The Answer Is...

What have we been up to?

In the bathroom of all places...

Any guesses?  You're right!  TA DA!

We're planting seeds and hoping they grow!!

Loving this scene

A beautiful scene of a daddy reading to his girls,

a sister loving her sister,

and a mommy loving them all!

Aunt Maggie Visits

What a fantastic weekend with Aunt Maggie.  While it did not include any museum visits, segway tours, or paddle boat rides on the Tidal Basin, it did include some lovely auntie-niece time, some rest, and good food.

The girls love their Auntie Maggie.  Eloise adores her styling abilities and 80s pop music taste.

And Cordelia loves her contagious smile and laugh.

Thanks for coming to visit us, Maggie.  It was fabulous to get so much time with you!  We love you!

I Heart Faces: Dramatic B&W

This week theme's at I Heart Faces is dramatic black and white.  This is my husband and daughter laughing together at an early morning breakfast at a neat local diner.  It was a sweet time together.

Not Me Monday

Another Not Me Monday over at MckMama's.  Posting all the things we would NEVER do.  Wink. Wink.  





This did NOT occur at my house this week.

Aren't there better snacks than cupcakes?

And eating it in front of TV?  Ouch!  I'm I really posting this?  Because this is quite unflattering.

Unflattering only if it had happened.  But of course, it did NOT.

No, NOT me!

TMI: Too Much Information

Ever been sitting at a lunch table conversation with a woman sharing about her ex-boyfriend's murder trial?

I have!

And you know what I thought?  1. Scary  2. Is this for real?  3. TMI.  (Too much information)

How many times do you think, Wow!  I wish you didn't share that.  Didn't care to know that about your mom or husband or etc.  TMI. Then, all your future conversations with that person are shadowed by the pervious TMI conversation.  Like the ex-boyfriend's murder case.  Hmmm.

Or, conception stories....let's focus on the baby not he conception, thank you very much!  (-:

In the parenting world, there is often TMI.

When pregnant with Eloise, I stopped reading pregnancy resources all together.  Too much info was freaking me out.  Stressing about the bazillion different mishaps/scenarios/problems is not good on anyone.  Truth be told, at any given time, any number of horrible things can happen to any of us.  Don't know about you, but I can't live my life in fear.  So, after reading the necessary materials, I put them aside.  And I prayed.

Then, you have the issue of changing information.  Advice that was popular a few years ago is now out of style.  Amy Henry wrote an article in the WSJ last week addressing this issue exactly.  Here's how she opens her article:

"Never hug or kiss them.  Never let them sit in your lap.  If you must, kiss them once on the forehead when they say good night.  Shake hands with them in the morning."
Such as the advice of behavioral scientist John Watson to mothers in the 1920s.


Then this:

The whiplash-inducing waves of advice don't stop there.  To cite only some of the most recent examples: Experts first say that television makes our kids fat, that vaccines cause autism, that spanking is bad, that antibiotics are good, that wiggly boys must have ADD, and that early mastering of the ABC's is essential for a child's success.  Then new studies come out saying--oops!-- TV actually doesn't make kids fat, vaccinations don't cause autism, spanking can be good, antibiotics should be used only after we "wait the ear infection out," wiggly boys are perfectly normal, and the putting on of Einstein videos does not necessarily a genius make.


Times change.  And when it comes to parental advice, time changes fast.

So what is a worry-wart mother like myself to do?  I have to inform myself and let go.  Disconnect from the infinite and often contradictory resources available to us.  (Just read Babywise Theory vs. Sear's Attachment Theory and you'll know what I mean.  Can there be 2 completely different methodologies?)

In review: Disconnect.  Listen to our instincts.  And to our moms.  And pray.

Amy Henry writes a blog www.wholemama.com.  I've never read it but will check it out.

Today at the Zoo

Guests

Our tragically city-trapped bambi friends are back!

Contests

I enter contests.  I joke that its our key to wealth.

I never would have even thought of entering contests until after the summer of 2003.  My internship summer at the Department of Social Services in Rockbridge county.  What a summer.  Too much to even share, except for this one important part.

My boss and another social worker both won contests that summer.  The first won a washer/dryer.  The other a computer.  Wow!  Really?  People actually win those things?

Apparently, if you enter enough, you will win.  (Yes, they entered at work.  Yes, they worked hard for our tax dollars.  Or not.  Yes, there was a lot of work to be done.  In fact, too much work for such a small staff.  Tired, overworked, unmotivated, under payed.  They entered a lot of contests.  And it was fun to talk about.)

According to today's Wall Street Journal, page D8, people spend hours a day entering.  They're called "sweepers." One lady has won over $50,000, 90 vacations, 4 cars, 12 tvs, 3 computers, and a "Disney on Ice" wedding. You can't make this stuff up, people!

Maybe I shouldn't joke about it any more.  This is serious.  90 vacations!?

But, I've never even won 1 contest.  I'll let you know when I do.  :-)

Perfect Spring Day

Managing

About a month ago, I received bad news.  Not earth shattering, life threatening, terrible news, but bad news.  The dentist said my jaw would probably click forever.

What a big word that is--forever.

I didn't think much of forever when I got married.  I was so in love and happy.  I think my thought process went like this "Yeah, sure, whatever forever, let's just get this done...yea!!!"

Then, forever took on more weight when I found out I was pregnant with Eloise.  It was a huge adjustment. This child would be my child forever.  For better or worse, for richer or poorer, until death do us part, Eloise would be and is and will be my daughter forever.  That's when parenthood got serious!

But still, it turned out to be wonderful.  The words "she's so beautiful" that I cried as she came to my arms for the first time, bloody and smooshed and screaming, are still true today.  I want her to be forever.

The same is true for Cordelia.  Alex, Eloise, and Cordelia are wonderful blessings (that although take a lot of work, energy, and care) I want to keep forever.

But this jaw problem.  TMJ.  The clicking and the pain.  That I want to be gone.  Good-bye forever...right?  Unfortunately wrong.

I saw a specialist yesterday for my TMJ.  (It's never good to have to go to a specialist.  Yikes.)  And he confirmed what I already knew was true.  The problem can't be fixed.  It is only managed.  Bummer!

That stinks.  That stinks forever.

I'm trying to think of a positive/clever/enlightening/cute way to end this post.  And I can't wait decide which way to go.  Maybe I should do a "choose your own ending" like those books we read in elementary school.  Or, maybe not.

Here's my ending.

When in doubt, post a photo.

I Heart Face: Angles

The theme this week at I Heart Faces is angles (not angels, although that'd be interesting).  I tried to capture Cordelia's curiosity as she watches her bees in her mobil.  I hoisted myself over the crib which Eloise found amusing.  I'm pleased to bring amusement to my daughter's life.  Ahh.

Click to see more:

When I Really Feel like a PW

A PW is a "pastor's wife" just like a PK is a "pastor's kid" and a P can stand for pastor.  A PW, a P, and 2 PKs.  That is who we are.

But we don't feel that way most of the year...say 310 days out of the year.  It's the other 55 days that we do feel it, though.  And ladies and gents, we feel that way right now.

It's no different than all those accountants working long hours right now.  Or medical residents sleeping at the hospital.  Or the lawyers that put in 90 hours a week.  I know all professions have ups and downs and busy seasons.

Our's just happen to be right now.  I'm hoping you can guess why, if not, you haven't been attending Eloise's ballet class.

Yesterday at ballet, the teacher who we ADORE, combined the Snow White story with the Easter bunny.  Interesting, yes.  Hilarious, yes.  Confusing to a 3 year old, most definitely yes.

That's right, the Easter bunny is coming....Yes, but No.  What I really mean is that Jesus is coming.  He came at Christmas, really, now he's making his way through the Gospel teaching and healing and loving people.  Soon he'll march into the Passion scene, die a gruesome death willingly for us all.  Then triumph over the grave.  Then, we can say "Alleluia" aloud again!  (In our tradition we don't say Alleluia during the Lent season until Easter--symbolic and beautiful.)

And that is why we are a P family right now.  Same thing happens at Christmas.  Alex works especially hard at this time leaving the PW and the PKs to fend for ourselves.  So, I got to get on that.  On that fending part.

Happy Easter season to you all.  I hope it's full of the knowledge of Christ's sacrifice for us all.

Not Me Monday

Another Not Me Monday post where we confess all the things we never do.  wink, wink.  If only we were all perfect . . .  So go ahead and confess.  It will make you feel better.  Then read the others at MckMama's.




My infant did not poop on me the other day.  (When does she never not poop on me?)  And I did not go to the store without changing clothes.  My thought process seemed good at the time: the clothes were dark, you could no longer see the poop, I was in a rush, and was showering when I got home.  Didn't seem bad at the time, but writing "I went to the store with poop on my shirt," doesn't sound good, does it?

And as if that wasn't bad enough,  I did not go to church with dirty pants because I was too lazy to change them.  No, change that, I really didn't care that they were dirty.  And I'm still not sure that I care.

Isn't motherhood glamorous?

And in other news, I received a wonderful compliment the other day.  A woman at church said "I'm so glad to hear a pastor's wife say that."  Ahhh!  I'll be imperfect for you any day.

Weekend in Review

My mom knew we must have been busy this weekend because I haven't updated the blog in a couple of days.  That's familial communication at its best, isn't?  My lack of blogging told her something.  And it was true.  We were busy!

It was a fun, busy, social, and very warm weekend, and now I need to recover.

In review,

Eloise loves playing outside in this unbeatable Spring weather,

Cordelia loves her life, at all times, always, no matter what this girl is happy,

we hung out with a P, a PW, and lots of PKs.  We felt understood.  (Translation: A pastor, a pastor's wife, and 4 pastor kids.  Seminary friends and offspring together again.  Refreshing.)

And I met a new friend.  The crock pot.  This beautiful black ceramic friend has been in our attic since we moved here.  And it reemerged this week to help me make a meat sauce for our young adult luncheon after church.  He's even sharing a socket with Mr. Coffe Maker.  Love is in the air.

 
And now looking ahead to a peacefully productive week ahead.
Good night!

Good Morning Part 2

Eloise is to milk,

as Emily is to coffee.

Good Morning!

(I hated the analogy section on the SATs.)

We can't help ourselves! Help.

Do you ever do something, maybe even do it repeatedly, and always hate it in the end?

Like eat 2 cupcakes after dinner, feel sick, then regret it?  You think, why couldn't I just eat 1?

Or, say a sarcastic remark in an uncomfortable situation to deflect attention and then wonder why you couldn't have been more serious/kind/or comforting?

Or, go out too late, drink too much, forget most the night, promise to never do that again and the next weekend end up at the same bar with the same people regreting the same thing all over again?

Cordelia understands.  :-)  (And me too.)

She keeps rolling from her back to her tummy and getting very upset.  It's almost instinctual.  Ever since she learned this new roll move a few days ago, she keeps repeating it, almost immediately after placing her on her back.  She rolls over and over again, and hates it!

Why do you keep doing it, Cordelia?  Why can't you just stop?  Because seriously, this is getting a little annoying for me.

But then again, you probably know.  Sometimes we do the things we don't want to do because we are not in as much control as we like to think.  The Apostle Paul understood too.  (Thanks Paul.)

"For what I do is not the good I want to do; no, the evil I do not want to do-- this I keep on doing. . . What a wretched man I am!  Who will rescue me from this body of death?  Thanks be to God-- through Jesus Christ our Lord!"  Romans 7:19, 24-25

There is hope!

Spring is for Lovers

My Girl

Let's see, what do you think?

Does Cordelia look like me?

It was fun going through some baby photos while I was home.

At least my side of the family sees the Emily in her,

although we all agree Cordelia is much cuter!

Ahh!  What a mommy moment.

Haiku to To Do

i love to do lists
they help me so much today
always motivates me

Tuesday's To Do

finish laundry

mop

prepare Bible study

make chicken salad

brownies

pick-up basement

appt with Sue

piles upon more piles
shirts pants towels soiled with poop
i despise laundry

How about you?  Do you To Do?  Or, Haiku?

Family

I had an awesome time catching up with my family this weekend.  They all went out of their way to help me get to and from Dallas, allow me to go to the wake Friday night, the funeral and lunch with friends on Saturday.  They are all so wonderful!  Thank you all for making so much time for me on such short notice.  You are simply the best.

And, lucky little Cordelia had the pleasure of meeting her cousin Annie for the first time.

Meet Annie.

Isn't she beautiful,

And dainty?

Just perfect.

Cordelia and Annie are 5 days apart.

They really hit it off,

and hope to see each other again soon.

I Heart Faces

This week's theme is "Bundled Up" at I Heart Faces.  This is Cordelia about 2 months old bundled up in the stroller for a walk.  She is so content and tolerates her sister and me so well.  We love you, Cordelia!

Click on the button below to see more "bundled up" photos!