)  So a few weeks ago I went through and hid a bunch of my friends---the ones who were constantly posting something negative or whose posts I didn't really care to read.  But it didn't seem like enough.  I thought about deactivating my account then, but I hesitated.

Today I logged on and was again struck by how much I DIDN'T care about what I was reading and how it was just using up time that I could be doing something I DO enjoy.

So before I could change my mind, I deactivated it.  And I immediately felt better.

Goodbye, Facebook.  We may meet again someday, but for now, I'm not sorry to see you go.

Rub A Dub Sydney

I think it's safe to say that Sydney enjoys baths more than her brother did at this age.  I had a feeling she was going to be a water-girl.  Her sponge baths that we gave her always seemed to leave her so relaxed.  Her favorite part was washing her hair.  As I would scoop warm water to rinse her hair, her little eyes would almost roll back in her head in shear, relaxed bliss.  So when it came time for her first real bath (I know...I know...I'm a little behind in getting pictures up.  Believe me...we have not been withholding a bath from our daughter for 8 weeks!), she took it all in stride.

I'm pretty sure part of the reason was because we had such a handsome little helper.  

For the sake of comparison:

Sydney's first bath.

One of Sam's early baths...screamfest.

But seriously...could these two not be identical twins?

Boredom Busters

There is no college course titled Parenting 101.  It's strictly on-the-job training.  And one thing I've learned is that your two year old is much more likely to misbehave if he's bored.  (I don't like to let Sam get in the pool if I'm the only one at home since I never know when I'll have to get out to check on Sydney.)  So I've been trying to come up with ways to get out of the house and keep everybody happy and tantrum-free.  (Including Mommy---I'm not above throwing a tantrum or two myself.)  Here's what we've been up to lately:

Just getting outside and going for a walk down the street is easy and free.  You just have to make sure your older child doesn't try to climb in the stroller with the baby.  (Not that I can blame him---she is pretty cute, after all.)

We have visited Barnes and Noble for their children's story time.  This was not much of a success, though.  Sam was much more interested in jumping off of their little stage that the story-teller sat on and pulling books off of the shelves.  It was all over when he found the Spiderman display.

One day we decided to have a snack-time picnic.  While Sydney was napping, we grabbed a blanket, some toys and a snack and headed outside under our shade tree.  Molly just couldn't understand why I didn't bring a snack for her.

I thought Sam would just TOTALLY dig "cooking" outside.  Who doesn't love a good mud pie???  So we got Sydney's bathtub, grabbed a few spoons and measuring cups and got ready for some culinary brilliance.  It took Sam about 30 seconds to ditch the spoon and sit in the water.

And you can't cook with wet pants, right?

So what are some of your suggestions for easy, quick, inexpensive ways to entertain a toddler?  

A Cuppa Joe

Come sit and have a cuppa joe with me!  If we were chatting over coffee (or tea...or Diet Coke...whatever your poison is), I would tell you:

-I am in the midst of enjoying twelve. entire. weeks. at home.  I cannot fully describe how much I have enjoyed being a stay at home mom this summer.  I'm so thankful that I've had the opportunity to do this.  And it's not just me--I think the kids seem happier, and even Shawn admitted a few nights ago that things seem to be going much more smoothly.  So I'm sending up prayers every chance I get for God to show us what His plan is for our family.  I can't wait to see what He's got in mind.

-My blogging time has been pretty much nonexistent lately.  I'm reading and keeping up with the blogs I follow---that's pretty easy to do on a smart phone while I'm feeding a baby.  (And let me just tell you---this baby LOOOOVES  to eat!  She's got the prettiest little rolls to prove it.)  But I'm not able to actually write much lately.  And I kinda miss it.  I love recording our memories here, and we've made plenty of memories this summer.  But I'm becoming more aware that there has to be balance.  And I don't want to spend so much time RECORDING memories that I miss out on a chance to MAKE memories.  So I'm making more of an effort to put the computer down, turn the television off and just really be present with my family.

-These fall-esque temperatures that we've been having lately are spoiling me rotten.  And while I'm always a little sad to see summer drawing to a close, the cooler days have me thinking of sweaters and long sleeved t-shirts, jewel-toned leaves, football games and hot chocolate.  We're making big plans for fall this year including a visit to the pumpkin patch, a hayride, and trick or treating in our neighborhood.  And I know a certain little boy who will probably go to a football game or two with Daddy.

-And since we're talking over a cup of cyber-coffee, let me just say I've never enjoyed cold coffee.  I just didn't get everyone's obsession with iced coffee.  And I really wanted to like it because who wants to drink a hot beverage when it's 100 degrees outside?  Then a few weeks ago I tried a mocha coconut frappuccino from Starbucks, and I threw my no-cold-coffee policy out the window.  (And I realize that's not really coffee, but probably more accurately a milkshake with about 2 drops of coffee mixed in, but still...)  I highly recommend that you try one before summer is over and they take it off of their menu.

-I've already started my Christmas shopping.  I am both embarrassed and proud of this fact.  And I'm thinking of doing some homemade gifts this year.  I know...right?  The non-crafter is gonna craft???  Say whaaaaat?  But I've been pinning some ideas on pinterest, and I think I might actually be able to pull off some pretty cute gifts.  Now to just find the time to do them.

-And speaking of pinterest, I've been burning up the recipes since I've been home.  This is one of my new favorite throw-together dinners.  I've made these a couple of times.  They're a great way to use up some of that zucchini that I STILL have frozen from last summer.  We grilled out a couple of weekends ago, and these made an awesome side dish.  And I think we might give this ice cream a try before summer is gone for good.  I can't wait to see how it turns out!

Because He's Two...

...bowls can double as a hat...

...pants are optional...

...you never outgrow your bouncy seat, especially if it means your sister CAN'T sit in it...

...yeah---I've got nothing.

Sam's Thankful List

We've been trying to teach Sam to pray. That may sound strange to some people. I mean, why do you have to "teach" someone to pray? But I don't want him to just recite some little rhyme every night before he goes to bed or before a meal and think that's meaningful prayer. I used to do that. And then when I decided to stop using those little memorized verses, I thought prayer was so hard because it needed to be well-thought-out and composed. I thought my conversations with God needed to sound as poetic as the Psalms and read like a vocabulary list, using words like "thine" and "omnipotent." But I finally figured out that talking to God should just be like is just talking to your best friend. 

So I knew from Day 1 that I didn't want to teach Sam any rhymed prayers like "Now I lay me down to sleep..." or "God is great, God is good..." There is nothing wrong with those, but I just knew I wanted us to take a different approach. So a few months ago, before Sam's bedtime prayers I started asking him what he wanted to pray for. For a while my inquiries were met with silence, but one night we had a breakthrough. He answered me with "Goof!"  So we rolled with it. That night, we thanked God for Goof (translation: Mickey Mouse Clubhouse) and for how much fun we have watching it.

Since then, Sam's thankful list has exploded. So I thought today I'd share a little bit of it. Every night when we pray, Sam is thankful for:
-Lion King, Buzz, Goof, Pooh, Smurfs (These are always first and always in that order...sometimes we add Woody in there too.)
-Daddy
-Mommy
-Momo (Molly--I would like to add, though, that Daddy and Momo made the list a good 2 days prior to Mommy getting added. I'm sure there is no hidden meaning in that.)
-Baby (only if we remind him that we're thankful for her)
-Moondt (Every night before bed, Sam and Daddy take Molly out for her bedtime potty break and while they're out there they look at the moondt. For the life of me, I can't figure out why you have to say it like that, but you do: moondt)
-Sometimes at meal times we recite what's on our plate...especially if it's a hot dog.
-Juice

Some people might read this list and think, "Oh isn't that cute?" but to me it's so much more than that. My son is learning to have a grateful heart. And it may seem funny that these are the things for which he is thankful, but when you read the list you can see that these are things that are important to him.  And when I hear him giving thanks for them, my heart just swells with pride.  Maybe I should take a lesson from him. Maybe I should be more thankful for the everyday things that I too often take for granted. Things like the quiet time I have in the mornings before the kids wake up, the cows behind our house (I really enjoy seeing them), and chocolate. Maybe instead of me teaching him, he's been teaching me.

"In everything give thanks, for this is the will of God."

Linking up to Black Tag Diaries today

Dear Sydney,

How is it possible that you are already 1 month old?  While I was admittedly pretty nervous about your dad going back to work and me being outnumbered here at home, our days have settled into a steady, albeit chaotic, rhythm.  You are, mercifully, sleeping for a 4 hour stretch at night---and you've even stretched it to 5 hours a couple of times!  And while you were eating almost exactly every 2 hours the rest of the time, you are starting to stretch your daytime feedings to about every 3 hours now.  At your two week checkup, you were still not back up to your original birth weight, but I don't think we have anything to worry about.  You have developed the loveliest double chin, and your elbows and knees now have the prettiest little rolls.

You have already graced us with some little smiles, and I have to admit---I'm already a sucker for them.  Something in me just melts when you look at me and you crinkle your eyes while the corners of your mouth curl up.  I love how you smile with your whole face.  For now, the easiest way for me to coax a smile from you is to tickle your pudgy neck.  We've tried tickling your feet, but instead of smiling you just get very still and stretch out your toes.  I think you like having your feet rubbed.  And what girl wouldn't???  It's just good practice for all of those pedicures we'll get together.

Your brother has adjusted very well to sharing our home with you.  He never runs out of kisses for you.  He is obsessed with your tiny toes.  And he loves helping me change your diapers.  Sam has dutifully accepted the assignment of Wipes Handler.  It doesn't matter what kind of diaper it is, it seems we require a minimum of 16 wipes to get the job done.  You're still hanging on to your umbilical cord stump, but it's not due to a lack of effort on your brother's part.  Sam is very disturbed by the black growth on your belly button, and he regularly tries to remove it for you.  I am constantly swatting his hands away from you during diaper changes---in addition to keeping his hands out of the diaper pail, rationing the amount of hand sanitizer he squirts on his hands, making sure he doesn't surf on the glider and shielding you from the toys he crams in your face gently places next to you.  Like I said---he's very helpful.

You have the most beautiful strawberry blond hair.  I kinda hope it stays that color, although I wouldn't be surprised if it lightened a few shades.  In fact, I think it already looks lighter than it did when you were born.  You certainly have the temper to match that red hair.  When you are ready to be held, if someone doesn't pick you up fast enough to suit you, your face turns the loveliest shade of purple.

My precious Sydney,  I am so glad you are a part of this family.  You have given us new reasons to smile that we didn't even know we were missing.  I love how you nestle yourself right over my heart and fall asleep.  I love how you grasp my fingers so tightly when you're eating.  I love how you tolerate the kisses the dog insists on plastering all over your face.  You, my sweet girl, are more than we could have hoped for.

Mommy