Words that won't stay this cute for long...
12.21.2011
12.20.2011
Recipe for Cleaning the Floor
1. Have a child around the age of 2.
2. Get out pitcher for said child to make 'lemonade.'
3. Put a small amount of water in pitcher.
4. Allow child to pick out spoons and measuring cups from drawer.
5. Laugh as child uses measuring cup to drink water.
6. Say, "thank-you" as child takes measuring cup full of water across the kitchen and dumps water in dog water bowl.
7. Get other cleaning, baking, etc done as child is easily entertained.
8. When all water has been removed from pitcher and sloshed around the floor, have child use towel to wipe it up.
9. Remove soaking wet socks from child.
10. Smile because you have a clean floor!
2. Get out pitcher for said child to make 'lemonade.'
3. Put a small amount of water in pitcher.
4. Allow child to pick out spoons and measuring cups from drawer.
5. Laugh as child uses measuring cup to drink water.
6. Say, "thank-you" as child takes measuring cup full of water across the kitchen and dumps water in dog water bowl.
7. Get other cleaning, baking, etc done as child is easily entertained.
8. When all water has been removed from pitcher and sloshed around the floor, have child use towel to wipe it up.
9. Remove soaking wet socks from child.
10. Smile because you have a clean floor!
12.14.2011
Birthday See You
aka: Happy birthday to you! Aria has her own language. I should write a translation book.
Today is Justin's 30th birthday! In honor of his special day, Aria and I would like to share 30 reasons why he is the best daddy and husband on the earth!
30. He has a sports encyclopedia in his head.
29. He gladly changes poopy diapers.
28. He comes home for lunch nearly every day.
27. He does dishes.
26. He plays hide and seek.
25. He lets me have two nights a week out of the house on my own!
24. He learned how to play "tinkle, tinkle" on the piano...you know the song about the star.
23. He comforts a crying toddler in the middle of the night.
22. He flies Aria around the house like an airplane.
21. He throws Aria up in the air over and over and over.
20. He holds a leadership role in our ABF at church.
19. He enjoys playing and watching any sport.
18. He puts Aria's pants on his head during diaper changes.
17. He makes silly faces and noises just to make Aria (and Mommy) laugh.
16. He doesn't ever sit still.
15. He suggests using his work bonus to let me buy some new clothes.
14. He almost always mows the yard.
13. He almost always scoops the snow.
12. He reads books.
11. He climbs in toddler tents and tunnels.
10. He is an extreme protector.
9. He is an extreme provider.
8. He is fiercely loyal.
7. He is not afraid to show his emotions.
6. He is patient.
5. He is selfless.
4. He keeps no record of wrongs.
3. He can always be counted on.
2. He is honest.
1. He always loves unconditionally.
Happy 30th birthday, Justin! You fill all of our earthly needs!
Today is Justin's 30th birthday! In honor of his special day, Aria and I would like to share 30 reasons why he is the best daddy and husband on the earth!
30. He has a sports encyclopedia in his head.
29. He gladly changes poopy diapers.
28. He comes home for lunch nearly every day.
27. He does dishes.
26. He plays hide and seek.
25. He lets me have two nights a week out of the house on my own!
24. He learned how to play "tinkle, tinkle" on the piano...you know the song about the star.
23. He comforts a crying toddler in the middle of the night.
22. He flies Aria around the house like an airplane.
21. He throws Aria up in the air over and over and over.
20. He holds a leadership role in our ABF at church.
19. He enjoys playing and watching any sport.
18. He puts Aria's pants on his head during diaper changes.
17. He makes silly faces and noises just to make Aria (and Mommy) laugh.
16. He doesn't ever sit still.
15. He suggests using his work bonus to let me buy some new clothes.
14. He almost always mows the yard.
13. He almost always scoops the snow.
12. He reads books.
11. He climbs in toddler tents and tunnels.
10. He is an extreme protector.
9. He is an extreme provider.
8. He is fiercely loyal.
7. He is not afraid to show his emotions.
6. He is patient.
5. He is selfless.
4. He keeps no record of wrongs.
3. He can always be counted on.
2. He is honest.
1. He always loves unconditionally.
Happy 30th birthday, Justin! You fill all of our earthly needs!
12.13.2011
Two Things...
Aria's idea of getting dressed in the morning...
And, cooking is much more fun with a helper!
12.12.2011
Feeling Crafty
I had a random idea for a treat to take to the middle school kids I work with at church. It was fun to make and I look forward to doing these types of things with Aria, so I'm going to put it on here for future reference!
Marshmallow Snowman
Need:
extra large marshmallows
regular sized marshmallows
fun sized marshmallows
frosting (I used black)
mini M & Ms
orange sprinkles
chocolate chips
skinny craft sticks
What to do:
1. Put extra large marshmallow on craft stick followed by 2 regular sized marshmallows. I suggest putting all marshmallows on sticks first.
2. Melt desired amount of chocolate chips.
3. Use one fun sized marshmallow for each snowman's hat.
4. Roll fun sized marshmallows in chocolate until completely covered.
5. Use a craft stick to spread chocolate on top of snowman. Place fun sized marshmallow on top for hat.
6. Stuff sprinkle in middle of top regular marshmallow for nose.
7. Use frosting for eyes, mouth, and buttons.
8. Add M&Ms to frosting for buttons.
Marshmallow Snowman
Need:
extra large marshmallows
regular sized marshmallows
fun sized marshmallows
frosting (I used black)
mini M & Ms
orange sprinkles
chocolate chips
skinny craft sticks
What to do:
1. Put extra large marshmallow on craft stick followed by 2 regular sized marshmallows. I suggest putting all marshmallows on sticks first.
2. Melt desired amount of chocolate chips.
3. Use one fun sized marshmallow for each snowman's hat.
4. Roll fun sized marshmallows in chocolate until completely covered.
5. Use a craft stick to spread chocolate on top of snowman. Place fun sized marshmallow on top for hat.
6. Stuff sprinkle in middle of top regular marshmallow for nose.
7. Use frosting for eyes, mouth, and buttons.
8. Add M&Ms to frosting for buttons.
12.11.2011
Advent Conspiracy
For the past two years, our church has joined in the "Advent Conspiracy" described in the above video. Each year, our church family has given thousands of dollars to help build wells to provide clean drinking water, mostly in India. We are participating in it again this year and I encourage anyone else to do so, as well.
I've been on board the past two years, but for some reason this year it has hit me even harder. People don't have water. Water. I waste gallons upon gallons of water each day. I take it very much for granted and there are people who die because they don't have it. I've really started thinking about when I stand in the shower too long or leave the water running to rinse off dishes or have my obsessive compulsive cleaning moments where I must wash all tiny specks of dirt off the sink. I realize I can't send my clean water to them, but I can participate in Advent Conspiracy and buy one less gift and then donate money to help build wells to provide clean drinking water. There isn't anything anyone in my family needs more than helping others get a basic need.
I've been on board the past two years, but for some reason this year it has hit me even harder. People don't have water. Water. I waste gallons upon gallons of water each day. I take it very much for granted and there are people who die because they don't have it. I've really started thinking about when I stand in the shower too long or leave the water running to rinse off dishes or have my obsessive compulsive cleaning moments where I must wash all tiny specks of dirt off the sink. I realize I can't send my clean water to them, but I can participate in Advent Conspiracy and buy one less gift and then donate money to help build wells to provide clean drinking water. There isn't anything anyone in my family needs more than helping others get a basic need.
12.10.2011
Hide and Seek
This is Aria's new favorite game! We must play it at least 50 times a day. It is not quite the variety of hide, count, then go seek, but is fun nonetheless. Actually, most of the time it consists of Mommy and Aria hiding under a blanket and Augie sniffing us out. Pretty cute. It also has been hiding under a laundry basket when Daddy gets home from work, hiding under chairs at church with new friends during a concert, and hiding behind Mommy when she is shy. When she first started hiding, she wasn't very quiet about it. We would "search" for her by saying, "Is Aria under the bed?" She would respond with "Noooo." It was hilarious! Now, she gets the idea that she is supposed to be quiet. Today, she hid from Daddy, then requested he go hide. So, we counted to 10 and went to find him behind the couch. It was great to have her seek for once! Her level of interaction and understanding grows in leaps and bounds daily. What a blessing it is to raise a child!
12.08.2011
Professional Sports...Ugh
Today is another chapter in the "Why I Strongly Dislike Professional Sports" book. I am a St. Louis Cardinals fan and, if you are not a sports buff, today the best player in the history of their franchise, Albert Pujols, signed a contract with the Los Angeles Angels. One of my main complaints of pro sports is that players don't spend their entire career with one team. So, when I saw the news, I was immediately irritated. However, something I think separates me from a lot of other fans is that I am not irritated with Albert Pujols, the St. Louis Cardinals, or the Los Angeles Angels. I am just irritated with the concept of professional sports.
It is kind of a catch 22 situation because I really do enjoy watching professional sports, especially the Cardinals. I just wish it didn't have to be such a business. But, when you take a step back and think about it, it is a business. Playing baseball, football, basketball, hockey, soccer, etc, is those athlete's job. If you were working in a job where you didn't feel you were being compensated for the work you did, what would you do? Go to your boss and ask for a raise? And if he/she didn't give you one, you probably would start looking for a different job. It is the same thing with the professional athletes. In Albert Pujols' case, he is arguably the best baseball player, ever. He is certainly the best first baseman currently in the league, so why shouldn't he receive compensation to reflect that? It turned out the Cardinals were not able to make that offer and the Angels were. It was a business deal.
It still stinks.
At the end of October the Cardinals won the World Series and it was the extreme high point of being a fan. Then their manager retired and now their best player is gone. It is sad and frustrating to see changes to the personnel in the team you love, but it isn't always a bad thing. I am also a Green Bay Packers fan. The only quarterback I could ever remember for the Packers was Brett Favre, until a couple years ago. That was an entirely different ridiculous situation that I won't discuss here, but again, it was a business deal. I was so sad to lose Favre. But now, I think I'll take Aaron Rodgers.
Back to the Cardinals. I have a lot of respect for Albert Pujols. He is a great man, grounded in his faith and extremely generous with his foundation. Awhile back I read his book (which I just now realized I never blogged about), Pujols: More Than the Game. It was an interesting read. I could take or leave all the statistics it reported, but I loved reading his story from the Dominican Republic to Missouri. I also loved reading his faith story and about his foundation. I would encourage anyone to read the book and learn a bit more about him.
As Pujols starts his career in LA, I really hope St. Louis fans aren't negative towards him. I know I am hoping for a ridiculous thing. A lot of fans are so disgusting in their fan-hood. First of all, they think they are entitled to something just by being a fan of the team. They're not. They think they could make better decisions than the athletes, coaching staffs, managers, and owners. They can't. Just be a fan. Cheer for your favorite team or player. Enjoy that those people choose a job that entertains you. Don't get so caught up in the business.
As for me, I'm the type that feels loyalty to teams, mostly. I am a big Cardinals fan, have been my whole life. I will continue to be a Cardinals fan. But from being a Cardinals fan, I also became an Albert Pujols fan. I wish him well. The only time I wouldn't root for him is if and when he plays the Cardinals. And, all this business aside, my team does have a World Series title to defend next year!
It is kind of a catch 22 situation because I really do enjoy watching professional sports, especially the Cardinals. I just wish it didn't have to be such a business. But, when you take a step back and think about it, it is a business. Playing baseball, football, basketball, hockey, soccer, etc, is those athlete's job. If you were working in a job where you didn't feel you were being compensated for the work you did, what would you do? Go to your boss and ask for a raise? And if he/she didn't give you one, you probably would start looking for a different job. It is the same thing with the professional athletes. In Albert Pujols' case, he is arguably the best baseball player, ever. He is certainly the best first baseman currently in the league, so why shouldn't he receive compensation to reflect that? It turned out the Cardinals were not able to make that offer and the Angels were. It was a business deal.
It still stinks.
At the end of October the Cardinals won the World Series and it was the extreme high point of being a fan. Then their manager retired and now their best player is gone. It is sad and frustrating to see changes to the personnel in the team you love, but it isn't always a bad thing. I am also a Green Bay Packers fan. The only quarterback I could ever remember for the Packers was Brett Favre, until a couple years ago. That was an entirely different ridiculous situation that I won't discuss here, but again, it was a business deal. I was so sad to lose Favre. But now, I think I'll take Aaron Rodgers.
Back to the Cardinals. I have a lot of respect for Albert Pujols. He is a great man, grounded in his faith and extremely generous with his foundation. Awhile back I read his book (which I just now realized I never blogged about), Pujols: More Than the Game. It was an interesting read. I could take or leave all the statistics it reported, but I loved reading his story from the Dominican Republic to Missouri. I also loved reading his faith story and about his foundation. I would encourage anyone to read the book and learn a bit more about him.
As Pujols starts his career in LA, I really hope St. Louis fans aren't negative towards him. I know I am hoping for a ridiculous thing. A lot of fans are so disgusting in their fan-hood. First of all, they think they are entitled to something just by being a fan of the team. They're not. They think they could make better decisions than the athletes, coaching staffs, managers, and owners. They can't. Just be a fan. Cheer for your favorite team or player. Enjoy that those people choose a job that entertains you. Don't get so caught up in the business.
As for me, I'm the type that feels loyalty to teams, mostly. I am a big Cardinals fan, have been my whole life. I will continue to be a Cardinals fan. But from being a Cardinals fan, I also became an Albert Pujols fan. I wish him well. The only time I wouldn't root for him is if and when he plays the Cardinals. And, all this business aside, my team does have a World Series title to defend next year!
12.06.2011
Saint Nicholas Day
I have a Santa Claus complex. Apparently I have had it my entire life. When I was a little girl, my parents chose not to emphasize Santa Claus in my life and I never believed he came down my chimney and brought presents for Christmas. I do remember getting "Santa" presents, but I knew he wasn't real and it was just a spirit of Christmas kind of thing. In fact, I remember one year I got a Bart Simpson skateboard for Christmas from "Santa Simpson." All that said, I guess you could say I'm not a big Santa Claus fan.
Having a child makes me think about why I do things a lot. I especially find myself scrutinizing my words and actions when I see or hear them come out of Aria. It is only natural that I don't plan to make a big deal out of Santa with her. First of all, Christmas is about Jesus. It should be celebrated as Jesus' birthday. A friend of mine told a story that I thought was profound. They were going shopping for "Grandpa's" Christmas present and her 3.5 year old son asked, "Why? Christmas is Jesus' birthday?" Good question, kiddo! I thought her answer was awesome, too. She said Jesus wants us to love others and one way we do that is to give gifts. There is also the idea of the wise men bringing gifts to Jesus. Gift giving is okay, as long as it doesn't get out of hand.
Back to Santa. Last year, for some reason, I was really excited to find a Christmas stocking for Aria. Once I actually purchased it, I thought, well that was dumb. Here I am trying to down play Santa and over the top gift giving and I bought my daughter a stocking. So, I researched where Christmas stockings came from and I learned about Saint Nicholas. Saint Nicholas lived about 300 years after Jesus. He was known for doing good needs and giving to the poor. He was following Jesus' lead. The stocking comes from a story about a man with three daughters who couldn't afford a wedding dowry. The daughters washed their stockings and hung them to dry on the fireplace on night and Saint Nicholas put money in them to help the family out. Saint Nicholas was a real person, but the fictional character, Santa Claus evolved out of him. Authors and the media invented Santa out of stories about Saint Nicholas.
I really liked learning that Santa Claus was not just some marketing ploy and that Saint Nicholas was a real person. So, we decided to honor the Saint Nicholas story and put presents in our stockings on Saint Nicholas Day, December 6. Last year, Aria just got a "baby's first Christmas" ornament in her stocking. This year, since we knew she could actually pull the stuff out herself, we put a few more things in there. This morning, we told Aria to look in her stocking. The first thing she pulled out was a three pack of toddler spoons. You would have thought it was a million dollars! She was so excited. She also got crayons, an art smock, an Elmo toothbrush, a Christmas story book, and an ornament. Every item she pulled out brought the same excitement. It was so much fun to watch her! Justin and I also had a few presents in our stockings and it was a fun family tradition that started this morning. I told Aria a little bit about Saint Nicholas, but it is a story that is beyond her right now. She is understanding that Christmas is about baby Jesus, which is the most important thing I want her to get this season.
Even though I am not a Santa Claus fan, I'm glad I know the real story behind him and can incorporate it into our Christmas celebration. As Aria gets older and pays more attention to consumerism, I hope this foundation will keep her grounded in the truth about Christmas.
Having a child makes me think about why I do things a lot. I especially find myself scrutinizing my words and actions when I see or hear them come out of Aria. It is only natural that I don't plan to make a big deal out of Santa with her. First of all, Christmas is about Jesus. It should be celebrated as Jesus' birthday. A friend of mine told a story that I thought was profound. They were going shopping for "Grandpa's" Christmas present and her 3.5 year old son asked, "Why? Christmas is Jesus' birthday?" Good question, kiddo! I thought her answer was awesome, too. She said Jesus wants us to love others and one way we do that is to give gifts. There is also the idea of the wise men bringing gifts to Jesus. Gift giving is okay, as long as it doesn't get out of hand.
Back to Santa. Last year, for some reason, I was really excited to find a Christmas stocking for Aria. Once I actually purchased it, I thought, well that was dumb. Here I am trying to down play Santa and over the top gift giving and I bought my daughter a stocking. So, I researched where Christmas stockings came from and I learned about Saint Nicholas. Saint Nicholas lived about 300 years after Jesus. He was known for doing good needs and giving to the poor. He was following Jesus' lead. The stocking comes from a story about a man with three daughters who couldn't afford a wedding dowry. The daughters washed their stockings and hung them to dry on the fireplace on night and Saint Nicholas put money in them to help the family out. Saint Nicholas was a real person, but the fictional character, Santa Claus evolved out of him. Authors and the media invented Santa out of stories about Saint Nicholas.
I really liked learning that Santa Claus was not just some marketing ploy and that Saint Nicholas was a real person. So, we decided to honor the Saint Nicholas story and put presents in our stockings on Saint Nicholas Day, December 6. Last year, Aria just got a "baby's first Christmas" ornament in her stocking. This year, since we knew she could actually pull the stuff out herself, we put a few more things in there. This morning, we told Aria to look in her stocking. The first thing she pulled out was a three pack of toddler spoons. You would have thought it was a million dollars! She was so excited. She also got crayons, an art smock, an Elmo toothbrush, a Christmas story book, and an ornament. Every item she pulled out brought the same excitement. It was so much fun to watch her! Justin and I also had a few presents in our stockings and it was a fun family tradition that started this morning. I told Aria a little bit about Saint Nicholas, but it is a story that is beyond her right now. She is understanding that Christmas is about baby Jesus, which is the most important thing I want her to get this season.
Even though I am not a Santa Claus fan, I'm glad I know the real story behind him and can incorporate it into our Christmas celebration. As Aria gets older and pays more attention to consumerism, I hope this foundation will keep her grounded in the truth about Christmas.
12.03.2011
Strong Daddy
Every kid needs a great dad. And if I may say so, my kid has an amazingly great one! Justin is the ultimate provider. He would do anything to make sure Aria and I have all that we need a ton of what we want, too. But the key is, he doesn't just go to work to provide for our family financially. Justin cares for Aria and is involved in her life in ways that I can't be. Take this video for example...
We had some friends over this weekend to hang out. The kids played and so did the dads! What you just watched, I definitely could not do. I could throw her up maybe two or three times and I'd be done. But daddy is very strong and he can do it over and over and over! Not only that, but daddy flies Aria around the house, makes up silly songs and dances, puts her pants on his head during diaper changes, and makes tunnels and tents to play in. Sure, I could do all that stuff, but it is not the same as daddy. He also has a softer spot when Aria is crying in the middle of the night or when she wants a snack or milk. He is more cautious when she is in the danger zone of falling or hurting herself. While we make parenting decisions together and have a lot of routine in our house, daddy and mommy are different. And that is a wonderful thing!
I am so thankful for a husband who goes to work while we stay home and play, but also comes home with plenty of time to play, too. I am so thankful for a husband who will gladly do the dishes, change a diaper, and cook supper if needed. I am so thankful for a husband who is a strong provider, grounded by his faith, yet able to melt at the drop of a smile from his adorable little girl.
12.01.2011
Another Series Ended
Recently, the last book in "The Inheritance Cycle" by Christopher Paolini came out. This series has been almost as near and dear to my heart as Harry Potter. Almost. It will take one amazing series to ever top my favorite books, but "The Inheritance Cycle" certainly capped my interest and I read them just as I did Harry Potter, every second I could. I even went to a midnight party for the coming out of the third book in the series. For those of you who aren't familiar with the name, "The Inheritance Cycle," maybe Eragon would ring more of a bell. Eragon was the first book in the series and he is the main character. They made a movie of the first book, but it was not good, at least in my opinion. And, they were dumb in their making because they used things from the second book in the movie, causing them to not be able to make a movie about book two. So, the readers were left to just the books, but they were certainly enough. I always think the book is better than the movie, so I don't mind.
Whenever I recommend "The Inheritance Cycle" to another reader, I always compare it to the "Lord of the Rings" trilogy, but more for teens. (Yes, I'm a big time teen novel reader. It comes from teaching them.) It has elves, dwarves, and humans, but the main difference is that it has dragons and dragon riders. It is a story of an evil king, Galbatorix, who is trying to take over all of Alagaesia. It has a young, inexperienced boy as the "good guy" in Eragon. Eragon is a dragon rider. In this world, dragons live in eggs until they are found and matched with their specific rider. Dragons only hatch for their rider, unless you use evil magic like Galbatorix. Eragon had no knowledge of dragon riders when he came upon what he thought was a cool blue stone. Pretty soon a dragon hatched from the stone and he became a dragon rider.
The entire series revolves around Eragon's training to become a great Dragon Rider and his battles with Galbatorix. When Eragon's dragon, Saphira, hatched there was only one other dragon in the world. It belonged to Galbatorix. Galbatorix also had two eggs he was trying to hatch for his evil followers. So, all the good guys thought that Eragon was their only hope. The books are full of action with many battles. However, it is never very gruesome. There is just a little bit of romance, but it is in the form of a crush Eragon has on an elf, Arya. Anyone recognize that name? Yes, I particularly like Arya in these books and in part came up with my Aria's name from her. Anyway, the books are clean, interesting, exciting, and hard to put down.
I was more than happy with most of the final book in the series. I thought Paolini did a good job wrapping up the story. I was pretty sad about one of the results, but I won't share it on here in case someone wants to read them! As much as I couldn't put the book down for the four or five days it took me to read it, I was sad when I was done because, much like Harry Potter, there will be no more Eragon stories to read. Some might think it is silly to get wrapped up in a book like I do, but it is my form of entertainment. I really enjoy fantasy books and the anticipation for the next book in a series to come out. I don't think I have any unfinished series that I'm waiting for anymore. I guess someone is going to have to introduce me to a new one!
Whenever I recommend "The Inheritance Cycle" to another reader, I always compare it to the "Lord of the Rings" trilogy, but more for teens. (Yes, I'm a big time teen novel reader. It comes from teaching them.) It has elves, dwarves, and humans, but the main difference is that it has dragons and dragon riders. It is a story of an evil king, Galbatorix, who is trying to take over all of Alagaesia. It has a young, inexperienced boy as the "good guy" in Eragon. Eragon is a dragon rider. In this world, dragons live in eggs until they are found and matched with their specific rider. Dragons only hatch for their rider, unless you use evil magic like Galbatorix. Eragon had no knowledge of dragon riders when he came upon what he thought was a cool blue stone. Pretty soon a dragon hatched from the stone and he became a dragon rider.
The entire series revolves around Eragon's training to become a great Dragon Rider and his battles with Galbatorix. When Eragon's dragon, Saphira, hatched there was only one other dragon in the world. It belonged to Galbatorix. Galbatorix also had two eggs he was trying to hatch for his evil followers. So, all the good guys thought that Eragon was their only hope. The books are full of action with many battles. However, it is never very gruesome. There is just a little bit of romance, but it is in the form of a crush Eragon has on an elf, Arya. Anyone recognize that name? Yes, I particularly like Arya in these books and in part came up with my Aria's name from her. Anyway, the books are clean, interesting, exciting, and hard to put down.
I was more than happy with most of the final book in the series. I thought Paolini did a good job wrapping up the story. I was pretty sad about one of the results, but I won't share it on here in case someone wants to read them! As much as I couldn't put the book down for the four or five days it took me to read it, I was sad when I was done because, much like Harry Potter, there will be no more Eragon stories to read. Some might think it is silly to get wrapped up in a book like I do, but it is my form of entertainment. I really enjoy fantasy books and the anticipation for the next book in a series to come out. I don't think I have any unfinished series that I'm waiting for anymore. I guess someone is going to have to introduce me to a new one!
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