Meanderings - Sept. 29

Bible Study... Word study on LOVE.

Memory Verse  - Romans 13:14

 "Clothe yourselves with Lord Jesus Christ, and do not think about how to gratify the desires of the sinful nature."

Husband Encouragement... 

* Clean up our bedroom so it feels more like a sacred space of our own.

* Stop multitasking all the time, and just watch a movie together or something instead of working on a project or doing something on the computer at the same.

Train Them Up... 

* Having Lisa here really helped me keep my cool during stressful/very frustrating situations.  I want to work on keeping my cool and being patient all the time.

Personal Goals... 

* Continue to stay off-line for most of the time.

New Habit of the Month {OCTOBER}
My new mantra: "one load a day, washed and put away!" {laundry of course}

MUST Do...
* Return library books.
* Write and submit newsletter stuff for MOPS.
* Sweep kitchen.
* Mow.

Zone(s)... Bedroom, kitchen, dining room. Need to make sure kitchen and DR floors stay clean so not to attract and feed mice.

Menu -

W - fried ravioli (Kevin's request)

Th - out of town

F - goulash (I had extra macaroni noodles from something that I need use up), garlic bread

S - out to dinner with parents

Su- loaded salads



FUN THINGS!
* Lisa was here!
* Kevin's off 'til Friday!
* We're headed back home tomorrow to see an uncle while he's visiting from Arizona.
* My parents are coming all day Saturday to hang out with the kids while I go to a bridal shower in the afternoon.

3 things I'm thankful for today... 
1. Friends.
2. Family.
3. Fall.

I know I'm late getting all of this up and posted, but if you did Monday Meanderings and would like to link up, leave your link below!  Hope you're having a great week!

Bullet list

What in the world is going on with me? Well, I'll tell you...

* I've been trying to find pants for the kids.  This time I'm going by measurements instead of store sizes (2T, 3T, etc). I feel a little ridiculous with my measuring tape in the store, but it seems to be working much better. Eli's still in need of a few more pairs though.  When you live more than an hour from the city and virtually never get to go shopping, little things like finding pants seem like a big ordeal.

* My friend Lisa was here visiting Thursday thru Tuesday while Kevin was on a night rotation.  Then Monday when Kevin was off again we went out for a girl's night.  Ate out for a delicious dinner at Biaggi's, did a short bit of browsing through stores, then went to the movie The Switch. Pretty good movie, by the way.  It was a wonderful visit!  Lisa was great help around the house and with the kids, and we had great conversation and just had a great week!

* In prep for Lisa's visit we finally got the motivation to continue with some of our room renovations.  I painted Eli's room last week, got flowers set up in our new bathroom, Kevin got trim put up on our dining room windows, and I'm still working on stain color for the bathroom trim.  But it is coming along!

* Mouse season has begun.  Lisa and I caught two mice in two nights.  Lovely. We're trying to make sure all our storage things in the basement are in plastic bins so mice don't destroy them.  Harvest at the fields by our house will be soon and the mice will flee from the fields!

* Carter's getting a new tooth, and he's been waking up between 5:00 and 5:45am every single day for the past week.  He's been napping terribly and is thus fussy when he's awake.  It seems to me like his tooth is all the way broken through the gums, so I don't quite know why he's still so out of whack!  But it's making for a tired and frustrated momma!

So that's mostly what's been up.  I've been off-line except for quick checks, so I haven't had time to read blog feeds thoroughly or comment or post or anything.  But hopefully soon, cuz I've missed you guys!

MIA

I'm sorry I've been MIA lately!  I didn't even make an appearance to host yesterday's Monday Meanderings!  I may get to it still.  Or I may not.  =)  It's just been a busy couple of weeks and I've basically been off-line just popping on for quick checks but nothing more.  I'll update soon.

Monday Meanderings - Sept. 20

Woah, it's the 20th already?!  How can that BE?!!!  I feel like I'm living in a cloud this morning... feeling very sluggish... very tired.  The kids and I trekked across Iowa and back yesterday {not actually, but it seems like} for a friend's bridal shower.  It was so wonderful to see my bride-to-be friend Emily whom I haven't seen for oh about 5 years.  {Gosh, has it really been that long?!} But man, am I tired today.  Kevin was working so I didn't get the kids in bed until almost 10pm last night! They slept partly in the car. Wait, let me rephrase that. They slept in the car for some of the drive home. At least the younger two did anyway.  Eli kept me company and chatted with me from the backseat while I drove white-knuckled through Interstate road construction at night.  Oh my how I hated it!  For once I was thankful Eli was awake and could encourage me through it.  He really was sooo sweet.  =)  Now today, we're kicking off a new week, a very exciting one, in fact, but you'll read about that in a minute.  Here are the *plans...

Bible Study... Galatians

Memory Verse... Philippians 2:5
"Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus..."

Husband Encouragement...
* Clean up house.  I didn't do a very good job last week.
* Stay off the computer as much as possible.
* Be careful of my attitude.  I become very bitter and grumble a lot.  I would probably be disgusted if I saw myself from the outside.

Train Them Up...
* Make a new flower for Eli's word wall.  (You'll learn about this soon)
* Have a paint day.  I LOVE watching the kids paint, and I think it's therapy for them. Seriously. To get to express themselves and be creative and do whatever they want. {within the rules of paint of course}

* Make cookies.

Personal Goals...
* Shopping day.  By myself.  Tomorrow.  I must.  The children have about one pair of pants each that fit.  And well, we've entered cold season.  Plus we really need an oil change done on the van, so I might as well tackle that too while I'm in the city.

New Habit of the Month... 

Umm, what is it I said I was going to be doing this month??  Oh right, doing ALL dishes and shining my sink.  Must work on this.

MUST Do... 

* Find a place to stash MOPS stuff in between meetings.  It's still sitting out from last week cuz I really have no idea where to put it.

* Finish painting Eli's room so he can sleep in there again.  

* Call bank.

* Pump some milk so I can since I am leaving Carter home with Daddy tomorrow.

Zone... just an all-over tidy up.

Menu - we ate out a lot last week.  I like to cook but it was just one of those weeks that I did not feel like cooking.  Ever have that??  So this week we're going to try for healthy.

M - salads with all the toppin's

T - lasagna primavera (didn't get to this last week because I never made it up to Super-Walmart to get the ingredients), garlic bread

W - pork chops, mashed taters, peaches

Th - Italian chicken, spinach salad, fruit

F - margarita pizza

S - taco salad

Su - ham steaks, homemade mac n cheese, green beans

FUN THINGS! 

* Kevin just worked an OT night last night but once he's up he's off 'til Thursday night.

* Shopping by myself tomorrow.  Not sure Kevin KNOWS about that yet! LOL

* My SIL's twin sister is having her baby girl tomorrow if not before, so I'm getting very excited for that!

* My friend Lisa is coming to stay with us on Thursday for 5 days!!  I cannot wait!!! {Lisa and I became friends when we lived in CT and I haven't seen her since we moved almost 2 years ago.  We will have some great girly time while Kevin's working and then after Kevin's off nights we get a night on the town!}

3 things I'm thankful for today...  

1. Beautiful sun shiny day!  Especially after a constant cold drizzle yesterday!

2. Quiet morning today while my good friend Jaesi kept Hannah this morning during Eli's schooltime.

3. Getting to see so many great friends these couple weeks!

Alrighty, that does it!  Join me with your plans and link up below! Read rules and guidelines HERE.  Have a blessed week!!

*Many are the plans in a man's heart, 

but it is the LORD's purpose that prevails.  Proverbs 19:21

Sunday Psalm

Psalm 119:33-40

Teach me, O Lord, to follow your decress;

then I will keep them to the end

Give me understanding, 

and I will keep your law

and obey it with all my heart.

Direct me in the path of your commands,

for there I find delight.

Turn my heart toward your statues 

and not toward selfish gain.

Turn my eyes away from worthless things;

preserve my life according to your word.

Fulfill your promise to your servant,

so that you may be feared.

Take away the disgrace I dread,

for your laws are good.

How I long for your precepts!

Preserve my life in your righteousness.

My g baby

These are g diapers.  The middle ground between cloth diapers and traditional disposable diapers.  You can use cloth inserts or you can use the 100% biodegradable disposable/flushable inserts, both with the super-cute A-dorable g pants on the outside with a snap-in nylon liner that prevents any leaks.  The disposable insert biodegrades in 50-150 days vs 500 YEARS it takes for a regular diaper to break down.  You can flush them (if you don't have a septic tank) or you can put them in your compost pile (pee diapers only) or you can put them in the trash.

 

A friend of mine uses g diapers and her son (their first) is 2 weeks younger than Carter, so that's where I first heard about them.  I was fascinated but decided at that time not to do them.  We can't flush them (septic tank for us) and I didn't think they were cheaper than a regular diaper.  But then last week I was shopping in the big city, by myself (!), and I happened to see them right there at Babies R Us, so I got one package of each (the g pants, the cloth inserts, and the disposable inserts) to give 'em a try.  My main motivation??  It's going to seem sooo silly and immature, but really, it's because they have a "g" on the back of them and our last name starts with G, and they're totally adorable, and so there.  =)  I happened to have just bought a big package of regular diapers for Carter so I haven't made a big switch yet, and partly because I'd need to buy a few more supplies (more nylon liners!) to make it work well.  For now I just sometimes put the g diaper on him.  

I've experimented with both the cloth insert and the disposable.  I did have one poop straight on the cloth one and had to hand wash it out before the wash and totally hated that.  I'm VERY against me personally scraping poop off a diaper, nope, no thanks.  So I'm still working on figuring out what I can put in there maybe (?) to catch that a little better. There are liners you can buy but none have very good reviews.  Someone said they're basically just like a dried-out diaper wipe. So I might try that? Or if I want to just do the disposable ones, though I'm not exactly sure what the cost comparison is with regular diapers.   But for now, I am definitely enjoying this cute bum!  How could you not?!

By the way you can see more cute pictures HERE!

Responsibility Chart --Revised

So I made a responsibility chart for the kids awhile ago, things they need to without me telling them to (see this post) but they still were just not motivated, not remembering to do their stuff without me harping on them all day.  But I came up with another idea, and this time it seems to be working!  I printed the chart but this time I put that DIY laminating paper on it (and magnets stuck on the back) so we could reuse it instead of reprinting every week.  Instead of using stickers I'd put check-marks on it with dry erase marker (which does come off if you scrub hard enough with Windex &paper towel).  Well, Hannah wanted in on it too.  So I used red marks for Hannah and blue marks for Eli.  Then I decided to make it a contest.  Whoever has the most check-marks at the end of the day gets two marshmallows, and if you helped at all during the day you get one marshmallow.  They've been doing great with their responsibilities (though still not a full chart, but I'm still pleased).  And when one remembers to do their chores, I can say loudly, "Oh look!  Eli remembered to put his cup in the fridge!!" And then Hannah will usually follow.  Or Hannah's the first one to do it and Eli will follow.  The great thing about siblings!

So here's the new chart...

Today I am...

...RELIEVED.  It was our first MOPS meeting of the year and there is sooo much that goes into planning and preparing, and when you have NO IDEA how big the group is going to be it feels kind of really stressful.  For me anyway as one in charge of finding our workers to watch ALL of our little ones and preparing lessons and crafts and not knowing how many craft materials to prepare.  We've had troubles finding enough workers for our 25-some kids but today a mom from our church came to help with her two {homeschooled} daughters, and it was a huge HUGE blessing!!!  I was prepared to fill in if necessary though I really really didn't want to miss out fellowshipping (???) with our dear moms, especially new ones that might just be joining our group this year!  It was kind of a busy morning getting all the proper paperwork filled out and making new name tags and so on, while also trying to juggle Carter who had decided he didn't want to nap at church, but it all went smoothly enough!  I am SO THANKFUL!  And SO EXCITED for a great year and getting to know some more beautiful women!

Getting to know YOU!

I had so much fun hearing about your hubbies and what they do for a living, I want to do this again to learn even more great things about you, dear readers, so I hope you'll join in!!

This week's question, and I'm excited to hear everyone's answers {and certainly not because I think anyone's better than anyone else but just because I'm curious!}... What did you do after high school?? College, married, job, military?? 

I'll go first... I went to a small private college and ended up majoring in Music Ministry.  I say "ended up" because I never did really know what I wanted to do.  All the while I knew I just wanted to be a mom.  But I stuck with music because I knew if you wanted to do music you had jump right in because all the classes are in a particular order and only offered certain semesters.  {I played French horn and medium-level piano, by the way} No other major came to me so I kept going with it and finished.  I pushed through to graduate a semester early so I could get married.  After I graduated I got married about 3 weeks later and moved to Virginia, then a few months later to Connecticut where I worked part-time as a remedial reading assistant with 1st and 2nd graders for a year before Eli was born that summer.  I never have {at this point} used my major and don't exactly intend to (sorry, Mom and Dad!!!!) but I never regret my decision to do college, because some of my very best friends I met there, it was a place for me to experience independence, and discover myself!

How 'bout you??  What did you do after high school??

Monday Meanderings - Sept. 13

Bible Study... Ephesians

Memory Verse...  Isaiah 26:3
"You will keep in perfect peace him whose mind is steadfast, because he trusts in you."

Husband Encouragement...
* we worked together and got our house super clean this weekend so now I want to work really really MAINTAIN this status!
* iron his work stuff.  I know it's just scrubs but I feel so embarrassed when he goes wearing terribly wrinkly clothes cuz they sat in a basket for days!
* make a dessert

Train Them Up...
* remind them to put their toys away all the time
* practice Eli's AWANA verse
* start making a new lapbook for them, new word family list for Eli

Personal Goals...
* exercise once this week. 
* take Carter's 8-month pictures and write his update

New Habit of the Month... 

shine my sink at the end of the day

MUST Do... 

* get things set up for MOPS

* mail a card

* return library movies {as soon as we watch them}

* get stuff for preschool snack

* start going through baby clothes

Zone... kitchen cupboard.  it's stuffed full but I don't know of what! time to clean out!

Menu - BUSY week this week so we'll be having a lot of EASY meals!

M - fried chicken, mashed potatoes, green beans

T - French dip sandwiches

W - AWANA - broccoli cheese soup

Th- Ladies fellowship at church - finger foods

F - Kevin and Eli at baseball game - PB&J

S - lasagna primavera

Su - Des Moines

FUN THINGS! 

* first MOPS meeting of this year on Tuesday

* ladies fellowship at church starting up again on Thursday

* ladies prayer partners also started again this week!

* Kevin and I Eli are going to a baseball game in Kansas City on Friday night

* bridal shower on Sunday

3 things I'm thankful for today... 

1. warm tea

2. windows open

3. family movie night last night

Join me this week with your plans!  Click HERE for the info, then come back and leave your link below!  I encourage you to visit the others this week and pick something to comment on.  Encourage one another!  1 Thess. 5:11  Have a blessed week!

Monday Meanderings - Sept. 6

Okay, whew, I'm having connection problems this morning and Kevin's sleeping and I know NOTHING about how to fix computer stuff besides shutting something off and turning it back on LOL.  But hopefully I can get this post up so you guys can link up.

Bible Study... Mission of Motherhood

Memory Verse -- Galatians 6:9

“Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.”

Husband Encouragement... 

* praise him

* have a good attitude

* keep a clean home

Train Them Up... 

* Lapbooks for Eli and Hannah

* Chore chart

* Create a potty chart for Hannah

Personal Goals... 

* Do my hair.

* Exercise at least once.

New Habit of the Month -- shine my sink

MUST Do...
* go to the post office
* purchase MOPS stuff
* finish preparing MOPS lessons
* go to library

Zone -- yard--mowing, pulling weeds, cleaning up

Menu -- I'll get back to you with the menu.

M - smokies
T - ??
W - grilled cheese, green beans, yogurt
Th - chicken burritos
F - veggie burgers
S - TBD
Su - TBD

FUN THINGS!
* hanging out with friends in town Wednesday night while Eli is at AWANA
* shopping on Thursday!
* family visitor on Saturday

3 things I'm thankful for today:
1. cool mornings
2. a hot breakfast prepared by Kevin this morning before he went to bed
3. friends getting married soon


Need more organization in your life?  Join in with your weekly plans and link up below!

Getting to Know My Readers!

Okay, I know I don't have a huge following here at this little blog, and many of you I know in real life and some of you I've met through bloggy world.  That's usually how it goes, I assume.  But I'd like to start getting to know you a little better, so I hope you answer!  Today I'd like to hear what your hubby does for a living?  And what kind of work schedule does that entail??  I'll go first...  My man works as a nuclear power plant operator.  Everyone needs power round the clock and even on holidays, so he works a rotating shift.  It's a 5-week rotation of something like 4 days on, 3 days off, 3 nights on, 4 days off, 4 days on, 1 day off, 4-day training week, 2 days off, 3 nights on, 6 days off.  That's not the exact rotation, but you get the idea.  He works 12-hr shifts, 6am-6pm or 6pm-6am + 1 hr travel time, (it's only 25 minute drive but he picks someone up along the way and allows extra time so he isn't ever late), so that's why he gets longer sets of days off, which is pretty nice.  Those days off are only sometimes over the actual weekend, and thus they're sometimes during the week too.  There's pro's and con's about that, as there is with any job.  The good--he's home sometimes to take/pick up Eli from school or watch kids if I have an appointment or errands or we have someone coming to the house for some house-related problem/project.  The bad--his days are long so he's quite tired by the end of the day and we really just see him on his days off, he misses church a LOT so the kids and I are quite used to {though don't enjoy it} going to church by ourselves, he's not always home in the evenings and is {sometimes} unable to watch kids when I have ladies church events/Bible studies, he lives on energy drinks, and weekend and holidays don't mean anything for his schedule.  It just depends on the rotation if he'll have the day off or not.  But another good bonus of his job is that he's able to pick up overtime hours, so there are opportunities to earn extra mulah.  And in the end that's really the only thing it's about.  Kevin's great at his job, but he doesn't love it.  It's just the most relevant thing to what he did in the Navy before this, so it makes sense for him to continue in this field now in order to support our family.  We are very proud of him and all he does, and every day we thank God for his job and that he works so hard!  Okay, so wow, that was a more lengthy explanation of his job and work schedule than I expected, but so it is.  So now it's your turn... what does your man do for a living and what's the schedule like for him and your family??

Answer Me This: Crockpot Recipes

I'm not very good at the crockpot.  If it's supposed to cook for 8hrs and I want it done at 6pm, that means it needs to go in by 10am.  And by 10am I'm well into my day and I plumb forget to get the darn thing started and it's already 4pm and then I have to scramble around to get an alternate dinner prepared.  But I want to get better.  I love the feeling of dinner being "done" already in the morning!  Plus, it's easy for my little girl to throw things in there for me and help!  Now that Eli's first year in AWANA is starting up, meaning early dinner on Wednesday nights, I'm thinking of doing more crockpot meals.  I have a crockpot cookbook, but it doesn't have pictures so things don't look very appealing. So what are your favorite meals and recipes for the crockpot??