Happy Weekend

Fix It Friday

The site I HEART FACES hosts a Fix it Friday game. They post an original and you get to play with it. Then people can share and collaborate on their site. It's my first time playing but I'll keep it up. It's fun practice.

Check out their site and see other entries.

ORIGINAL

MY FIX

Most Kids

Most kids don't fall asleep while playing with their toys, but this one does. What a doll baby! We love her to bits.

Thursday

So I've been sick, but after a nap yesterday afternoon and turning in at 8pm last night, I feel like a new woman today. There's nothing 11 hours of sleep can't fix.

So I went to the Minute Clinic yesterday hoping for a positive strep test. Eloise had it, my throat was screaming, so I must have it too. Unfortunately I didn't. No drugs for me. She said, "you either have a bad virus or you're pregnant." HA! I laughed pretty good at that one. Irish twins anyone? And since when did a screaming throat indicate pregnancy? I guess pregnancy is always an option.

My illness isn't getting anyone else down, though. Thankfully everyone else seems spiffy. Just check out Eloise:

"Watch out below!!!" - Our Evel Knievel

This is a test. *Failed*

I've learned how to make bigger photos on my blog! Yea! This is a test.

Now I have to decide if I like being so big...

Update:: I did not like being big. Neither did my sister. So we're back to normal. Thanks for indulging me.

This test is over.::

Sick Sick Sick

Wow, I'm more than just "man sick." I'm really sick. So sick I'm going to the doctor. That never happens. I have a feeling I got Eloise's strep throat. It's an easy symptom to detect--my throat is on FIRE! AHH! I guess it serves me right for posting the video. (Have you watched it? It is really funny...)

Here's Eloise playing Cinderella at her ballet class. She LOVES to dance!

ANTS

Automatic Negative Thoughts

I recently heard of an elementary child going through a seminar called ANTS. Learning how to fight Automatic Negative Thoughts.

The mother thought it was neat that the children were learning how to fight negative thoughts at such a young age. If only we had such a seminar, we wouldn’t have negative thoughts today, she reasoned.

DON’T THINK SO!

We will always have Automatic Negative Thoughts. They will never go away. No techniques we learn will rid us of them. You might argue that we can help at least make them better, maybe.

The INTERESTING part of the seminar is that little children need the ANTS seminar. Yes, folks, it’s true. We were born broken. We were born unhappy, unfulfilled, self-critical, judgmental, you name it. Elementary age children have ANTS and so do I.

So what do I do about my ANTS? I recognize that I’m not perfect. That I can’t cure myself of ANTS and that Jesus understands my ANTS. I understand Jesus suffered for my ANTS and he suffers with me now. And I’m thankful Jesus meets me where I am.

Not My Husband!

For all the strong women out there!

Prayer for Haiti

God of the living and the dead, we wail in grief at the pain and loss and horror and distress of our brothers and sisters in Haiti.

We do not understand your ways–that those who already suffer the most, now suffer so much more.

Where people are still breathing under collapsed buildings, give them air and hope and courageous searchers.

Where children are injured or orphaned, find them trusted friends and generous caregivers.

Where despair is infectious and disease or looting spreads, bring patience and forbearance and healing and strength to conquer temptation.

And when others look with compassion from afar, release resources, empower expertise, shape political will, and bring deliverance for your people in their distress.

Through him who was crushed and bruised for us, in the comfort of your Holy Spirit.

Amen.

Sam Well, Dean of Duke Chapel

I found this at Moxie. Check out her intellectual wit and perfect musical taste at her blog, listed on the right side bar, of course.

This Weekend

This is what the neighborhood sees as we walk to the store to get a cupcake.



Cordelia is growing like mad.

Not Me Monday

First things first,I would never steal money from my daughter's "treasure box" (piggy bank) of "treasure" (coins) to pay the parking meters. Who me? You might be asking yourself, why would this crazy lady give her almost 3 yr old money in the first place. Might sound crazy, but really, it's a fun game we've been playing. Pirates have treasure boxes, why shouldn't Eloise? Anywho, I would never take her treasure. No!

And then fail to feed the meter enough to return to the car with the parking attendant writing me a ticket. I would never beg, plead shamelessly to get out of a ticket. And then use my precious daughters in the plot. "Oh woe is me, officer. I'm such a frantic Mommy. A good citizen really. So good that I stole the coins out of my daughter's bank to pay this meter. I know it wasn't quite enough, but really, look now the baby is crying. Okay. Okay. Let me put the babies in the car then you can give me the ticket. There, there, Cordelia, don't cry. Everything will be okay."

Meanwhile, Eloise keeps asking "Who's this guy, Mommy? Who's this guy?" (If you've heard her say that in real life, it's really funny. I laugh every time she does it. So you can imagine how difficult it was to keep a straight face at this point. And if you know me, you know how hard it is for me to keep a straight face at all! One time we had an old girl friend over for dinner. Half way through, Eloise looks at me, points at my friend, and says, "who's this guy?" Oh man, her timing is perfect (perfectly awful.)

I put the girls in the car. Return to the man. I ask for my ticket. He's having a real internal dilemma. He says, "there was no money in the meter." I say, "There was. Believe me. I stole it from my daughter." He tisked me. Really. Tisk, tisk. Just like that. And got back in to the car and drove off. No ticket!

How Sweet It Is

Ramblings

*Thank you Willa J., D, and Lauren for commenting yesterday. I was thrilled to learn you wonderful ladies read my blog--love it! Thanks! And don't be shy fellow lurkers, I'd love to know you're out there.

*It's Friday. Our Saturday. Cordelia is napping (what's new?), Alex and Eloise are playing play doh. I'm working on my 10 year reunion. We're gathering emails and addresses right now. A tedious job. Can't imagine doing this without Facebook!

*Eloise and I are going to the dentist today. I'm getting my night guard (YEA!!) to alleviate my grinding and locked jaw. I pray this works. AND, I'm bringing Eloise with me. She has some funky teeth stuff. The Dr. will look at it and hopefully say, no big deal!

*I just learned Alex and Eloise share a love--they love the way new plastic smells. Yuck.

*Some photos I've been playing with. Suggestions always welcomed. Keep them coming, Molly!

Lurk Much?

Good Golly Miss Molly!

Anyone notice that I put a counter on the bottom of my blog? Probably not. And I don't blame you. It's way way down there....keep scrolling....wait for it....wait for it...yes at the very bottom. It reads 1219 as I type this. I put it on there at 1pm Tuesday. I set it at 1000 and was more than VERY curious as to how many visitors I get on the blog. And, Good Golly, can you believe it? 219 in less than 2 days. Surely you can do the math. That's averaging more than 100 a day.

I had no idea.

Who the heck are you guys?

I know...my Mom probably hits the blog up umpteen times a day. My Dad does his fair share, and so do Neena, Pops, the aunties, the uncles, my 5 faithful followers, and my dear husband. Oh, and me, I have to subtract probably 20 of those because I've been obsessively clicking to see the new total of visitors. Okay, that makes 209.

Who else is out there?

No shame in lurking. I do it ALL the time, and not just on my own blog. On friends' blogs, friends of friends, and complete strangers. I'm a lurker. Are you?

Blog Highlights

Today I'd like to introduce you to Mockingbird. A ministry in NYC that Alex and I love and support. It's ministry focuses on where the Gospel intersects with life. The good news of Jesus' love can be found in art, music, movies, sports, politics (yes even politics) and most certainly your life and mine.

Mockingbird's blog is wildly popular and entertaining. Posts range from long and theological to short, sweet, and silly. They have a long list of contributors who keep the conversation interesting, abundant, and diverse.

You'll find the link on my blog list. If your intrigued, check it out.


In other news, Highlander Highlights is back after a 3 month hiatus. You can also find this link on the right side bar. It's my mom's blog, and she does a great job highlighting Rocky Mountain National Park. She also has some stunning photos on there. Welcome back, Mom.

I Heart Faces

I Heart Faces is a wonderful photography community. I've decided to no longer lurk but to participate in their photography challenges. This week's theme is "We are Family." I chose this photo mostly for its sentimental meaning. It's a quick snapshot but has priceless value. I love how Granny is looking at the baby. My biggest struggle was working with Granny's white outfit. Suggestions?

Four Generations

Not Me Monday

When it comes to the kitchen, I'm pretty good. I churn out lots of nutritious homemade food. I consistently serve fruit and veggies, whole grains, and dairy. I try to keep sugar to a minimum except of course when Eloise and I make a yummy dessert together. Like Friday night. We made yummy cake balls and decorated them together. It was a fun activity and and the perfect Friday night treat.

First I made a chocolate cake. Put it through the food processor. Made a great cream cheese icing and worked it through the crumbs. (Recipe thanks to MckMama). Then, the fun part started.

We prepared the candy coating.




A little color makes blue.




Eloise helps sprinkle.




Yummy "Snow Pops" as the recipe names them, or "Cake Balls" as I called them, or "Cake Bombs" as Alex calls them.




And only let her eat half of one before bed. Like the good, nutritious-minded Mommy that I am..




And I would NEVER, NEVER EVER finish them for breakfast!




In fact, there are lots of things I'd never do.

When it comes to birthdays, I've vowed I'd listen to my daughter and create a celebration around her wants and needs. I know she's young, easily overwhelmed, and strongly opinionated. I have vowed not to let my preferences get in the way and to keep her feelings my priority. So I'm planning her party as such. It'll be small, cute, and manageable. And, I'd NEVER stress about it nor stress about what other mothers might think. Who me? I'd NEVER let MY ego get in the way of HER party. I'd NEVER assess, reassess, and obsess about a 3 year old birthday party. I'm much to grown-up for that. Sure.

Skills

I'm still spending all my free time working on Lightroom. I missed a contest/link share on a fellow blog for the "best face" photo. I thought I'd use the challenge to practice on some of my favorite faces anyway. Which of the two below do you like better? Can't decide.

Process

I'm still adjusting to being a family of 4. It's a process. New layers of change are slowly emerging. The obvious ones have been dealt with for the most part--Cordelia has a room, a bed, a car seat. We all love her, take care of her, and play with her. We allow extra time to feed her, change her, and clothe her. In that sense, we've transitioned to being a family of 4 quite nicely.

What I'm having difficulty with now is the STUFF another person adds to the house. More mess! More mess that I can't manage. I like a neat house. I hate clutter, and crumbs on the floor, and I hate going to bed when there are toys strewn about downstairs. I like to wake up to a tidy house, much like I like returning to a clean house after a long vacation. Isn't that the best feeling? Anyway, I can't keep up. So my new mantra is, "it's a process, it's a process." And that's okay. I think it'll be like this for a long time. And that's okay. Or at least, that's what I'm coming to accept.

Lightroom

Before




After

Excuse me

Excuse me, Eloise.

Yes?

Is that a Dora sticker still on your cheek?

Yes.

Not Me Monday

MckMama's blog is one of my favorites. She's a great photographer, something I aspire to be, and a faithful mama with 4 cute kiddos, one being a miracle baby. Really--her child should not have survived and yet today, by the grace of God, he is expected to live life to its fullest. Click on the button below to read about it. (Thanks Mom for cluing me in to her blog.)

She also has fun giveaways and activities. One being "Not Me Mondays." It's everything that I would NEVER do. (Get the sarcasm?) They're pretty funny to read because they are true. We all do it. We all do things we'd never admit. So maybe we should start admitting them from time to time. Maybe we should start revealing more of ourselves and stop hiding from judgement. So here's my first "Not Me Monday." This of course is silly, but he principle is not. I know I could use more transparency in my life. For when I'm weak, He is strong.



I am certain of this. My daughter is not wearing a Dora sticker on her cheek from over a week ago. Yuck! There's no way I'd let her keep a sticker on her cheek because I'm too wussy to tear it off of her. I don't give in to her constant appeals to keep the sticker on, I would never do that. Not me!

And no, I don't bribe my daughter with candy to get out of the car. I don't bribe her just because it cold outside. Who me? No.

And no, I'm not writing this post and surfing the web when I still haven't done the laundry from our Florida vacation. I would never do that. Or done the dishes from breakfast, or the dishes from lunch, or finish clearing the Christmas boxes that have been sitting there for days. And no, I'm certainly not thinking about which Law and Order episode is on now while I'm not waisting all this precious time. I'd never procrastinate.

Not me.

All Fun and Games

It was all fun and games in Florida until we had to come home. (Sad.) Eloise is upstairs asleep (it's 11:30am now) fighting a mild fever. I think it's taking her some time to recover from all the holiday cheer. And, boy, I do I mean cheer.

This holiday season really all started on November 7 when little sweet Cordelia Fae made her triumphant entry in to this fine world. From that point on, we've had an open door to visitors who came with helping hands, lots of energy, food, and well wishes. We really are blessed to have such wonderful family and friends to support us in this crazy child-rearing business.

We decorated and cooked. And cooked a lot. The pralines were a hit amongst our neighbors and friends, and our Christmas Eve dinner, although simple and easy, was a big hit. We called it a "working orphans supper" for our church staff. Christmas morning was a delight, off to B-more, then home again for another Sunday. The cab picked us up for the airport and off we went to Florida where more fun and games awaited.

The aunts and uncles played and played with our sweet little girls, and we all had a ball. Gifts kept emerging from under the tree, and the kitchen put out some amazing food. We ate and drank and played to our hearts content. And when we were done, away we flew, back in the cab and now home again. I know. We've been home for a few days now but we're still settling in. The tree is down, the decorations almost cleared. And now we're sleeping. And recovering from all the fun and games.

Here's to a fantastic 2010 and ordinary life.

A Dinosaur Safari

Eloise has never met a dino that she didn't like!

One plus to cold weather...

Eloise and I saw the manatees for the first time and were not disappointed. They are massive and fun to watch. The unusually cold weather was actually a plus for us this day because it was the first time in 2 years that Vero Beach turned on this particular power plant. So the manatees came up to enjoy the warm water of the plant, and bingo, we got to watch the cute big manatees swim around. Save the Manatees!