Wednesday, August 24, 2011

8 Randoms

Good morning! I have a whole bunch of randomness for you this Wednesday a.m. Hope you don't mind.
We had a giant limb fall down the other day. It scared our pants off, and we are having some trees and more limbs removed as we speak. I awoke this morning to the sound of chainsaw and one of those chopping trucks going to town. Eli is mesmerized and terrified at the same time. Currently, he's attempting a nap while the chain saws and chopping truck (technical term) go at it. I hooked him up with a heater sound machine and turned on his fan full blast in hopes he doesn't sweat his cute bottom off. I should really invest in an actual sound machine for him. Anyway, this picture below is my baby's blond head. Do your babies do this? At your feet all day long? Eli is incapable of spending time by himself. If I leave the room for a second, I hear pitter patter feet running down the hall to find me. If I'm cooking, he's right under me. If I'm sitting, he climbing me. I tell him it's good and fun to play without mama, but no dice. Suggestions?

2.Eli is sort of following orders now. I hand him a wet diaper and tell him, "Take this to Daddy." And he does. I'll hear Matth in the other room say, " Oh, well, thank you bubba." Ha. ( Yes, we call him bubba. Not in the redneck way. It started out with me calling him babuh ( like baby) and somehow morphed.) My MIL is not a fan of this nickname. He'll also help me put clothes in the dryer, go get his shoes, etc. It's fun. He won't follow directions like the word, "no". Selective hearing.

3. He got this tractor for his birthday. He LOVES it now. He can't figure out how to sit down and push around with his feet, so he just stands up and walks around on it while standing. So cute.

This is his concentration face. He was focused.

4.Matth and I got our for our very first movie date since I was about 8 months pregnant. We saw Crazy Stupid Love. I was a little uncertain at first with the divorcing and womanizing, but the end kind of redeemed itself with the making amends. Somtimes I get awfully tired of every movie having cheating or divorce in it. I'd still say it was a good movie.


5. Eli is cutting about 7-8 teeth right now, all molars and incisors. Some days the don't bother him, some days they really bother him. Some days they really bother me. They take forever to come in. Hurry up and give him some relief please. That will make about 16 or so total teeth. Goodness.


6. I bought Eli his first pair of crocs the other day, and I LOVE them. They are perfect for outdoor play. He can get them filthy in the muddy puddles he seems to be a magnet for, and I simply rinse them off. I used to scrub his little shoes and hang them to dry for hours. Man, the things you learn as you grow into this mama thing.


7. Eli's newest obsession is cats. He still LOVES dogs, but he's recently added cats to his faves list. We used to have a cat, Rivers, and this cat is the neediest creature ever. Most cats like their space, but Rivers wants to be in your lap all the time. He's a talker too. If he wants outside, you hear it through the whole house, usually around 4 in the a.m. We love him, but when Eli was born, Rivers wanted in my lap specifically when i was feeding Eli. He would leap from the floor onto the boppy, with his nails, and basically be a huge nuisance. He wake Eli up around 3 in the morning, when I was feeding him in his nursery. Matth's parents acccepted the challenge, and we now get to visit Rivers at their house. Long story longer, eli is obsessed with rivers. He'll meow all day, only wants to look at books that have cat pages, points to his picture on our gallery wall. (yes, we put our pets' pics up). Obsessed. We've also been told 1 million times about cats possibly causing asthma in children by a family doctor. Have y'all heard that?


8.Eli's favorite song is "This little light of mine". He sticks his teeny tiny pointer finger in the air, hides it under a bushel, and blows it out. The cutest. He'll also sign "more" until we sing it 10 times straight.

I just heard a loud bang and some hollering. I'm fairly convinced tree-cutting may be one of the more dangerous jobs out there. There is a man way up high in the sky clinging to a limb and cutting it at the same time. I'll be back to show you some pics of the difference. My yard might see some sunshine for the first time in about 50 years.

Tuesday, August 16, 2011

Tuesday Faves.

Good Morning! I survived Monday, and thought I'd share a little of what I'm loving this Tuesday. Did anyone get outside yesterday by the way? The weather was just about perfect--slight breeze, clouds and sunshine, 87 degrees...ahhhhh. I could almost feel Fall coming. If those pesky mosquitoes would leave, it'd be perfect. I LOVE me some summer, but am slowly getting ready for some crisp fall days, jeans, sweaters, boots, and soups!! These items below have absolutely nothing to do with fall, but I am loving them right now all the same.

Bib with clear plastic covers and pockets- genius! I remember my friend Jeanna told me these were on her must-have list for babies, and I never got them. I used cute cloth bibs and spent hours soaking them in oxiclean to try and get food stains out. These are great for washing food right off, and usually catch most of what Eli throws on himself during a typical meal session. They have saved me hours of laundry time.


The other day I was cheap and bought off brand all-purpose cleaner with bleach, and it literally burned my throat when I used it. I cleaned our bathroom floor with it ( our bathroom floor is 50 years old, and you must scrub it with a rag and spray to get it clean- no swiffering or mopping will work), and you could smell the bleach out in our kitchen, which is the completely opposite end of our house. I couldn't stand using it on our kitchen counters, and I definitely didn't want it on Eli's highchair that he eats off of. This Seventh Generation spray is what I usually buy, and I LOVE it. The Lemongrass and Thyme smell is so nice, and I don't worry about Eli eating anything off the counter, chair, (or floor) after using it!

These are hand-down my new favorite pens. I have always loved school supplies, and being a teacher, you have to have the perfect pens to make grading a little less painful. I discovered these, and only ever want to write with them. I will search the whole house for 10 minutes to find one instead of picking up another pen to make a list. I'm totally a nerd, but these pens make everything more fun- calendar events, grocery lists, you name it. :)

Our small groups are at our house this year, and this is the first book we are studying together. Y'all. Matth and I are only into the second chapter and we are already challenged. We listened to one of Platt's sermons online, and sat in bed until 1:30 a.m. discussing what Platt says. He makes me think about our so-called american dream and if my idea of a nice, safe life in my suburban neighborhood is really what Jesus called me to do. I certainly don't have the answers, but this book already has me hemming, hawing, and praying on my knees about living intentionally.

While you're reading Radical and taking notes with your new Sharpie pen, make you one of these cold coffees by PW. I might even like these better than Starbucks iced vanilla lattes. I'm too lazy to do her version though, and I simply grind and brew some hot coffee in the morning, have a small hot mug for breakfast, and pour the rest in a mug that goes in the freezer. An hour later, it's cold enough for a tall iced glass for brunch, with some left for my afternoon slump. Oh, and I always put in the sweetened condensed milk- it's delicious.
http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2011/06/perfect-iced-coffee/

Okay, your turn. What are you loving right now?

Wednesday, August 10, 2011

My To-Do List

“There is nothing more important on your ‘to do list’ today than to be the heart of your home. it is no accident if you are a wife and mother. you have been given a special gift, God has entrusted you with taking earthly care of your spouse and children. use this day He has given you to show them love…grace…compassion…and the value of family. make your home a warm, loving and welcoming refuge. their safe haven. ask God to help you do His will for your family. show them the love of Christ, through you.”




 
“maybe the greatest gift you could ever give your children besides Jesus Christ would be the gift of time.”                                                                              anne ortlund






found my quotes on this blog: beautifuljourneyblog.com