A well-rounded post...

It may have taken me a sweet forever to get here, but now that this baby's arrival is less than 8 weeks away, I'm finally starting to get things ready for her. I realize that some people would have the nursery completed, a closet full of clothes, and the hospital bags packed by this point.  So I'm a bit behind but it's all good.  The music man has told me all along that it'll all be taken care of in time.  I believe him, but I'm realizing now that they will get done because I will do them!

I got the Robbeez in the mail yesterday.

Listen.

Ebay's a great place to get gently used things for baby.  However...I'm not 100% pleased with my purchase.  I don't feel like going into the whole story of the whys, but I do have a strong word for sellers on ebay or any other company for that matter...BE VERY SPECIFIC ABOUT WHAT YOU ARE SELLING even if it means saying things that you think won't sell your product.  Don't gloss over things.  If you do, you'll just get unhappy customers that will want to leave bad feedback to warn other buyers of your ways. If you're product is more than "gently" used, just say so.  There are still people out there that would buy it.  Just be honest for crying out loud.

There.
I'm done.

(Can you tell that Mamacita's fuze is short these days? Sorry about that.)

I promise that this blog won't turn into a giant baby shower in the weeks to come.  I'll try to be well-rounded. I am literally well-rounded so it shouldn't be too hard to write well-rounded posts.

Bahaha!  I'm funny.

MIA no mo!

I have had a whirlwind life these past few weeks. I'd love to say it's because I've been jet-setting around the world, but it's really much simpler than that. School, new job, potty training, organizing my house, running a B&B, and growing a baby has kept me surprisingly busy. It's all rather ordinary and normal, but insane when all thrown together.

I am now 31 weeks, or is it 32 weeks? I forget.  I think 31.  Either way, I'm in the 30+ weeks of pregnancy now which means I have just a few weeks left before this child makes her grand entrance.  As of 2 weeks ago I had nothing ready and by nothing I mean NUH-THANG!  I had two, count 'em TWO outfits hanging in her closet and that was all the clothes in the world I had for her. Pathetic, right?  

The Girl and I happened to have a few minutes to snoop around at the Goodwill the other day and found a very few cute things, so now we have 4 outfits hanging in the closet.  Woot woot!

I also bought her a couple pair of Robeez off ebay the other day, so I'm not completely unprepared anymore.  'Cause everybody knows that all a baby born in November needs is a few summery outfits and a couple pairs of Robeez to survive, right? Right?  Beuhler?

But it's all good.  Everything will get done. Or so the Music Man keeps telling me.  I'm choosing to believe him and stay off my feet as much as my life allows. (Which can I just whine for a moment and say that's it's really not much.  Boo hoo for me.) He is usually right about these kinds of things. 

I just forget all that goes into preparing for a baby.  I've done this a few times, so I shouldn't be so clueless. Besides getting a few more clothes, what else do I need to do? 

What would you do if you had a baby coming in roughly 7-9 weeks and had done nothing yet? (I'm not saying that you would do that because I'm sure you're much more on top of things than I am, but hypothetically speaking...)

test

1....2.....3....

On your mark...

It's been an extra long time since I last posted here. You'd think that I'd have a killer story or reason for my absence. If I think about it long enough I could probably come up with something. However the simple truth is that I've been sucking up life. Taking it in. Embracing it and holding on for dear life.

Sounds exciting, huh? Sounds like I've been on a wild ride, but honestly it's been very quiet 'round these parts. I have literally turned inward and have sucked up life like a vacuum. That's not always a good thing. Without outlets we grow fat. That's what I've done. (In more ways than just the obvious. ;)

There are some very legitimate reasons I've been so quiet and I'm still not quite ready to openly share those. Yet. But the more disturbing reason (to me) is that it's become all-too easy to *hide* from all the stuff of life. Relationships. Problems. Busyness.

In stepping back a bit I found myself stepping waaay back. Too far I think. But I think only time will tell as to how far was enough. Until then I take each day as it comes.

I feel a stirring; a coming catapult that will send me out of this exhaustive internal space I've created. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't scared. I'd also be lying if I said I wasn't excited. A healthy combination of the two is important. I feel God saying to me the same thing He said to the church in Sardis...

“Up on your feet! Take a deep breath! Maybe there’s life in you yet. But I wouldn’t know it by looking at your busywork; nothing of God’s work has been completed. Your condition is desperate. Think of the gift you once had in your hands, the Message you heard with your ears—grasp it again and turn back to God. If you pull the covers back over your head and sleep on, oblivious to God, I’ll return when you least expect it, break into your life like a thief in the night." Revelation 3:2-3

I want to be awake and ready when He says "GO!"

Don't you?


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A list of all things random

1. Despicable Me is so precious.

2. This made me weep and seriously wonder if adoption will be part of our journey as a family. http://www.kellyskornerblog.com/2011/01/show-us-your-life-tell-us-your-adoption.html
(I have no idea if that link will work since I'm posting from my phone. If it doesn't, take the time to copy and paste and get the Kleenex.)

3. MomSpit is awesome!!!! http://www.momspit.com/

4. The number of new Facebook users in Egypt in the last 12 days is unbelievable. Something like millions and millions. PRAY for the great nation off Egypt. May God's name be made famous through these tumultuous days.

5. Once again the Apple tv has failed us. Boo Apple! For all the amazing products you've given the world (can I get an amen for the iPad, iPhone 4, and iTunes nation?!) you really screwed this one up! Number 4 Apple tv is headed back to the store. Boo.

6. I really can't end on such a sour note so instead I'll end with this...

7. Being forced to watch the Mecum Auto Auction is not as awful and torturous as it may sound. However, I believe it will soon be both awful torturous. But in this singular moment...I'm good.

8. Did that one sound sour too?

9. Sorry.

10. That's all I've got.



You're welcome.



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I'm the hamster living in the Valley of Indecision

I need to make some decisions soon about a few different things and I can't for the life of me make up my mind. It's nothing life-altering or anything but I keep going back and forth weighing out all my options.

You know those hamsters that run in the wheels? They run and run but never actually get anywhere. That's how I feel. I'm running circles without making any progress.

The thing about these decisions is that I feel like I know what I SHOULD do because it's expected of me but doing that isn't what I really want to do. But do I NOT want to do it because I just don't FEEL like it or is it because I'm not supposed to???

I'm finally at a place in my life where I'm ready to carve away all the fluff. I want to get rid of all the stuff that may be good to do and even beneficial to me (and others) but is keeping me from being available to do the things that are life-changers. the good, God-appointed stuff. That's the stuff that excites me.

So I ask myself these questions in regards to everything I do lately...

Why am I doing this?

What is the purpose of this?

Is this the best use of my time?

Is it a perfect God-fit or am I forcing it?

Have I waited on God or am I telling Him what to do?

Am I taking away someone else's opportunity to be used by God?

Can I accomplish this in a more efficient way?


These questions help me to wade through all the good intentions I have. They help to make sense of events and commitments. They give purpose to what I do which in turn brings purpose to my life.

I still feel like a hamster, though, and it's really starting to drive me nuts. Just with these few decisions. I'm in a bit of a catch-22 with this way of thinking. I hate letting people down and no matter what I decide I'm afraid I'll disappoint someone.

Ugh! Someone please get me off this wheel!!!






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It's hard getting back in the saddle.

I have alot to say. I think these really great thoughts and say to myself, "Self! You are a genius! What a great topic for a post." Then I proceed to tweet the idea in 140 characters or less because it really is that
good. Unfortunately the need to expound beyond 140 characters dissipates immediately and days, weeks, eventually months go by without blog posts.

I reasoned that no one actually read this blog anyway so who cares. Well, I guess I care. I like to write. I like to make myself laugh. I like to capture these fleeting thoughts and moments for my future self to laugh at. It makes me happy.

When I stated blogging FIVE AND A HALF YEARS AGO all I wrote about was my girl and house life. There were some years in there where I tried to be the next Pioneer Woman with my blog. I tried making money off it. I even tried writing specialized blogs. I did the mommy-tip-giver blog, the book-reviewer blog, the women's ministry blog, etc. Those all drove me nuts. The only thing that I truly loved was when I wrote from my heart with no audience in mind. Those were the therapeutic posts. Those are my favorite posts. Those are the posts I want to get back to writing.

Now if I can just stop tweeting every stinkin' awesome idea that pops in my head. I might actually have some blog posts.

We're full of trashy love today!

My boy is obsessed with the trash truck*. For Christmas he asked for a "big trash truck". That's all he wanted. I happened to find a remote controlled trash truck at Marshalls one day. You'd think we gave the boy a truck made of gold the way he loves that thing.

He also LOVES to match. Anything. Everything. "Match, Mommy, match!" He will go to great lengths to match colors, trucks, toys, people, etc. Precious is what it is.

So, imagine his great delight when he heard the trash truck today while on our way to naptime. He probably peed a little in all the excitement of matching his trash truck to the real thing.


The joy was just plain oozing from his pores. Then, imagine the further delight accompanied by squeals of happiness when, not one, but TWO more trash trucks go by, bringing the grand total to four trash trucks. (Three real. One remote controlled.)

Oh, but I'm not done. We continued the trash truck celebrations when climbing into bed he found yet another trash truck. This one being a "baby trash truck" due to it's small size.

Now he's dozing in bed hugging his trash trucks and listening to the sounds of the trash trucks as they finish collecting the trash in our neighborhood.





:::

*I do apologize for the excessive use of the words "trash trucks" in the post. This certainly is an apology I never imagined myself needing to write. But yet, here I am. Such is life with a little boy I guess.


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A post to keep the earth spinning safely.

I am in bed. It's 12:54 in the pm and yes I am still in my pjs too. I got run over by whatever my kids had yesterday. It's bad enough to force The Music Man to work from home today. He's pulling a double. Full time work and full time daddy. Not to mention full time nurse to me.

This isn't exactly what I had in mind to start my week. In fact I had planned to post about the Awake21 fast my church is doing starting today. We're just one of hundreds of churches around the world joining together for a time of fasting and prayer. But seeing as I can barely lift my head off this pillow, you'll have to settle for this short list of random (drug-induced?) nonsense. So without further ado...

1. Last night The Girl and I watched some skating and gymnastics extravaganza on NBC. Did you see it? It left me feeling surprisingly unfulfilled. In fact I would even go so far as to say I was a tad bit annoyed by the whole thing.
Main two reasons:
1. Lonestar outlasted their 15 minutes of fame by about 10 years or so. I felt bad for them. Middle age guys trying to hold on to some sort of coolness instead of embracing the double chin, balding head, and the beer belly that is so obviously theirs.
2. Gymnasts are not meant to do group numbers. Ever. Yet there they were: group number after dancing group number. The whole thing was uncomfortable and just plain awkward.

2. There is not a book written by Tracie Peterson that I don't love. That woman knows how to write a story.

3. My parents lost a close friend of theirs yesterday morning. She had been diagnosed recently with stage 4 liver cancer. It wasn't easy. Death never is. But this was especially hard because it happened so fast.

4 My niece will be six in another couple weeks. I want to make her something but I'm not sure what yet. Any suggestions?

5. I really don't have anything left to say, but it's impossible for me to leave a list at just four things. I'm afraid the earth would fall off it's axis if I did, and no one would be happy about that.



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The post in which I take flattery to the next step: Imitation...

(...not to be confused with intimidation, which would take this post in an entirely different direction.  One in which I'm not willing to go.)


I am long time reader of the awesome Big Mama! She makes me laugh. Oh does she make me laugh. In fact let me go out on a ledge and say that she's in my top five favorite blogs to read. I read every. Single. Post. (Other contenders for top five include Boo Mama, Dooce, and this should go without saying, Ree. I realize that this only makes a top four but that's an even number and I have a thing against even numbers. Besides I like keeping a spot open. It allows me the freedom to rotate in my favorite blogs du jour.)

Anyway...back to Big Mama. Every Friday she does a fashion post. (See for example: today's edition.) I'm usually with her on every suggestion and recommendation. She has introduced me to some really great stores I had yet to hear about (Naartje, Boden, Free People, etc.) and we share a love affair with Anthropologie.

I'm not trying to horn in on her Fashion Friday thing, but she has inspired me over the years. I love fashion, accessories, shoes, and handbags.  Anyone who has known me for any length of time should know that.  So I thought I'd try a Fashion Friday post for myself. I'm not saying that this will happen every week or anything...but for today, let's see what will happen...

:::


I think for me the best place to start is with the things that I am currently loving.  A list...in no particular order...


1. The Drop Cable Open Cardigan

I love this sweater.  Although, now that I'm looking at it on the model, I realize that mine is too big and I like the charcoal one better.  BUT, I do love this sweater.  It's soft, warm, cozy, and goes with everything!


2. Skinny Jeans from NY and Company

These jeans are fantastic!  And sweet mother of Abraham Lincoln! Did you see the price right now??? I picked up a slightly lighter wash of these earlier this fall for what I thought was a steal then (apparently not!).  They were my first attempt at a skinny jean because I'm a curvy girl and any time a tapered leg is put on a curvy girl, bad things can happen.  I believe that these jeans are the exception.  They enhance the curvy, in a good way, mind you.


3. The Machie Gray Suede Boots

These boots...Mmm...these boots... They are amazing!  So comfortable and so cute with the above skinnies and sweater.

:::

So there you have it. The short list of what I am currently in love with.  These three pieces are in a constant rotation.  Really you can't go wrong with any combination of the above.  In fact...this post has inspired me to wear these pieces all together today.

I do apologize for the nature of this photo...I was in the bathroom at church and this was the only way to show you that I was in fact wearing the boots recommended above. I was also about to fall over.


Please note the super duper cute scarf (this link isn't to my scarf, but I got mine a while ago and this was the closest one like it) and phone case (a Christmas gift from my kiddos).  Both should have their very own Fashion Friday post.  Someday...

Ballet is very deep and philosophical.

As I type this I am sitting in the waiting room of The Girl's ballet class. Girlfriend's in her fourth year of dance lessons. Once a week for an hour on Thursday nights we come to the studio. She dances. I watch.

This year my little prodigy is in a class with 8-9yo girls. She's six, by the way. (Yes, I am proud. Why do you ask?) Most weeks she leaves class telling me that her legs hurt. I tell her its because she in a no-joke class. (And just between you and me, Miss Heather pulls more out of that girl than I could ever dream to.) They spend the first 35 minutes at the barre and the last 25 minutes learning their recital routine. And girlfriends werk! Hard.

But...the Girl. She. Loves. It. It's far and above her most favorite hour of the week. It doesn't matter how sick she may be, how tired she is, or how dazzling a conflicting activity may seem...she does not miss a class. Ev. Er.

I love that she is so passionate about dance. She lives and breathes dance. She moves about life under the mantra of "why walk when you can dance?"

Most weeks as I watch my tall-for-her-age girl as the older girls tower around her, I can't help but think about my own passions in life. Do I have any? What are they? What am I investing into them? Are they pleasing to my Lord?

Those are the things I think about when I watch my girl. That and I cry. She's just so big. She's six now, you know. Just yesterday I watched her dance across my belly(from the inside of course). And now she dances across a pine floor in a local dance studio. How can it be?!





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God must love football.

Much to the dismay of my husband, I am not a football fan or watcher or carer-er. I CAN watch it, but all I see is a bunch of men running around falling on each other. So image my surprise when God chose to speak to me through a football game! (I guess if he can use a donkey, he can use a football game.)

Last night was the Sugar Bowl. The Ohio State was playing Arkansas. I even wore my jersey all day (I promise I didn't leave the house.) in honor of what I think was a big game. I knew it was big for my husband which is really all that matters.

The game went on and on and on. My man kept falling asleep during commercials so I did what any faithful watchman would do...I gave him updates every time they flashed the score.

I was busy on the Twitter and the Facebook when I happened to glance over at the tv. I watched what I think was a receiver of some sort (he RECEIVED the ball) go to catch a pass only to drop it when he took his eyes off the ball to look at the safety barreling down on him. (I know it was a safety because that's what the announcer guy called him. Don't ask me what a safety does although I would venture a guess it doesn't have anything to do with wearing a seatbelt.)

The replay played over and over from every angle to observe this guy reach up to catch a perfect throw, look down at the guy coming in to take him out, that ruining his concentration, and finally dropping (would the word fumbling fit here?) the ball.

As I watched I heard the Lord say to me...If you keep your eyes on the ball and not on your opposition you'll catch the ball.

The guy last night HAD the ball. At the last moment he took his eyes off of it. He lost his focus. It shifted from catching that ball (his sole purpose for being on the field) to the safety headed straight for him- his circumstances. In that millisecond he chose to look away from his purpose and ended up fumbling the ball.

How many times do we lose focus at the last second when we need it most? It happens all the time, right?

The cool thing about the game last night is that it went on. That receiver kept playing. The coach kept coaching. The fans kept cheering. It's the same in life. Life goes on. Our Coach keeps coaching and fans keep cheering. We pick up the ball and we keep going.

Don't let your opposition and circumstances distract you from your purpose at hand. Keep your eyes on the ball. (I can't believe I just said that.) and if you do lose focus, fumble, and fall flat on your face...get up. Dust yourself off and get back in the game!


:::




By the way, The Ohio State went on to beat Arkansas some big number to some somewhat smaller number. (A statistician I am not.) My husband slept through the rest of the game and I just used my first (and probably last) sports illustration.

:::

I suddenly feel the need to watch Facing the Giants, Rudy, Blindside, and a Friday Night Lights marathon.


You're welcome.



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Let's see what comes out...

It's been so long since I regularly posted anything on here that I'm completely out of the game. So to speak. I think I know some of why I've been MIA and basically God's been doing a bit of hiding me in Himself. But now He's beginning to gently nudge me back into life. This blog is part of it somehow, I think. (How's that for clear?)

The past 16 months or so have been an intensive crash course for me. In what, I'm just beginning to see. Believe it or not, this blog has been around for going on six years. It began as a family scrapbook of sorts. It became more of a dumping ground of my randomness at times and toward the end (before my hiatus) it was a hassle and not at all fun or cathartic for me anymore.

It's almost as if God has pulled me back into Him so far so as to erase who I used to be. When he lets go after this much tension and heart-rendering, what's left is (I hope) a better version of myself. Full of Him to overflowing like never before. Confident in who He is and what that means for me. Sure of my standing in Him and in the world. Filed with vision, passion, and drive. Ambition to see the dream birthed and endurance to see it through.

I am not always "there" yet, but I also won't sell myself short any longer. I won't allow myself to be satisfied with just wanting to want to be obedient. (Although I do believe that is the first baby step and a vital one at that.) We are all just one small part of the great big Kingdom of God. He doesn't need us to accomplish His purposes. He is the great I AM after all, but He most certainly WANTS us to be a part of His plans.

I hope to go into some of the why's and how's and whathaveyou's of where I've been and what I've been doing in the weeks and months to come. It's been a roller coaster ride and I won't kid you, most of the ride has been rough, but only because I have made it harder than it needed to be. I've been wanting to begin posting again, but as I said in the beginning...I'm a bit rusty. So I decided to just start writing and see what comes out. (There's your deep and philosophical explanation for the title.)

So now what...how do I bring this post in for a landing??? Well, I'll not make any promises of regularly schedule future posts or tease you with witty repartè, that much I can guarantee. One thing I have learned is that I am far too self-focused. We all are, I think. So instead of going on about MY journey, and what I HAVE been doing, I'm going to cheer YOU on. Something that is not done nearly enough.

I promise you that God is madly and deeply in love with YOU. He wants for nothing but yet He longs for you; for relationship--intimate relationship with you.

There is a place for you in this world. There is someone out there waiting for you to stand up and start living your life to it's God-given fullest. We need you and can't do this crazy thing on our own. YOU are important.


:::

(See. Isn't that a nice way to end?)

(So is this...


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Hiatus

You might have noticed that I've taken a bit or a hiatus for the past 2-ish months. It was a much needed break. Not that my blogging schedule has ever been heavy. Its just that there was SO much other stuff going on that blogging wasn't even on my list of priorities.

School was the main thing that's occupied my time, thoughts, days, DREAMS! During the last few days of vacation I began to order books so they'd be waiting for me when I got home. And what do you know! For a good week after we got home I got boxes of books every day. Talk about a high!

Once I had the books in hand I went nuts organizing our year and curriculum. Honestly I haven't stopped. I'll be sharing more about our curriculum in later posts as it's a work in progress. Actually, it's a living breathing thing that grows and moves and changes daily. Sometimes hourly. Ok it can be moment by moment some days.

I am now feeling a bit or the craziness begin to subside. We're in our fourth week already. We've firmly established school into our routine again and I {{{think}}} that we've discovered a routine that will work for us.

So for now I just wanted to check back in. Here's are pics from my phone of my babes...











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Inbox surprises from The Music Man

I may have said it once or twice that my man likes to email me links and pictures of things he thinks I need to know about.  Often they're silly, sometimes they're helpful, but today it's just sweet.

His link sent me here.

Go see why this picture is so sweet...

(Other than the obvious cuteness of a little girl kissing an old guy.)