Thursday, July 31, 2008
Mmm. Juicy peaches ;)
There's nothing like a perfectly ripe, juicy peach on a hot day and it's even better when you get to watch your chubby fisted toddler cram them down as fast as she can grab the slippery pieces.
Monday, July 28, 2008
funny youtube video
I only have three, so I'm sure this family knows a lot more about big families than I do, but it appears that we get the same comments. So funny.
Friday, July 18, 2008
much needed encouragement
I feel so encouraged by the women I have met in the last two days. Out of a need for support and a homeschooling community, I posted an email to our neighborhood listserve to see if any homeschooling moms in the neighborhood were interested in getting together once in awhile. I now have a list of ten women who are interested in some kind of get together, structured or purely social. Three of these women have boys Dana's age. Some of you who know me know what a big deal this is. Dana doesn't really know many boys his age, and the few he does know are going to school this year. His sensitive little heart so needs a buddy and I've been praying for a long time that we would find one for him. God is so good.
I'm a little nervous about the get togethers, mainly because I start so many things full steam ahead and then peter out too soon. My hope is that this group will somehow take on a life of its own and won't require much work, but we'll see. I don't have a clue what I'm doing. I hope someone a little wiser than me will have an opinion and maybe the energy and time to act on it. For now, I'm happy to say I have 10 homeschooling friends who live close by and who want to support each other. I certainly need the encouragement and I'm already basking in the joy of it. Thanks ladies.
I'm a little nervous about the get togethers, mainly because I start so many things full steam ahead and then peter out too soon. My hope is that this group will somehow take on a life of its own and won't require much work, but we'll see. I don't have a clue what I'm doing. I hope someone a little wiser than me will have an opinion and maybe the energy and time to act on it. For now, I'm happy to say I have 10 homeschooling friends who live close by and who want to support each other. I certainly need the encouragement and I'm already basking in the joy of it. Thanks ladies.
Wednesday, July 16, 2008
homeschooling moms in Chatt?
Are you homeschooling your children? Please come to the St. Elmo playground on Friday morning to hang out and chat with us. A few homeschooling moms are going to meet at the playground at 9:30am for playtime and fellowship. If you're new to homeschooling, or you're a seasoned veteran, please join us. We would love to meet you. Hope to see you there.
Saturday, July 12, 2008
low lying placenta and other news
I got to look at little Monahan on Thursday at my ultrasound. Dana went with me and had so much fun watching his brother on the screen. We were both excited to see how much he looks like Dana, at least as much as you can tell from a grainy picture. Same upturned lip and button nose. Those appointments are so bitter sweet, because it leaves me so sad that I have to wait four more months to hold him.
The ultrasound tech noticed that I have a low lying placenta, which doesn't mean much now, but could be a big deal later if it doesn't resolve itself. I didn't ask if the placenta was covering my cervix, but I wish that I had thought to ask. They're going to see me again in a month and check on it then. The placenta usually moves, or appears to move, due to the bottom of the uterus growing so much at the end of a pregnancy. We're praying that this would happen.
We've finally done it. We came up with a name! His name is Jonathan Reeve Monahan, in honor of Jonathan from the Bible, King David's loyal friend, and in honor of my great grandparents Charles and Mary Reeve, who I admire so much. My great grandparents owned a farm in the depression and although they didn't have many luxuries, they were faithful stewards of what they had, often taking care of neighbors and working long hard days. They loved Jesus and passed that love on to four generations after them. I never new my great grandmother, because she died when my mom was a girl, but I've heard stories of her industriousness and godliness. I think of her a lot as I try to make it through a tough day. My great grandpa Reeve's birthday was on the fourth of July and every year, generations of family members would come to his house to celebrate his birthday. He was very short, but he had a deep, strong voice, dark hair, and a joyful smile. He knew all of his great grandkids by name and we loved to sit with him and talk to him, because we knew he loved us. It's interesting to me that a "reeve" was the steward of a Lord's estate in England. Anyway, I'm making this a book. But here it is. His name. Now you know why.
The ultrasound tech noticed that I have a low lying placenta, which doesn't mean much now, but could be a big deal later if it doesn't resolve itself. I didn't ask if the placenta was covering my cervix, but I wish that I had thought to ask. They're going to see me again in a month and check on it then. The placenta usually moves, or appears to move, due to the bottom of the uterus growing so much at the end of a pregnancy. We're praying that this would happen.
We've finally done it. We came up with a name! His name is Jonathan Reeve Monahan, in honor of Jonathan from the Bible, King David's loyal friend, and in honor of my great grandparents Charles and Mary Reeve, who I admire so much. My great grandparents owned a farm in the depression and although they didn't have many luxuries, they were faithful stewards of what they had, often taking care of neighbors and working long hard days. They loved Jesus and passed that love on to four generations after them. I never new my great grandmother, because she died when my mom was a girl, but I've heard stories of her industriousness and godliness. I think of her a lot as I try to make it through a tough day. My great grandpa Reeve's birthday was on the fourth of July and every year, generations of family members would come to his house to celebrate his birthday. He was very short, but he had a deep, strong voice, dark hair, and a joyful smile. He knew all of his great grandkids by name and we loved to sit with him and talk to him, because we knew he loved us. It's interesting to me that a "reeve" was the steward of a Lord's estate in England. Anyway, I'm making this a book. But here it is. His name. Now you know why.
Sunday, June 29, 2008
homeschool paperwork
On a whim I checked the State of Tennessee's website to find out when I need to declare my intent to homeschool Dana. Turns out I'm supposed to do it by Aug 1st. A friend of mine suggested that I should not register with the state, but that I should sign up with an umbrella school instead. I don't know anything about this. Any wisdom?
Also, they require 180 days a year of school and 4 hours a day of instruction! This is ridiculous when you consider how little time it takes to homeschool a kid through kindergarten. It only takes us 90 minutes a day, sometimes less, to complete his sit down work and the whole curriculum is only 26 weeks long (130 days). I suppose that doesn't account for field trips, playing outside, reading with Mommy, helping in the kitchen, or catching Catawba worms with Daddy (more on that later). Still, I'm a little worried about how to document all of this. Homeschooling people, speak up and let me know what has helped you.
Also, they require 180 days a year of school and 4 hours a day of instruction! This is ridiculous when you consider how little time it takes to homeschool a kid through kindergarten. It only takes us 90 minutes a day, sometimes less, to complete his sit down work and the whole curriculum is only 26 weeks long (130 days). I suppose that doesn't account for field trips, playing outside, reading with Mommy, helping in the kitchen, or catching Catawba worms with Daddy (more on that later). Still, I'm a little worried about how to document all of this. Homeschooling people, speak up and let me know what has helped you.
Thursday, June 26, 2008
checking in
You probably won't hear much from me this summer, as we're immersed in the usual summer schedule... VBS at our church, visits from family, a few short trips away from home, and plenty of time in the kiddie pool, with popsicle in hand.
Matt and I just returned from taking our youth group to RYM, a great Christian camp in Laguna Beach, FL. We left our kids with my brave parents, which made it possible to give all of our attention to the youth group, a rare opportunity. We were both overwhelmed with the relationships that were strengthened and the spiritual growth that we saw in the youth. It was very encouraging and very much worth all of the deadlines and prep work it took to get us there.
Baby Monahan is looking good so far. My awful nausea ended a few weeks ago and aside from swollen ankles and some anemia, I feel fine. Even the heartburn that I always deal with is giving me a break this time. Praise God for that. My heartburn is usually pretty terrible, so even if I get it later, I'm enjoying it's absence now. ;)
The kids are all healthy and enjoying a visit from our nephew Sam. He's about a year older than Dana and has red hair too. They're quite the posse when we're out and about. I need to get a few things at the store this afternoon, so we'll see how it goes.
Matt and I just returned from taking our youth group to RYM, a great Christian camp in Laguna Beach, FL. We left our kids with my brave parents, which made it possible to give all of our attention to the youth group, a rare opportunity. We were both overwhelmed with the relationships that were strengthened and the spiritual growth that we saw in the youth. It was very encouraging and very much worth all of the deadlines and prep work it took to get us there.
Baby Monahan is looking good so far. My awful nausea ended a few weeks ago and aside from swollen ankles and some anemia, I feel fine. Even the heartburn that I always deal with is giving me a break this time. Praise God for that. My heartburn is usually pretty terrible, so even if I get it later, I'm enjoying it's absence now. ;)
The kids are all healthy and enjoying a visit from our nephew Sam. He's about a year older than Dana and has red hair too. They're quite the posse when we're out and about. I need to get a few things at the store this afternoon, so we'll see how it goes.
Friday, June 13, 2008
now for a lighter post...
I refuse to turn my oven on in this heat, so I'm looking for more recipes that don't take much time to make and don't heat up the whole house... What do you make for dinner when it's hot outside??? Will you share a recipe with me?
Monday, June 09, 2008
Clara Joy
I've struggled with how to blog about this for days. I typed up a brutally truthful version of this a few days ago, but thought better of it.
Clara almost killed herself on Saturday and it was entirely my fault. There. I said it. I could blame it on any number of things, but I left my chewable prenatals out where she could reach them and her little Houdini-fingers had no trouble opening the bottle. By the time I got to her, there were 43 tablets missing. She had a mouthful and she fed a good amount to the dog. After some breathless waiting for the poison control person to calculate what would have been a lethal dose, I was told she would be fine. She might suffer from some scary GI symptoms, but most likely she wouldn't get the internal bleeding. Gasp. 56 tablets would have been the lethal dose. Did I mention that this is my second call to poison control in two months? She also tried to down an entire bottle of tylenol w/ codeine recently, which resulted in a very scary trip to the ER.
At church, she escapes me frequently and I find her in any number of ridiculous predicaments... covered in tempera paint, hiding in the Sunday school supply closet, for example. No matter where we are, the temper tantrums are constant and time-outs are frequent.
I feel very inadequate, both publicly and inwardly. Oftentimes, when I share this with friends, I hear, "and you want another one?!" and if it isn't spoken it's written all over their face. My prayer is that God would use my need for grace in parenting Clara, for his glory, and that I wouldn't lose sight of the privilege it is to raise my sweet girl. She is still so very much my baby and it tears at my heart to have to be in a constant battle of the wills with her. I also worry that the combination of her excellent ability to find trouble, and my weaknesses as a parent will get her really hurt. It's hard to swallow.
For now, I'm being hyper vigilant about medicines and vitamins being in their proper place, and reevaluating my priorities... ie. computer time. Do I need to sit at the computer more than once a day? Do I make enough time with just her? If I do everything right, assuming that's even possible, will I be less in need of God's grace to parent her? Somewhere there's a balance to be struck. I hope we find it, for her sake and ours.
Clara almost killed herself on Saturday and it was entirely my fault. There. I said it. I could blame it on any number of things, but I left my chewable prenatals out where she could reach them and her little Houdini-fingers had no trouble opening the bottle. By the time I got to her, there were 43 tablets missing. She had a mouthful and she fed a good amount to the dog. After some breathless waiting for the poison control person to calculate what would have been a lethal dose, I was told she would be fine. She might suffer from some scary GI symptoms, but most likely she wouldn't get the internal bleeding. Gasp. 56 tablets would have been the lethal dose. Did I mention that this is my second call to poison control in two months? She also tried to down an entire bottle of tylenol w/ codeine recently, which resulted in a very scary trip to the ER.
At church, she escapes me frequently and I find her in any number of ridiculous predicaments... covered in tempera paint, hiding in the Sunday school supply closet, for example. No matter where we are, the temper tantrums are constant and time-outs are frequent.
I feel very inadequate, both publicly and inwardly. Oftentimes, when I share this with friends, I hear, "and you want another one?!" and if it isn't spoken it's written all over their face. My prayer is that God would use my need for grace in parenting Clara, for his glory, and that I wouldn't lose sight of the privilege it is to raise my sweet girl. She is still so very much my baby and it tears at my heart to have to be in a constant battle of the wills with her. I also worry that the combination of her excellent ability to find trouble, and my weaknesses as a parent will get her really hurt. It's hard to swallow.
For now, I'm being hyper vigilant about medicines and vitamins being in their proper place, and reevaluating my priorities... ie. computer time. Do I need to sit at the computer more than once a day? Do I make enough time with just her? If I do everything right, assuming that's even possible, will I be less in need of God's grace to parent her? Somewhere there's a balance to be struck. I hope we find it, for her sake and ours.
Wednesday, June 04, 2008
be my resource
from my to do list in the last post...
"...research/buy/make(?) sling
...learn about pros and cons of baby wearing, a very controversial subject, depending on who you talk to"
Do you have a favorite sling? Do you have an opinion on baby wearing? I'm in a dilemma, because I'm normally a fan of structured babywise parenting, but am worried about the baby being vulnerable to our dog and three other kids, namely Clara Joy ;). So far the cons of baby wearing appear to be increased separation anxiety, more frequent nursing (also a pro when you have milk production issues like I do), and less personal space... all biggies.
The pros are less fussiness, more bonding, hopefully better milk supply, and safety from siblings and the family dog.
Opinions???
disclaimer: the cons listed are entirely from the paranoid perspective of a mom who's never tried babywearing.
Tuesday, June 03, 2008
Goals, reachable and unreachable, before the baby comes
...finish painting details on exterior of the house
...sidewalk finished
...bookshelf in living room
...picnic table on deck, built and treated
...kids' rooms settled and reorganized
...Clara into big girl bed... done
...Clara potty trained... mostly done
...research/buy newborn size cloth diapers, to get us through until the motherease ones will fit under his clothes
...research/buy/make(?) sling
...learn about pros and cons of baby wearing, a very controversial subject, depending on who you talk to
...sort through what little baby boy clothes I have and take inventory of what I need
...get ahead on homeschool and preorder Dana's first grade curriculum
...set up ballet lessons for Janie for the Fall
...sign Dana up for soccer in the Fall
...make baby quilt for little Monahan, since I'm out of my old blankies
...get away with Matt for a few days... on our anniversary, July 3rd
...more
...sidewalk finished
...bookshelf in living room
...picnic table on deck, built and treated
...kids' rooms settled and reorganized
...Clara into big girl bed... done
...Clara potty trained... mostly done
...research/buy newborn size cloth diapers, to get us through until the motherease ones will fit under his clothes
...research/buy/make(?) sling
...learn about pros and cons of baby wearing, a very controversial subject, depending on who you talk to
...sort through what little baby boy clothes I have and take inventory of what I need
...get ahead on homeschool and preorder Dana's first grade curriculum
...set up ballet lessons for Janie for the Fall
...sign Dana up for soccer in the Fall
...make baby quilt for little Monahan, since I'm out of my old blankies
...get away with Matt for a few days... on our anniversary, July 3rd
...more
Wednesday, May 21, 2008
Things I'm happy about...
1- I normally have absolutely horrible heartburn when I'm pregnant, and it has gotten worse with each pregnancy... but so far I DON'T HAVE ANY HEARTBURN!
2- We're back to homeschooling and we (me too) are having so much fun. Today we made a bird's nest out of mud and straw. Big fun. It's all part of N-week, which is also a study of nests, or animal homes... which also is a study of how well God takes care of us (ie. His eye is on the sparrow).
3- We are having a yard sale on Saturday and getting rid of a bunch of stuff! I think I love yard sales as much as Matt hates them, so I hope we sell lots of stuff. That way, he'll be more likely to be supportive of another one ;).
4- Matt installed an invisible fence for Bailey, which means no more chasing her around the neighborhood and no more digging under the fence.
5- There's a big juicy watermelon in the fridge waiting to be eaten.
6- Matt is almost done with school for the year.
7- Matt bought me some beautiful tiger lilies yesterday.
2- We're back to homeschooling and we (me too) are having so much fun. Today we made a bird's nest out of mud and straw. Big fun. It's all part of N-week, which is also a study of nests, or animal homes... which also is a study of how well God takes care of us (ie. His eye is on the sparrow).
3- We are having a yard sale on Saturday and getting rid of a bunch of stuff! I think I love yard sales as much as Matt hates them, so I hope we sell lots of stuff. That way, he'll be more likely to be supportive of another one ;).
4- Matt installed an invisible fence for Bailey, which means no more chasing her around the neighborhood and no more digging under the fence.
5- There's a big juicy watermelon in the fridge waiting to be eaten.
6- Matt is almost done with school for the year.
7- Matt bought me some beautiful tiger lilies yesterday.
Monday, May 19, 2008
Wednesday, May 14, 2008
Strep and baby names
It appears that we've got strep, which in some ways is a relief. At least now we're on antibiotics which I hope will end this endless monster cold that keeps lingering. After two doses, I am already starting to feel a difference, thankfully. The bummer is that now I really need to do something about the stinky dishes in the sink and the ever growing mountain of laundry that accumulates each week. Speaking of, I should probably get started...
Before I go though, please keep the baby names coming. It really is helpful. We have one that Matt is sort of interested in, but that could fizzle out pretty quickly. My top picks, which Matt vetoes?... Levi Ransom (after the Levites and the amazing main character from the Space Trilogy), Jonathan David (after the biblical Jonathan and David who stood as righteous men in difficult circumstances), and Noah, because in an entire world of twisted people, God spared him from his sinful self and saved him and his family. In Matt's defense, he doesn't like them due to associations with students that terrorize him and other such understandable things. He does like David, but the man knows too many people! ;)
Before I go though, please keep the baby names coming. It really is helpful. We have one that Matt is sort of interested in, but that could fizzle out pretty quickly. My top picks, which Matt vetoes?... Levi Ransom (after the Levites and the amazing main character from the Space Trilogy), Jonathan David (after the biblical Jonathan and David who stood as righteous men in difficult circumstances), and Noah, because in an entire world of twisted people, God spared him from his sinful self and saved him and his family. In Matt's defense, he doesn't like them due to associations with students that terrorize him and other such understandable things. He does like David, but the man knows too many people! ;)
Monday, May 12, 2008
O! I almost forgot...
It's a boy!! I went to see the midwife on Thursday and she decided to do an ultrasound on the spot, because I was measuring a bit big for 14 weeks. Everything's fine. The midwife said it's normal to measure a bit larger with a fourth baby. I didn't know you could see if the baby was a boy or girl this early, but evidently you can, because it was obvious right away. So, now we're back to the name game again, and there doesn't appear to be a single boy name that we can agree on. Feel free to offer suggestions. We sure could use them!
PICTURES! (or the longest entry I've ever made)
Instead of trying to post five different posts in one day, which is impossible for me, I am going to lump them all together. Hope you enjoy the photos, although the picture quality is probably poor. Our camera is on its last leg. But hey, this post isn't just text. Hurray, for something visually stimulating.
First, I promised pictures of Jane in the ballet recital. We only have a few photos, because Matt took more video than pictures, but here are two.
On Tuesday this week, we found a really nice used sofa set on craigslist for almost nothing. Matt shocked me by being willing to drop everything, arrange a babysitter (thanks Darla) last minute, and drive out to the middle of nowhere to get it. When we saw it, Matt was a little concerned that it wouldn't fit in the living room, but it does and it looks soooo lovely compared to the nasty old hand-me-down ones that I have had for so long. Granted, it's been a good lesson over the years in hospitality to have so many people come through our house for dinner or out of town visits when I feel so insecure about all my borrowed, stained, sloppy stuff. I know God had his hand in it, because it taught me so much, but I do have to say that I'm glad to have a nicer-looking living room. It's already been a little bit of a fire under our butts to get the rest of the living room and dining room finished. We'll see how far we get before the baby comes...
On Wednesday, I gave the girls a haircut, which they've been begging for for a long time. Both of them turned out a little shorter than I intended. I'm certainly no expert, but they're so cute and the girls love the new do.
On Thursday, we packed and ran a million errands so we could go to our friends' Jack and Sarah's wedding in Washington DC. We left at 3:30am on Friday and enjoyed all the benefits of leaving early and taking our time: very little whining, less traffic, no rushing. We even shocked ourselves and got 28 mpg just by driving at or below 65mph the whole way. We saved a ton of money on gas, which is always a good thing.
The best part of the weekend though, was spending time with our friends Joel and Vanessa Sell and their five kids, who live in Philly. We met them in DC and shared a cabin with them while we were there. We haven't seen them in almost two years and I still hadn't met the baby, Jonas. As usual, I forgot to pull out the camera until halfway through the second day, so I don't have as many pictures as I should have. We did have a wonderful time though. The Sells' middle three children are almost the same ages as our three, so all of the kids played well together. Dana really bonded with Elias and Micah and it was so good to see him playing with boys his age. Jane and Eva hit it off in the first few minutes and played the entire time, as did Clara Joy and Mara Joy, who were very much alike. Jonas even let me hold him and coo at him, which was a treat for me. All in all, it left me keenly feeling the weight of their absence in our daily life. They're such dear friends to us and way too far away to see very often. Vanessa is such an encouragement to me as a friend and another homeschooling mom. I wish we lived closer to each other, but I'm thankful for the time we had this weekend too. Despite the drive and lack of sleep, I feel refreshed and encouraged thanks to a great weekend.
First, I promised pictures of Jane in the ballet recital. We only have a few photos, because Matt took more video than pictures, but here are two.
On Tuesday this week, we found a really nice used sofa set on craigslist for almost nothing. Matt shocked me by being willing to drop everything, arrange a babysitter (thanks Darla) last minute, and drive out to the middle of nowhere to get it. When we saw it, Matt was a little concerned that it wouldn't fit in the living room, but it does and it looks soooo lovely compared to the nasty old hand-me-down ones that I have had for so long. Granted, it's been a good lesson over the years in hospitality to have so many people come through our house for dinner or out of town visits when I feel so insecure about all my borrowed, stained, sloppy stuff. I know God had his hand in it, because it taught me so much, but I do have to say that I'm glad to have a nicer-looking living room. It's already been a little bit of a fire under our butts to get the rest of the living room and dining room finished. We'll see how far we get before the baby comes...
On Wednesday, I gave the girls a haircut, which they've been begging for for a long time. Both of them turned out a little shorter than I intended. I'm certainly no expert, but they're so cute and the girls love the new do.
On Thursday, we packed and ran a million errands so we could go to our friends' Jack and Sarah's wedding in Washington DC. We left at 3:30am on Friday and enjoyed all the benefits of leaving early and taking our time: very little whining, less traffic, no rushing. We even shocked ourselves and got 28 mpg just by driving at or below 65mph the whole way. We saved a ton of money on gas, which is always a good thing.
The best part of the weekend though, was spending time with our friends Joel and Vanessa Sell and their five kids, who live in Philly. We met them in DC and shared a cabin with them while we were there. We haven't seen them in almost two years and I still hadn't met the baby, Jonas. As usual, I forgot to pull out the camera until halfway through the second day, so I don't have as many pictures as I should have. We did have a wonderful time though. The Sells' middle three children are almost the same ages as our three, so all of the kids played well together. Dana really bonded with Elias and Micah and it was so good to see him playing with boys his age. Jane and Eva hit it off in the first few minutes and played the entire time, as did Clara Joy and Mara Joy, who were very much alike. Jonas even let me hold him and coo at him, which was a treat for me. All in all, it left me keenly feeling the weight of their absence in our daily life. They're such dear friends to us and way too far away to see very often. Vanessa is such an encouragement to me as a friend and another homeschooling mom. I wish we lived closer to each other, but I'm thankful for the time we had this weekend too. Despite the drive and lack of sleep, I feel refreshed and encouraged thanks to a great weekend.
Monday, May 05, 2008
It's been awhile since I...
whined about the state of things in Monahan-land. I've been hesitant to go on and on about feeling sick, not because I'm that much of a trooper. I've just been convicted that whining about my nausea woes is pretty pathetic when I have more than one friend who has suffered a miscarriage this year. We also do get quite a few rude comments about the new baby from people who obviously don't understand the gift and miracle each new life is. In an effort to live out our beliefs about the life of each child, I have tried as much as I can to keep the whining to a minimum. I've been trying (not perfectly) to show that this tiny helpless person is worth all of the sickness and much more.
That being said, life has been a little crazy around here and I thought I would give you a peek into what we're up to. I have still not had a prenatal visit to my midwife. I've been too sick to manage the chore of finding childcare for the kids, dropping them off at someone's house, and driving all the way out to the appointment, only to have an INTERNAL EXAM (yuck), and then rush home to pick up my kids and make dinner. It's much easier for all of us to stare bleary-eyed at Sesame Street while I snuggle in my bed with the kids. Before my dear friends worry about me too much I'll say that I do have an exam scheduled for Thursday, which will still be tricky, because Clara, Jane and I all have the remnants of some mutant nasty monster cold. That's actually why I finally scheduled the appointment... I think I may have a sinus infection and rather than suffer for weeks on end, I would like to kick it's nasty butt with some antibiotics this time.
I think I'll try to get Clara in tomorrow. She's had the same cough for weeks and it's getting worse. I don't understand chronic coughs. Could it be asthma, bronchitis, tonsillitis? It's a mystery. I'm trusting our wonderful Dr. Spraggins to sort it all out for me.
Two months of no homeschooling has taken it's toll on Dana. The poor guy is shedding tears over the most ridiculous things. When I kick this cold's butt, Dana and I are going to start setting aside time in the afternoons again. He loves it and it's so good for him. I think this time I'm going to try to get Janie more involved though. She's such a bright little thing and I know she'd be able to handle more of a challenge.
Okay, I'm out of steam. It's that time of night again. Wish I had something to say that was thought-provoking and profound. Blessings to you and yours.
That being said, life has been a little crazy around here and I thought I would give you a peek into what we're up to. I have still not had a prenatal visit to my midwife. I've been too sick to manage the chore of finding childcare for the kids, dropping them off at someone's house, and driving all the way out to the appointment, only to have an INTERNAL EXAM (yuck), and then rush home to pick up my kids and make dinner. It's much easier for all of us to stare bleary-eyed at Sesame Street while I snuggle in my bed with the kids. Before my dear friends worry about me too much I'll say that I do have an exam scheduled for Thursday, which will still be tricky, because Clara, Jane and I all have the remnants of some mutant nasty monster cold. That's actually why I finally scheduled the appointment... I think I may have a sinus infection and rather than suffer for weeks on end, I would like to kick it's nasty butt with some antibiotics this time.
I think I'll try to get Clara in tomorrow. She's had the same cough for weeks and it's getting worse. I don't understand chronic coughs. Could it be asthma, bronchitis, tonsillitis? It's a mystery. I'm trusting our wonderful Dr. Spraggins to sort it all out for me.
Two months of no homeschooling has taken it's toll on Dana. The poor guy is shedding tears over the most ridiculous things. When I kick this cold's butt, Dana and I are going to start setting aside time in the afternoons again. He loves it and it's so good for him. I think this time I'm going to try to get Janie more involved though. She's such a bright little thing and I know she'd be able to handle more of a challenge.
Okay, I'm out of steam. It's that time of night again. Wish I had something to say that was thought-provoking and profound. Blessings to you and yours.
Monday, April 28, 2008
Addicted to Gospel Bluegrass
This has to be the most beautiful song ever written... and you should hear Alison Krauss and Gillian Welch sing it...
I'll Fly Away
Some glad morning when this life is o'er,
I'll fly away;
To a home on God's celestial shore,
I'll fly away (I'll fly away).
[Chorus]
I'll fly away, Oh Glory
I'll fly away; (in the morning)
When I die, Hallelujah, by and by,
I'll fly away (I'll fly away).
When the shadows of this life have gone,
I'll fly away;
Like a bird from prison bars has flown,
I'll fly away (I'll fly away)
[Chorus]
I'll fly away, Oh Glory
I'll fly away; (in the morning)
When I die, Hallelujah, by and by,
I'll fly away (I'll fly away).
Just a few more weary days and then,
I'll fly away;
To a land where joy shall never end,
I'll fly away (I'll fly away)
[Chorus]
I'll fly away, Oh Glory
I'll fly away; (in the morning)
When I die, Hallelujah, by and by,
I'll fly away (I'll fly away).
I'll Fly Away
Some glad morning when this life is o'er,
I'll fly away;
To a home on God's celestial shore,
I'll fly away (I'll fly away).
[Chorus]
I'll fly away, Oh Glory
I'll fly away; (in the morning)
When I die, Hallelujah, by and by,
I'll fly away (I'll fly away).
When the shadows of this life have gone,
I'll fly away;
Like a bird from prison bars has flown,
I'll fly away (I'll fly away)
[Chorus]
I'll fly away, Oh Glory
I'll fly away; (in the morning)
When I die, Hallelujah, by and by,
I'll fly away (I'll fly away).
Just a few more weary days and then,
I'll fly away;
To a land where joy shall never end,
I'll fly away (I'll fly away)
[Chorus]
I'll fly away, Oh Glory
I'll fly away; (in the morning)
When I die, Hallelujah, by and by,
I'll fly away (I'll fly away).
bits and pieces of the last week
...I think I felt the baby move today. Clara was squishing my belly while we snuggled in bed and some little person inside squirmed to get away from her probing elbow.
...My dad was in the hospital this weekend with mild heart attack symptoms, and after a scary few days, he seems to be fine. We are so thankful.
...Janie had her first ballet recital this past Thursday (pictures to come) and she did a great job. She took our breath away with her red hair tied up in a bun and her sweet self in her leotard, tights and slippers. I think I'll always remember how she looked that night.
...I'm starting to see glimpses of what life will be like with no nausea. I think my good days are starting to out-number the bad ones, which is a huge relief. I still have not seen the midwife, so that's next on my to-do list, closely followed by tackling the filth that's accumulated over here. My junk piles have piles and the dirt is staring me in the face.
...Dana's in full swing with baseball ;). I wish the games weren't always around mealtimes, but so far I think he's really enjoying it.
...Sorry for the lack of pictures lately. I'll post some pics soon. Promise.
...My dad was in the hospital this weekend with mild heart attack symptoms, and after a scary few days, he seems to be fine. We are so thankful.
...Janie had her first ballet recital this past Thursday (pictures to come) and she did a great job. She took our breath away with her red hair tied up in a bun and her sweet self in her leotard, tights and slippers. I think I'll always remember how she looked that night.
...I'm starting to see glimpses of what life will be like with no nausea. I think my good days are starting to out-number the bad ones, which is a huge relief. I still have not seen the midwife, so that's next on my to-do list, closely followed by tackling the filth that's accumulated over here. My junk piles have piles and the dirt is staring me in the face.
...Dana's in full swing with baseball ;). I wish the games weren't always around mealtimes, but so far I think he's really enjoying it.
...Sorry for the lack of pictures lately. I'll post some pics soon. Promise.
Thursday, April 17, 2008
I've always heard that women should follow their pregnancy cravings, especially when they are really sick. I think it's really interesting that I'm craving things that are amazingly high in folic acid... the latest is pickled beets. I ate a whole jar in less than 24 hours. And I've had an unbelievable desire to eat green peas. Add to the list asparagus, spinach salads, black beans, hummus, and a few others, and you have the list of foods high in folic acid from a web search I did. Funny.
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