Catching Up, Part One

So I've decided to use my posting every day this month as a way to fill you in on the previous month when I posted not a'tall. So event number one...our cat Amada had a litter of kittens! Four to be exact, two black and two white. We came home one night to find her happily nested in our basement in the bed we had made her, two out and two on their way. The next night we woke to mews and realized she had moved her brood under our bed in a position directly below my pillow. I guess we should be thankful she didn't try to move them on top of the bed, as that might have been a little crowded.


:the whole gang:


:okapi, so named for the stripes on his legs and tail:


:bizy, because this girl is just plain busy!:


:solo, the independent girl:


:ringo, with his crazy rockstar hair:



They are just over two weeks old now and they are moving and mewing and playing with each other already. The kids could lay there and watch them all day, and I'm already trying to convince Evan that it would be a crime not to keep them all. Whether they stay or go to new homes, they will all be here for Christmas, so it will be extra special this year around our tree!

You've Got To Be Kidding Me....

The last three or four days have been, well, interesting. I've been away from my computer mostly as I tackled training a puppy, dealing with a sick kid, preparing for and starting my new study, and dealing with my own emotional racket, as well as the myriad of other day to day projects I do regularly.

And so, in that order....

The puppy is doing pretty well as far as potty and crate training. She's had a few accidents, but all were due to our own lapse in not getting her out the door quick enough. She will actually squat outside even when she doesn't really have to go, as if she knows that she's supposed to. She's mostly sleeping through the night already, a fact Evan appreciates as he was the one getting up in the night with her.

Ely gave us a big scare on Tuesday night. I had gone to pick up Dani from work and as we sat waiting, humming along to radio and generally just being bored, Ely suddenly went from placid to crazy. She started this guttural, grunting screaming, clawing at her seat buckle, and shaking. I lunged back to get her out and she started vomiting this clear/white foam, so I grabbed a towel laying in the back seat and held it under her, then she, well, passed out. I shook her, said her name, and she opened her eyes briefly with this drunken kind of look, then went back to sleep. We went immediately to the hospital, where we were told it must be the flu, since she had a 102 temp. I tried to tell them, no, she's not been sick, but they said just watch her and sent us home. Needless to say, I did some research and we've come to the conclusion that she probably had a febrile seizure, which occur in about 1 in 25 kids and are a result of a high temperature. They don't leave any lasting damage and are mainly the body's way of dealing with the stress of a temp. So from now on we'll watch her when she has a fever and hope it never happens again. Today and yesterday she's been fine. Flu, my.....

The bible study was awesome! We didn't have as good a turnout as we'd hoped, but we had fun regardless and there are several more women interested for next week!

Lastly, I've been dealing with my own emotional problems, mostly to do with anxiety. I'm not sure I'm ready to discuss it yet, so we'll leave it at that.

Since I've been away for a few days, I decided to fill you in on the last few days in a photo montage form...

Ely laying on the couch with her fever.

Amada and Bella playing in the vacuum cord.

Aidyn changing baby's diaper.

Bella watching TV, no joke.

Bella coming at ya!

Aidyn strolling Bella.

Naked Ely!

Bella and mommy cuddles.

I'm this happy, see?

Yippy ki yay....

New Beginnings and Old Ideas....

I know we're technically a few days into this year, but here it is, complete, my list of 2008's goals to accomplish. I don't like the word resolutions, because I think situations change, and so your goals should be flexible so they can change too. At the bottom of my actual list that will be printed out and kept in my journal, I've left a large space to add or change ideas through the year. I've also decided that I will record the dates next to these of days when that particular goal was achieved or maybe just added something to my life that made me smile. The entire list will be a journal and record of my year, full of tears and struggles and (I hope) great joy. This time next year I hope to look back and see the change in my family and life.

And so, without further ado, my plans and hopes for the year 2008:

~ 2008 ~
I commit myself to a healthier, more natural, uncluttered, and harmonious lifestyle. I will be a conscious and caring wife, a gentle, fun, and focused mom, and provide a beautiful, warm home for my family free of unnecessary junk and feelings. This year I commit myself to making my life exactly what I want it to be, and in the process, better for my family.

For My Health –
1. Box three nights a week, try to get a night or two of personal training a month.
2. Drink more water, cut out all soda.
3. Focus on eating healthier and more often.
4. Take healthy snacks and water everywhere to reduce unhealthy munching when out.
For Our Home-
1. Cut the clutter.
2. Plan out meals and buy weekly groceries accordingly.
3. Make a chore schedule and stick to it.
4. Try one new meal every two weeks.
5. Buy more houseplants.
6. Repair tiles in the hall.
7. Keep the yard neater.
8. Find a way to spruce up the older furniture (cover and pillows for the couch, etc)
9. Build a garage and fence this Spring.
10. Add homey touches that are inexpensive but beautiful.
11. Organize all paperwork into easily manageable system.
12. Keep up on laundry (washing, drying, folding, hanging).
13. Organize downstairs and closets.
14. Create space for paperwork, crafts, etc., and keep it clean.
15. Stay on top of recycling and garbage.
For Evan –
1. Let him take more naps and sleep in more without a surly attitude.
2. Make it a point to ask him how his day was.
3. Support him in his eating healthier and working out more, offer more encouragement.
4. Make sure there is money in savings every few months for him to buy his supplements.
5. Learn more about his goals and what goes into making them a reality.
6. Talk more, love more, make love more.
7. Don’t take my negative feelings out on him, instead let him help me feel better.
8. Don’t argue about things that don’t really matter, and talk out the things that do.
For Our Budget –
1. Pay off all debt except house by March.
2. Eliminate credit spending by saving instead for big purchases.
3. Give more back (tithe, Children International, other charities).
4. Cut out unnecessary spending.
5. Send all bills out on time.
For Our Kids –
1. Lay a foundation for the kids’ schooling by intentionally creating fun learning times.
2. Plan one field trip a week strictly for them.
3. Hug them more.
4. Replace some TV every day with mommy play time.
5. Lay a better spiritual foundation for them.
6. Find a better bedtime routine and stick to it.
For Our Pets –
1. Start a raw, natural diet.
2. Stick to their feeding schedule.
3. Brush, groom, etc.
4. Take Joia on walks every few days.
5. Keep up to date on shots.
For Myself –
1. Live Simply.
2. Drink more water.
3. Spend less time watching life through my computer screen and more out enjoying it.
4. Take care of what I have
5. Get a tattoo.
6. Eat fast food a max of once every three months.
7. Love my kids and husband more and myself less.
8. Send birthday cards.
9. Learn to knit and make the kids longies and soakers.
10. Stay on top of accountability meetings and homework.
11. Focus on being a better homemaker, wife, and mother.
12. Do more of what I enjoy – reading, sewing, etc.
13. Start a garden with my kids.
14. Learn from my mistakes.
15. Start a journal.
16. Blog at least four times a week.
17. Be a better friend.
18. Be willing.
19. Take time to focus.
20. Take at least one bubble bath a week.
21. Clean my car out once a week.
22. Learn patience, grace, and to say sorry.
23. Get involved in something new.
24. Try four new things before the year is over, including rock climbing.
25. Bake more.
26. Cry when I need to, don’t hold it in.
27. Drink more tea.
For Our Faith –
1. Do a devotional, then another.
2. Go to class with Evan to work our way through the Bible.
3. Start teaching SAHM Bible study.
4. Be regular about going to church.
For Baby Bean –
1. Refocus and decide on a path of action.
2. Learn about Baby Fair and decide on entering.

*I reserve the right to reword, add to, or otherwise edit this list in the future upon any whim I may have. I refuse to give up coffee or chocolate for any reason, and will not negotiate my right to a few select days a month of hormonal outbursts free of guilt.

Soap Suds...

It's laundry day, that wonderful time of the week when I can no longer ignore the mountains of clothing piling up. When one needs a compass to simply navigate their own basement, I believe action is called for. For the rest of the day I will be absorbed in a world of lights and darks, diapers and towels, fabric softener and hangars. To tell you the truth, laundry day is one of my favorite days of the week. I get to stay home, curled up in sweats (because everything else is dirty). I get a modicum of exercise running up and down the stairs with baskets of laundry. I get to sit on the couch, mostly zoning while I fold and hang, and for some reason, my children actually want to help with this chore. Given, their towels and washrags come out with a more, well, unique method of folding, but it's bonding time all the same. And the neatly folded piles stacked in their drawers and the full closet with smartly hung hangars gives me such a feeling of accomplishment.

In other news, last night I cooked the YUMMIEST dinner ever! I was thinking about BLTs, and thought, well, how could one turn that into a dinner? I started by cubing some chicken into about one inch squares and wrapping each in a half piece or two of bacon. I laid them on a lightly greased pan, then sprinkled the tops with a little parmesan. A half hour in a 350 degree oven produced some mouthwatering results. I paired it with a tomato and romaine salad and some garlic breadsticks, and my family went crazy for it. Evan said I could make it every night if I wanted to, but I don't think his arteries would thank me for that :)

The interview on the radio show went well, and the website got a ton of hits in the last week. To tell you the truth it's more a hobby right now, and while it's doing really well and I'm getting great feedback from those who have ordered from me, it's nice to still have that laidback approach. In a few years I'll be able to step it up more, but right now I'm enjoying the flexibility.

Last but not least....I'm a mommy again! OK, well kind of :)

This is Amada, which means "beloved" in Spanish. A very fitting name as it relates perfectly to my devotionals lately. The kids absolutely love her, Aidyn follows her and plays with her constantly, Ely prefers a more laid back relationship of run by pettings. I love how she cuddles with me while the kids take their naps and I blog away or work on laundry. I'm sure there will be more pictures soon, she's too cute not to capture!

Anyway, cheers to you on laundry day!