Thursday, January 6, 2011
Leah and I visited the High Point Public Library this week. I was searching for some decent workout DVD's that I could do at home. Our library is truly fantastic and I do not utilize it nearly enough. We were on our way up the stairs to the third floor where I began my search. To be honest, I was griping in my mind about how poor pitiful me cannot afford my gym membership anymore and that I am now reduced to doing aerobics in my living room (and, according to my husband, make the whole house shake when I jump!! So encouraging). I found a couple that looked tolerable and Leah and I started down the steps to the children's section. As we were walking down the steps Leah pointed to a large window revealing a room of people on computers. She was curious about why they were using the computers at the library and not at home. There were so many people in there, people of all different ages, races, etc. So....here I am feeling sorry for myself because I can't go to the YMCA yet I CAN go home in my yoga pants and tshirt and surf the Internet. I don't have to drag my kids out of the house on a cold night so they can finish their homework or so I can check my emails. Spoiled I am! I take so much for granted. My heart has been heavy this Christmas for several families that I know that have suffered the loss of a child this past year. Yet I have my children safe and sound and healthy laughing through the holiday madness. A friend of mine in Moms In Touch refers to the often chaotic/disappointing/annoying experiences of our lives with children as her joy. When your children come in the house and tracks mud from one side to the other....that is your joy that your children are healthy enough to have been outside playing. When you child drops the milk jug on the floor while pouring a glass of milk...that is your joy that they are able to use their arms to pour them a glass of milk, there are many that cannot. When you find permanent marker on your wall...that is your joy that your child has been creatively expressing themselves through art. You get the point. So much easier to sit behind my computer when it's quiet and write this than to be in the middle of one of these events. Find the joy in your life, I am.
Tuesday, January 4, 2011
Long time...
Well, I had all the intentions in the world to document life happenings in this blog. However, I haven't blogged in .... actually I'm not sure when the last time was! So much for committment.
Our white Christmas flew by. The kids had 2 weeks off of school and I only worked 2 days during that 2 week period...lovely. The break was packed full of family functions, roller skating, ice skating, movies, staying up late and sleeping late. We went to Chris' grandfather's house, Chris' dad's house, the Gilbert Christmas get-together, my mom's house. The snow was beautiful. Although I would rather been in a warm climate, we did enjoy sledding at HP Country Club with friends. Leah loved the snowboard! Not much gets her more excited than hitting the jump! Hmmm, could this be Chris' daughter?
The girls were covered up in presents, the majority coming from the ever so giving Grammy. Giving is definetly her love language (and my stress). Not that I do not appreciate her help with material needs for the girls. I simply cannot stand clutter! And that is what 95% of the 'things' that the girls receive become - clutter. There favorite gifts included IPod Touch, Wii games, new comforters for their beds and gift cards.
We are all back to work and school now. As much as I savor the breaks, rountine does have it's advantages.
Our white Christmas flew by. The kids had 2 weeks off of school and I only worked 2 days during that 2 week period...lovely. The break was packed full of family functions, roller skating, ice skating, movies, staying up late and sleeping late. We went to Chris' grandfather's house, Chris' dad's house, the Gilbert Christmas get-together, my mom's house. The snow was beautiful. Although I would rather been in a warm climate, we did enjoy sledding at HP Country Club with friends. Leah loved the snowboard! Not much gets her more excited than hitting the jump! Hmmm, could this be Chris' daughter?
The girls were covered up in presents, the majority coming from the ever so giving Grammy. Giving is definetly her love language (and my stress). Not that I do not appreciate her help with material needs for the girls. I simply cannot stand clutter! And that is what 95% of the 'things' that the girls receive become - clutter. There favorite gifts included IPod Touch, Wii games, new comforters for their beds and gift cards.
We are all back to work and school now. As much as I savor the breaks, rountine does have it's advantages.
Tuesday, July 13, 2010
Responsibility People and Moles
I love summer!!!! My work days are shortened and I get more time with the girls.
As we are finishing dinner, Cecilia claims that she doesn't have anything to do, that she is bored. I proceed to tell her that there are plenty of things to do, including washing the dishes, doing the laundry, sweeping the floors..you get the point. Leah, obviously tired of my long list, says "You guys (Chris and I) are the responsibility people. You are suppose to do all the work". I've done a wonderful job teaching my kids responsibility, huh?
A few days later, Leah is asking Cecilia to brush her teeth one morning. To my suprise, Cecilia agrees. Cecilia tells her sister no less than 25 times to open wider, then demonstrates how to open wide. She says "See how big my mouth is? You can see my moles, Leah. I need to get back there and brush your moles. Now open up". Nothing like brushing the moles in the back of your mouth each day!
As we are finishing dinner, Cecilia claims that she doesn't have anything to do, that she is bored. I proceed to tell her that there are plenty of things to do, including washing the dishes, doing the laundry, sweeping the floors..you get the point. Leah, obviously tired of my long list, says "You guys (Chris and I) are the responsibility people. You are suppose to do all the work". I've done a wonderful job teaching my kids responsibility, huh?
A few days later, Leah is asking Cecilia to brush her teeth one morning. To my suprise, Cecilia agrees. Cecilia tells her sister no less than 25 times to open wider, then demonstrates how to open wide. She says "See how big my mouth is? You can see my moles, Leah. I need to get back there and brush your moles. Now open up". Nothing like brushing the moles in the back of your mouth each day!
Friday, June 11, 2010
Bowling Tooth Fairy
Let me start by saying that Cecilia will NOT wiggle a loose tooth. She will let it hang out in her mouth forever, to the point that the other tooth has grown in and the loose tooth is no longer wiggling because the gum has grown around it. Maybe she's got a facination with sharks and desires to have 2 rows of teeth in her pretty little head.
At her recent dentist appointment, Dr. Braddy pulled on of the baby teeth that needed to come out - there wasn't even a root anymore. So....the excitment for the tooth fairies visit was growing by the second. Cecilia is very dilegent with the tooth-preparing ritual. She put the tooth in a ziploc bag along with a note. The note is a copied page out of one of her books. All of this is placed carefully under her pillow and off to dreamland she goes.
Fast forward to the next morning....I walk in at 7:00 am from the gym. Cecilia is standing at the top of the stairs holding her little ziploc bag, packed exactly like it was last night. The tooth fairy did not make her visit to redeem the lost tooth.
Daddy told her that the tooth fairy didn't come one night when he was a boy, either. He went to school and when he returned, the tooth fairy had left a treat under his pillow. Cecilia decided that if she left the bedroom that maybe the fairy would pay a visit.
After they explain this to me, Chris tells me to go into their room and check where he put the tooth to make sure it was in the right spot since I was the tooth fairy expert (really? - I'll add that to my resume). I walked into their room, followed by two anxious girls, lifted the pillow only to discover a $5.00 neatly placed in the otherwise empty ziploc bag. Cecilia is so excited, Leah is shaking horribly. Leah looks around the room and declares that "It smells like the tooth fairy in her". When asked what she meant, she says that it smells like fancy dresses and that the tooth fairy wears fancy dresses. Then Cecilia smells that money and declares that it doesn't smell like where the tooth fairy lives, instead it smells like the bowling alley. Cecilia goes on to figure out the whole tooth fairy mystery : the tooth fairy wanted to go bowling, but could only do that when nobody was there. She must have gone bowling last night and stayed there until too late....resolving why she didn't come during the night to recover the precious tooth of this sweet 8 year old girl.
Glad they figured it out because I was stumped!
At her recent dentist appointment, Dr. Braddy pulled on of the baby teeth that needed to come out - there wasn't even a root anymore. So....the excitment for the tooth fairies visit was growing by the second. Cecilia is very dilegent with the tooth-preparing ritual. She put the tooth in a ziploc bag along with a note. The note is a copied page out of one of her books. All of this is placed carefully under her pillow and off to dreamland she goes.
Fast forward to the next morning....I walk in at 7:00 am from the gym. Cecilia is standing at the top of the stairs holding her little ziploc bag, packed exactly like it was last night. The tooth fairy did not make her visit to redeem the lost tooth.
Daddy told her that the tooth fairy didn't come one night when he was a boy, either. He went to school and when he returned, the tooth fairy had left a treat under his pillow. Cecilia decided that if she left the bedroom that maybe the fairy would pay a visit.
After they explain this to me, Chris tells me to go into their room and check where he put the tooth to make sure it was in the right spot since I was the tooth fairy expert (really? - I'll add that to my resume). I walked into their room, followed by two anxious girls, lifted the pillow only to discover a $5.00 neatly placed in the otherwise empty ziploc bag. Cecilia is so excited, Leah is shaking horribly. Leah looks around the room and declares that "It smells like the tooth fairy in her". When asked what she meant, she says that it smells like fancy dresses and that the tooth fairy wears fancy dresses. Then Cecilia smells that money and declares that it doesn't smell like where the tooth fairy lives, instead it smells like the bowling alley. Cecilia goes on to figure out the whole tooth fairy mystery : the tooth fairy wanted to go bowling, but could only do that when nobody was there. She must have gone bowling last night and stayed there until too late....resolving why she didn't come during the night to recover the precious tooth of this sweet 8 year old girl.
Glad they figured it out because I was stumped!
Thursday, April 8, 2010
To Host or Not to Host?
What to do?
We hosted a precious 13 year old girl from Guatemala for 2 months last year. It was a wonderful experience. My girls had a new big sister who loved them, played with them, etc. So....when I heard that a 14 year old girl from S. Korea needed a place to stay from Jan. - May (and they pay a nice stipend to the host family), we quickly agreed. Chris was unemployed at the time and we really needed another avenue to draw some income (love my job, but we will not be able to afford beanie weinies for a month on my income alone). So comes...Seoyoung.
We expected this experience to be different from the one with Mariana due to the extreme culture differences between Central America and Asia. We just were not prepared for how different this would be. Where as Mariana was always quick to oblige to our rules, Seoyoung is not. She is not typically outright defiant, it's more of a passive-aggresive defiance. I was looking to provide shelter, a room, food, ride to and from school, and, if desired by the student, for Seoyoung to participate in family activities. I was NOT in the market to raise another child.
Seoyoung is extremely smart. She excels academically and musically. However, emotionally and responsibility wise, she is not prepared for this venture (neither am I). We had to enforce some punishment last night for continual disobedience to our rules - which are not many. We used one of the harshes forms of parental punishment for a teenager --- taking away the IPod for 2 days. Let's see if it helps.
Which brings me to my initial questions : To Host or Not to Host next year. We could really use the income that this program offers. Yet, I have a hard enough time keeping up with my job, home, kids, husband.....not sure if I can continue to keep up with a teenager's lack of respect also.
Continuing to pray............
We hosted a precious 13 year old girl from Guatemala for 2 months last year. It was a wonderful experience. My girls had a new big sister who loved them, played with them, etc. So....when I heard that a 14 year old girl from S. Korea needed a place to stay from Jan. - May (and they pay a nice stipend to the host family), we quickly agreed. Chris was unemployed at the time and we really needed another avenue to draw some income (love my job, but we will not be able to afford beanie weinies for a month on my income alone). So comes...Seoyoung.
We expected this experience to be different from the one with Mariana due to the extreme culture differences between Central America and Asia. We just were not prepared for how different this would be. Where as Mariana was always quick to oblige to our rules, Seoyoung is not. She is not typically outright defiant, it's more of a passive-aggresive defiance. I was looking to provide shelter, a room, food, ride to and from school, and, if desired by the student, for Seoyoung to participate in family activities. I was NOT in the market to raise another child.
Seoyoung is extremely smart. She excels academically and musically. However, emotionally and responsibility wise, she is not prepared for this venture (neither am I). We had to enforce some punishment last night for continual disobedience to our rules - which are not many. We used one of the harshes forms of parental punishment for a teenager --- taking away the IPod for 2 days. Let's see if it helps.
Which brings me to my initial questions : To Host or Not to Host next year. We could really use the income that this program offers. Yet, I have a hard enough time keeping up with my job, home, kids, husband.....not sure if I can continue to keep up with a teenager's lack of respect also.
Continuing to pray............
Wednesday, March 24, 2010
Chris put on a big smile and preteded to love his Anniver'sity' present - a promised trip to putt putt, an 8 year old jumping out of a box, and a bottle of 'Killer' barbeque sauce.
My status on Facebook yesterday was "Celebrating 9 years of marriage to a wonderful man. I am so blessed". Thinking that this was a very nice thing to post, I shared it with Chris. Boy did I not expect the response I got - doubled-over belly laugh! I realize how terrible of a wife I am when he next says "This does not sound like anything you would ever say". Not sure if I should ever say anything like that again, or start saying more endearing things more often. Any suggestions?
Loving the beautiful weather! Ready to go outside and enjoy that remain couple of hours of it!
My status on Facebook yesterday was "Celebrating 9 years of marriage to a wonderful man. I am so blessed". Thinking that this was a very nice thing to post, I shared it with Chris. Boy did I not expect the response I got - doubled-over belly laugh! I realize how terrible of a wife I am when he next says "This does not sound like anything you would ever say". Not sure if I should ever say anything like that again, or start saying more endearing things more often. Any suggestions?
Loving the beautiful weather! Ready to go outside and enjoy that remain couple of hours of it!
Tuesday, March 23, 2010
Anniversity!
Today is our 9th wedding Anniversary (or Anniversity according to Leah). Nine years, really? Three houses, two kids (plus an international student), 2 dogs (and countless other creatures that have resided in our house), numerous business endeavors later, here we are - loving our life and excited to see what God has in store for us next.
Chris was so thoughful to have a stone reset in a ring he gave me on our 3rd anniversary. So, what was I to give him? I remembered a set of 4 rounds of golf that we won at an auction. Great! I'll get a group of his friends/family together, schedule a tee time...sounds like an anniversary present to me! Not so...I went home last night searching for the tickets. Finally I resort to asking Chris where they are. He gave them away last Friday to a client. Well, back to square one. He is going to end up with a bottle of barbeque sauce I picked up at Ross' today. How original, huh?
My girls love any excuse to celebrate. They are so excited about today. Leah has been talking about out "anniversity" for a while now. Finding out about the ruined golf gift, Leah has the idea to take Daddy to play putt putt with the whole family (sure this will out beat golf). Cecilia has her own idea - put her and Leah in a decorated box, then they jump out and scare their unexpecting Dad. Two great ideas. We are doing both. Actually, I am seeking a box that is big enough to fit a 5 year old and an 8 year old. We'll see what I come up with. Both girls made cards for their Dad today. You know, it really doesn't matter how the gift turns out, Chris and I are so blessed to have two children that are so excited to give today. They want today to be special for us. Thank you, God, for blessing me with Cecilia and Leah...oh, yeah, and Chris!
Chris was so thoughful to have a stone reset in a ring he gave me on our 3rd anniversary. So, what was I to give him? I remembered a set of 4 rounds of golf that we won at an auction. Great! I'll get a group of his friends/family together, schedule a tee time...sounds like an anniversary present to me! Not so...I went home last night searching for the tickets. Finally I resort to asking Chris where they are. He gave them away last Friday to a client. Well, back to square one. He is going to end up with a bottle of barbeque sauce I picked up at Ross' today. How original, huh?
My girls love any excuse to celebrate. They are so excited about today. Leah has been talking about out "anniversity" for a while now. Finding out about the ruined golf gift, Leah has the idea to take Daddy to play putt putt with the whole family (sure this will out beat golf). Cecilia has her own idea - put her and Leah in a decorated box, then they jump out and scare their unexpecting Dad. Two great ideas. We are doing both. Actually, I am seeking a box that is big enough to fit a 5 year old and an 8 year old. We'll see what I come up with. Both girls made cards for their Dad today. You know, it really doesn't matter how the gift turns out, Chris and I are so blessed to have two children that are so excited to give today. They want today to be special for us. Thank you, God, for blessing me with Cecilia and Leah...oh, yeah, and Chris!
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