Today I have the privilege of one of my previous posts being used at 5 Minutes for Parenting for the Dose of Humor column. 5 Minutes for Parenting is one of five sister sites under 5 Minutes for Moms. I have been a subscriber to 5 Minutes for Parenting and 5 Minutes for Faith, another sister site, for almost a year now and have enjoyed the weekly postings I receive. As a SAHM I can get into a funk and feel like I'm the only mom having to deal with the issues I face daily. These postings have encouraged me in knowing that I'm not alone and have given me ideas for more creative parenting.
You can read my posting here or you can click on the Dose of Humor button to the right. I encouraged you to check out 5 Minutes for Moms and their sister sites and subscribe!
Friday, October 30, 2009
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
Thanks Dad!
One of our activities while at the beach this week has been sitting in the living room on our laptops emailing, face booking, playing games, and blogging. Sound boring? Well, it has actually been fun and relaxing. We are sharing a three bedroom condo with my parents and between the four of us we have three laptops. Since we've been here my dad started a Squidoo page and has included this blog on it. He included information about a few of my blog posts and now Google finds my site easier.
One of my posts he included is my curriculum choices for homeschooling Abiah this year. When I first wrote that post I did a Google search to see where I placed in their findings. I wasn't even on the first five pages. But now that my dad has me on his Squidoo page I am the first one Google finds when you search for First Grade Curriculum Choices!
He also started his own blog just last night and I am looking forward to reading more. You can find his blog here and his Squidoo page here. Check them out!
One of my posts he included is my curriculum choices for homeschooling Abiah this year. When I first wrote that post I did a Google search to see where I placed in their findings. I wasn't even on the first five pages. But now that my dad has me on his Squidoo page I am the first one Google finds when you search for First Grade Curriculum Choices!
He also started his own blog just last night and I am looking forward to reading more. You can find his blog here and his Squidoo page here. Check them out!
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
My Mind Can't Make This Work
I saw this bumper sticker on the back of an SUV the other day that said:
NEW YORK LONDON
PARIS ESTACADA
Now, I get that London, New York and Paris are exciting and popular tourist cities. But Estacada? I'm sure there is more than just the Estacada located in Oregon, but it's the only one I've ever heard of. And it's not that exciting. Unless you are a logger. Or you do drugs.
I lived in Estacada for about 13 years. I'm not from Estacada. I just lived there. Anyways, it's bigger than the bump-in-the-road town we currently live in but it is in no way bumper sticker worthy. At least not when it's being associated with London, New York and Paris.
So, I did a search on these city names together and found an article from The Estacada News. They said that these bumper stickers were created by the Estacada Arts Commission who feel that Estacada is comparable to New York, London, and Paris as a destination place. Read the whole two paragraph article here.
I don't doubt that there are wonderful things about Estacada. I loved living there. In my house. And they have a small bakery that is still my favorite breakfast place. But as for a tourist town? Hmmmm.
The flier for the first house my parents looked at in Estacada boasted about the view of the city lights. Fortunately my parents went to see the house at night and got to preview this wonderful "attraction." And you could count the city lights on one hand. From 7pm-9pm.
Estacada does have lovely murals painted on the sides of many of the city buildings. And the are beautiful and artistic. But let's compare. Eiffel Tower or wall murals? Empire State Building or wall murals? London Bridges or wall murals?
My intent isn't to bash Estacada. I'm just trying to figure out the connection between New York, London, Paris and Estacada. And I can't.
NEW YORK LONDON
PARIS ESTACADA
Now, I get that London, New York and Paris are exciting and popular tourist cities. But Estacada? I'm sure there is more than just the Estacada located in Oregon, but it's the only one I've ever heard of. And it's not that exciting. Unless you are a logger. Or you do drugs.
I lived in Estacada for about 13 years. I'm not from Estacada. I just lived there. Anyways, it's bigger than the bump-in-the-road town we currently live in but it is in no way bumper sticker worthy. At least not when it's being associated with London, New York and Paris.
So, I did a search on these city names together and found an article from The Estacada News. They said that these bumper stickers were created by the Estacada Arts Commission who feel that Estacada is comparable to New York, London, and Paris as a destination place. Read the whole two paragraph article here.
I don't doubt that there are wonderful things about Estacada. I loved living there. In my house. And they have a small bakery that is still my favorite breakfast place. But as for a tourist town? Hmmmm.
The flier for the first house my parents looked at in Estacada boasted about the view of the city lights. Fortunately my parents went to see the house at night and got to preview this wonderful "attraction." And you could count the city lights on one hand. From 7pm-9pm.
Estacada does have lovely murals painted on the sides of many of the city buildings. And the are beautiful and artistic. But let's compare. Eiffel Tower or wall murals? Empire State Building or wall murals? London Bridges or wall murals?
My intent isn't to bash Estacada. I'm just trying to figure out the connection between New York, London, Paris and Estacada. And I can't.
Monday, October 26, 2009
Ahhhhhh...
We are at the beach this week on vacation with my parents and two of my three sisters and their families. This is such a treat that I was definitely ready for. We are staying at a resort on the beautiful Oregon coast. We wake (early) every morning to a gorgeous view of the ocean and the sunrise. We've spent the last few days relaxing, eating incredible food, playing games, and today we made a trip to the local aquarium. And we are going to be here for three more days!
The last two evenings have been spent playing Boggle until the late hours of the evening. Through the many games we've played I've learned a lot. Mainly, I love Boggle but I'm not the best at it. Also, there are many words out there that I didn't even realize I knew. But the most interesting thing I have learned about is my dad's rather extensive, yet mostly useless, vocabulary highly influenced by Old English, Irish and Scottish backgrounds. Who know?
It's funny to me that I'm not really doing much different than what I would be doing at home and yet it still feels like vacation. And even though we don't have all the gadgets and gizmos that fill every nook and cranny of our house we are still enjoying our time. We are living with significantly less than what we "need" when we are at home and we haven't had a hard time making it work. The kids don't have a dump truck full of toys and they are still having a ton of fun and staying very busy. This really makes me want to make a huge Goodwill donation when I get home. But I'm still on vacation so I'll think about work later.
The last two evenings have been spent playing Boggle until the late hours of the evening. Through the many games we've played I've learned a lot. Mainly, I love Boggle but I'm not the best at it. Also, there are many words out there that I didn't even realize I knew. But the most interesting thing I have learned about is my dad's rather extensive, yet mostly useless, vocabulary highly influenced by Old English, Irish and Scottish backgrounds. Who know?
It's funny to me that I'm not really doing much different than what I would be doing at home and yet it still feels like vacation. And even though we don't have all the gadgets and gizmos that fill every nook and cranny of our house we are still enjoying our time. We are living with significantly less than what we "need" when we are at home and we haven't had a hard time making it work. The kids don't have a dump truck full of toys and they are still having a ton of fun and staying very busy. This really makes me want to make a huge Goodwill donation when I get home. But I'm still on vacation so I'll think about work later.
Monday, October 19, 2009
I'm Blogstipated
Today I commented on Facebook that I have many blogs in me that won't come out and my wonderfully, humorous friends informed me that I have a case of blogstipation. I love blogging and do have so many ideas daily that run through my mind.But when I sit down to write my brain goes, "jdfvue rugfsa,rjvhbzd fjgfvb zrbvsb ,udbfvbzv xc xdfbvgfv." Not pretty. And then when my thoughts finally makes sense I end up with blogereah and post two or three times within a few days.
So, my questions to my fellow bloggers is this: How do you manage the many blog post ideas that come to you? What program do you find works best for storing posts for future cut and paste jobs so that you can post on a regular basis? Do you get blogstipation and blogereah too? Please help me by leaving your comments below.
So, my questions to my fellow bloggers is this: How do you manage the many blog post ideas that come to you? What program do you find works best for storing posts for future cut and paste jobs so that you can post on a regular basis? Do you get blogstipation and blogereah too? Please help me by leaving your comments below.
A More Whole Human Being
A few weeks ago I got to hog my best friend , Nikki, for about 6 hours while she was here for a waytooshort visit. Nikki and I met about 15 years ago when my family started attending the church she and her family went to. While I was first intimidated by the fact that she is a year older than me (when you're 13/14 that's a BIG deal) I soon found that she isn't just a kindred spirit. She is my bosom friend. So much so that once when playing a game of Pictionary against her brother, Willie, and our friend, Gabe, they got mad because we knew each other so well that one of us would start drawing a little line and the other would know the answer.
In the past 15 years our friendship has grown and changed a lot. Through every season she has been the Anne to my Diana, the carrots to my peas, the Thelma to my Louise, and the Yang to my Grey. The past few years have been so different for us as we've married and started our families. We went from working together five days a week and seeing each other every Sunday to wives and mommies who have other people to take care of and a new life to figure out. There have been times when I feel like we are so far apart not just physically but also relationally. And when you've been close friends for so long it makes you feel like your life is missing some thing vital. But, thankfully, those feelings become faint when we have even just a few minutes to be together or talk. One of those moments happened this last time we were together. But to explain that I have to give you a little history.
There is a small shopping center in a city nearby that had, for many years, a Target with a Barnes & Noble/Starbucks right across the parking lot. I know, perfect world, right!?! I think it is probably our most frequented shopping spot. Well, in the last few years the Big Mall across the street stole the Barnes & Noble (Which I've come to accept because they made it two stories. And put a Starbucks in it.). But what the Big Mall left in it's wake is, to me, a catastrophe. Sure, they left the Starbucks, but right next to it they put a....Petco! And I know. There is a wall separating the two stores, but I'm sorry, Petco smells like...well, pets. Gross!
Since this happened, for some reason or other, Nikki and I haven't been there together. But when I've gone with Nathan I refuse to get coffee at the Petco Starbucks because it's gross. And Nathan thinks I'm weird. And mildly snobbish.
So, back to our recent visit. Nikki and I are leaving said shopping center and she turns and looks and this disaster of a store set up and says, "It may just be me, but I can't bring myself to get coffee from a Starbucks that is right next to a pet store." And at that point I became a more whole human being.
In the past 15 years our friendship has grown and changed a lot. Through every season she has been the Anne to my Diana, the carrots to my peas, the Thelma to my Louise, and the Yang to my Grey. The past few years have been so different for us as we've married and started our families. We went from working together five days a week and seeing each other every Sunday to wives and mommies who have other people to take care of and a new life to figure out. There have been times when I feel like we are so far apart not just physically but also relationally. And when you've been close friends for so long it makes you feel like your life is missing some thing vital. But, thankfully, those feelings become faint when we have even just a few minutes to be together or talk. One of those moments happened this last time we were together. But to explain that I have to give you a little history.
There is a small shopping center in a city nearby that had, for many years, a Target with a Barnes & Noble/Starbucks right across the parking lot. I know, perfect world, right!?! I think it is probably our most frequented shopping spot. Well, in the last few years the Big Mall across the street stole the Barnes & Noble (Which I've come to accept because they made it two stories. And put a Starbucks in it.). But what the Big Mall left in it's wake is, to me, a catastrophe. Sure, they left the Starbucks, but right next to it they put a....Petco! And I know. There is a wall separating the two stores, but I'm sorry, Petco smells like...well, pets. Gross!
Since this happened, for some reason or other, Nikki and I haven't been there together. But when I've gone with Nathan I refuse to get coffee at the Petco Starbucks because it's gross. And Nathan thinks I'm weird. And mildly snobbish.
So, back to our recent visit. Nikki and I are leaving said shopping center and she turns and looks and this disaster of a store set up and says, "It may just be me, but I can't bring myself to get coffee from a Starbucks that is right next to a pet store." And at that point I became a more whole human being.
Thursday, October 8, 2009
Tandem Baby Front Pack
So, 5 Minutes for Mom, a great community for mom's, is hosting a photo contest and after much deliberation I've decided on a picture for my entry. It's about a year old but I think it will prove to be a worthy opponent. Hazel LOVES her dollies but she needed a more convenient way to carry them all around. So we came up with the Tandem Baby Front Pack:
I think it's a winner. FYI: All you mommies can enter your kids in this contest, too. Don't worry. We aren't scared of a little competition. Bring it on!
I think it's a winner. FYI: All you mommies can enter your kids in this contest, too. Don't worry. We aren't scared of a little competition. Bring it on!
Discipline, Not Desire, Determines Your Destiny
I did it! I've completed one week of my six month "Do Over". I know it' s only one week but I am so excited about what I've accomplished this last week. It's not been a perfect week and I have had to allow freedom for the ebb and flow of life, but the tiny mountains that I've conquered this week have given me a renewal of hope and determination.
I struggle with sharing this because my greatest mountain this week was my first fast. I don't want to appear boastful or proud. I am rejoicing in the grace that I have been given and in the knowledge that I can have discipline in areas of my life that I never thought would happen. For me this struggle has been such a huge Everest in my life and it has felt impassable. Now I know I am capable of doing this. I will say I am still not thrilled about fasting, but I do feel an excitement to "discipline my body and bring it into subjection" (1 Corinthians 9:27).
A revelation for me this week was that when my plans for the day/week have to change I tend to let the discipline slide and I put them of for another time when it's more convenient. Examples? Well, Nathan's schedule was different this week and typically I would just put Abiah's schooling off until things "got back to normal" and we would end up behind and I would feel like a failure. We did have to make a few changes to our school schedule this week but we've not gotten behind and I am learning flexibility. Also, I came down with a migrane Saturday that peaked Tuesday and eased off slowly Wednesday. Usually that would be a perfect reason for me to not have to fast. God doesn't want me to suffer that much, right?!? But I wanted to stick it out and work through it. I had to take it slow but I did it. And I didn't die.
The title for this post is from a sermon my mom heard a few weeks ago and shared with me this last Monday night. I realized that, while desire is good, when it is the only thing that we use to guide us we tend to flit from one passion to the next. We may be fully devoted to that one passion for awhile but when a new desire comes along we are easily swept away like a leaf on a blustery fall day. When we have a healthy diet of discipline we have an anchor or guide to keep us focused and to help us achieve our goals.
A dear friend once told me, "If we want to be disciplined in the big areas of our lives we have to start with the little ones." This is where is starts for me. Tell me, what are some disciplines that you have used or are using to help you achieve your goals?
I struggle with sharing this because my greatest mountain this week was my first fast. I don't want to appear boastful or proud. I am rejoicing in the grace that I have been given and in the knowledge that I can have discipline in areas of my life that I never thought would happen. For me this struggle has been such a huge Everest in my life and it has felt impassable. Now I know I am capable of doing this. I will say I am still not thrilled about fasting, but I do feel an excitement to "discipline my body and bring it into subjection" (1 Corinthians 9:27).
A revelation for me this week was that when my plans for the day/week have to change I tend to let the discipline slide and I put them of for another time when it's more convenient. Examples? Well, Nathan's schedule was different this week and typically I would just put Abiah's schooling off until things "got back to normal" and we would end up behind and I would feel like a failure. We did have to make a few changes to our school schedule this week but we've not gotten behind and I am learning flexibility. Also, I came down with a migrane Saturday that peaked Tuesday and eased off slowly Wednesday. Usually that would be a perfect reason for me to not have to fast. God doesn't want me to suffer that much, right?!? But I wanted to stick it out and work through it. I had to take it slow but I did it. And I didn't die.
The title for this post is from a sermon my mom heard a few weeks ago and shared with me this last Monday night. I realized that, while desire is good, when it is the only thing that we use to guide us we tend to flit from one passion to the next. We may be fully devoted to that one passion for awhile but when a new desire comes along we are easily swept away like a leaf on a blustery fall day. When we have a healthy diet of discipline we have an anchor or guide to keep us focused and to help us achieve our goals.
A dear friend once told me, "If we want to be disciplined in the big areas of our lives we have to start with the little ones." This is where is starts for me. Tell me, what are some disciplines that you have used or are using to help you achieve your goals?
Thursday, October 1, 2009
Lady Gaga Has Got Some Competition
I don't know much about Lady Gaga. I do know that she has outrageous outfits. And she should watch out because she's got some competition. And they have my vote.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)