I just took the dog outside and thought, "Man it is nice outside today!" The current temperature - 24 degrees.
It is all about perspective folks.
Monday, January 11, 2010
Spoke to Soon
Yesterday was a really good day. We went to church on Saturday night so we had a very leisurely morning. We went to Hy-Vee for breakfast and the kids were really good. Sam was content to munch crackers and puffs, Emelia ate two helpings of everything from the breakfast buffet, I got to drink an entire cup of coffee - while it was hot. Yippe skippy!
It just all felt very relaxed. Jeff and I were commenting on what a difference a month makes. After we came back from Turks and Caicos we decided to stop going out to eat for awhile because Sam just made it miserable. He was not happy in a high chair and wanted to be held but that left one of us eating one handed and both of us shoveling food into our mouths like a little Japanese man eating hot dogs on one of those competitive eating shows. Now he sits nicely in his high chair and munches on finger foods for the most part.
Last night at small group we were commenting on how we feel like we are finally hitting a groove, Sam is sleeping well, no one has been sick, we are just sort of back in the swing of things. Then we all went to bed...
At about 1:30 Emelia woke up crying and tried to come in our room but the door had shut and she couldn't get in. She had to go potty and ended up peeing in her pull up and was very upset. (Why she came to our room and not the bathroom first I don't know.) Fine, she went back to sleep. About ten minutes later Sam started sreaming - she had woken him up we think. It took an hour to get him back to sleep and his screaming woke Emelia up again. She proceeded to throw up in her bed. It was just a little bit but now it is 2:30 and I am changing sheets and pajamas. I thought maybe they would sleep late since they were both up during the night. Nope, Sam was chipper at 6:40 just like usual.
Here's to a better night tonight.
It just all felt very relaxed. Jeff and I were commenting on what a difference a month makes. After we came back from Turks and Caicos we decided to stop going out to eat for awhile because Sam just made it miserable. He was not happy in a high chair and wanted to be held but that left one of us eating one handed and both of us shoveling food into our mouths like a little Japanese man eating hot dogs on one of those competitive eating shows. Now he sits nicely in his high chair and munches on finger foods for the most part.
Last night at small group we were commenting on how we feel like we are finally hitting a groove, Sam is sleeping well, no one has been sick, we are just sort of back in the swing of things. Then we all went to bed...
At about 1:30 Emelia woke up crying and tried to come in our room but the door had shut and she couldn't get in. She had to go potty and ended up peeing in her pull up and was very upset. (Why she came to our room and not the bathroom first I don't know.) Fine, she went back to sleep. About ten minutes later Sam started sreaming - she had woken him up we think. It took an hour to get him back to sleep and his screaming woke Emelia up again. She proceeded to throw up in her bed. It was just a little bit but now it is 2:30 and I am changing sheets and pajamas. I thought maybe they would sleep late since they were both up during the night. Nope, Sam was chipper at 6:40 just like usual.
Here's to a better night tonight.
Friday, January 08, 2010
Must Get Out
I must get out of the house today, I don't care how cold it is. With every hour that passes inside I think the naughtiness factor increases - for all of us. Wish me luck as I seek word from the outside world.
Thursday, January 07, 2010
Rock Star
Emelia is currently marching around the house in her pajamas and a crown singing "I am a rock star". Awesome!
So today I wanted to write down some thoughts on parenting that I thought about when I was up at 5:30 feeding Sam.
Parenting is hard. True, it is rewarding but it is hard and I don't think as a society we talk about it enough. One child is tough but two children is not two times as hard it is five times as hard and no one talks about it. When I was pregnant people would tell me that I had no idea what I was in for but that was just ominous, not informative. I often ask my friends who have multiple children why no one talks about the trials of parenthood and they always say no one wants to scare people. I say scare away! A little population control would not hurt anyone! (Just kidding!) I understand their point but there has to be a way to say this is difficult, and when it gets really hard and overwhelming, know that you are not the only one who thinks that. I think that feeling of isolation contributes to the difficulty of having two or more kids. I think Satan works in that isolation. He plants seeds of doubt and dissension in your head. "You are the only one who can't handle this." "No one else would understand because they have good kids." "You are a terrible mother, how can you even think that you don't like your kids?" Those thoughts fly through your head and you don't have enough wisdom or sleep to be able to process them as the lies that they are. These thoughts start to pile up and then you can not get out from under them without a complete breakdown/breakthrough. I have found that when I have a complete melt down I usually break through to a new level of understanding either about God's mercies or my own need for grace and love.
I, for one, am happy to talk about how hard it is so that other moms don't think they are crazy. To quote my favorite yoda mom (I will call her Q - like Q in the James Bond movies, she gives me the tools and the tricks to navigate my job.) "Sometimes you just need someone to sit on the porch next to you and tell you that you are not crazy." I want to be that someone for other moms. So for my friends who are new moms, new second time moms, etc. I am coming to your porch sister!
So today I wanted to write down some thoughts on parenting that I thought about when I was up at 5:30 feeding Sam.
Parenting is hard. True, it is rewarding but it is hard and I don't think as a society we talk about it enough. One child is tough but two children is not two times as hard it is five times as hard and no one talks about it. When I was pregnant people would tell me that I had no idea what I was in for but that was just ominous, not informative. I often ask my friends who have multiple children why no one talks about the trials of parenthood and they always say no one wants to scare people. I say scare away! A little population control would not hurt anyone! (Just kidding!) I understand their point but there has to be a way to say this is difficult, and when it gets really hard and overwhelming, know that you are not the only one who thinks that. I think that feeling of isolation contributes to the difficulty of having two or more kids. I think Satan works in that isolation. He plants seeds of doubt and dissension in your head. "You are the only one who can't handle this." "No one else would understand because they have good kids." "You are a terrible mother, how can you even think that you don't like your kids?" Those thoughts fly through your head and you don't have enough wisdom or sleep to be able to process them as the lies that they are. These thoughts start to pile up and then you can not get out from under them without a complete breakdown/breakthrough. I have found that when I have a complete melt down I usually break through to a new level of understanding either about God's mercies or my own need for grace and love.
I, for one, am happy to talk about how hard it is so that other moms don't think they are crazy. To quote my favorite yoda mom (I will call her Q - like Q in the James Bond movies, she gives me the tools and the tricks to navigate my job.) "Sometimes you just need someone to sit on the porch next to you and tell you that you are not crazy." I want to be that someone for other moms. So for my friends who are new moms, new second time moms, etc. I am coming to your porch sister!
Wednesday, January 06, 2010
Fun Stuff
So I forgot to write about Emelia's Christmas singing at church. I definitely want to remember that for posterity. Lucky for you we have a pictorial to go with the story.
Emelia loves to sing and picks up lyrics to songs pretty easily. (This is why I have had to give up Britney Spears - I know it was time.) So when we got a cd with the music for the Christmas program we sang it in the car non-stop. She knew the words and the motions and everything. She had a practice session on the Saturday before the actual program and Jeff said she did great. (I was home prepping for the birthday party.)
These are donkey ears in case you were wondering
So we put on our Christmas dress and headed to church. She was all jazzed up to sing. Sam had a little bit of a cold so I kept him out of the nursery and was holding him in the back of the church when they came in to sing. I was filled with pride. She looked so cute and she got up there singing and clapping - so cute!
Can you stand the dress?
The Bible is right, "pride goeth before the fall." Just as I was marveling at my little cutie she stopped singing, looked at her friend Allison and wrapped her up in a giant hug.
Yep she is a serial hugger...
She spent all but a few minutes of the rest of the program hugging Allison. Afterwards she told me how much fun it was to sing at church. I asked her why she decided to hug Allison and she said because Jesus is love. You can't beat that.
Emelia loves to sing and picks up lyrics to songs pretty easily. (This is why I have had to give up Britney Spears - I know it was time.) So when we got a cd with the music for the Christmas program we sang it in the car non-stop. She knew the words and the motions and everything. She had a practice session on the Saturday before the actual program and Jeff said she did great. (I was home prepping for the birthday party.)
These are donkey ears in case you were wondering
So we put on our Christmas dress and headed to church. She was all jazzed up to sing. Sam had a little bit of a cold so I kept him out of the nursery and was holding him in the back of the church when they came in to sing. I was filled with pride. She looked so cute and she got up there singing and clapping - so cute!
Can you stand the dress?
The Bible is right, "pride goeth before the fall." Just as I was marveling at my little cutie she stopped singing, looked at her friend Allison and wrapped her up in a giant hug.
Yep she is a serial hugger...
She spent all but a few minutes of the rest of the program hugging Allison. Afterwards she told me how much fun it was to sing at church. I asked her why she decided to hug Allison and she said because Jesus is love. You can't beat that.
Good News
Well, I am pleased to report that the expected high today is now 12 degrees. Great news, except that it accompanies another five inches of snow. Then tomorrow the snow will be blown around by 40 mph winds which will create blizzard conditions. Then the really good news... the high on Friday will be -2.
The real problem with this cold weather is that we don't leave the house. Last week out of nine days we went out once. It makes the days a little long and the mommy a litle stir crazy. I will sit inside and try to be greatful for the house I live in and the heat that I have. I can't imagine what it is like to be homeless during this particular cold stretch.
The real problem with this cold weather is that we don't leave the house. Last week out of nine days we went out once. It makes the days a little long and the mommy a litle stir crazy. I will sit inside and try to be greatful for the house I live in and the heat that I have. I can't imagine what it is like to be homeless during this particular cold stretch.
Monday, January 04, 2010
Really?
Um the "high" on Wednesday is supposed to be 0, yes, ZERO. The low is -11. They are expecting wind gusts that will make it feel like -40. What is that?
The Binky Fairy
The Binky Fairy came to our house last night and dropped off the Pony Palace (part of the Precious Princess line - don't get me started on that whole scam.) Emelia has always loved her Binky, from the day we brought her home. When she turned two we told her she could only have Binky at nap and nighttime with the intention of getting rid of it altogether in short order. The dentist had already lectured me about it. Well we never did get rid of it mostly because she was always happy to go to bed so she could see "friend binky" as she called it.
We went to the dentist again in June and she wanted me to get rid of it but this was at the height of Sam's reflux and I just did not have the energy to battle two kids every day. So again we let it go. Then we went to the dentist two weeks ago and she shamed me. She gave me that look and said she still has her pacifier doesn't she? I thought about finding a new dentist, one that would let Emelia keep her binky for eternity but I knew that was not the answer.
So instead we began to talk about the Binky Fairy. She was very in to the Barbie Thumbelina movie so I showed her one of the nameless fairies and declared that she was the binky fairy and that if she gave up her binky forever the fairy would bring her the Pony Palace. She is three and her understanding of forever is limited as I quickly found out. She handed me binky and asked if the binky fairy would come. I congratulated myself on how easy this was going to be and said of course. Then she rolled over and said can I have binky back now. So much for easy.
We decided that we would skip the binky fairy and just tell her that if she gave up the pacifier for four days without fuss that she could have the Pony Palace. Then when it was getting difficult and it was Dec. 23 Jeff said let's do this after Christmas. I agreed. Then on Thursday I could not find Binky when it was time for nap. I took it as a sign from God. That first nap was miserable. She cried but it wasn't a "I am not getting my way" cry, it was a mourning cry. She was so sad and really missed her friend. That night was better but nap the next day was hard again. I also think she may be getting ready to drop her nap. (I am so sad about this - I love nap time.) So put all of this together and nap has been tricky but nighttime has been ok. She no longer asks for her friend and it has been four days so the Binky Fairy came and she was so excited.
I know this is yet another milestone but I too am a little sad about Binky going away. He brought her great comfort when she was scared or tired or sad. He also was the last piece of babyhood she had. She is a big girl now and that makes me just a little bit sad.
We went to the dentist again in June and she wanted me to get rid of it but this was at the height of Sam's reflux and I just did not have the energy to battle two kids every day. So again we let it go. Then we went to the dentist two weeks ago and she shamed me. She gave me that look and said she still has her pacifier doesn't she? I thought about finding a new dentist, one that would let Emelia keep her binky for eternity but I knew that was not the answer.
So instead we began to talk about the Binky Fairy. She was very in to the Barbie Thumbelina movie so I showed her one of the nameless fairies and declared that she was the binky fairy and that if she gave up her binky forever the fairy would bring her the Pony Palace. She is three and her understanding of forever is limited as I quickly found out. She handed me binky and asked if the binky fairy would come. I congratulated myself on how easy this was going to be and said of course. Then she rolled over and said can I have binky back now. So much for easy.
We decided that we would skip the binky fairy and just tell her that if she gave up the pacifier for four days without fuss that she could have the Pony Palace. Then when it was getting difficult and it was Dec. 23 Jeff said let's do this after Christmas. I agreed. Then on Thursday I could not find Binky when it was time for nap. I took it as a sign from God. That first nap was miserable. She cried but it wasn't a "I am not getting my way" cry, it was a mourning cry. She was so sad and really missed her friend. That night was better but nap the next day was hard again. I also think she may be getting ready to drop her nap. (I am so sad about this - I love nap time.) So put all of this together and nap has been tricky but nighttime has been ok. She no longer asks for her friend and it has been four days so the Binky Fairy came and she was so excited.
I know this is yet another milestone but I too am a little sad about Binky going away. He brought her great comfort when she was scared or tired or sad. He also was the last piece of babyhood she had. She is a big girl now and that makes me just a little bit sad.
Sunday, January 03, 2010
The Magic of Disney
Yesterday I had the honor of taking Emelia to her first movie theater movie. As it turns out it was also my first movie-theater movie since moving to Omaha in October of 2007. Yep, pretty sad isn't it?
We saw Princess and the Frog. It was a good movie. Some of it was a little scary and some a little sad but overall we really enjoyed it. Emelia did a pretty good job of sitting still. She would have been fine if the movie had started on time. The movie was supposed to start at 9:55 and at 10:10 they were just finishing up the last preview. The movie was good but the experience was awesome.
It was so great to see things through her eyes. The movie theater had a space theme so in the lobby by the concession stand there was this mini-planetarium thing with twinkling stars on the ceiling. After we got our popcorn she just wanted to sit on a bench and look at the stars. She thought they were so cool. She wore her Princess Tiana dress and showed it off to everyone who looked twice at her. The ticket taker said "my what a pretty dress" and Emelia said "thank you, isn't it lovely?"
Recently a friend of mine sent me a link to a blog entry about taking stock of moments that are as good as it gets. We spend a lot of time trying to create the perfect moment and trying to make things just right. Our kids don't really need any of that. They just need our time and attention. Emelia would have been happy if we sat in the lobby and looked at those stars munching popcorn for an hour. Sometimes we just need to be grateful for the moments that are as good as it gets for that day. Right now as we all watch Bolt at 6:30 in the morning while we eat our cereal I will be grateful for this moment because this may be as good as it gets for today.
We saw Princess and the Frog. It was a good movie. Some of it was a little scary and some a little sad but overall we really enjoyed it. Emelia did a pretty good job of sitting still. She would have been fine if the movie had started on time. The movie was supposed to start at 9:55 and at 10:10 they were just finishing up the last preview. The movie was good but the experience was awesome.
It was so great to see things through her eyes. The movie theater had a space theme so in the lobby by the concession stand there was this mini-planetarium thing with twinkling stars on the ceiling. After we got our popcorn she just wanted to sit on a bench and look at the stars. She thought they were so cool. She wore her Princess Tiana dress and showed it off to everyone who looked twice at her. The ticket taker said "my what a pretty dress" and Emelia said "thank you, isn't it lovely?"
Recently a friend of mine sent me a link to a blog entry about taking stock of moments that are as good as it gets. We spend a lot of time trying to create the perfect moment and trying to make things just right. Our kids don't really need any of that. They just need our time and attention. Emelia would have been happy if we sat in the lobby and looked at those stars munching popcorn for an hour. Sometimes we just need to be grateful for the moments that are as good as it gets for that day. Right now as we all watch Bolt at 6:30 in the morning while we eat our cereal I will be grateful for this moment because this may be as good as it gets for today.
Saturday, January 02, 2010
2010 The Year of Nothing
In 2010 Jeff and I are hoping to return to normal a little bit. I am going to use 2008 as a model. You see here is what the previous decade looked like... (feel free to debate amongst yourselves if this is really a new decade or not)
2000 - We celebrate our one year anniversary of dating in April, get engaged in July, yeah for us, move in together in August (not a choice I would make now but then it seemed like the way to go.)
2001 - Spend every waking minute looking at theknot.com and reading bridal magazines,get married, hooray!
2002 - Experience mostly wedded bliss, decide to move to St. Louis to be closer to family.
2003 - Move to St. Louis in January, mom diagnosed with breast cancer in April.
2004 - Mom in remission in January, mom has recurrence in September.
2005 - Mom dies, world falls apart, I turn in to a freak of nature, Jeff tolerates me, we eventually heal.
2006 - Pregnant with Emelia in April, she is born in December.
2007 - New baby, move to Omaha in October.
2008 - Nothing until September when I find out I am pregnant with Sam. That was the best 8 months we have strung together in a while. (It wasn't that I wasn't happy to be pregnant, but I was SO sick.) Do you see why 2008 is the model year, a whole lot of nothing.
2009 - Jeff's dad dies in February, Sam comes in May and rocks our world. Life is HARD all the time it feels like. I keep repeating God works all things out for the good of those how love him, not the easy.
So you see, I am looking for twelve months of nothing, not a single solitary thing. Just living life, having some family fun (thanks for the Mickey Mouse bingo Grammy E), going on some child free dates, taking a vacation, trying to eat better, live better and do better, you know just normal stuff. Oh to have some normal would be so extraordinary.
One of the things I am striving for in my normal world is to write more on the blog, 133 times to be exact. Yes, I set a number goal, yes it is a random number, but my type A self needs a goal and three is my favorite number. (333 seemed like a lofty goal so I went with 133.) One down, 132 more to go...
2000 - We celebrate our one year anniversary of dating in April, get engaged in July, yeah for us, move in together in August (not a choice I would make now but then it seemed like the way to go.)
2001 - Spend every waking minute looking at theknot.com and reading bridal magazines,get married, hooray!
2002 - Experience mostly wedded bliss, decide to move to St. Louis to be closer to family.
2003 - Move to St. Louis in January, mom diagnosed with breast cancer in April.
2004 - Mom in remission in January, mom has recurrence in September.
2005 - Mom dies, world falls apart, I turn in to a freak of nature, Jeff tolerates me, we eventually heal.
2006 - Pregnant with Emelia in April, she is born in December.
2007 - New baby, move to Omaha in October.
2008 - Nothing until September when I find out I am pregnant with Sam. That was the best 8 months we have strung together in a while. (It wasn't that I wasn't happy to be pregnant, but I was SO sick.) Do you see why 2008 is the model year, a whole lot of nothing.
2009 - Jeff's dad dies in February, Sam comes in May and rocks our world. Life is HARD all the time it feels like. I keep repeating God works all things out for the good of those how love him, not the easy.
So you see, I am looking for twelve months of nothing, not a single solitary thing. Just living life, having some family fun (thanks for the Mickey Mouse bingo Grammy E), going on some child free dates, taking a vacation, trying to eat better, live better and do better, you know just normal stuff. Oh to have some normal would be so extraordinary.
One of the things I am striving for in my normal world is to write more on the blog, 133 times to be exact. Yes, I set a number goal, yes it is a random number, but my type A self needs a goal and three is my favorite number. (333 seemed like a lofty goal so I went with 133.) One down, 132 more to go...
Friday, December 25, 2009
Thursday, December 17, 2009
New Technology
As soon as I get one of those fancy computers that can read my mind and type, my blog will be so much more current. I think I have started about 25 posts in my head but usually it is about 1:00 in the morning and I am not willing to plod downstairs to actually write the post. You all are totally missing out because I am really witty in my head especially when I am deliriously tired. I will try to summarize what has been going on.
Halloween came, Emelia was Tinkerbell, Sam was a pumpkin. It was fine. I am not a big Hallpween fan so it was what it was and that is fine by me.
A week after Halloween we went to Turks and Caicos to a Beaches family resort. It was really good. Jeff and I decided you have to adjust your expectations. Vacation with two kids is different then vacation with one kid which is different than vacation with no kids. So our trip was nice. Sam did great but Emelia had a little more trouble adjusting to change. She is very routine driven, so new settings and routines are tougher for her. (I have no idea where she gets that.)
It is so funny as I wrote this I remember one of the challenges was what to do with Sam because he could not sit up on his own then and the hotel room was all tile so we were constantly afraid he would bonk his head. As I type this he is sitting in our tile kitchen pushing the high chair back and forth. He started sitting on his own shortly after we got back and then he started getting up on all fours and now he is crawling. He is slow but deliberate and persistent. He just started crawling this weekend. He can even get himself back to a sitting position from all fours. He is so much more movement oriented then Emelia was.
Emelia turned three on December 10. I can't believe she is three already. Time is such a funny thing. When you are in the middle of it it seems like each day is an eternity but when you look back on it it seems like the blink of an eye. She is doing and saying funny things but she also gets a little attitude every now and again. She is understanding more things but still doesn't fully get things. I told her she could have a cookie or a piece of fudge for dessert. She opted for teh cookie. Ten minutes later she says "I don't want the cookie, I want the fudge instead." The only problem was she had already eaten the cookie. Nice try!
This is the time of year that Jeff and I both tend to be very reflective. I love fresh starts which is why I like mornings and the new year. I am especially excited to start this new year. I feel like I am just starting to get my bearings again since Sam was born. I still have rough days and trying to get both kids to the store in my small window between naps when it is seven degrees outside with two feet of snow on the ground is trying. Yet, I finally fell in love with Sam and I genuinely enjoy him most of the time. I distinctly remember when I fell in love with Emelia and it took a little longer with Sam but he is a sweet baby. He can typically be found in the front of a shopping cart charming unsuspecting bystanders. He is quick to smile and loves his big sister. Being able to see teh positive in both of my children is a refreshing cange of pace from the past several months and I am excited to take my brighter outlook into the new year. God is good and has sustained me through this trying year.
I have several goals for teh new year but one is to blog more frequently even if it is just a quick entry or a picture. Jeff got a fancy new camera and has been taking some great pictures. I really do want to remember these times even the ugly days.
Halloween came, Emelia was Tinkerbell, Sam was a pumpkin. It was fine. I am not a big Hallpween fan so it was what it was and that is fine by me.
A week after Halloween we went to Turks and Caicos to a Beaches family resort. It was really good. Jeff and I decided you have to adjust your expectations. Vacation with two kids is different then vacation with one kid which is different than vacation with no kids. So our trip was nice. Sam did great but Emelia had a little more trouble adjusting to change. She is very routine driven, so new settings and routines are tougher for her. (I have no idea where she gets that.)
It is so funny as I wrote this I remember one of the challenges was what to do with Sam because he could not sit up on his own then and the hotel room was all tile so we were constantly afraid he would bonk his head. As I type this he is sitting in our tile kitchen pushing the high chair back and forth. He started sitting on his own shortly after we got back and then he started getting up on all fours and now he is crawling. He is slow but deliberate and persistent. He just started crawling this weekend. He can even get himself back to a sitting position from all fours. He is so much more movement oriented then Emelia was.
Emelia turned three on December 10. I can't believe she is three already. Time is such a funny thing. When you are in the middle of it it seems like each day is an eternity but when you look back on it it seems like the blink of an eye. She is doing and saying funny things but she also gets a little attitude every now and again. She is understanding more things but still doesn't fully get things. I told her she could have a cookie or a piece of fudge for dessert. She opted for teh cookie. Ten minutes later she says "I don't want the cookie, I want the fudge instead." The only problem was she had already eaten the cookie. Nice try!
This is the time of year that Jeff and I both tend to be very reflective. I love fresh starts which is why I like mornings and the new year. I am especially excited to start this new year. I feel like I am just starting to get my bearings again since Sam was born. I still have rough days and trying to get both kids to the store in my small window between naps when it is seven degrees outside with two feet of snow on the ground is trying. Yet, I finally fell in love with Sam and I genuinely enjoy him most of the time. I distinctly remember when I fell in love with Emelia and it took a little longer with Sam but he is a sweet baby. He can typically be found in the front of a shopping cart charming unsuspecting bystanders. He is quick to smile and loves his big sister. Being able to see teh positive in both of my children is a refreshing cange of pace from the past several months and I am excited to take my brighter outlook into the new year. God is good and has sustained me through this trying year.
I have several goals for teh new year but one is to blog more frequently even if it is just a quick entry or a picture. Jeff got a fancy new camera and has been taking some great pictures. I really do want to remember these times even the ugly days.
Monday, October 26, 2009
Measurements
When I was working in public relations and event marketing measurement was always a hot topic. How do you know if you are moving the needle? Do How to you quantify how many people saw your message? How many responded to it? How effective it was? Blah, blah, blah...
It becomes a challenge to constantly try to prove the merit of your programs and to justify the budget expenditure. I am sure that has only gotten harder as the economy has turned and the new corporate buzzword is belt-tightening. That is certainly one thing I don't miss.
I will say that I often find myself looking for that same measurement in my current job. How do I know my programs (discipline, play, learning, household management) are working? Is my target audience (Emelia, Sam, Jeff) responding? How effective is my message ("don't throw things", "poop in the potty", "eat more vegetables", "what are you thankful for today")? It is funny because I have better measurement tools now. I have real-time feedback and a very vocal (albeit small) focus group.
Emelia lets me know through her actions and words how I am doing. She definitely gets the potty message. At Costco this weekend we both went to the bathroom. She went pee, then I had to go. She says, oh so loud and proud, "are you going to go poop in the potty like a big girl?"
Sam also lets me know through his actions. When he is done with his meal he shoves his bib in his mouth and spits. This is a messy but effective tool for ending meal time.
I have taken to measuring my success in small wins. I like to think it is like stringing together a pearl necklace. Each pearl has some value by itself but when they are all together on a necklace they can be priceless.
Today my measurement is five nights of sleeping through the night, eight days of dry underwear (Emelia's not mine), three days of a clean kitchen and seven loads of laundry that need to be done.
It becomes a challenge to constantly try to prove the merit of your programs and to justify the budget expenditure. I am sure that has only gotten harder as the economy has turned and the new corporate buzzword is belt-tightening. That is certainly one thing I don't miss.
I will say that I often find myself looking for that same measurement in my current job. How do I know my programs (discipline, play, learning, household management) are working? Is my target audience (Emelia, Sam, Jeff) responding? How effective is my message ("don't throw things", "poop in the potty", "eat more vegetables", "what are you thankful for today")? It is funny because I have better measurement tools now. I have real-time feedback and a very vocal (albeit small) focus group.
Emelia lets me know through her actions and words how I am doing. She definitely gets the potty message. At Costco this weekend we both went to the bathroom. She went pee, then I had to go. She says, oh so loud and proud, "are you going to go poop in the potty like a big girl?"
Sam also lets me know through his actions. When he is done with his meal he shoves his bib in his mouth and spits. This is a messy but effective tool for ending meal time.
I have taken to measuring my success in small wins. I like to think it is like stringing together a pearl necklace. Each pearl has some value by itself but when they are all together on a necklace they can be priceless.
Today my measurement is five nights of sleeping through the night, eight days of dry underwear (Emelia's not mine), three days of a clean kitchen and seven loads of laundry that need to be done.
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
God is Good
So to update my Kindermusik sitch...
At Bible study I was all geared up to tell the teacher that we could not continue with the class when a very nice lady offered to come to our house and watch Sam while I take Emelia to class. It is such a good solution. The woman had just been talking about how since she retired she did not feel like she was needed anymore. I need her! What a blessing when God answers two prayers in one situation. Do you think he gives himself a big pat on the back or do you think he just says yep that is life as the master of the universe. I am not sure but I think it is pretty cool.
In other news... God is REALLY good! Here is a draft I saved last Friday night.
"So I never imagined that being a parent was this hard, and we haven't even begun to think about the teenage years. Right now we are potty training. As usual, I have read several books on the subject and none of them really answer any questions or give and real solid advice except for don't make a big deal of it your kid will not go to kindergarten in diapers. Great, not helpful at all. This really is one of the most trying things I think I have experienced as a parent."
Seriously, those first few days were so hard. Emelia is a pretty smart kid and I am used to her picking things up pretty quickly so I wasn't sure if she was being defiant or just wasn't getting it but she would stand there and pee and then ask me to clean up her pee. Really?!? Then Friday morning we had a blow up. She was whining about everything. I put her in time out, she started to whine, I yelled stop it, she started t cry really hard and peed all over the time out chair. I was beside myself with anger/frustration. Then she whispers "dear Jesus please don't let mommy talk that way to me." Are you kidding. My heart broke. Into a million pieces. Then I put her on the potty and I held her little head and I leaned in and I prayed. I prayed long and loud. She went in the potty that afternoon, which she had done before so I wasn't overly excited. Then we went to t eh pumpkin patch with my aunt. I stopped obsessing because well I was busy. Then that evening she says. I have to go potty. So we took her to my aunt's bathroom and she peed. It was a breakthrough. Then Jeff stayed home with her on Saturday and just totally focused on her, pumped her full of liquids and put her on the potty every hour and by the end of the day she had stayed dry all day. (She got a dress up dress if she stayed dry all day.) She has not had an accident since Friday and she even pooped in the potty last night. This was a breakthrough as she had not pooped - at all - since we started potty training. God is so good.
Okay, we are off to music class now. and to buy a Tiana dolly for our poop reward.
At Bible study I was all geared up to tell the teacher that we could not continue with the class when a very nice lady offered to come to our house and watch Sam while I take Emelia to class. It is such a good solution. The woman had just been talking about how since she retired she did not feel like she was needed anymore. I need her! What a blessing when God answers two prayers in one situation. Do you think he gives himself a big pat on the back or do you think he just says yep that is life as the master of the universe. I am not sure but I think it is pretty cool.
In other news... God is REALLY good! Here is a draft I saved last Friday night.
"So I never imagined that being a parent was this hard, and we haven't even begun to think about the teenage years. Right now we are potty training. As usual, I have read several books on the subject and none of them really answer any questions or give and real solid advice except for don't make a big deal of it your kid will not go to kindergarten in diapers. Great, not helpful at all. This really is one of the most trying things I think I have experienced as a parent."
Seriously, those first few days were so hard. Emelia is a pretty smart kid and I am used to her picking things up pretty quickly so I wasn't sure if she was being defiant or just wasn't getting it but she would stand there and pee and then ask me to clean up her pee. Really?!? Then Friday morning we had a blow up. She was whining about everything. I put her in time out, she started to whine, I yelled stop it, she started t cry really hard and peed all over the time out chair. I was beside myself with anger/frustration. Then she whispers "dear Jesus please don't let mommy talk that way to me." Are you kidding. My heart broke. Into a million pieces. Then I put her on the potty and I held her little head and I leaned in and I prayed. I prayed long and loud. She went in the potty that afternoon, which she had done before so I wasn't overly excited. Then we went to t eh pumpkin patch with my aunt. I stopped obsessing because well I was busy. Then that evening she says. I have to go potty. So we took her to my aunt's bathroom and she peed. It was a breakthrough. Then Jeff stayed home with her on Saturday and just totally focused on her, pumped her full of liquids and put her on the potty every hour and by the end of the day she had stayed dry all day. (She got a dress up dress if she stayed dry all day.) She has not had an accident since Friday and she even pooped in the potty last night. This was a breakthrough as she had not pooped - at all - since we started potty training. God is so good.
Okay, we are off to music class now. and to buy a Tiana dolly for our poop reward.
Friday, October 02, 2009
The Ups and Downs
Yet again it has been awhile since I posted. When I am up at night feeding Sam I think about the posts I would write but then I never get the time to really do it. That is actually only a partial truth. I have time but I have to choose what I want to do with that time. I could clean the bathroom, sit down with a cup of tea and watch HGTV or write on my blog. Lately I have been choosing the second option.
Things here are interesting. I spent a lot of this week feeling overwhelmed. There have been several personal conflicts that have come up with people in my life which I find to be emotionally draining. I have also been over-scheduling myself. I am the nursery/toddler director for church which isn't all that hard but lately has been difficult due to more kids than volunteers. I am hosting a baby shower because as my friend Lindsey says, "anytime you push something out of your body you deserve a party, I don't care how many times you have done it before!" I have joined my normal Tuesday morning Bible study, which I need to be doing. I have also enrolled Emelia in Kindermusik, which I have decided I don't need to be doing. She really likes it but it conflicts with Sam's nap schedule (so does Bible study so that is back to back days of nap nightmare.) The other kids want to love on Sam in a really aggressive way and he is a distraction to the other kids and to me. Emelia doesn't get the interaction from me she deserves and I end up leaving class feeling like a bad mom on all accounts. So I have decided we are not going back. This is very difficult for me because it feels a little like I have failed, plus a very nice woman from church teaches the class and I am sure she will be disappointed. But I have been praying about it and I just feel like it is the right thing to do so I have to stick to my guns. Wish me luck on that one.
Sam is still not sleeping completely through the night but is down to one feeding a night which I think I will have to actually cut out for him sometime soon. I am giving him two more weeks until we go to full-on sleep training. I can do the one time a night thing and not feel to bad in the morning. More than anything what I am doing is trying to learn contentment in my situation. The author of the book we are doing for Bible study says "it can be well with your soul even though it is not well with your circumstances." That was pretty profound for me. I can rest in God's love, know he is the Lord of my life and still be frustrated that Sam is not sleeping or Emelia is whining or whatever. So that is what I am trying to do. I want to be able to rely on my rock when it feels like life is crumbling around me. Don't get me wrong, I don't feel that way often but usually once a month or so there is a day that makes me feel like I can't do it anymore. I had one of those days on Wednesday but I felt much better by Thursday. Sometimes when they are both crying and there does not seem to be an end in sight it just feels like too much for my feeble little mind. It is then that I need to just turn from the circumstance and dig in to my soul.
I am posting some more pictures because well, I finally took some. Check out Sam in his little "man" outfit, a sweater, jeans and a pair of vans. I mean really!
Things here are interesting. I spent a lot of this week feeling overwhelmed. There have been several personal conflicts that have come up with people in my life which I find to be emotionally draining. I have also been over-scheduling myself. I am the nursery/toddler director for church which isn't all that hard but lately has been difficult due to more kids than volunteers. I am hosting a baby shower because as my friend Lindsey says, "anytime you push something out of your body you deserve a party, I don't care how many times you have done it before!" I have joined my normal Tuesday morning Bible study, which I need to be doing. I have also enrolled Emelia in Kindermusik, which I have decided I don't need to be doing. She really likes it but it conflicts with Sam's nap schedule (so does Bible study so that is back to back days of nap nightmare.) The other kids want to love on Sam in a really aggressive way and he is a distraction to the other kids and to me. Emelia doesn't get the interaction from me she deserves and I end up leaving class feeling like a bad mom on all accounts. So I have decided we are not going back. This is very difficult for me because it feels a little like I have failed, plus a very nice woman from church teaches the class and I am sure she will be disappointed. But I have been praying about it and I just feel like it is the right thing to do so I have to stick to my guns. Wish me luck on that one.
Sam is still not sleeping completely through the night but is down to one feeding a night which I think I will have to actually cut out for him sometime soon. I am giving him two more weeks until we go to full-on sleep training. I can do the one time a night thing and not feel to bad in the morning. More than anything what I am doing is trying to learn contentment in my situation. The author of the book we are doing for Bible study says "it can be well with your soul even though it is not well with your circumstances." That was pretty profound for me. I can rest in God's love, know he is the Lord of my life and still be frustrated that Sam is not sleeping or Emelia is whining or whatever. So that is what I am trying to do. I want to be able to rely on my rock when it feels like life is crumbling around me. Don't get me wrong, I don't feel that way often but usually once a month or so there is a day that makes me feel like I can't do it anymore. I had one of those days on Wednesday but I felt much better by Thursday. Sometimes when they are both crying and there does not seem to be an end in sight it just feels like too much for my feeble little mind. It is then that I need to just turn from the circumstance and dig in to my soul.
I am posting some more pictures because well, I finally took some. Check out Sam in his little "man" outfit, a sweater, jeans and a pair of vans. I mean really!
Monday, September 07, 2009
Things are getting back to normal - PSYCHE
Remember when you were in sixth grade and you would torment members of the opposite sex by telling them they were cute and then yelling PSYCHE! It was sort of a cruel way of saying just kidding. Well right now that is what life looks like in the Mochal house. It is just sort of God's cosmic joke.
I was just telling Jeff that Sam seems like a different baby - so much more content and calm. He's sleeping at night and all seems to be well. I was getting back on top of the household chores and I even managed to sneak in some trips to the park for Emelia.
PSYCHE!
Sam is no longer sleeping through the night, Emelia is sick (again) and Jeff and I have spent labor day weekend soothing our children and stuck in the house. We went to the park Friday evening and it seemed like such a promising start to the weekend then Emelia woke up fussy on Saturday and it all went downhill from there. Saturday night neither of them were sleeping which was SUPER awesome. It is funny because I have been pulling my hair out trying to figure out why Sam is not sleeping and how to get his schedule back on track and blah blah blah. Then on Saturday I read my blog from when Emelia was three months old and there it was. The ugly truth about sleeping through the night. The big fakeout. It started early with her too and then it disappears when they become old enough to be aware that you are gone and the binky has fallen out of their mouths and life is not good. I think we will have to Ferberize ( a sleep training method by Richard Ferber) him but I am waiting until he turns four months and praying he starts to learn to settle on his own. At this point he is waking up at 10:45 every night and needs to be reswaddled and rebinked to go back to sleep. The cruel irony is that that is just about when I have fallen asleep so I wake up CRABBY with a capital C and then I have trouble falling back to sleep. UGH. The good news is I know how to fix it the bad news is fixing it requires three days of H E double hockey sticks.
I think I will put that off for another weekend when Emelia is not feverish and delirious. The other day when her fever really spiked she sat up and said "I don't have any money and I don't have gas in my car." Okay, sort of funny, sort of scary and really random. Bless daddy's heart he is taking her to get donuts and diapers right now. She is wearing her nightgown with her princess Ariel dress over it and a pair of tennis shoes. Fine - clothes are not a battle I am willing to fight today.
Alright I am off to clean the bathrooms because if I can get it done while Sam sleeps and Emelia gets donuts I might be able to sneak in some HGTV.
I was just telling Jeff that Sam seems like a different baby - so much more content and calm. He's sleeping at night and all seems to be well. I was getting back on top of the household chores and I even managed to sneak in some trips to the park for Emelia.
PSYCHE!
Sam is no longer sleeping through the night, Emelia is sick (again) and Jeff and I have spent labor day weekend soothing our children and stuck in the house. We went to the park Friday evening and it seemed like such a promising start to the weekend then Emelia woke up fussy on Saturday and it all went downhill from there. Saturday night neither of them were sleeping which was SUPER awesome. It is funny because I have been pulling my hair out trying to figure out why Sam is not sleeping and how to get his schedule back on track and blah blah blah. Then on Saturday I read my blog from when Emelia was three months old and there it was. The ugly truth about sleeping through the night. The big fakeout. It started early with her too and then it disappears when they become old enough to be aware that you are gone and the binky has fallen out of their mouths and life is not good. I think we will have to Ferberize ( a sleep training method by Richard Ferber) him but I am waiting until he turns four months and praying he starts to learn to settle on his own. At this point he is waking up at 10:45 every night and needs to be reswaddled and rebinked to go back to sleep. The cruel irony is that that is just about when I have fallen asleep so I wake up CRABBY with a capital C and then I have trouble falling back to sleep. UGH. The good news is I know how to fix it the bad news is fixing it requires three days of H E double hockey sticks.
I think I will put that off for another weekend when Emelia is not feverish and delirious. The other day when her fever really spiked she sat up and said "I don't have any money and I don't have gas in my car." Okay, sort of funny, sort of scary and really random. Bless daddy's heart he is taking her to get donuts and diapers right now. She is wearing her nightgown with her princess Ariel dress over it and a pair of tennis shoes. Fine - clothes are not a battle I am willing to fight today.
Alright I am off to clean the bathrooms because if I can get it done while Sam sleeps and Emelia gets donuts I might be able to sneak in some HGTV.
Wednesday, August 12, 2009
spoke to soon
So I think I wrote about our"banner week" on Thursday night and then this is what happened on Friday...
I had a plan, as I usually do, so I felt good when I left the house. The idea was to go to the gym, pick the kids up from childcare, hit Walmart for groceries and end up at McDonalds for lunch in time to feed Samuel. I went to the gym, picked the kids up from childcare (so far so good) and the girls said Sam was just starting to get fussy. I decided I would let Emelia have a snack at the gym snack bar, feed Sam and then go to Walmart hoping maybe after he was fed (early) he would nap through grocery shopping. Emelia was finishing her orange and I was burping Sam when I hear a massive butt explosion from Sam. I look down to see a river of poop running down my shirt. He was covered in poop, I was covered in poop, soon the floor would be covered in poop if I did not grab a rag and mop up the poop. I went in to the locker room, and changed his diaper, shirt and pants (thank goodness I had an extra outfit for him.) I however did not have an extra outfit for me. I could have just gone home covered in poop but I would not have been able to fasten my seat belt without getting it covered in poop and I was determined to go to Walmart as planned. I bought a t-shirt at the gym. As I was at the front desk explaining the situation a lady who was also at the front desk starting yelling about how gross it was that I was covered in poop and how she HAD to leave because she has a low puke threshold. I began to cry. I mean really, do you think I enjoy being covered in poop? Do you think when I was fourteen I said man one day I hope my only goal is to go to Walmart without being covered in poop. The lady working the front desk explained to me that she did not have any kids and just didn't understand. I am not asking for empathy, I am just asking for a little compassion toward your fellow man. Do you not think that I am mortified to be covered in poop? I was by the way. It just all reached a breaking point and I got in the car and sobbed. Then I went to Walmart, got my groceries, came home and congratulated myself on following my plan.
I had a plan, as I usually do, so I felt good when I left the house. The idea was to go to the gym, pick the kids up from childcare, hit Walmart for groceries and end up at McDonalds for lunch in time to feed Samuel. I went to the gym, picked the kids up from childcare (so far so good) and the girls said Sam was just starting to get fussy. I decided I would let Emelia have a snack at the gym snack bar, feed Sam and then go to Walmart hoping maybe after he was fed (early) he would nap through grocery shopping. Emelia was finishing her orange and I was burping Sam when I hear a massive butt explosion from Sam. I look down to see a river of poop running down my shirt. He was covered in poop, I was covered in poop, soon the floor would be covered in poop if I did not grab a rag and mop up the poop. I went in to the locker room, and changed his diaper, shirt and pants (thank goodness I had an extra outfit for him.) I however did not have an extra outfit for me. I could have just gone home covered in poop but I would not have been able to fasten my seat belt without getting it covered in poop and I was determined to go to Walmart as planned. I bought a t-shirt at the gym. As I was at the front desk explaining the situation a lady who was also at the front desk starting yelling about how gross it was that I was covered in poop and how she HAD to leave because she has a low puke threshold. I began to cry. I mean really, do you think I enjoy being covered in poop? Do you think when I was fourteen I said man one day I hope my only goal is to go to Walmart without being covered in poop. The lady working the front desk explained to me that she did not have any kids and just didn't understand. I am not asking for empathy, I am just asking for a little compassion toward your fellow man. Do you not think that I am mortified to be covered in poop? I was by the way. It just all reached a breaking point and I got in the car and sobbed. Then I went to Walmart, got my groceries, came home and congratulated myself on following my plan.
Thursday, August 06, 2009
Banner Week
Ladies and gentlemen, it has been a banner week and here is why...
- I lost two pounds
- I did something fun with Emelia every day this week. Today we went to the zoo where she used her Mickey Mouse camera to take pictures of the gorillas and fish. My favorite part was she would say "smile Mr. Ray, smile Crush the Turtle" all of these are characters from Finding Nemo and our zoo's aquarium. When we discussed what different animals say she told Jeff that turtles say "most excellent." God bless Disney.
-So You Think You Can Dance ended BUT they are doing a fall season. YAHOO
and last but not least
-Samuel has been sleeping for eight hours between feedings at night.
- I lost two pounds
- I did something fun with Emelia every day this week. Today we went to the zoo where she used her Mickey Mouse camera to take pictures of the gorillas and fish. My favorite part was she would say "smile Mr. Ray, smile Crush the Turtle" all of these are characters from Finding Nemo and our zoo's aquarium. When we discussed what different animals say she told Jeff that turtles say "most excellent." God bless Disney.
-So You Think You Can Dance ended BUT they are doing a fall season. YAHOO
and last but not least
-Samuel has been sleeping for eight hours between feedings at night.
Saturday, August 01, 2009
MOTY
To: Mother of the Year Committee
From: Erika Mochal
Re: Nomination
To Whom it May Concern:
I am writing to you to submit myself for consideration as Mother of the Year. In spite of the fact that I have recently thought about selling my children to the gypsies and leaving my newborn in the baby aisle at Target, I believe I am qualified for this honor due to last night's turn of events. Emelia has been dealing with constipation, welcome to my family's genes. She had a pretty painful bout on Monday when she had not pooped in four days and we had to resort to a glycerin suppository. (Not so fun but highly efficient.) Last night while I was feeding Samuel I heard her crying for mommy. Jeff said she wanted mommy to fix the poop. So I finished with Samuel, put him down for the night (awake no less, God love him for putting himself to sleep) and headed downstairs with another suppository swearing I was going to buy super high fiber bread. I got her up on the changing table and she was crying pretty hard and opened her diaper to find her little rectum expanded with poop poking out but sorta stuck. Oh no! There was no where for the suppository to go as the opening was blocked with poop. She was in so much pain so without thinking twice, I stuck my finger in there and dug out the poop. Poor thing was sweating like a pig when we finished but she was all done and in ten minutes was happy again. I learned two valuable lessons from this experience. My kid needs more fiber and no matter how tough things get or how hard it is I love my children and would do anything for them. As stated in article 10, section two of the motherhood code, manual poop removal is grounds for instantaneous Mother of the Year status and a glass of wine.
Thank you for your consideration in this matter.
Sincerely Erika Mochal
From: Erika Mochal
Re: Nomination
To Whom it May Concern:
I am writing to you to submit myself for consideration as Mother of the Year. In spite of the fact that I have recently thought about selling my children to the gypsies and leaving my newborn in the baby aisle at Target, I believe I am qualified for this honor due to last night's turn of events. Emelia has been dealing with constipation, welcome to my family's genes. She had a pretty painful bout on Monday when she had not pooped in four days and we had to resort to a glycerin suppository. (Not so fun but highly efficient.) Last night while I was feeding Samuel I heard her crying for mommy. Jeff said she wanted mommy to fix the poop. So I finished with Samuel, put him down for the night (awake no less, God love him for putting himself to sleep) and headed downstairs with another suppository swearing I was going to buy super high fiber bread. I got her up on the changing table and she was crying pretty hard and opened her diaper to find her little rectum expanded with poop poking out but sorta stuck. Oh no! There was no where for the suppository to go as the opening was blocked with poop. She was in so much pain so without thinking twice, I stuck my finger in there and dug out the poop. Poor thing was sweating like a pig when we finished but she was all done and in ten minutes was happy again. I learned two valuable lessons from this experience. My kid needs more fiber and no matter how tough things get or how hard it is I love my children and would do anything for them. As stated in article 10, section two of the motherhood code, manual poop removal is grounds for instantaneous Mother of the Year status and a glass of wine.
Thank you for your consideration in this matter.
Sincerely Erika Mochal
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