Smoothie-Head, Temper Tantrums…and JOY

March 1, 2012 by · Leave a Comment

It’s 10 p.m. and I just brewed a pot of coffee. (Well, half of one.)

True story.

Yeah, it’s been that kind of day.

The title alone should make you wonder.

And I just felt like having a real virtual coffee date with you all…because some stories are worthy of a cup of java to go along with them. This one is with mocha creamer, and I have to admit it’s not my favorite. Should there be another cup tonight, I’m thinking the Bailey’s Irish Cream we have in the fridge. :) Yeah. (Ok, I just totally realized that I made it sound like I was pouring alcohol into my coffee at 10 pm…it’s actual creamer. I promise. :))

Mae and I have had a crazy up, silly down week. Wonderful moments, frustrating times…and I truly am more in love with my daughter than ever after this week. I often question myself as a parent, but I know without a doubt that my daughter is the most precious gift.

But all of that aside…she still provided some good

stories today…and of course I will tell them to you.

This is a coffee date, after all. 😉

So to tell you that Mae has reached the “terrible two’s” is a completely accurate statement. She just can’t understand why something might not go her way. Hence…the temper tantrum. Multiple times a day. Some are worse than others, but each grates on my nerves just a bit more than the previous one.

Thursdays are typically an easy day. She spends her morning in the church nursery with Miss Lisa, who she loves, while I’m at Bible study. She’s free to play, socialize, and eat…a good combo for my people-girl. She sees a lot of people she loves…like Aunt Kris and Miss Alison and Miss Melanie and Miss Sue…all who make her day a little brighter.

Today, though, it seemed that NOTHING and NO ONE could cheer her up. After Bible study, I went in the nursery to chat a bit while she played, and she became completely unhinged. There was no reason to cry…she just threw herself at me and wept. No fever, nothing wrong that we could tell…

She was just grumpy.

(There was a bit of grace…we all have those days.)

I’d try to put on her coat or pack up her things…enter the screaming fit.

I was tired by the time we got in the van to go to the mall.

Lunch at the mall is always interesting…mostly because the McDonald’s closed. But I bought her some pretzel sticks, and for a moment, she was content.

I got myself a protein smoothie…trying to stay somewhat within the range of healthy. Not sure I succeeded…

Anyway.

She saw that cup of raspberry-banana glory, and it was all she wanted.

And please understand me…I’m fine with sharing. But she did not need to drink the whole thing herself, either.

For several minutes we went back and forth. Since she was pretty content with actually sharing, I let her put her hand on the cup.

BIG mistake. Huge.

I went to take it back, and she clenched her little hand around it, jerked it up, the lid popped off, and out poured the smoothie…

Right onto her head and down her nose.

I was mad and I laughed at the same time…not sure how I managed that one.

A few wipes later and all was (mostly) clean.

It did, however, earn her the nickname Smoothie-Head in our house. Hee hee. :)

After “lunch” it was off to the playground where there was some playing, more grumpy-ness, and the confirmation that it was time to go home for a

NAP.

So I plopped her in the van, took her home, gave her some milk…and put her down for a much-needed-for-both-of-us sleep.

And while she slept…I thought.

About how even though there were more than several frustrating moments in the day, I looked back at them with JOY.

Because not every day is going to be perfect.

But if I can smile after watching my $5 protein smoothie dribble down my daughter’s face…and after countless battles of the will…

I know it’s all going to be good.

My Maelie girl, we had a rough day. But I want you to know how much I love you, how much I value those memories, and how thankful I am…that you are here. Your hugs, your smiles, the memories we make together…are all so treasured.

YOU are a treasure.

And I love you. Sleep well, my baby girl. I can’t wait to see your smile in the morning.

Love,
Mama

Sig

Filed Under: being mommy, blessings, friends, just life, where I am

We Heart Sunshine!

February 29, 2012 by · Leave a Comment

Mid 50’s in (technically still) February? JOY! What a gorgeous day!

:)

Sig

Filed Under: being mommy, blessings, just life, Maelie

Mommy Thoughts

February 28, 2012 by · 1 Comment

Lately I’ve been

fighting distraction.

Though I can be a little scattered, I tend to be focused on the important things in life throughout my day…especially on being a mommy.

The past few weeks, I feel like I’ve let distraction and worry interfere with my relationship with Maelie.

I’ve been tired and less motivated to play with her. I more easily give into her pleas for another “Melmo” episode or graham crackers in the middle of the day.

And while there haven’t been any really serious repercussions from this, there have definitely been more crabby moments (for both of us) and temper tantrums (not for both of us). 😉

I had a conversation last night with a friend and I mentioned that I felt as though I wasn’t being a very good mommy to my girl…and admitting that out loud made me really stop to consider…

How I don’t want to miss those moments I can’t get back. Like this one…goodness, she did her own hair! The only part I had in this was flying down the stairs like a crazy, superhero-ish chica to grab the camera before she took everything out. 😀

How my daughter is watching everything I do. And how, when she watches me, I want her to observe me being the best mommy possible.

That my attitudes and speech are all-too-easily mimicked by her…as evidenced by her repeating the word crap today. Yeah. And my first thought? Did I really say that? Yep, five seconds ago…

That I want to make good memories with my daughter…and not just remember the temper tantrums and less-than-wonderful moments. I want the nights when she snuggles up to me while I sing and the days we chase each other through the house “playing” hide and seek to outweigh those other things a million to one.

We are finishing up the Beth Moore Bible study, Living Beyond Yourself: Exploring the Fruit of the Spirit in my Thursday morning study. It’s been excellent…and we’re on the very last one, self-control. I am seeing more and more, not just how important it is for me to have self control in my life…but it’s also important that I choose that control when it is so much easier to do or say something else.

Today was good.

Much better than the past weeks have been.

We giggled together and did some spinning. Read books and played with baby dolls. Went on an “adventure”. (aka: anything outside the house ;))

Tonight I had to leave before she went to bed to get a few things done. When I got home she was still awake, and so I went upstairs to see her. She reached out her arms with the biggest smile on her face, and I picked her up, held her close to me, and sang the song we sing every night…All Through the Night. She fell asleep in my arms, I kissed her, and put her back in her crib.

Those are the moments from this precious time that I want to remember.

Sig

Filed Under: being mommy, blessings, Maelie, where I am

A Tiny Bit of Caffeine and Some Talkin’, Too

February 18, 2012 by · 1 Comment

Ok, some depth.

Deep thoughts. I do those well, right? Well, sometimes… 😉

After my insanely late night last week, I know better than to sit down with a cup of actual coffee tonight. So we’re pretend-coffee-dating with a Diet Pepsi and my scattered, heart-thoughts tonight.

I just sent Tobin to Target. Actually, he went willingly, I am most positive, to have a break from the crabby girl.

And, no, we’re not talking about me. 😉 Poor Mae…her sleep has been less than enough the last few days, and even after an almost-three-hour nap, she was still quite moody tonight. And, anyway, it’s really best for all of us if Tobin goes to Target.

Because he will get what’s on the list.

I? Well, I of course will get what’s on the list. Plus, a little bit more.

For some ridiculous reason, inspiration strikes me all too frequently when I am strolling the glorious red and white aisles of Target. I have moments of creativity that make me justify spending $30 in the home decor aisle to improve that wall in my living room that never really needed to be improved in the first place.

Or, worse, I go in for shampoo and come out with all the supplies needed to throw a backyard BBQ. And it’s February. In Illinois.

See, this is why I send him to Target whenever possible.

Last night we had a fun double date with our good friends, Kris and Jonny, to celebrate Valentine’s Day. We went to Red Lobster, where I chalked up another new adventure. Hee hee. :)

Truly, it was an adventure.

We call it crab legs.

I’d never had them before…and they were really good despite the fact that it took me eons to actually crack one open. But they were worth it. :) And it was something new.

I like that.

And then we all played Hand and Foot ’til almost midnight, and that made me happy ’cause card games are my favorite. (And that was the reason I kinda blogged, but really didn’t, last night. But I hope you enjoyed the song anyway. ;))

Music has been my happy place lately. I don’t mean that it’s replaced anything…but if I’m having a day, I turn on the radio, crank up the iPod, or chord out a song on the piano. It just makes me happy to sing along…and I like to hear Maelie starting to sing, too. She’s even starting to play the piano…I use the word play very loosely…but once in awhile she’ll hit a string of notes that could be a tune. (Or maybe the I-believe-my-daughter-will-be-a-two-year-old-prodigy quality in me just thinks she hits the notes. ;))

Speaking of music…so I actually did finish that song I’ve been working on since, oh, 2008. Really, it has been that long.

Funny how projects seem to take me years longer than the average person. :) I like it. I actually think I might try to record it…not to do anything with it, but just to have it. For a memory and a reminder of the life and the change and the crazy we’ve lived…and my God who held (and still holds) it all together. Even though the words first came almost four years ago, I’ve been amazed, even in recent weeks, how they still ring true in my life today.

Something cool happened this week.

God answered a prayer for a friend…something I’d been praying about for several weeks. It just makes my heart smile to see how He works…and reminds me that when I’ve got something on my heart, the best thing I can do is tell Him about it. :)

I’ve been talking to God a lot lately…because life is hard. I carry burdens, I let my heart ache…and sometimes it just feels like a lot. I’m so glad I can tell Him all about everything I think and feel and know that He’s listening. That He loves me. That He understands.

This week could be a turning point…and I’d appreciate your prayers.

I love that I have Hope in my Father…and that I can rest in His goodness when I don’t see.

Well, I should end this 600+ word ramble…my Diet Pepsi was gone a few paragraphs ago, and I’ve moved on to herbal tea.

Yes, I realize how old that last sentence made me sound. Truth is, I’ve been fighting a cold for a week. I’m stubborn enough to put up a good fight,too, with the help of Airborne, tea, and mouthwash. (But not all at once… ;))

Hope you are all having a fantastic weekend.

Love ya bunches.

Sig

Filed Under: adventures, being mommy, blessings, coffee, friends, just life, Maelie, where I am

Little Blessings (Pt. 22)

February 13, 2012 by · Leave a Comment

:) Zumba. Chalkin’ up another new experience. I am not a dancer…and that’s ok. There was a lot of laughter, and that is definitely a blessing. 😉

:) Valentine’s Day…though we’re actually celebrating Friday. (I think!)

:) Realizing what a mistake it is to take Maelie into a book store…and being thankful that I had enough cash in my wallet to pay for the damage. Yikes. Blessing? Choosing to see it that way…

:) Seeing a friend, on above outing, and her UH-dorable baby boy.

:) Seeing God answer a specific prayer today.

:) Anne of Green Gables. (DON’T laugh. I’m completely addicted. You should be, too.)

:) Singing in the shower.

:) Going to a new destination (in another city) withOUT using the GPS.

:) Running five miles yesterday. (I coulda gone more…really. But my knee decided to “dislocate” for a second. Really. Supposedly what happens with runner’s knee. Yeah, it was good times. Choosing to focus on the I-ran-five-miles part. ;))

:) Two crazy golden retrievers who love me to pieces.

You know what? I love them to pieces, too.

Sig

Filed Under: being mommy, blessings, dogs, friends, just life, Maelie, running

Mae Converses

February 11, 2012 by · Leave a Comment

We’ve always kind of been aware that Mae is verbally advanced. I mean, most of her biggest influences are talkers. 😉

Today, she surprised us, though. Like, really surprised us.

The context: I had cut up a piece of pizza for her lunch.

She had eaten several bites and decided she didn’t want any more of it and started throwing pieces to Andre and Sammy. (This is fairly common in our house.)

Me: Mae, please stop throwing your food. You need to eat it.

Mae: (Pointing in the general direction of the dogs) Sammy!

(At least, that’s what we thought she said.)

Me: You’re right, Mae. Sammy is one of our doggies.

Mae: (looking right at me) No! I said, sippy! (Pointing to her sippy cup.)

I think this could be the first real conversation we’ve had with her with an actual sentence.

It was pretty amazing.

My girl is pretty amazing. :)

And she’ll be 20 months on Tuesday!

Wowsers, where does time go?!

Bonus: Just because I can, here’s a pic of our girl doing one of her favorite things. Lounging on the couch while reading a book. (Sadly, the lounging part only lasts a minute or two before she’s jumping up and down on it…) Love her.

 

Sig

Filed Under: being mommy, just life, Maelie

Friday Smiles

February 10, 2012 by · Leave a Comment

Sig

Filed Under: being mommy, Maelie

Late Night Coffee

February 7, 2012 by · 2 Comments

It’s been far too long since I’ve sat down with a cup of actual coffee while I write.

Tonight, at a quarter to ten, I’m gonna pour myself some and spill my heart…for at least as long as it takes me to drink it. 😉

I’ll let you know tomorrow how late it kept me up…though I’m tired enough that I’m not sure it will make too much of a difference.

Really random…but you know what I looooove? When coffee is at that just-perfect temperature and it kinda burns your throat as it goes down. Yeah, that’s awesome. 😀 (And I think I just solidified in all of your minds that I am a total dork. But, really, that’s ok. If you haven’t at least thought that by now, then you probably don’t know me well enough yet. But you’ll think it soon enough.) 😉

So I know I talk about Mae a lot on this blog…she is the majority of my life, after all. 😉 But it’s been amazing to watch her the last few weeks. Words are turning to sentences, she understands and follows directions, she’s able to tell me when she needs or wants something. It’s all kinds of crazy…and all kinds of happy. I just love her and the little person she is.

Sunday was an especially sweet day of Maelie memories. When I was singing on praise team that morning, I looked out and saw her pointing at me, saying, Mommy! Mommy! Oh, how part of me wanted to run to her and grab her and bring her back up on stage with me! After church, when I finally got to see her, I was walking around with her, and she was passing out hugs to everyone. It was the cutest thing. Then, that night, we went to watch the Super Bowl with some friends, and she was just so full of love and cutie patooty-ness. Really, that’s her every day, but I can brag on her, right?! I just love my girl!

So, barring an actual training program, I started training for my ten mile in May. That translates to hopping on the treadmill and running until I can’t anymore, or in the case of today, running until I’m out of time and have to do something else. I managed to pull a little over four miles, and I was happy with that. Now I need to work on my pace, which can’t be done with our treadmill.

I have finally separated a good treadmill from a not-so-good one…besides price. The good ones actually go faster than 10:00 pace. So I will have to wait til it warms up a little and I can run outside. But it does feel good to keep my running up through the winter. Not sure I’ve ever done that before.

And possibly the best news is that my runner’s knee doesn’t seem to be flaring up as much. I’m trying to keep my distance running to every other day and mix cardio and strength on the other days. That and ibuprofin seem to be helping a lot. Praise God.

By the way, who’s running with me? I’ve got a couple friends…I need a few more. And those of you who don’t run with me

? Should come be my cheerleaders ’cause I’m gonna need ’em!

Ok, I’ve devoted far too much of this to working out…on to new topics.

I’ve been in crazy, I-miss-Indo mode. The other day a friend who is still there told a story on facebook of driving her motorbike, hitting a bump, and her bags of groceries flew off the bike and landed in the river. And a nice, old, Indonesian grandpa-fisherman helped her get them out.

You all laugh…I smile.

And that story actually makes me MISS it.

Almost like I wish it had happened to me!

And all this missing Indo reminds me of home and all that it is. Just a year ago, we weren’t sure what home would look like for us. God was so good…and we got to stay.

We love it here. We are blessed times a million. But when I think of home, I remember that my heart will always have two earthly homes.

There is no way that Indonesia will ever leave my heart. I can rejoice all I want that my house is cockroach-free (HALLELUJAH!!!!) and that I don’t have little lizards popping out of my toaster.

That traffic is, for the most part, orderly, and I can usually get to my destination without stopping to wait for longer than a minute or two. That my grocery store has every possible food I could ever want…and the idea of getting by without brown sugar or Lucky Charms? Is no more.

And yet, the lessons I took away from Indonesia are still there. They have changed me…and are now part of who I am.

And so I guess the word home is relative…no matter if I own my house or not.

The good news? We own our house, and we’re really happy here. :)

Just a random tangent. :)

I’m thankful.

It hasn’t been an easy few weeks. Like I said, I’m learning to appreciate winter and the hidden growth that it brings. But at the same time, my heart is heavy and my eyes are puffy and red.

I’m learning that thing I mentioned yesterday. Trust.

I know He is GOOD. And I know that I can trust Him.

And when my heart aches, I can give it to Him, knowing He will hold it and heal it.

That amazes me sometimes.

No, it amazes me all the time.

Well, my coffee cup is empty, and I really should crash for the night.

Thanks for stopping by. You bless me. :)

Sig

Filed Under: being mommy, blessings, church, coffee, friends, Indonesia, just life, Maelie, where I am

Blog Reflection, #2: Recording Moments

January 17, 2012 by · 2 Comments

Not too much wisdom today, just a reflection.

A little one.

I really started this whole blog to have my own space to share my life and moments and the inner workings of my brain.

I’ve definitely done that… 😉

But I’m also so thankful that I chronicled, in detail most of the time, an entire year.

Because my life with Mae was the majority of the year…and so a lot of the things she did and said are recorded now.

(insert evil laugh) Won’t she love me when she’s a teenager?!?!

I also love it that we took lots of pictures of her…especially since somewhere between then and now, she turned into a little girl.

Moments like this one are priceless…and make every late night, every rushed blog post, every.

single. word…worth it.

Completely.

Sig

Filed Under: being mommy, just life, Maelie, writing

Little Blessings (Pt. 18)

January 14, 2012 by · Leave a Comment

:) Full-on laughing with (at?) the girl when we caught her in the bathroom looking in her hand mirror and pretending to put on powder, just like mommy.

We LOL’d…totally.

:) A creative streak that produced three new pieces of jewelry this afternoon, one of which I am going to have a very hard time selling. Perhaps I will wear it tomorrow…just once to “try it out”!

:) Snow…and the pretty that comes from looking at it from inside the house.

(Looking on the bright side here…)

:) A fun night out last night with friends.

:) Returning boots today that I don’t need…only to be told that I could rebuy them for 70% off. I totally did.

$15 for a brand spankin’ new pair of too-cute boots that I’ll wear next year? Yes, please!

:) A hubby who is finally not in so much pain.

Thankful for meds but even more thankful that he doesn’ t need

them anymore.

:) Neighbor boys who shovel sidewalks for us just because they’ re cool like that.

(Have I mentioned how much I love my neighborhood?)

:) A bathroom scale that forgave me this morning for the piece of cheesecake I ate last night.

That one’s worthy of two smileys. 😉

:) W atching my d

aughter grow and change a little more every day.

She truly is the sunshine of my day.

:) Sunday tomorrow. I love Sundays.

(And the naps that usually come with them!)

What’s your blessing today?

Sig

Filed Under: being mommy, blessings, friends, just life, Maelie
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