being mommy

ed this post, Thursday Afternoon Drinks. Then I was like, Um, Mel…no. Not a good title.

I finally figured out the Diet Coke thing…which may change our “coffee” date slightly some weeks.

On Thursdays after Bible study I usually go with friends to either McD’s or BK so their kids can play and we can chat.

And I always have Diet Coke.

Always. (Yum…I love Diet Coke.

Do you know that about me yet? Well, now you do!)

Hence the reason I’m always drinking it on Thursdays! Today I’d rather have coffee, though, so after I finish it, I’m there. I found dark chocolate creamer last week that is so, so GOOD. Mmmmm.

So it’s been kind of a blah week in the Schroeder house. We’re all good…just lacking energy to do much. It would help if we could have a warm, sunny day…all day. (Not just part of it!) We’re still waiting on the house (and getting slightly impatient) and to top it off, the shower went crazy on us a couple days ago.

Really?!

I’m trying not to be completely annoyed. But is it so much to ask to just be able to take a hot shower whenever I want?

And I have to say here that I just need to suck it up and be thankful and remember all the cold showers I took in Indonesia due to various water issues.

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This. Is. Not. That. Bad.

Thanks to those of you who prayed for Don, the man I posted about a couple of days ago. He passed away early this morning. Please pray for his family and those who were close to him. He will be missed. I am always so sad for the people who are left behind to cry and grieve and hurt. He got the better end of the deal, and I know the choir in Heaven is already sounding sweeter with his tenor voice adding to it.

I’ve really struggled with his situation/death this week. It’s very sobering to see someone and, literally, be standing a few feet away from them and praising God together…then a few hours later they’re gone. From what I know of him, I think it’s incredible that he “went out” doing what he was so very gifted at and what blessed so many people. But that doesn’t make it easy for those who loved him.

Next Tuesday is a big day for me…for me. Not really for anyone else, but that’s ok. I’ll be the guest blogger here, and I’m scared. Those thoughts that I so easily splashed onto my computer are now going to be published for a lot of people to see. It’s cool. And scary. And my stomach turns thinking about it. I’ve never been published before so it’s kind of a dream that’s finally happening. Cool cool. 😀

So if you actually were joining me for an afternoon drink…ahem, talk…I’d be pulling out the runny oatmeal cream pies and grayish-purple scones.

It’s just been that kind of week in the kitchen of Mel. I found a recipe on Monday for Oatmeal Cream Pies that looked UH-MAZ-ING. I had to try them.

The recipe even looked more whoopie pie-ish, so I decided to give it a go. And here’s the thing…you should always read the reviews that people post because…um, these people have actually TRIED the recipe. I did read some of them.

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Several said that the cookie parts were too crunchy so I baked them for a lot less time and they turned out ok. But the buttercream in

the middle? I even borrowed my awesome neighbor’ s mixer

so I could actually make the recipe the RIGHT way and whipped the SNOT out of that butter! (Ok, figuratively…that’s kind of a gross choice of words, isn’t it? :P)

It still ran everywhere.

Fail.

I put them in the fridge after I slapped them together, and that salvaged the batch for the most part…as long as we eat them cold.

Enter cooking venture #2. I made these scones over the weekend for my in-laws but substituted strawberries for raspberries. They were slightly messy to make but not really that bad. And if they were good with strawberries, I figured they’d be even better with raspberries! (Oh, and they were to take to Bible study…aka: people outside of my house were going to eat them.)

I don’t know what went wrong.

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First, the dough was so sticky that I ended up adding about two extra cups of flour just to get it to a point where I could work with it. (And it was still sticky!)

Then, the juice from the raspberries ended up turning the scones this grayish-purple color. I can’t say I was a fan of the color, but whatever. Color is secondary to taste and texture.

And while they tasted fine, the texture was slightly rubbery.

I was oh-so-very-frustrated by the end of the scone-baking drama yesterday that I vowed I will never bake again.

If this is true, you can guarantee that my hubby and I will both lose weight! And…ahem…that my kitchen will be a lot cleaner. Really, some people should just not be allowed in a kitchen, and I think I might be one of them.

But enough about my cooking skills…or lack of them.

Do you have any plans for Mother’s Day?

So this is kinda my first. I mean, I was…um…really pregnant last year.

But with Tob still in Indo and me in the States, there wasn’t really a celebration. And I was kind of expecting this year to be a big deal which I realized is pretty selfish. So I’m gonna bare my soul for a minute. This is a coffee date, after all…usually there’s a lot of soul-b

aring going on!

Expectations have gotten me into trouble in the past, and I can see where they’re taking me this weekend, too. It isn’t good.

Sunday is Mother’s Day.

You know, that day I’ve looked forward to for almost 33 years.

In my narrow, self-centered, bratty way, I expected it to be about me. And I realized today that I need to stop that. I mean, we all have our bratty moments, but I think I have more than the average person.

Bear with me…I promise I’m getting there.

As I was driving home from McD’s today, I was reminded (for about the millionth time!) that I have the most beautiful daughter. She blesses me every single day…every single hour…every single minute…and second, too. I love her so much.

And she is someone I celebrate being mommy to every day, not just one day out of the year.

So, hon, if you read this. (And you better cause supposedly you keep up on the blog… ;)) Don’t go out of your way to make Sunday a crazy, all-about-Mel day. Instead, let’s just spend the day together…the three of us. And be happy that we get to be the three of us.

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That’s what I want for Mother’s Day.

And with that, I think I’ll close…cause I topped 1,000 words a few paragraphs back.

Happy Thursday to you all! And Feliz Cinco de Mayo, tambien!

Filed Under: being mommy, coffee, food, where I am

A Special Moment

May 1, 2011 by Mel · 1 Comment

It’ s been a bu

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sy weekend. Grandma and Grandpa Schroeder were here yesterday and part of today, so Maelie had plenty of love and attention, which she was just fine with! We also had some other things going on, and tonight Mae was across the street with our friends for a couple hours.

By the time I walked in the door with her at 8:23 p.m., I didn’t feel like I’d really spent much time with her over the weekend.

Before I tucked her in tonight, I decided she needed a longer story time. (And maybe some extra cuddles, too.) We read one of her favorites, Goodnight Moon, which we read at least once a week.

Then I pulled a book off the shelf that we hadn’t read yet, The Twelve Gifts of Birth.

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In fact, the book was given to me, probably ten years ago, and I’d never read it.

It was beautiful…a special moment to read this book with Maelie.

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Even though I’m pretty sure it’s a secular book, the values in it are things that I would, and often do, pray for my daughter as she grows up.

As I read through each of these tonight, my heart filled with hope as I imagined this little girl, who right now fits on my lap but will soon grow up to learn and demonstrate each of these in her life.

*Strength: May you remember to call on God always.

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*Beauty: May it be shown each day in your life as you live out your faith.

*Courage: May you speak and act with confidence and use courage as you follow the path God h

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as for you.

Compassion: May you be gentle with yourself and others. May you forgive those who hurt you and yourself when you make mistakes.

*Hope: Through each passage and season, may you trust in the goodness of God.

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Joy: May it keep your heart open and filled with light.

*Talent: May you discover your own special abilities and use them to glorify God.

Imagination: May it nourish your visions and dreams.

Reverence: May you appreciate the wonder that you are and the miracle of all creation.

*Wisdom: Guiding your way, wisdom will lead you through knowledge to understanding.

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May you hear His voice.
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Love: It will grow each time you give it away.

*Faith: May you believe in the saving power of Jesus Christ.

Quotes taken from The Twelve Gifts of Birth, by Charlene Constanzo.

(*And modified by me. :))

Out of all the times we share together, praying for my daughter is the most special. I’m so excited to watch God’ s plan for her unfold.

Filed Under: being mommy, blessings, Maelie

Thursday Espresso Shots

April 14, 2011 by Mel · 1 Comment

Ok, after yesterday, I think espresso shots might be more effective than just a normal cup of coffee. (Decaf with cinnamon creamer for those of you who care.

;)) Although I will tell you that, soon enough, I’ll be back on the real stuff. (And I’m already back to drinking Diet Coke with abandon. Yum.) I’m starting to wean Maelie…which is actually a good thing.

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Nursing her is not bringing out the best in either of us or doing anything to help the mother/daughter love. I made it ten months…I’m very happy with that. And she’s happy to be moving on to formula and juice.

Win-win.

Anyway, regardless of what I’m drinking (or what Maelie’s drinking, for that matter), grab yourself a cup of java and let’s chat!

Ok, so today I’m drinking coffee from my Starbucks mug from Medan, a city on the island of Sumatra. Medan is an interesting story.

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I realized only after I’d purchased my plane ticket there

that there was a Starbucks waiting for me. I love happy surprises! (I was going with some friends on a jungle hike at an orangutan preserve, and Medan was the closest airport…four hours away.) So, of course, I had to buy a mug there.

I can’t say I have any wonderful memories of the actual city of Medan, but it was a memorable trip in general.

And, of course, a necessary stop in order to complete my Indonesia mug collection.

Good Bible study this morning.

We’re starting a new Beth Moore study called Living Beyond Yourself, and I’m really excited about it.

Beth Moore is such a good speaker and writer, and I love the group of women I get to study with. It will be so good…just what my heart needs right now.

Maelie is ten months old today which just blows my mind. Really?! How did that much time go by? In the past few days I’ve really tried to soak up every little cuddle and snuggle because I know that those days are coming to an end. Sometimes I really miss her being so tiny, but I truly do enjoy every stage with her.

My sweet little baby is growing up into a beautiful girl. She just makes my life…I am so very blessed.

I read one of the most horribly written articles in a local newspaper today. I couldn’ t believe

the bad grammar, even worse spelling, and generally poor structure. I am thinking about writing to the editor and offering to write for them…for little or even nothing. I’ve always wanted to be a columnist…do you think I’d be any good

I think I’d rock. Ok, I’ll deflate my head now.

I’m feeling scattered lately and fighting the Big Block again…it just seems like I write a good post and then battle for several days, trying to come up with something equally good. I am also learning the value of re-reading the things I write to make sure I’m saying the Truth in love. That’s so difficult…especially when the drama side of me wants to stir things up a little.

But I’m being challenged in that area…a little drama is good 😉 as long as I’m not stomping all over people’s toes while I write.

(That’s part of the reason my second post on Grace is still a draft.)

I broke down and cut my hair this week. Actually, I got it trimmed over the weekend and when I went home and straightened it, decided that I was done growing it out for awhile. I bopped back in on Tuesday and had her chop up the back again. Aaaaaahhhhh, bliss. I really am a haircut addict…I suppose there are worse things in life. However, there will be no ponytail in the near future, so there will be no party.

Sad.

Maybe in a few months I’ll be inspired again. The main thing is, my ears are covered again.

That is very, very important to me. (And you don’t need to leave me any comments telling me how weird I am… I already know.

;))

I feel like my posts have lacked depth often lately…and it isn’t because I’m feeling dry.

I feel like God is doing some huge things, but the words just aren’t coming fast enough. I’m of the opinion that a good writer can push through a lack of words and produce something worth reading…but not necessarily something deep.

I hope I’m a good writer.

I better run…thanks so much for joining me for our weekly coffee date. You bless me!

Filed Under: being mommy, coffee, hair, writing

Single Parenting It

April 13, 2011 by Mel · 2 Comments

To day

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me a newfound respect for single parents.

I did the single parent thing for fourteen hours today…about five longer than normal for me.

I’m used to staying home with Maelie… and we have fun together.

I love my girl so much. During a typical week, we’ll get out probably two days, sometimes three, just so I can stay sane. And I had every intention of getting out today, but it didn’t quite happen like I had pictured.

My morning started early. I was up at 5:45 to meet a friend for

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a run. I got home around 7:15, and by then, Maelie had already had her morning bottle and Tobin was getting

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her ready to go for the day. I took a quick shower, spent a little time with him, and then he left at 8 a.m. for a long, busy day.

T he second

he left, she started crying.

I wasn’t exactly sure what she wanted, but I tried. I checked her diaper…nope. I put her in the high chair and gave her some Cheerios and juice…that worked for a few minutes.

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I played with her on the floor… again,

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a few minutes. I sang to her…that one didn’t work at all. (No comments, please. ;))

Finally around 8:45 I gave in and fed her early, thinking it would calm her down and that maybe she was just tired.. (She usually eats again at 9:30.) She nursed for an exceptionally long time, and I finally stopped her around 9:30, thinking she’d had more than enough. I changed her diaper and put her down for a nap.

And. She. Screamed.

Bloody. Murder.

For 90 minutes.

(Interspersed with a couple very short cat naps.)

At some point I wondered if maybe something was wrong with her so I checked on her and covered her up because she had kicked her blanket off. Nothing was making this

girl calm down.

Just FYI, Tobin and I have a pretty strict policy for napping.

She goes down, whether she wants to or not. Usually she cries for about two minutes before giving in to sleep, so today was rare. (How long she naps is another story…that varies from day to day.) However, we do not want her to learn that every time she screams she gets her way.

I worked on a couple things upstairs and finally gave in to the screaming, knowing that we were getting absolutely nowhere.

She was more than happy to see that I was finally picking her up, which solidified in my mind that she just didn’t want to sleep…that was it.

We ate some lunch and played a bit, and then I took her outside to swing.

The screaming started again.

No matter what I did, she screamed. We tried the jumper…she wailed. I held her…she was inconsolable. I finally gave up, sang to her, and put her down for another nap around 1:30.

Oh, no, that was not okay.

Fifteen minutes of blood curdling screaming, and I finally gave her a bottle, which seemed to calm her down somewhat. After a diaper change and another song, I put her down for a nap at 2:15.

After yet more wailing, she finally gave in, sleeping for a solid two hours.

And I. Was. Exhausted.

And you? Are probably exhausted just reading this.

Our plans to get out of the house after her nap fell through, but thankfully (?) we had to run to Target for some butterfly tape.

Yeah…I tried to cut my finger off. Thankfully our knives aren’t that good, but boy, was there a lot of blood.

Of all days. Seriously?!

(I’ll spare you the details only to tell you that I only made one frantic phone call, and thankfully he was a calming influence. :))

I had hoped to take Mae to church for the Lent service tonight, but let’s be honest. The single parent thing with a ten month old who is happy is hard. I can’t imagine trying it after the day we’ve had. I’m pretty sure we’d both end up in tears.

So we stayed home and she happily went to bed around 8 p.m.

I’m sure she was tired…I am! 😉

In all seriousness, though…it wasn’t a great day. I love my girl and am realistic enough to know that not every day is going to be perfect. However, after today, I realize just how very blessed I am to have Tobin and to not be doing this alone. My heart AND my respect goes out to all single parents.

Now to pour the coffee and kick my feet up…I think I’ve earned it. 😉

Have a great night!

Filed Under: being mommy, blessings

Five Minute Friday: Random

April 8, 2011 by Mel · 2 Comments

A blogging friend does this, and it’s simple…write for five minutes, don’ t change any

thing. (Ok, I concede…I corrected a couple grammar errors. I canNOT publish something with bad spelling or grammar…that would be like leaving the house without brushing my teeth. ICK.) Anyway, I have to admit that I’m slightly nervous to try this because my best writing doesn’t come out in five minutes. Well, usually.

But, I’m intrigued. So here we go.

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I bought some killer shoes tonight.

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Since returning to the States last year, I’ve only bought a few new pairs, and I really needed some nice ones (aka: something other than flip flops) to wear with the skirt that, yes, I am actually going to wear on Easter. So I went online and found them…and when I got to the store to buy them, they were even on sale.

😉 Love days like that.

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They are clunky, have four inch heels…and borderline on crazy.

~~And I will probably break my ankle wearing them.~~

Here’s a pic…aren’t they SO cute?!

Our GPS complicated my evening. I left the house around eight, which left me ten minutes to get to Old Navy and fifty minutes to shop…which should have been enough time.

However, I now agree with a certain friend who will know exactly who she is…in that I dislike Randall Road and how stinkin’ hard it is to find anything there. I ended up taking an extra fifteen minutes because I just couldn’t find it! Oh, I long for the day when I can find where I need to go without the GPS.

We had a funny in our house tonight (that actually made Tobin’s status for facebook) when we looked over at dinner to find Maelie with her finger up her nos

e… grinning the whole time.

We. Just. Laughed. That’s the way it should be for awhile. In a few months, we’ll start telling her no.

On a more serious note, my sweet girl has pinkeye. She woke up this morning with one eye completely matted shut, so I took her in.

The sad thing is, she probably got it from me.

That itchy, red eye I had on Wednesday? Her doctor said it was probably a viral form of pinkeye caused by that lovely sinus infection. Needless to say, we are both taking the drops that were prescribed for her. Shhhh…

Wow…five minutes, huh? Not a lot of substance, but hey…it’s entertaining. Have a great night.

Filed Under: being mommy, fashion

Late Afternoon Caffeine

April 7, 2011 by Mel · 1 Comment

It’s Thursday.

Three Thursdays in a row means that this is now tradition…right?

And I’m still drinking decaf, so for me, this is late afternoon NON caffeine. But that’s ok…it’s the whole sipping something fro m a

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while we chat thing that counts…right?

We were gone all day, from 8 am until after 3 pm. That’s a long time to be gone from home with an almost-ten-month-old. I have to admit that she was a trooper and did well and even took a cat nap for about 45 minutes.

I’ll take it. (And here’s hoping, at 4 pm, we’ve got another of those cat naps coming. She’s. SO. Tired.)

Today I’m drinking out of my very HUGE Starbucks mug. This one was a gift from a friend who went to Scotland. The thing holds 20 oz…which today translates into something that will require me to get up for a refill less often.

I’m drained, not gonna lie. I’ve never had such a crappy feeling week.

The good news is that, for the most part, I think I’m over the worst.

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Hallelujah! And thanks to those of you who prayed.

Maelie and I were out the door by 8 am this morning to head to church because today was the big Indonesia Day at Bible Study. It was fun.

I made pisang goreng (fried banana) and my friends wore sarongs. They took an Indonesian quiz…which I have to admit was not very nice of me, but they were good sports.

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Then I sho wed them our video and

we did some Q and A time. It was good…I really loved being able to share that part of my life with people who mean a lot to me.

I did find yesterday emotionally exhausting, though, as I went over in detail, really, the last five years. Wow.

No, WOW!!!

Sometimes it feels so surreal. To have had the privilege to be part of something like that…not just the living in another culture part, but being in the middle of all the cool things God was (and still is) doing there.

Even though I don’t look back on those five years and long to do them again, I’m so very grateful for the gift of Indonesia and the amazing memories we have. And for the gift of being here right now. Maybe that’s the biggest lesson I took away from our time there…to love the here and now and live it fully.

After Bible Study this morning, Maelie and I stayed at church for an organ recital played by our sweet friend, Kris. I’d never been to an organ recital before…it was impressive. I’m pretty sure I’ll never be able to multitask enough

to play that instrument.

Kris did a great job! And I have to brag a bit on my girl, too…who managed to sit through the whole thing.

She did so well…adding her own little touches to the whole thing. A couple coos here and there and one LARGE burp between songs, of course. Her daddy would have been proud. Her mommy was just mortified for a few seconds…and then I couldn’t stop laughing. I sure hope it didn’t ruin the meditative mood for those around us.

Then after the recital we grabbed some lunch and coffee with a friend at the place I blogged about not too long ago, Cafe Firefly. Maelie took a short nap, Alison and I chatted for awhile, then it was home for us.

Mae and I never stay out that long…I’m amazed she lasted without turning into a sobbing, tired mess.

Good for my girl…maybe there’s still hope for her and coffee dates.

Taco Bell for dinner tonight. I have not done much cooking this week, and honestly, I can’t wait to crawl into bed tonight just as soon as the girl is asleep, too. Anyone else think Taco Bell is some of the best cheap fast food you can find? Granted, it’s not that good for you, but I don’t get the really-bad-for-you-full-of-fat-stuff…just the this-has-lots-of-calories-so-I-need-to-run-soon stuff. There is a difference, right

Ok, enough chit chat.

So, I am still being tested in the area of patience. We’re still waiting on the house, and I’m being forced to accept the fact that we may be waiting for awhile. The bank isn’t in a hurry to process anything…and I’m starting to feel anxious about things.

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It’s a daily struggle for me to give it to God and to not feel that discouragement each time I see someone stop to pick up a flier from the sign in our front yard. But He knows…exactly who should live here, and we believe with all our hearts that it’s us. And that has to be enough reassurance for now. (And I must admit, as completely wrong as this sounds, I get a small amount of pleasure each time the dogs pee on the for sale sign…)

Maelie wore the sweetest little Bali dress today to Bible Study while I wore my Indonesian kebaya. So I’ll end with this picture that I just love…I think it’s so great that we can pass on little pieces of Indo to her even if she can’t be there to experience it. Someday. (It’s blurry, too close, and overexposed…but I still love it…something about how happy we both look.)

Thanks for joining me. Have a wonderful, caffeinated evening. 😉

Filed Under: being mommy, coffee, friends, Maelie, where I am

Where I Am…With Some Coffee Thrown In

March 31, 2011 by Mel · Leave a Comment

Ok, I liked my coffee post so much last Thursday that I decided we may have a new tradition going. So grab a cup of your favorite joe, kick off your shoes, and let’s chat!

And please forgive the hair in the photo today…I let it go curly this morning,

and I never know quite what it will look like when I do that. Today wasn’t nearly as crazy as it can be…really, not even close, but it wasn’t fabulous, either. I decided a flower headband would make everything better. Never mind that I’m 32 years old…no comments please. (32 year olds can wear headbands, right

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? Why does it feel so wrong?!)

Anyway, today I’m drinking the same stuff as last week…decaf with caramel vanilla creamer.

Mmmm, mmmm, mmmm! This time it’s out of my Jakarta mug, though. I have six Indonesia “City” Mugs…Jakarta, Bandung, Surabaya, Medan, Jogjakarta, and Bali. I had a goal while I was there to actually go to Starbucks in each of those cities and buy the corresponding mug there. I was successful and pretty stinkin’ proud of it, until they opened a Starbucks in Bogor during the last few months I was in Indonesia.

I didn’t make it there…so I’ve got six out of seven. The Jakarta mug was actually the last one I purchased…in the airport on my way home last April. And one of those cities (Surabaya) I flew to with some friends just so we could go to Starbucks and buy the mug.

True story. 😀 Although we did make a girls’ weekend of it to stay at the Sheraton, hang at the pool, and drink coffee. (Ahem…multiple cups of coffee…) All weekend…tons of fun!

I’m sitting here on a sunny Thursday afternoon wishing that Maelie and I were at the park. However, we passed on her morning nap and went to the outlet mall with some friends.

So there’s no way we can skip the afternoon one…and she is currently fighting me with everything she has, but she’ll give in. She’s too tired to not sleep. In fact, I think she’s out now…aaaah. Peace.

So we browsed a few kids’ stores this morning. I was looking for a few things for Mae…and maybe I’m cheap, but I’m not willing to pay even most of the clearance prices we found today. Sorry, but $11 for a little sweater is not a deal. Bummer, too, cause it was way too adorable.

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I did find a couple cu-UTE flower headbands for her, though, one she can wear on Easter Sunday with this precious little daisy sundress I have for her.

And a pair of sunglasses with some bling, cause a girl always needs some sparkles, huh? The Children’s Place was good for stuff like that…I didn’t think the prices were bad at all.

Maelie and I shared a piece of pizza for lunch…well, I use the word “shared” loosely. (I ate 90% of it. :)) It blows my mind that she is eating the same things we do. And reaching for my coffee and Diet Pepsi…which I haven’t given her yet, so relax. My little girl is growing up way too fast. But I love it.

Love it, love it, love it. Love HER.

We had a (real, not virtual) coffee date yesterday with one of our favorite friends. It was fun to get out of the house, have some time to chat and catch up, and give Maelie a chance to spread some love (and Cheerios) all over Starbucks. I realized when I got home that the bag of chocolate I took with me never made it out of my purse…sad, cause I think coffee tastes better with chocolate and chocolate tastes better with coffee. And coffee and chocolate are both better with a friend. So it’s win-win-win. Another bummer…at least I’ll have some for next time if I don’t eat it all first!

So enough small talk.

Eventually we’ll get past what happened yesterday and today and talk about other stuff.

Like the house. The topic currently occupies most of my brain, but I attempt to push it back as far as possible so I can focus on other things.

Things are looking good, though…and my emotions and hopes are already way too high. Do I dare plan for this or do I need to start on a Plan B?

I realized in typing that last paragraph that it is so me to try figuring out things all on my own. I really just need to let go of this and trust Him to work it all out. And mostly, I have…I just have a hard time with the trusting part. As a follower of Christ, I know so much…but knowing it and believing it are two different things. I’m working on letting go…but it’s tough. Cause I don’t want to…but that’s just me being selfish.

It’s part of the refining process…I know God is teaching me things through this, and that I need to keep my heart soft enough for the changes He wants to make. If God wants to change something in me, it has to be good because He’s not exactly in the business of doing bad.

I so need to get over myself.

I caught myself being selfish yesterday with my time and taking it out on my girl. I sometimes forget that Maelie is: a) 9 months old; b) active and energetic; c) a normal kid; and d) incapable of reasoning why she should behave a certain way. Therefore, when I take her to Starbucks, I should not expect her

to sit there like an angel, totally engaged in the conversation going on.

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that way. I truly don’t see her as an annoyance…she is such a blessing, and I really do love my girl, but yesterday I think I treated her like she was getting in the way of my plans. Father, please forgive me. And I already asked Maelie to forgive me. Which she responded to with a giggle, so I translated that as a yes.

And then we giggled together some more.

Cause we’re just like that.

That’s something I’m trying to work on as a mom…even now. When I need to apologize to my child(ren) that I take the time to make things right…even if they don’t understand what’ s going on.

Parenting is humbling, isn’t it?

Despite the challenges, though…and the lack of peaceful coffee dates ;)…I love this girl.

She brings so much joy to my days. I just really, really love her.

I could keep going, but I’ve already hit over 1,000 words…and I need to save some for later!

Tobin and I have been reading through the book of John during Lent this year. I have to admit that it means a lot more to me this year, and I’m not quite sure why, but I think it has something to do with the fact that we are purposely (re)evaluating why we believe what we believe. And getting to the core of what faith really is and what it means to truly have that relationship with Christ. Without citing specific examples, just reading Scripture together is speaking Truth into our lives, whether we discuss it or not.

And for now, that’s enough…God is meeting us exactly where we are with what we need.

I love that about Him.

Well, over 1200 words later, you’ve made it through another lengthy coffee date.

Thanks for joining me.

Filed Under: being mommy, coffee, friends, Maelie, what I'm learning, where I am

The Napless Wonder

March 27, 2011 by Mel · Leave a Comment

I affectionately refer to my girl as the above title.

Oh, she is a wonder.

One who has the most irregular sleeping patterns I’ve ever seen.

For the first two months of her life, she napped like an angel.

I swear there was a halo floating over her precious little head.

Then around the middle of August, she decided, Nope. The world is much too exciting for me to sleep.

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You can only imagine what this did to mommy. And? It continued.

For three stinkin’ months.

Then, just after Thanksgiving, she decided that naps were a wonderful thing, and she made a regular habit of taking a daily three hour afternoon nap.

To say that was awesome is completely understating it.

It. Gave. Me. My. Sanity. Back.

This continued for a couple months.

Sometimes? She’d even give me a morning nap, too.

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Then around the middle of February, she decided that naps were for wimps.

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We went a few weeks

with maybe one nap a week. And Mel, of course, is ready to pull her hair out during all of this.

And then a couple weeks ago, she decided, Yeah, I’ll nap again. Sleep is goooooood…Momma likes it, so I should like it, too!

And she’s been a pretty good napper for the last couple of weeks.

Except on Sundays. Oh, Sunday morning services make me want to cry, laugh hysterically, and crawl under the pew. (All at once, if possible. ;)) She just won’t nap at church.

She coos and giggles her way through the class we go to at 9:30. (I spent half of it in the hallway today.) She’s usually ok during singing, but then she gets cranky and almost never makes it through the sermon.

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And then one of us ends up in the hallway with her. Today it was Tobin, and he brought her back in during communion because there was a lot of singing, which usually keeps her happy (and quiet).

Not today.

She was just not doing it and was a crying mess by the end of the service.

Part of me felt bad for her…really, to be so tired and not be able to sleep would be frustrating. I’d cry. But she did redeem our less-than-pleasant morning at church by taking a 2 1/2 hour nap as soon as we got home.

When I went in to get her after that glorious nap, she looked up at me, grinned, and the frustrations of the morning melted away.

I love this girl.

SO. SO. MUCH.

Really, how could anyone not love my little napless wonder? 😀

Oh, Maelie girl, you give me such great stories to tell.

I love you!

Filed Under: being mommy, church, Maelie

Connectedness

March 21, 2011 by Mel · 1 Comment

FYI: Contains sarcasm…you have been warned.

In Indonesia, I used the sa me

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handphone for five years. Yes, you read that right.

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And yes, there we called it a hand phone or hp. (pronounced ha pay) It was this basic Nokia that cost me $50 up front and about $5 a month to use. I could send an sms (text), make a phone call…and that was about it.

By the end of my five years, the phone had definitely seen better days, and we sold it for $5.

I definitely got my money’s worth.

When I returned to the States last April, my head was spinning with all the phones I could choose from. I went with a Samsung that was free with my contract.

I can make a phone call, send a TEXT :), take pictures…and that’s really all I need it for. It felt like such an indulgence to buy a phone that nice after what I had been using for five years.

And then…I saw what had happened in the world of phones since our departure to Indonesia five years before.

Is there anything you can’t do with a cell phone

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And reading this post today only reiterated the thoughts I have had about phones and the need to be constantly connected.

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I just don’t understand people who are always on their phones…browsing the internet, sending texts, making phone calls…24/7…well, maybe not quite that often. I mean, they do need to sleep so they have some energy for all that texting and web surfing. (And perhaps now would be a good time for me to go off on people who update their Facebook and Twitter while driving. But I’ll save that for another day.

;))

I? Have a whopping 500 minutes a month (which I share with my hubby) and 250 texts. I have no data plan…and even if I had one, I’m not sure I’d know how to use it.

You won’t see me update my Facebook status or Twitter from my ph one, c

onstantly texting or even talking on it often. And you definitely won’t see me attempting to multitask playing with my daughter and browsing the web.

(I’m not that coordinated anyway.

Seriously.)

But before you start thinking that I’m perfect and have a halo floating above my head all the time (no, just sometimes :D), I’ll be honest and tell you that after reading that post, I felt a little guilty about the time I spend staring at a computer screen every day. I really try to keep boundaries, and I don’t blog unless Mae is sleeping. But I am guilty of browsing the internet sometimes while she entertains herself in her pack and play or jumper.

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