The View From Here

2012-01-31T15:47:00.001-06:00

Screens on! Just waiting on the door and it'll be done!

2012-01-28T19:20:00.001-06:00

Princess at play

2012-01-28T19:19:00.001-06:00

Marlee at Barnes & Noble after Beauty and the Beast. My gorgeous princess!

2012-01-22T14:47:00.001-06:00

Deck after day 4- almost done!

2012-01-20T19:26:00.001-06:00

My littles in their matching princess nightgowns, sharing a smoothie, watching vintage Mickey cartoons.

2012-01-20T11:24:00.000-06:00

2012-01-18T15:06:00.000-06:00

Deck day 3 -looking good!

2012-01-16T14:58:00.001-06:00

Deck at the end of second day

2012-01-15T11:19:00.001-06:00

2012-01-15T11:18:00.003-06:00

2012-01-15T11:18:00.001-06:00

Princess Phoebee

2012-01-12T14:52:00.001-06:00

New deck at the end of the first day!

2012-01-12T14:51:00.001-06:00

Old deck gone!

2012-01-12T14:29:00.001-06:00

No fear... except mine!

WDW Day 6: second day at Magic Kindom

2012-01-02T16:46:00.000-06:00

I know it has taken me forever to finally wrap this up! Here we go...

Sunday - This was probably one of the best days. Matt and Shareen didn't want to go, so we left them behind. Jeff, Marlee, Phoebee and I ventured out on our own and it was fantastic! We missed rope drop by a few minutes but crowds were really low and we had a great time. We let Marlee pick a few favorites from Fantasyland to ride again, so we hopped on It's a Small World, Snow White's Scary Adventures, and Peter Pan. We also did Jungle Cruise and Pirates of the Caribbean again. Watched the Tiki Room show. Then we headed to Tomorrowland for Buzz's Space Ranger Spin, Carousel of Progress, and PeopleMover. Somewhere in there we ate lunch at Tortuga Tavern. Tons of food! We all shared and it was yum!

Characters we snagged: Snow White (finally!), Pinocchio, Chip and Dale, Tiana (which was awesome because Marlee was wearing her Tiana dress so Tiana REALLY hammed it up with her!), and Tinkerbell. The longest we waited was probably about 7-8 minutes for Tink!

We left early enough that we got back to the rental house in plenty of time for dinner, packing, and sleep. We had to get up early and get on the road home the next morning.

Overall, the trip was wonderful. We hit a few snags that involve teenage daughters, but I tried to not let that ruin it for the little ones. Marlee enjoyed every second of it and came back with some treasures (Pirates gun, Peter Pan play set, Minnie Mouse play set, Tinkerbell wand, Jasmine doll, whew). Next year will be even better!

Sister Love

2012-01-01T22:00:00.001-06:00

Sent from my HTC Aria™ smartphone on AT&T

WDW Day 5: Epcot

2011-12-18T15:15:00.000-06:00

Saturday - This day was a strange day. It turned out really well, but had some bumps along the way. I won't go into ALL the details, but it did involve Shareen not feeling well after riding Mission:Space (orange, I warned her!) and me having a mini meltdown because we hunted down Mulan's spot (you can find her ONLY at Epcot) and then we were told she wasn't there that day! The reason it was so important was that Marlee was dressed like Mulan and wanted a pic with her. Anyway, Marlee handled it way better than I did. I was tired!

We rode Spaceship Earth twice, The Seas with Nemo and friends, Journey into Imagination with Figment, Maelstrom (Norway), Gran Fiesta Tour starring the Three Caballeros (Mexico), saw Turtle Talk with Crush (Crush talked to Marlee), and Captain EO.

Marlee really enjoyed taking her "passport" through the World Showcase and getting it stamped in every country. She put stickers in it and got little messages written in it in different languages. I think that was her favorite and she still likes talking about the countries and looking at her Epcot passport.

Jeff, the little ones, and I enjoyed eating (ahem, and drinking) things from various pavilions ;-) Moroccan couscous and lentils, French pastries and an Orange Grand Marnier Slush, vegetable souffle and pastries from Norway, fish and chips from UK, margaritas from Mexico, etc. So good! I will definitely have to make room for something from Karamell Kuche in Germany next time!

We did get to see some of the street performers as we passed through. They were all really interesting. However, we did not stop a lot to watch because of the "got to keep Phoebee moving" factor. I would love to be able to watch more of them in the future though!

We also snagged a few characters there. Alice, Mary Poppins, Marie (from Aristocats) and Donald Duck in his sombrero.

Shareen got over her sickness and it turned out to be a great day!

WDW Day 4: Animal Kingdom

2011-12-10T11:10:00.000-06:00

Friday - Animal Kingdom! Oh how I love Animal Kingdom! Probably my fave park. It is truly a park to be savored, not to run around like wild banshees, jumping from ride to ride (ahem, big kids).

We got there at rope drop, and Jeff, Marlee, Phoebee, and I went directly to the Festival of the Lion King show (first one at 9:30am). Before we went into the show, we saw Pluto, Brer Bear, and Thumper and Miss Bunny all with no wait! So we got pics and autographs, and hopped into the first Lion King show right before it started. Fabulous show! Great memories made there, as Marlee got picked to be in the show and Timon singled her out and talked to her! I almost teared up! I think I was awed more than Marlee.

The rest of the day was just as grand. Marlee participated in the Kid's Discovery Club, where she went to different stations throughout AK, learned something about animals or played a game, and got a stamp on her club card. Once she collected all 6 required stamps, she got a special Rafiki stamp, and said an oathe to become a member of the club and got a special Timon and Pumbaa activity booklet. She really loved collecting those stamps! We did that throughout the day as we came upon stations.

At lunch time, we all ate an awesome African buffet lunch at the Tusker House. I'm really glad we got to experience authentic African food. It was good and we all enjoyed it.

We walked the trails/treks, rode Kilimanjaro Safaris, the Wildlife Express Trains to Conservation Station/Affection Section (got to explore those areas), Triceratop Spin, saw It's Tough to be a Bug, played in the Boneyard. We also saw Santa Goofy, Pooh, Tigger, Eeyore (one of the characters I HAD to get pic with. Love Eeyore!), Terk, Pocahontas, and Rafiki! I know Reen and Matt rode Expedition Everest (multiple times), Primeval Whirl, and Dinosaur. They also saw King Louie and Baloo, but we didn't get to see them.

Animal Kingdom is the one park I wish we could stay in longer. There is so much to see there. It is very beautiful. But, alas, they do have to close... oh well, we can see more next time!

WDW Day 3: Off Day/Downtown Disney

2011-12-10T10:26:00.002-06:00

Thursday - The third day was our "down day". We didn't have any particular place to be at any certain time. We slept in, and by we I mean Shareen and Matthew. Jeff and I were up early since Marlee and Phoebee don't know what it means to sleep in! We headed to Downtown Disney, which is a really neat place. They have Lego sculptures, a huge Disney store, lots of smaller stores, and some great places to eat.

We split off from the big kids, aka Matt and Reen. They went and spent some time at DisneyQuest (admission included in our tickets). DisneyQuest is a 5 story virtual arcade or something like that. They said it was fun.

The rest of us just walked around, took pictures, got some snacks, and eventually had lunch at Rainforest Cafe. I knew what Rainforest Cafe was suppose to be, but we had never actually been to one. It was great! The staff was very friendly. The little ones got a bit scared of the "storm" but they were fine. Marlee was sweetly trying to console Phoebee. She said she was trying to keep her calm ;-) We took some pics, had a good meal, and a good time! Then we hit Goofy's Candy Co. for some take home treats (and Disney Blend coffee for me).

After lunch we met up with the big kids again and perused Once Upon a Toy (fun store with a variety of Mr Potato Head pieces, among other things). We split up AGAIN so the biggies could go back to DQ. We were going to ride Characters in Flight, but it was closed due to high wind :-( We strolled around some more but the kiddos were getting tired, so we went home.

Once we got home, the little ones settled in with a movie and the big ones and I went to hit some of the cheap souvenir shops. But first we stopped in at Dunkin' Donuts for some coffee and a donut. Then we went to a couple of shops, where I though the prices would be low (3 shirts for $10 anyone???) but they never seemed to have sizes we needed/wanted. Go figure. I grabbed a couple of little things, but that was about it.

Pretty much the end of Day 3, unless you want to know about our chinese take out dinner and bedtime routines for the kids...

WDW Day 2: first day at Magic Kingdom

2011-12-08T15:46:00.001-06:00

Wednesday - This day was a little different. Shareen had a Y.E.S. program to attend the first 3 hrs of the day so my brother stayed with us for the first part of the day while Shareen was in class.

When we got there (at rope drop!) we enjoyed the opening show and headed straight through the Cinderella Castle to Fantasyland. The first three hours we rode the Peter Pan, Winnie the Pooh, Snow White, Dumbo rides multiple times... and It's a Small World (another Marlee fave). We also saw the Mickey's Philharmagic 3D show (one of my faves!). We made those first few hours all about what Marlee wanted to do, over and over :-) She tried to pull the sword out of the stone, but to no avail ;-) It was cute though!

After Shareen caught up with us, we all had lunch at the Columbia Harbor House in Liberty Square. I think we all really liked our meal there and the atmosphere was nice (nautical themed). Shareen and I headed over to the Hall of Presidents show and when that was over Matt and Reen headed off on their own to ride the big rides. Jeff, Marlee, Phoebee and I rode the Liberty Square Riverboat, Jungle Cruise, Pirates of the Caribbean, Magic Carpets of Aladdin, and we let the kids play in the Swiss Family Treehouse. I got an orange pineapple Dole Whip float. I shared a little with the kids... a little. We would periodically catch bits of the Dream Along with Mickey show in front of the castle. Although we didn't make it a point to try to see it, it played often throughout the day so we saw parts as we passed by. We also caught part of the afternoon parade.

Once again, characters were in no shortage. We got pics with Cinderella, Belle, Aurora, Mickey, and Minnie that day. Less than 5 minute wait for all of them. Let me point out that on our entire trip we rarely "character hunted" except for a few times (like at Epcot, more on that to come!) but we would mostly just walk up on them with short lines or hear that they were about to walk out so we would wait a few minutes and be almost first in line. It was fantastic. It also helped that we only stopped for who Marlee wanted to see, not every one we came across (with a couple of exceptions for me, ahem, we'll talk about that later). Marlee was such a trooper too! If she wanted to see someone and we couldn't find them or if they had to cut the line off, she would just say "It's ok, we'll just see them next time!". She did really well the whole trip. I was very proud of her. Even when we were all tired, she rarely had a melt down. Sweet baby. And little Phoebee was just along for the ride! She just did whatever. Shows, rides, anything we did!

That pretty much wraps up day 2 (our first Magic Kingdom day). If you noticed, we only did half the park that day. Since we knew we would spend 2 days at MK, we decided to do half one day and half the other.

Walt Disney World 2011: Day 1

2011-12-08T15:05:00.001-06:00

We just got home from a week long trip to Disney World. I thought I would do a different blog post for each day. Of course, the real day one was the drive down there, but since that was completely boring, I'll start with the first day at the parks. Therefore, day one was Disney's Hollywood Studios (referred to DHS from here on out)!

Tuesday - A lot of people think of DHS as the "throw away park". Not enough rides, nothing for little ones. Naturally, Shareen and my brother Matthew rode the bigger rides, but I'll be focusing on what we did with the little kids. For us, it was great! We saw the Voyage of the Little Mermaid show, MuppetVision 3D, the Beauty and the Beast show, Disney Jr show, rode Toy Story Mania, the Great Movie Ride, and I cannot forget the nighttime spectacular, Fantasmic (Marlee's fave). Also, we were able to see the The Osborne Family Spectacle of Dancing Lights, which were beautiful.

We also got to meet several characters at DHS, got pics and autographs. Donald, Daisy, Pooh, Jake, Mr. Incredible, Mater, and Lightning McQueen were all to be found, and with super short lines at that!

It turned out to be a great day and I'm glad we did not skip this park. If your kids don't like shows, it may not be for you, but Marlee and Phoebee both sat through every show and ride and were mesmerized!

A Month of Pumpkins

2011-10-14T13:58:00.000-05:00

My goal this month was to do lots of pumpkin related activites with Marlee. Something every few days. Things about pumpkins, not just Halloween! So one of the things we did was talk about the life cycle of a pumpkin last night. I showed Marlee a picture (from the internet) and talked about each stage. Then I asked her questions about each stage and asked her to look at the pictures and tell me what stage each picture represented. She got them all right! When Jeff got home, she was able to tell him each stage AND something about each stage! By the way, the stages are 1. seed 2. vine 3. flower 4. growing fruit 5. mature fruit (aka "eating" fruit as Marlee call it). She remembered it all this morning too. We have also made a "pumpkin ruler" and measured different things. Marlee's hand was 3 pumpkins long and Shareen's hand was 5 pumpkins long. Of course, Marls went off and measured all kinds of things. We recorded a few of them to put in a pumpkin lapbook we are going to try to make. Key word -try-!

Socialized or Sociable?

2011-10-13T20:35:00.002-05:00

Do we want our children to be little socialists? Or, do we want them to be sociable? What is the difference? Joel Salatin in Family Friendly Farming recounts author Rick Boyer’s perspective on the difference between socialization and being sociable. According to Boyer, socialization is social mimicry – conforming, becoming an indistinguishable part of a larger group. Being sociable is having social skills; holding polite conversations, not just with children of the same age, but with a wide variety of people.

Today's Little Things

2011-09-28T21:54:00.002-05:00

A few of the little things in life that I enjoyed today:

Making granola for breakfast

Watching my 17 yro try to hoard the granola because she actually likes it

Taking my little "acorns" to storytime at the library

Popping in on my husband at work so the little ones could see him

Making lunch plans with my husband for the next day

Kissing my baby's cheeks covered with salty little tears

Reading books to my kiddos

Holding my 1 yro while she slept in my arms

Playing paper dolls with my 4 yro

Hearing my 4 yro retell what she learned in her class at church tonight

Are all of my days spent in mommy/wife bliss? No. But today was a really nice day :-)

Deuteronomy 6:5-7

2011-08-19T09:27:00.000-05:00

⁵ Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. ⁶ These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. ⁷ Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.

Shutterfly holiday cards

2010-11-12T10:27:00.001-06:00

Well, to be honest, our family has never been big on lots of pictures and cards. Not that I don't want to be. I just never seem to have a real camera and I never get around to printing the pictures I do take. I think we've only sent out picture Christmas cards two or three times and I've never sent picture cards out for any other holiday. I've never even used Shutterfly. Gasp, I know ;-) That being said, when I saw the Shutterfly holiday cards promo ( Bloggers get 50 free holiday cards from Shutterfly, http://bit.ly/sfly2010 ) I almost didn't do it. Then I went to their website and saw all the fab cards to pick from! Go here to see them.

So far I like these the best:





But there are SO MANY to choose from. I can so see my children's lovely faces all over these cards. Wouldn't that be beautiful? I am definitely inspired!

And I'm thinking one of these pewter ornaments would make a great gift for a grandparent.

Looking for a gift to last the whole year? Yep, they got that too... check out these calendars!

Wow, now I almost can't wait to get a picture done! Thanks Shutterfly!

Phoebee Made It!

2010-10-25T20:35:00.000-05:00

I haven't posted a blog update since right before Phoebee was born. That baby has kept me busy! I want to start blogging more because, unfortunately, I am horrible at writing things down in baby books and taking really cute pics and things like that to document my children's (and my family's) lives. I have a feeling this blog and pics on facebook will be the only things they have to look back on :-(

So... I was induced and Phoebee Pamela Brown was born September 8, 2010 at 10:43am (with no pain meds might I add!). She weighed 8lbs 7oz and was 20in long. My biggest baby! She got her middle name from my mom (that I miss so incredibly much), Pamela Sue Foster Leachman. We had a bout with jaundice and she had to be on a light bed at home for a few days, but all was well after about a week. She has a huge umbilical hernia, just like Marlee did, so she will definitely have an outie belly button even when the hernia goes away. We have had our ups and downs with breastfeeding and I have come to terms with the fact that my body just will not produce enough milk to feed my Phoebee (same thing happened with the others). So we breast feed and bottle feed and almost 7 weeks later are kind of getting into our groove with it. Phoebee weighs between 11 and 12 pounds now. And she has the yummiest little muffin cheeks ever! She just started smiling. Her first real smile was October 13th. Of course, it is ADORABLE!

I guess that's it for now. I just wanted to post this mostly for me. To remember.

Oh Phoebee, where are you?

2010-09-05T07:45:00.000-05:00

I am 39 weeks pregnant today and still no sign of my sweet Phoeb being ready to come out and play! I know that I will be induced Wednesday, so there is a light at the end of the tunnel. However, I really wanted to go into labor on my own because I hate being induced! The past couple of days I've had a few contractions, but nothing major. They go away as soon as I change positions so I know they're not the real thing. But whenever Phoebee is ready, so am I!

We still don't have a middle name for this little girl. I have a few ideas, but I want to see her first. Meet her, get to know her, snuggle with her, kiss on her. I can't wait! The middle name is going to be a tough one though because I'm kind of torn between several. Oh well, we'll figure it out once she makes her arrival!

Oh Phoebee, where are you? Mommy, Daddy, Reen and Marls are ready for you!

????

2010-07-09T09:05:00.000-05:00

As I'm sitting here contemplating my life, Phoebee is moving around in a not so comfortable way, Marlee is talking to herself and playing, and Shareen is still asleep.

Sleep would be nice. I don't think I'll ever get a real night of sleep again.

Phoebee will be here sometime at the end of August. We don't know exactly when yet. I'm not really ready for Phoebee to get here. I mean I am, but I'm not. Get it? Got it? Good.

Marlee loves the show Max & Ruby. Max & Ruby are brother/sister bunnies. The show is cute but it bothers me a little. I read that Max is suppose to be 4 yrs old. For a 4 year old, he doesn't talk very well. He talks more like a 1 1/2 yr old. And if he's only 4, why is he allowed to do things like go to his grandmother's all by himself or carry boxes out to the street with no supervision? And where are the parents of these little bunnies? They seem to live alone and Ruby takes care of Max and everything else. She feeds him, bathes him and puts him to bed. Tries to teach him how to be kind and share. They take the bus across town by themselves. Who pays the bills? How do they have groceries? Ruby can't be more than 7 or 8. I wish there was some explanation for this...

Anyway, that's all I have time for now. Just some thoughts.

A Few Things

2010-06-10T15:18:00.000-05:00

Hmmm, I realized that it's been a while since I blogged. I don't know why because there is so much to say about what is going on in our lives. But maybe that's why... we have so much going on right now it's hard for me to wrap my brain around it, much less blog it. I guess I'll just throw some random things out here for prosperity, but don't expect it to make much sense. Seriously, my brain is out of whack right now.

I am now a little over 6 1/2 months pregnant with Phoebee. This pregnancy is flying by to me! I can't believe I'm so far along. I'm due Sept 12th, but I know I'll be induced in August, probably the last week, which means I only have about 12 weeks (or less) left. Wow! I'm very excited to meet her and completely scared too. I'm not really scared to have another baby, I'm scared because of the current financial situation we are in. For those that don't know, Jeff is losing his job. I guess technically he's already lost it. We pretty much found out his job was going away and then a couple of weeks later found out I was pregnant. ~Happy New Year to us~

This month is at 50% pay and July will be 20% pay and August is zilch, zip, zero, nada. We will have insurance through September. Then I don't know what happens. I don't even know what happens now and next month. How are we going to pay our bills and feed our family? And not to mention another baby coming in less than 12 weeks!?!? I don't know. I just don't know.

I've been missing my mom a lot lately too. Not just the normal 'I miss her', but the angry 'I miss her'. As in I need her. Here. With me. I don't care that she's in a better place or that she's not suffering anymore. I need her to help me. I'm angry that God took her from me before we got to have a real relationship! I don't care that I'm going to see her again one day. I want to see her now! I want her back! It's not fair, I need her. I want her. Why can I not have my mom? Why could she not meet Jeff or be at my wedding? Why could she not have been there when Marlee was born to stay with me in the hospital or when Phoebee will be born, to come be with me? Why was she taken so soon that Shareen barely remembers her? I want to hold her and I want her to hold me and tell me she loves me. I want to tell her I love her. I really, really miss her. I feel very alone.

I guess that's all for now since Marlee won't let me sit here any longer...

My Sweet Babies

2010-04-23T14:55:00.001-05:00

I can't believe I'm halfway through my pregnancy now! I've been feeling little fluttery movements for a couple of weeks. I guess it won't be long until I start to feel the big stuff! Monday is my 20 week ultrasound. Although I already know I'm having a girl, I can't wait to see her on the screen again. This time she will be much bigger than the last time I got to see her. We'll get lots of pics and a dvd of the ultrasound. Fun stuff! We've settled on the name Phoebee for her first name, but no middle name yet. Jeff and I both loved it so it was easy to pick. ~Phoebe (Phoebee) - Greek origin - Bright, shining one~ The name Phoebe can also be found in Romans. Although she is only mentioned briefly, it seems that she was a great help to many people, including Paul. I wish we knew more about her, but I'm ready to know MY Phoebee too!

For all who don't know, Marlee took a major spill at the McWane Center and totally smacked her face on one of the toys (a step-on piano) and knocked some teeth a little loose. We have to watch for the next 2 weeks for abcesses or discoloring and she can't bite or chew anything on the front. Pain in the butt for me, but I hope her teeth aren't permanently damaged or she doesn't lose them. Before that fiasco, we finally gave up the pacifier (Sunday, April 18)! We read a book about it and picked a day to put them in an envelope and send them away to babies who needed them. She has been great with it! Asked for it a few times, but once I remind her what we did with them, or sometimes she reminds me, she's fine again. Sweet kid. She amazes me how much knows and understands at two years old! She loves to sing and has an imagination that is out of this world. She loves to be outside, digging in the dirt, playing with leaves and rocks and sticks... so active. Never slows down!

Shareen is testing her boundaries as a teenager! Typical of teenagers I guess, but boy is it hard. Anybody who complains about the terrible twos has never had a teenager! I don't know if it's a girl thing or a teenage thing but whew! She is trudging along in school, driving (legally!) and playing the big sis role well for Marlee. Marlee adores her sissy! Shareen plays with her and helps me a little when I need it. Of course, money is usually involved. "I'll give you $5 to stay here with Marlee while she's napping so I can go to the store." Something like that.... but still a help. Shareen has lots of babysitting jobs lined up for the summer and I'm happy she has the opportunity to make some money (and pitch-in on the car insurance). She will also be volunteering at the Leeds library a bit this summer so she is going to be super busy (which is how she likes it!).

Well, that's it for now. Just wanted to have a little update post on all my princesses. For everyone to read, but mostly for me...

Sugar and Spice and Everything Nice

2010-03-30T14:13:00.000-05:00

We just found out we are having a girl! I'm only 16 weeks and it was tough to get the little chick to spread those legs, but it looks like we are being blessed with another sweet precious baby girl in September! Luckily I'm pretty prepared since I already have two of them. Hair products here we come!

Watch out!

2010-02-20T15:33:00.000-06:00

Shareen got her license! Yes, her driver's license! So watch out everybody, she's on the loose. Yay, Shareen, I'm so proud of you! Love you!!!

One Great Weekend

2010-02-15T14:17:00.001-06:00

Well, last Friday, Moody Alabama was blessed with some snow! It was perfect too. It started Friday around 10am or so and it came down all day. Just around 1 1/2 inches. It was great for the kids to play in and make snow angels (click here for photos), yet we never lost power or Directv. The girls could go out, play, come in, warm up, and go back out as much as they wanted! Lovely! We even made homemade snow ice cream that was pretty tasty. The snow hung around until Saturday morning so Marlee got a little extra snow time early Saturday.

Saturday turned out to be a great day also. We got up early (the norm for Marlee, Jeff and I but Shareen slept a while) and let Marls play in the snow. Jeff and I got ready and took Marls to Barnes and Noble to let her play at the train table and read books together (while he and I drank coffee). Then we had a practically free lunch at Joe's Crab Shack using a gift card my brother gave us for Christmas (thanks Bub!). Then, icing on the cake, we got home and put Marlee down for a nap and actually sat down TOGETHER and watched tv AT THE SAME TIME, something we rarely get to do. Of course the teenager, Shareen, slept in, watched tv while we were gone and then once we got home she left to go babysit for a friend. We barely saw her Saturday, but I have a feeling she preferred it that way!

Sunday (Happy Valentine's Day!) was a little crazier just because of church but ended up being a really relaxed day. We all chilled out yesterday afternoon and watched The Watcher in the Woods. If you don't remember that movie, it is an old Disney movie released in 1980 that use to creep my friend Missi and me out! Shareen had never seen it and I have a bad habit of making her watch movies that I use to watch when I was younger. I mean, she doesn't know what she's missing! And she actually admits that a lot of 80s music is good so she should appreciate some good 80s movies, right? Right! Ok, I'm not going to say the special effects were equivalent to any movie released today, but for an eleven year old in the 80s, Watcher was pretty spooky!

So our whole weekend turned out to be pretty fabulous!

Busy, Busy, Busy

2010-02-02T09:59:00.000-06:00

Wow! So much has happened since the last time I blogged.

I found out I was pregnant (yay! due in Sept), had tons of blood work done, had a 'my baby is not viable' scare, got put in the hospital because of my blood sugar (I'm a type 2 diabetic), got put on insulin (5 injections a day), got to hear my baby's heart beat, started potty training my 2 yro daughter and my oldest daughter turned 16! Whew!

In the midst of all of that, I have also changed the way I view my family. I feel more of a need to put them first, which is actually hard for me to do. I always THINK I'm putting them first, but really I don't. I end up sacrificing them because I put myself at the beck and call of everyone else. My mom use to do that and I remember as a child thinking "I wish she spent as much time with us as she does running around helping everybody else!" and telling myself I would never be that way, and yet I am. It is so hard for me to tell people no. No, no, no, no, NOOOO! Feels good. Too bad I can't do it in person...

Oh well, more to come soon I hope.

SATURDAY MORNING

2010-01-09T10:44:00.002-06:00

Shareen's on the other computer, Caillou is on the tv, Marlee is glue sticking some scrap paper and Jeff is asleep in the recliner with my blanket (I told him about taking my blanket!) so I decided to blog.

We are going to Aldi today to grab some necessary groceries. I need diapers. I'm going to try to keep this week's grocery bill $40 or under. I'll let you know how that works out.

I am looking forward to the time when my friend Virginia says "ok, I'm ready to get our craft on"! She's going to help me out with a lovely thing that I want to make (see hers here ).

In an effort to revamp my blog, I've been getting inspiration from all over the web. I've added lots of new links to other blogs and sites that I hope you enjoy. I will try my best to always link back to the original site where I found ideas when I post them. I am hoping to be able to add more pictures soon, if I ever get another camera. I dropped and broke mine over a year ago and have just been using my cell phone camera since then. We all know cell phone camera pics aren't great! I want to add labels to my posts also, but then I get confused because, for example, how the heck would I lable this post?!?!

In the future, I hope to include more stuff about our homeschooling, crafts, books, food/recipes, etc. And definitely more pics!

Well, Marlee has long left the glue stick for less still activities, such as covering my left sleeve with stickers, so I shall leave the blog for now.

I will leave you with my goal for the day: Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.- Eph. 4:32 (NIV)
*Love is Kind - I pray today that God will remind me of His forgiveness and love and through His grace will help me to be kind and forgiving. I know He is here with me in every struggle.

THEY SAY SLEEP IS OVERRATED

2010-01-05T00:14:00.001-06:00

Well, it is freezing cold outside and it's midnight and I can not sleep! I feel a little sick, but I think it's because I'm tired. Sometimes if I'm really tired but my mind is racing and I can't get settled, I feel sick to my stomach. So no sleep leads to the internet, which leads to facebook, which leads to perusing blogs, which leads to updating mine. So let's see...

I like finding ideas for meals that will feed my family, fill them up, be nutritious, be vegetarian and budget friendly. Our dinner tonight was just that. I made Chili Pasta, which is exactly what it sounds like. You cook any kind of pasta (we used whole wheat "seashells", that's what Marlee calls them) and then mix it with any kind of chili (we used Aldi brand vegetarian chili). You're just using the chili in place of pasta sauce. Voila`! Done! Add a salad or something if you want and dinner is served.

Marlee has been totally cracking me up the past few days. She always does, but the past few days she's really been hammin' it up. Sometimes when we're playing around, I call her a 'goob'. Shareen gets called a goob a lot too. So yesterday Marlee was cackling on about something and she said "I a siyee goop" ("I'm a silly goob", for those that don't speak her language)! I agreed with her that she definitely was.

I am very thankful that we have not had any real sickness here so far this winter. With all the flu and nastiness going around we've managed to stay relatively healthy. Now, I say this knowing full well that since I've said this, we'll probably all get sick. But really, that is to be expected, right? That's what people do. They get sick. Some of our wellness I contribute to the fact that my house is not spotless. I mean really, that's why I keep my house the way I do. I have their best interest at heart. Boost up those immune systems, right? Naturally fight off those germs! It's the kids of the germ-freak parents that are always sick! JUST KIDDING! GEEZ! Great, now my kids really will get sick.

Anyway, I guess that's all for now. I will once again attempt to go to sleep. I've got a feeling that may not work out.

So Fresh and So Clean, Clean

2009-12-30T07:47:00.001-06:00

Well, Christmas has come and gone and I have that feeling that I usually have this time of year... chaos. Now I'm not one to make new year's resolutions, but I understand why people do. After the craziness of the holidays, the end of the year always brings the need to put things back in order, reorganize, refresh.

I've got to get this tree down and move my living room furniture back the way it was before I go insane. I've already taken down all the decorations. I just have to find a place to put the tree. It's bigger than the one we had for almost 10 years and I'm not sure where to put it. It's a great tree, just big (for us anyway).

I have got to get Shareen's bedroom moved downstairs so her room can become the playroom. Then I can move these toys that are strewn all over the house into the playroom. I need to purge some old toys. I need organize all the little toys into bins (I already have bins, they are just not organized).

Also, I always get the urge to be crafty this time of year. For all those who don't know, I am NOT crafty, at all. I have great dreams of making beautiful, homemade cards for all occasions, documenting my children's lives and my family's adventures with totally shabby chic scrapbooks, making all kinds of cute, yet useful, crafts with my kids to keep and give as presents... well, Shareen will be 16 in a few weeks and doesn't give a crap about that kind of stuff so I've missed the window with her. Marlee is only 2 so there's still a chance... except the big dilemma that I am in no way creative or crafty. There is something about the holidays that makes me WANT to be, but the feeling loses it's sizzle sometime in early February. However, I'm determined to scrap some sort of something with some pics of my kids in the fresh, clean new year... no, really, I am... really... it's on my to-do-list...

Disney movies

2009-12-14T14:23:00.004-06:00

I just got my first shipment of movies from Disney Movie Club today. I am so excited! I don't know why I'm that excited. Is it receiving something new in the mail? Is it because it's Disney? Is it because it was such a great deal? I don't know, but if anyone is interested in joining let me know first so I can give you a code and earn myself a free movie! I ordered National Treasure 1 & 2, Pirates 2 & 3, Finding Nemo and The Rescuers (one of my fave older Disney classics). They are all going to be Christmas presents for my kiddos (although I'm sure I will get in on the viewing action too!). 6 movies for $21.90. In the words of Wheezie from DragonTales... LOOOVE IT!

On another Disney movie note, Shareen and I went to see The Princess and the Frog this weekend with friends of ours. It was a great movie. I was a little surprised at how dark it was (voodoo, evil spirits, black magic, etc) but over all it was good. The lightning bug named Ray and Mama Odie were hilarious. I will definitely get it on DVD but Marlee will have to be a little older to watch it.

Why?

2009-08-11T06:52:00.002-05:00

Why does my teenager never pick up after herself (not b/c she's a teenager, since childhood)?
Why does my husband never do the dishes right?
Why is my child the messiest, filthiest, slobbiest child I know?
Why do I have to repeat myself a gazillion times to my husband and/or child for them to hear only part of what I said (and have no clue about the rest of what I said)?
Why can no one in my house remember eating the last 5 doughnuts?
Why do I have to repeat the same requests about things around the house constantly and yet no one still ever does them?
Why does my father act the way he acts?
Why do I feel the need to always be the peacemaker with him and raise my blood pressure to ungodly levels when he's around b/c I'm trying so hard to walk on eggshells and do everything the way he wants so he doesn't have a fit?
Why do I get sooo angry at my teenager when I know she's trying hard (most of the time) but she acts like a complete idiot?
Why can't Jesus come back now (like, right now)?
Why is money always an issue (always)?
Why is marriage so hard?
Why do I feel like I work so hard, and I'm totally exhausted, but I feel like I've accomplished nothing?
Why, Why, Why?

A birthday

2009-01-31T15:41:00.002-06:00

Well, my little baby, my Reen, is 15 today. I cannot believe it. Thinking back about the day she was born, or even being pregnant with her, reminds me of how much she and I have been through. Things she doesn't even remember. I love her soooo much. I was so young when I had her and I can't imagine my life without her. I don't even remember life before her. She was the most beautiful baby I had ever seen and she has grown into a beautiful young woman. I am so proud of her! Her eyes and smile can light up any room.

I love you Shareen. Happy Birthday, you truly are my "little piece of Heaven on earth"!

2009

2009-01-01T17:37:00.000-06:00

Happy 2009 everyone!

Almost a New Year

2008-12-31T16:10:00.003-06:00

I can't believe when I wake up in the morning it will be 2009 (no I don't stay up until midnight to ring it in). 2009! Wow, aren't we suppose to drive flying cars by now, or have them drive us?

I don't really believe in New Year's resolutions. I never keep them anyway. There are lots of things I should resolve to do, but I'd rather just see what comes my way. Does anyone else have anything they'd like to accomplish in the new year?

In a few weeks my little girl turns 15! Yes, Shareen will be 15 and will hopefully get her permit. I can't believe how fast every year goes by!

Well, I hope everyone has a happy and safe new year's eve.

2008-12-25T08:34:00.001-06:00

Merry Christmas to everyone!

Grieving

2008-12-16T13:31:00.002-06:00

I am grieving for a friend now who has lost her baby. This is a hard time of year for me, oddly at a time when I should feel comforted in Christ and at peace, it is a very difficult and lonely time for me. So news like this is very hard for me. I can't even imagine how my friend feels. So sad. I feel I never have the right words for situations like this. I always tell my friends "I don't have the words..." I guess they know me enough to know I'm thinking of them and praying for them. I have friends who will be moving far away soon, friends with sicknesses, with financial problems, marital problems, the list goes on and on. I even feel the strains in my own marriage and relationships, and with myself. When will be able to leave this world and be with the Savior? Lord, I'm ready!

Disney World

2008-12-09T15:04:00.002-06:00

Here are a few pics from Disney World. It was exhausting, but we had a great time.

Fall

2008-11-21T21:20:00.002-06:00

I love fall. It's my favorite time of year. Fall is when life seems better, even when it's not. The crisp air, not too hot, not too cold... coffee weather, soup weather. It's perfect.

We are going to Disney World Nov 30 - Dec 6. A whole week! We can't wait. We rented a house (yes a house). A 4 bedroom/3 bath with it's own private, heated enclosed pool. A WHOLE WEEK for less than $1000 (including taxes and EVERYTHING)! $1000 seems like a lot and it sends me into shock when I think about it too hard, but we came out cheaper than if we rented 2 hotel rooms, which we would have had to do because my brother is going with us and because trust me... Jeff, Shareen, Marlee, Matthew and me all in the same hotel room for a week with one bathroom?!?! not happening

Anyway, when I have some pics I'll post here or on my facebook.

Holla!

2008-07-31T20:48:00.002-05:00

I'm very much missing Shareen. She was gone all last week and was home for one day (Saturday) and then left again for the whole week. I'm so glad she'll be home tomorrow. Did I mention I miss her?

Marlee is asleep in her bed. Yes, HER bed. This is the 4th night in a row she has slept all night in her room. I can't believe it was as easy as it was. Totally confirms my belief that when they're ready, it can be done without tears (mine or hers!). A few nights ago we put her in there and she just went to sleep! Every night since then between 7:30 and 8:00 we put her in there and she sleeps until 5:30-6:00 in the morning. MIRACLE!

I can't believe Marlee is one now. She's walking, in to everything and she's getting so tall. I love my girls!!!

Playlist

2008-06-03T19:47:00.000-05:00

Ok, I just deleted my playlist. It was pissing me off.

just stuff

2008-05-23T18:19:00.004-05:00

Shareen and I saw Prince Caspian and loved it. The guy who plays Edmund reminds me of Brendan Poston.

I have a Facebook now and really like it. If you have one and we're not friends on it, send me a request. I'll probably approve it ;-)

Sorry that my playlist is on autoplay. I know it's annoying and I need to change it, but honestly, I just don't feel like changing it and having to resave it to my blog. Lazy, I know. Oh well. I'll save that for a day when I have more time and energy.

Speaking of energy, I have none since Marlee doesn't want to sleep. Not at night or during the day. She slept about 30 minutes today. Seriously. From about 6:ooam until now (about 6:30pm) she has slept 30 minutes. And don't even get me started on night time! I do want to say I appreciate all the advice people have given me on this topic. Trust me, I've had lots... but all I ever hear from people is I should let her "cry it out". Is there no other alternative? I think there is. I could be wrong and I'm sure I will offend someone here, I really don't want to but I have to state this. I just don't feel like CIO is an option for us. Sure a few minutes here or there, but not for long periods of time. I feel that's cruel. If I turn to the ultimate authority of all things, the Bible, what would it tell me to do? I don't know. I can't find anything about how to get your child to sleep. God's word doesn't tell me that letting my child be scared and sob and gag and vomit and CIO and NOT comfort her to get her to sleep is the right thing to do. It also doesn't tell me it's not. This is really something that is hard for me to understand. Why is it so easy for other parents to do and I can't? I don't know but I know in my heart it doesn't feel right. I'm just thankful that my Father doesn't put me down and close the door on me when I am tired, weary, confused, screaming and reaching for Him for comfort. Please pray that for us that Marlee and I will find both physical and spiritual peace and rest.

We got the rest of our pics from Jessica and they are beautiful! I'll try to post some more when I can.

Well, I have to finish cooking dinner, I have a hungry, fussy baby in my arms who is also trying to hit the keyboard and slide to the floor between sobs and a husband who is trying to install a new electric water heater in the garage (whole different story). I guess that means I'm going for now.

SC pics

2008-04-10T21:40:00.002-05:00

Here are some pics from our SC trip in Feb. We are going back to Greenville in a week and I'm so glad. I love Greenville, SC. It's one of my favorite places. The "downtown" area is so beautiful! Falls Park, shown in a few of these pics, is in downtown Greenville. Gorgeous!

Christmas pics

2008-01-11T11:04:00.001-06:00

I know it is now 2008, but here are some pics I took in and around Christmas that I haven't had a chance to post.

Christmas

2007-12-24T19:29:00.000-06:00

MERRY CHRISTMAS!
HAPPY HOLIDAYS!
SEASON'S GREETINGS!

Craftiness

2007-12-21T16:02:00.000-06:00

Well anyone who knows me knows I'm not the craftiest of people. I don't mean in the sense of clever, we all know I'm very clever ;-) I mean crafts, real crafts, like when you make things. However, I have an inner crafty (isn't crafty a great word?) person in me that has been trying to break out for years. I love homemade stuff, the thought and dedication that people put into things that they made with their own hands is grand. I have a few creative, crafty friends who have inspired me, some over the years and some more recently. We recently had a homeschool activity day where we made Christmas wrapping paper, gift bags, etc and I was inspired to make a couple of bags of my own. We actually made several of them, but these are just a few. I know they're not much, but they were made by us with love. I still haven't decided what pictures to put on them, but envision them with pics of my girls on them to get the whole idea. Check out my friend Carri's blog (three plus two blog link on the right) to see real creativity.

So for Missi and Beth and Carri and all the other inspirational crafties of the world, here is my homage to you...

My Family

2007-12-21T15:56:00.001-06:00

AP

2007-12-01T21:33:00.000-06:00

Over the past few days I've had a couple of people ask me about "attachment parenting" (AP) so I decided to put a little info out here.

I guess I have melded into AP over time without really realizing it, but knew before M was born that we would be considered AP parents in the "label" world (BTW, if you didn't know, I hate labels). It is hard to distinguish when it all began. I mean there isn't one day that I just knew this is how I wanted it to be. I think it started with homeschooling which led to unschooling, which in a round about way led to me going veg, which IMO helped lead to me getting pregnant, which I saw as a chance to parent the way I always thought I would have wanted to (from the beginning) if I hadn't been 16 when I had S and lived with my parents who were definitely NOT AP! Whew!

So anyway, instead of typing out everything myself I have taken the liberty to provide some links from the person that I think describes AP the best, Dr. William Sears. He and his wife, Martha Sears, have written lots of books on many general topics but probably the most popular is The Baby Book (thanks Carri for recommending this book to me oh so long ago!). The books are great and you can get most from the library.

Here are the links:
Dr. Sears website
What AP Is
What AP Is Not

I always tell people the best advice I can give them is to not listen to anybody's advice. Go with your gut. Parents tend to have very strong instincts when it comes to their children. Be the kind of parent you would be if you didn't have everyone else trying to tell you how to do it. Sure people are going to think you're crazy and spoiling your child... so what! You are not spoiling them. Hold your children, hug your children, just be with your children and let them be with you. Watch them and play with them. You'll be amazed at them. My children never cease to amaze me.

AP is the kind of parenting most people would naturally fall into if they were by themselves on an island with just their family and no one else to tell them what they should or shouldn't be doing with their own child. Don't be afraid to go against what society thinks is "normal" (another word I hate). What is normal anyway? There is no normal b/c everyone is different! Normal in the US is not normal in other countries. The US is one of the few countries where AP type tendencies are looked down on b/c we're warped. I love living in America, don't get me wrong-I'm glad I do, but we are a messed up society that has gotten so far away from our families and we have streamlined our lives so much that we can't slow down and don't want to be bothered with our children... I could go on but I won't.

Enough of my soapbox - can you tell I'm passionate about this (Hey Laura, found something I'm passionate about and didn't know it!)? Anyway, feel free to ask me questions if you want to. I promise I won't yell - don't be scared ;-)

First Dance

2007-11-30T19:35:00.001-06:00

If you haven't already seen this, you've GOT to watch it. I think this is one of the funniest things I've seen in a while! Watch it all the way through. How long do you think it took them to plan this???

Playlists

2007-11-25T12:40:00.000-06:00

Disclaimer #1: I have no problem sharing my music, so if you happen to see a song on my playlist that you really like and want it on your playlist, please feel free to add it! I may have a song on my list that you already have on yours. It's ok people - music is made to be shared and enjoyed by the masses! Besides, you didn't think you were the only person who liked those songs did you?

Disclaimer #2: I will warn you that I will have lots of Bon Jovi songs at various times. I love Bon Jovi. I mean who doesn't (besides Crissy, but we all know how she is anyway - she was going to leave me frozen dead animal flesh... hellooo)?

AU

2007-11-24T23:34:00.000-06:00

WAR EAGLE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I Will Survive

2007-11-22T08:51:00.001-06:00

Had to share this! Even if you've seen it before, it's hilarious.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING EVERYONE!!!

Halloween pics

2007-11-10T18:10:00.000-06:00

Well, my team (Auburn) just got spanked by Georgia so I'm feeling bummed about that. Everything else is going well. I'm finally posting Halloween pics of my 2 girls. M was a goldfish and S was a nerd. Here they are:

Aren't they cute? Well, gotta go for now b/c J is going to keep M for a while so S and I can go get some dinner and spend a little one on one time together. He's the best husband!
Holla!

Tired

2007-10-30T22:00:00.000-05:00

I have so much to say, so many thoughts taking up what little space I have left in my head! Unfortunately, I am so freakin' tired right now I can barely hold my eyes open. I want to post pictures, talk about my beautiful family, say funny, witty things that will make people think I am wonderful ;-) all kinds of things... but alas I shall not. I shall go to bed. Good night, sleep tight, don't let the bed bugs bite.

Hooray!

2007-10-13T23:03:00.000-05:00

J is coming back from CA tomorrow evening! Hip-hip-hooray! I've missed him so much. Him being gone has made me realize that I COULD be a single mom if I had to (I have been before). It's very hard but I could do it. But most importantly, it has made me realize that I don't want to be and I appreciate the fact that I'm not. I love that I can spend my days with my children and have more time for my family because of my wonderful husband. I love that man!

Thanks

2007-10-08T21:44:00.000-05:00

I just wanted to say thank you to everyone who sent me emails and gave me nursing advice. I am working on the situation. Please continue to pray for us!

Also J is leaving Wednesday morning to go to California for 5 days/4 nights and it will just be us girls! I want J to have a good time but we are going to miss him so much. I'm so use to him coming home after work and helping me with M for the evening that I don't know what I'm going to do... please pray for safe travel for him and peace and comfort for M, S and me.

abundant grace,
Les

Blogger Play

2007-10-08T21:39:00.000-05:00

FYI... go to http://play.blogger.com/ and watch pics as they are loaded onto Blogger in real time. Very interesting to see what kind of pics just randomly come up. If I had the time I could just watch this for hours! Enjoy!

Nursing

2007-10-04T20:14:00.000-05:00

Today was a heartbreaking day (again!). My struggles with nursing have left me upset and sad. The week after I had my daughter, I ended up back at the doctor with very high fevers (pushing 104) and lots of pain. Turned out I had a uterine infection and my breastmilk totally dried up. The doc reccommended the herb fenugreek - it has had some success in helping relactation. Well, it helped slightly. I had a little milk and for a while M was latching on really well and nursing for a few minutes before each formula bottle. I was pleased with even this little bit b/c at least she was getting some and the doc told me that it only takes a little to still be beneficial to them healthwise and of course I loved the bonding. However, over the past few weeks she is latching on less and less and in the past few days she has gotten none b/c she cries everytime I try to get her to latch on. It is so frustrating, to not be able to nurture and nourish her in the way I had planned. I do believe God is sovereign in all things, but it still hurts so much to see her cry at me and for the bottle and be so happy when I put the formula in her mouth. I've tried pumping, but nothing, I mean NOTHING, comes out. What little milk I had is going away quickly and I don't want it to! I have started taking a lactation blend of herbs from Whole Foods Market, but it isn't really helping. It seems like everywhere I go I see women nursing and it stings my heart. I really wanted to breastfeed for a long time and it's just not happening. I am hurting...

Back again?

2007-10-01T20:22:00.000-05:00

I use to be a blogger and my life got so crazy and hectic that I gave it up. My life is actually busier now than ever before (I have a 10 week old baby and a 13 year old!), but I realize that I miss blogging! So I've started this new one and will hopefully post occasionally... I'll have to see where life takes me. I plan on blogging about anything that strikes my fancy, voicing my opinion where I see fit. Some topics may include - but aren't limited to ;-) - unschooling, being a vegetarian, my family, my friends and aquaintances, and just our life in general! Hope you stop by often and feel free to comment on anything I say. Remember though, this is MY blog... read at your own risk!!!!

BTW, these are my 2 gorgeous girls (S - 13 years old, and M - 10 weeks old)!