Monday, January 26, 2009

I see gray skies. It is foggy and about 50. I guess it’s a good day to stay in and catch up on laundry!

how easy it is to despair about all the things that life isn’t and miss the wonderful things that life is. I am thinking about a bookmark I got once that said “If you really want to be happy, no one can stop you.” I am thinking that there is a lot more truth to that than a lot of people like to admit (a lot of people like me).

knowing each of my grandparents as a young child, especially since three of them died when I was still young (in fact, I lost one each year when I was 10, 11, and 12). I also had two great grandmothers living into my college years and got to know one of them very well (unfortunately, the other lived in California and I didn’t get to see her more than a few times). I am especially thankful that I have been able to enjoy one grandmother all of my life. What a blessing! I love you, Grandma!

The great thing about very small children is that a major accomplishment is always just around the corner. So last week we were working on Violet rolling over and guess what? She can do it! Now we are working on staying asleep in spite of the fact that one can roll herself over and over and over all over the crib, making it so much harder to settle down and actually sleep! We are trying to get Molly to say “Livy”. Last night after bath, we were saying, “Mama” and she would repeat. “Daddy” and she would repeat. “Livy” and she would mostly giggle, but sometimes repeat “Ibby”. Olivia is learning how to sing the Hail Mary. Our friends shared their secret to improving participation during prayers – sing them! This has worked great for us as Livy LOVES to sing!

We did pretty well in the first week counting Weight Watchers points. In fact, last night I had 11 points in the “bank”. Not too shabby for the first week back. We even enjoyed some tasty beef enchiladas, chili, and chicken pot pie last week. This week I am thinking we will have those sirloin kabobs and lasagna I mentioned last week and never got around to making, as well as a ham steak (Livy’s favorite) and a salad dinner with grilled chicken breast. Livy also found the pumpkin bread mix in the closet so we will probably end up making muffins one morning. We are thoroughly enjoying the fresh fruits & vegetables we got at Costco last week. My favorite combination is the green grapes with blueberries (and only 1.5 pts! for a bowlful!). Livy’s favorite are the sweet peppers – she had 8 before the chili was ready last night!!

flip flops, stretchy guacho pants, a pink t-shirt and a ponytail – my work around the house clothes.

a list of ideas for grandparenting long distance to share with my parents. One good idea I found was sending a jar with the exact number of M&Ms as days that are left until the next visit, instructing the grandchild to eat one a day until they are together again. I thought that was a great way to help little ones build excitement for the next visit and gauge how far away it is. Of course, everyone recommends taking full advantage of modern technology (and especially webcams). Do you have any ideas?

to focus on the 5 basic things I must do to be a healthy person in order that I might serve my family better – pray, shower, eat, exercise, & sleep.

Didn’t get much reading done last week. Still would like to finish The Absorbent Mind by Maria Montessori.

my dear friend Carleen has a most Happy Birthday today!

the pitter patter of little feet (Livy wandering around in her princess dress up clothes while the babies sleep). And Pandora playing my new station created around a song that was special to JR & I in our dating years. It has these qualities:

folk rock qualities

country influences

acoustic sonority

minor key tonality

a good dose of acoustic guitar pickin’

acoustic rhythm guitars

I’m not sure what all that means, but it sounds good!

We are starting to feel more like “normal” around here. We even started chipping away at the home organization & decluttering – a little here, a little there . . .

is watching my husband with our children. Being a father truly brings out the best in him – kindness, gentleness, and a whole lot of fun! He is amazingly creative!

Livy will go to “school” Tuesday & Thursday morning. I plan to attend a meeting at JR’s work gym on Wednesday and considering joining their 14-week fitness program. Perhaps attend our bilingual playgroup on Friday (we joined them at the park last week and had a lot of fun!). Saturday I am registered for our parish retreat – my first retreat in a long time. I am excited and a little anxious. It is a very long day away from the girls (8am to 7pm). At least I”ll have Violet to keep me company.

Monday, January 19, 2009

It’s sunny and I can see my heavenly bamboo shrubs blowing in the wind. It should be 70 today. Maybe we’ll get out our bikes this afternoon.

I will go ahead and make that pot of coffee after all. I was thinking I would try to get by without it, maybe even sneaking in a nap when the girls nap, but it is not looking like I will get all three to nap at once and it sounds so yummy! It might help me forget waking twice with Molly in the middle of the night and a half a dozen times with Violet since they are both pacifier users and stuffed up.

JR helping me get this all set up this morning and my new computer desk out in the living room so that I can type this while the girls eat breakfast and then color in the same room. Good idea, honey!

many, many things. Violet is working on rolling over – I’m trying to make a more conscious effort to get her time on the floor to try it out (which still requires a lot of supervision when it comes to her sisters). Molly is trying to do big girl things like color, but she really doesn’t have the attention span or fine motor skills to do so. For example, after coloring for a few minutes she has crumpled up her paper and is putting it on like a hat. Livy is learning about the dentist for an upcoming first visit to our family dentist. She is reading “Show Me Your Smile” starring Dora and got a new power toothbrush shaped like Cinderella this weekend. So far so good.

I plan to dig out my meal calendar and start using it again. I am looking forward to the lowered stress levels that accompany forethought with regard to preparing meals. I know we will be trying a couple recipes with frozen grilled chicken breast strips that were on special at Costco. I have ingredients for chicken pot pie and chicken enchiladas. Of course, we’ll be rounding out our week with plenty of beef, too, probably sirloin kabobs & lasagna. JR & I are also going to keep track of our Weight Watchers points starting today so it will be that much more important to plan ahead regarding meals.

socks, denim capris, a grey pullover hoodie, and pearl earrings.

on-line photo albums (October is up now). It’s so hard to choose pictures these days. I was looking back last night and noticed that when Olivia was born there were about 20 photos in each of her monthly albums. Now there are anywhere from 50 to 100 photos in our albums! Of course we’ve multiplied the subjects, and then there are all the various combinations, and just so many more adorable moments to capture.

to focus on the 5 basic things I must do to be a healthy person in order that I might serve my family better – pray, shower, eat, exercise, & sleep. I realize this is not rocket science, but I also know that I have been cutting too many corners on each of them.

There are a few books on my nightstand that I’ve started and left unfinished. I saw JR pick up a book last night (Between a Rock & a Hard Place) and I think I’ll choose one for myself and get going on it tonight. Perhaps The Absorbent Mind by Maria Montessori.

my friend Tanya’s daughter, Ana, is healed completely of her cancer and returns to full health as soon as possible. Her family has asked that we recite the following prayer:

Livy talking to Violet about ladybugs and Molly saying “I want more (breakfast)”! And Pandora playing my Norah Jones station.

We are still not back in our rhythm after being away from home for two weeks and then sick for two weeks. I would like to get us back on track this week. Then we will begin the huge project JR & I have been wanting to tackle – home organization & decluttering (especially rethinking our play spaces and collapsing what’s left of the office/making a nursery for Violet).

is a reminder that life is beautiful – that though I may feel overwhelmed at times, I have so very, very many things to be happy about and a truly beautiful life. Working on our photo album yesterday was my reminder.

Tomorrow we will watch the inauguration of our new President. And later this week we will watch the coverage of the National March for Life in memory of the 36 years since Roe v. Wade legalized abortion through all nine months of pregnancy. I pray that President Obama has a change of heart on this issue. Livy will go to “school” Tuesday & Thursday. There are several fun events planned this week for Employee Appreciation Week at NI. We are thinking of attending an Austin Toros basketball game on Wednesday night and a free day at the Children’s Museum Saturday. It is also the Texas Rally for Life on Saturday, but we will likely not be going this year and instead taking the little ones home for naps after a morning at the museum. We may fill in here and there with a couple playdates that were canceled while we were sick, but that is starting to sound like an awful lot.