7 Quick Takes – I’m not sure why they don’t give me an award for the quality of my writing on Fridays.

Linking with Jen, because I’m sure she’s missed me, my sarcasm, and my riveting hair-care soliloquies.

1. One of the benefits of being a stay-at-home-mom is that as soon as your husband comes home you get to regale him with a 45-minute stream of super-detailed stories about your exciting day. Stories about closet organization, nap-time productivity, exactly how many people were in each check-out line at Kroger, how many coupons you used/left at home/got rejected by the checker, and how much better your hair is doing now that you switched conditioner. The other day I was excitedly telling the tale of my hair’s vast improvement since I switched to TreSemme Climate Protection and I was pleasantly surprised when Jeremy responded with, “Oh yeah, I saw that conditioner in the shower” instead of his usual, “Yeah… Wait what? Sorry….”
   Me: You were looking at my conditioner?
   Jeremy: Yeah, I was wondering what this weird global warming soap is all about.
   Me: Global warming soap?  You mean because it’s called climate protection?
   Jeremy: Yeah, I thought that was weird.
   Me: It’s called that because it protects your hair from the climate, not because it protects the climate from…your hair.
   Jeremy: Yeah, I figured that out after I looked at it.
   That was so much funnier when it happened than it seems now…. Ok.
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2. Malachi is improving his pronoun usage slowly but surely, although he still refers to himself as “Mal-chi” most of the time instead of the generic “I.”  Mal-chi do it!  Mal-chi want orange juice!  Mal-chi go paaaaaark!  He’s still a little unclear on the whole personal pronoun thing and frequently says “My” instead of “I.”  My do it!  My eat snack!  MY feed doggie!  Which always reminds me of this:
   
   …so me-sa maybe start calling him Jar Jar. How wude!
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3. I’ve always had really vivid, realistic dreams, especially when I am pregnant. But over the past couple years I’ve started dreaming in movie.  My dreams actually switch from one scene to the next, switch perspective, and have background music. Once I dreamed I was Amy in an episode of Big Bang Theory. Not only was the entire dream pretty funny but it also had laugh tracks in the background.  I’m a little concerned for my sanity at this point.
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4. Jeremy and I finally watched Frozen last night and of course I loved it, just like the rest of the world.  (Unrelated spoiler alert: Why didn’t the troll just tell them the secret in the first place? Would that not have saved 15 or so years of familial heartbreak and malfunction and potential future therapy costs?  Anyway.)
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   Have you seen the guy that sang a cover of “Let it Go” in all these different Disney voices?
   
   The part with Scuttle absolutely cracked me up because I used to do that. Malachi was pretty freaked out by the whole thing until we got to Winnie the Pooh. Then he looked at the little picture and said, “Hi Innie Poo! Is so cute!”
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5. Have you heard of Listia?  It’s like E-bay, but free. It’s mostly a colossal waste of time, but I am 600 Pampers Rewards Points away from getting Malachi a free Cozy Coupe and I can usually muster up enough Listia credits to win some Pampers points auctions and you don’t care. Anyway, I listed an auction mostly for the bonus points but the woman who won had a problem and so an e-mail conversation ensued. Basically I would write her a thorough, polite, grammatically correct e-mail offering several solutions plus an apology and she would respond with something along the lines of:
   “yeah it didnt work”
   I mean, seriously. Can you not throw in a “Thank you” or at least some gratuitous punctuation? Does this kind of thing bother anyone else? Answer: yes. (Language alert, FYI).
   Also, if you want to join Listia, please use my link – I will be forever grateful.  https://www.listia.com/signup/5477022
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6. It snowed again last week and Malachi’s make-up day was cancelled, so now we are having a make-up make-up day and of course they are calling for snow next Tuesday as well. I was “re-re-re-re ‘cited” about his first-ever school pictures but they aren’t offering a snow date for that so I’m just gonna save myself from the agony of dashed hopes and just operate on the assumption that those will get canceled as well.  But maybe I’ll try and do some cute portraits on my own because, you know, my track record is THE BOMB.
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7. The other day I went into the farmer’s market by myself and got a little confused and overexcited by the free samples at the cheese shop.  I ended up spending 20 dollars on cheese because it was so tasty when taken out of context and seasoned with “I’m here alone and I need to reign myself in!” Then when my sister and I pulled it out to eat together it honestly smelled like a hot, sizzling cow patty and tasted about the same.  I decided to return it because, seriously.  When I took it back the manager said, “This is how this cheese smells and tastes.  Did you not see on the wrapper?  It’s called ‘Barnyard Smell.’ I’ll refund it but if you don’t like it, don’t ever buy it.”  So I guess she was right and I am grateful she refunded my money even though she treated me like a 2-year-old the whole time and wouldn’t let me finish a sentence. But for real? They made it smell like cow poop on purpose?  WHY?!
   Bon appetit.

7 Quick Takes about 2013

I wish I could come up with one word to describe 2013, but I’m not sure what to choose.  Maybe it would be “fast” – my memories of Christmas 2012 are crystal clear because it seems like just yesterday. My memories of newborn Naomi are already fuzzy because that is what it’s like to have a baby. Any stage other than their current one seems so far removed you sometimes wonder if it even happened to you.  I watch videos of Malachi from 8, 9, 10 months ago and it’s hard to believe this little boy was ever that little boy.  Maybe I would choose “hard” – because focusing all my attention on one child at a time gives me a twinge of guilt almost every time, no matter which kid. Because on the day I think I’ve never been more exhausted, that night I lay awake with a squirming baby and realize that now I have. Because consistently spending time with the Lord has never been so difficult for me. Because anytime I make progress in one area of life I fall behind in another.  But maybe I would choose “joy” – because there has never been a happier, more smiley, more laid-back baby than Naomi.  Because my son has finally broken past the barrier and can speak clearly and efficiently and is so much happier for it.  Because my endless stream of photos and videos attests to the beautiful memories we have made this year.  Maybe I’ll just choose all three.

And if I were to pick a word (ok, two words) for this coming year, I will declare them over my home and my family and myself and prophetically choose “peace” and “love.” Not because I’m some kind of hippie, but because if there’s anything this house needs, it’s a little more peace so the abundant love we already have for the Lord and for one another can be a little more obvious, a little more dominant, and a little more in-control.

Thanks for sticking through the sappiest and most flowery introduction to date.  Onto the cooler stuff: 7 quick takes about 2013.

1. January – We discovered the neighborhood farm, Malachi learned to sit at the big table and give real hugs, and he experienced his first snow.
   
2. February – One night I went to bed early because I thought I was having regular, painless contractions.  The next morning when I woke up they continued but at the same frequency and pain(less)-level.  So Jeremy went to work, Malachi and I played, I bought an app called “labor mate,” made myself cry when I put Malachi down for his nap because intuitively I knew this was the last time it would ever be just me and him (crying again, btw), mopped the kitchen floor, did some yoga, finally decided to go to the hospital, found out I was SIX CENTIMETERS PEOPLE, and three very-natural hours later, sweet baby Naomi Kate was born to change our lives forever.
   Malachi was overjoyed.
   Eventually he got used to her and even learned to share.
   
3. March and April – March included a lot of sweet moments, like this:
   
   According to a quick skim of my daily kid log, I went to Goodwill at least 3 times with both kids in April. We also really settled into being a family of four. I remember feeling really content with just “being” with my kids. I wasn’t super stressed about things with Naomi (she slept through the night for two months starting in April) and Malachi was doing really well with her, too. Also, I started my blog in April.
4. May, June, and July – In May my baby boy turned two. Naomi rolled over, laughed, and settled into a great schedule.  In June we went to Seattle.  Re-reading some of my highlights of July makes me remember how much I LOVE summer and how much happier we all are when it is sunshiney outside. We did so much partying, playing outside, swimming, and fun stuff in July. Malachi started making developmental strides (colors, numbers) and we visited his pre-school for the first time. We also hosted two Brazilian girls for a long weekend and I got really, really secondhomesick.
5. August and September – In August I started harvesting things from my first-ever garden. It was encouraging and discouraging all at the same time, but I’ll definitely do it again (just way differently).  August was also a little hard – Naomi had major sleep problems and Malachi started hitting her. Having two young kids started to get a lot harder than it had been before. In September we visited my best friend and her family, Malachi started preschool, Naomi started eating insane amounts of food (this trend continues), and we went to several festivals.
   
6. October and November – In October we went camping, Malachi potty-trained, Malachi and I had a very intense supernatural experience with the Lord, and Naomi started standing on her own.  In November I began my ongoing trend of slacking off on blogging. Malachi made huge strides in his speech. We enjoyed a wonderful Thanksgivng.
7. December – I love the Christmas season! We had so much fun family time this month. The kids LOVED Christmas, baby Jesus, Santa, and presents. Naomi took her first steps. Malachi became obsessed with the guitar. Malachi was the cutest Christmas angel ever.
   

Happy New Year!  Now go see Jen for much bigger and better.
**Ummmm, also…. I just reread this and realized I only talked about my kids. Wow. I guess that’s what I get for using my daily kid log to remind me of the year….  if you wanted any news about me and Jeremy, sorry to disappoint!  Better luck next year when I’m not too tired to go back and edit.

7 Quick Takes

What. Is. Up. (Answer: Naomi at 6soontobe5:30 in the morning if I can’t get this daylight savings thing under control) Joining Jen and everbuddy else.

1. Last weekend we drove to NC to visit my family and head to the state fair. I think I was the most excited both pre- and post-fair activities and if you know my husband you know that Jeremy excited looks about like this. I love the fair. And I especially love the fair in October because you can enjoy rides and hushpuppies and animals and games and people-watching with zero chance of melting. Riding rides with Malachi is THE best and watching my dad try to cram into a ride designed for 3-feet-tallers and not 6-feet-tallers might have been the second best. I also decided to play awkward third wheel to my brother and his girlfriend and ride a couple rides with them and if there is one thing I took away from that experience it is this: I am old. Maybe 26 doesn’t seem that old to you but if you measure age in life experiences rather than years a la Bella and Jacob (team Edward forever!) I’d say having two babies and averaging 5 hours of broken up sleep per night makes me approximately: too old for this crap.
   Oh, you’re bored? K, here’s some cute:
   
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2. Need more cute? Gotcha covered. Yesterday was Halloween and I was soooooo excited about Malachi’s costume. He is an avid Curious George fan and even though I don’t care much for him or his monochromatic friend, this was pretty much the cutest costume ever:
   
   
   This was my inspiration and judging by the two random people who took pictures of Malachi and the multiple people who said he had their favorite costume of the night and the kids who excitedly said “It’s Yellow Man!” I’d say it was a success. We are pretty hard core because we hit up the Costume Parade at the library, a local trunk or treat, the mall trick-or-treat, and the ginormous festival at Thomas Road. Jeremy and I were pretty disappointed in the candy selection (i.e. 1 million tootsie rolls) but otherwise it was great. Naomi was a roley-poly, fluffy pink cat:
   
   And about 20 minutes before we had to leave I decided I really, really wanted to dress up. I considered gypsy, hippie, and Rosie the Riveter before a stroke of GENIUS hit me and Jeremy and I went as Sheldon and Amy. Yes we did. And even though the chick at the mall totally cut off our perfect shoe choices (chucks and hideous Mary Janes that yes, I do still wear [hides head in shame]), you get the idea:
   
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3. The other day I was at Goodwill and there was a group of crazysuperannoying college girls buying ugly rooster pillows for their apartment and they all had on yoga pants, oversized sweatshirts, and sneakers. It seemed only slightly strange until I saw another group of girls who all had on leggings, blue plaid shirts, boots, and cardigans. Like, is this a thing?
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4. More mom talk! Hooray! I’m just going to give a quick shout-out to Malachi for doing a really super great job at potty training. He finally bit the bullet and actually peed at pre-school the other day instead of holding it for four hours straight and that was a big milestone. So far he has done his bidness in a mini-potty, on the big potty, in a porta-potty, in public potties, outside on the grass, in a blue plastic cup (don’t ask) and only a few times in his clothes. Although I would seriously like to know why he wets himself less than he… well…. number twos himself. For real, what is up with that?
   
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5. Well you can tell it’s been too long since I’ve blogged because I just can’t stop talking about my kids or kid-related things. I’d just like to take a moment to shamelessly brag on myself for getting (and publicly thank my friend for telling me about) the deal of the CENTURY on toys. I got alllllll this…..
   
   140 (one-hundred forty) dollars worth of toys for, drumroll please…. badabadabadabadabaaa…. 15 dollars! When I accidentally left this out and Malachi saw it he of course bee-lined it for the toys I got Naomi for Christmas so…. that should be fun. Anyway, high-quality, non-dollar store stocking stuffers here I come! Now if only I could get the rest of my Christmas shopping done.
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6. I’d also like to congratulate Naomi on making it an entire week without a bruise. Can babies bruise? Because judging by the roughly 930275894275832750832 she has bit it this week, you’d think she’d be pretty much black and blue. I’ve never seen a baby fall over or slam into stuff so much and it’s totally because she is just ON THE MOVE and will NOT be slowed down. She wants to walk and run and crawl and beat up her brother and darn it if she isn’t close. The nice thing is how quickly she gets over it. Malachi was mu-huch more sensitive than her.
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7. Let’s make number 7 inappropriate because… why not. I remember when I used to think I had a successful day as a mother when I did something aMAZing like walk from one end of the house to the other while still nursing Malachi or, I don’t know, fold all the laundry during nap. Yesterday I arrived. I peed in a public restroom while baby-wearing and wearing a high-waisted skirt AND tights and managed to re-dress myself without moving her and she didn’t cry and yes. This is motherhood.

You’re welcome.

7 Quick Takes

Fashionably joining Jen one day late.

1. First of all, I hate going so long between posts. It seriously annoys me and sometimes I wonder how I could possibly not have found enough time to write a post but somehow I managed to stay up-to-date on all my shows. I guess it’s because I almost never watch my shows with out simultaneously doing something else more productive, which further confirms for me that I am too busy. And this post is going downhill fast because holy boring so let me entertain you with the list of shows I watch on a regular basis and include a clip from each because it’s Saturday and I know you need to fill your useless video quota:
   -Parenthood – Maybe my favorite show ever. It is so real and relate-able and I’m pretty sure I’ve cried in at least 50% of the episodes I’ve seen.  If that’s not a recommendation I don’t know what is.
   
   -Parks and Recreation – Not entirely appropriate – full disclosure here. But it is HILARIOUS. (this clip contains a bad word)
   
   -Big Bang Theory – because my husband IS Sheldon Cooper.
   
   (And perhaps I am Leonard.)
   -Downton Abbey – because the British accents and cool outfits fooled me into believing it wasn’t a shloozey soap opera for about 10 seconds.
   
   I’m just gonna do us all a favor and stop there.
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2. K so. We went camping. All four of us. And thankfully we waited until mid-October so the weather would be nice and fallish and Virginia accommodated us by being 86 degrees on Saturday. But the nights were cool and Malachi got to go swimming so it all worked out. The kids had all sorts of fun swimming, hiking, getting dirty, playing on the playground, notsleeping in the tent, and doing really rustic, campy things like watching the iPod for hours on end every time we needed one of them to be still long enough to cook dinner. It was really great though – we will definitely do it again.
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3. So. You know how people say things sometimes like, “She’s so happy she poops rainbows” or whatever? Well.  Pooping rainbows is not a skill that any of the Dillingers possess, and believe you me, if it was this whole potty training thing would be a lot more exciting. I think rainbows would be easier to clean out of the carpet. And I know you are thinking, “Yay!  More potty training talk!” so I will be a good little blogger and indulge you. We started again yesterday and after I declared that the star chart would fill up faster if we renamed it “I went on the carpet,” Malachi finally got the message and has done really well since. Let’s hope he gets it down by Tuesday (don’t pop my bubble, I know) because this whole sitting at home all day staring at your naked kid thing is getting kind of old. Kind of fast.
   
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4. Although yesterday I did venture out of the house to go grocery shopping.  I waiting until the kids were in bed and dragged my exhausted self to the store to buy a flipping MOUNTAIN of groceries because I knew it was better than waiting til Monday and taking both kids. Got all the way through the check-out line and got carded for the first time in a looooong time (my theory is that they never card women with kids) and discovered….crap. No wallet. No ID. No money. No card. No dignity. The nice woman behind me offered to buy my “mommy juice” because “you need it” (I blamed my brainlessness on potty-training) but I had to put my cart in customer service, drive home and get the wallet, drive back and pay for groceries whilst having a panic attack when I realized I had almost 0 gas, get gas, drive back home, put groceries away, and then collapse on the couch with crackers and cookies and TV. But the whole time I was just grateful. Thank you God that the lady behind me is nice. Thank you that I wasn’t buying ice cream. Thank you that I didn’t run out of gas. Thank you that no one hit me when I ran that red light. THANKYOUTHANKYOUTHANKYOU that my kids weren’t with me. Thank you that they didn’t make me start over. And let me tell you – that was totally a God-thing because God-in-Allie is grateful even when life stinks but Allie-in-Allie is just ticked off. And then I got home with 29 bananas. I’m not sure where the 21 came from that I didn’t pick up but I’m pretty sure some other late-night shopper is pretty annoyed now that they have to go back to the store before they can make their banana pudding or whatever.
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5. I bought a new pair of Tom’s this week and I’m so excited. I joined ebates and their cash back combined with the 10-dollar coupon and free shipping Toms was offering caused the rational, must-save-the-most-money-possible-at-all-times part of my shopping persona to feel like, THIS IS IT. BUY THEM NOW. But after I bought them I started feeling really conflicted because, although Tom’s one-for-one thing sounds great in theory, in practice it actually can be really dependency-producing and local-economy-stunting. But on the other hand, maybe it’s still better than buying shoes made by some underage kid in a sweatshop somewhere? I really don’t know.
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6. The steam…. it runneth out. Oh! Let’s make a case for impulse buying because it’s Saturday and you all just got paid. A few months ago my sister and I went to an Avett Brothers concert and I said it then and I’ll say it again – if you don’t like the Avett Brothers you are no longer invited to my life. Anyway, there was this awesome poster they were selling there – designed by an artist, unique to the city we were in, numbered, high-quality, etc. My sister bought one and I thought, “That’s appropriate. Her house is all musical and quirky and it fits.” And then I looked at the price and thought, $25 bucks for a poster? Uh. No. And you know what? Three months later I STILL regret it. Like, you’ve heard of buyer’s remorse? This is called tightwad’s remorse. Anyhoo, occasionally I’d look on ebay or something in vain but yesterday….I FOUND IT. And it’s beautiful. And I will either buy it or beg for it for Christmas but either way… it’s 40 bucks. FORTY. And if I had just bought it on impulse in the first place it would have been 27.5% cheaper but:
   
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7. Well look at me getting to number 7 already (already = hours later). I’m getting new glasses today for the first time in four years and I am super, super psyched but also nervous to pick them out myself for the first time ever. Hopefully I don’t post a picture of myself next time looking a hot-mess, but hey! At least it will be a different kind of hot mess and I guess that counts for something.

L8r t8r.

7 Quick Takes

Joining Jen and alllll the other takers.

1. Potty training. I should probably just stop right there, but I’m not gonna. Although everyone is well-meaning, I have felt semi-pressured to potty train Malachi from multiple sources and I just…. I just not ready. Well, this week he decided he was ready. He wanted to run around naked and sit on the potty alllllllll day. So the first day I let him and when I came back to check on him, lo and behold – there was a “parcel” in the receptacle. Hooray! The second day he was semi-successful once but still quite interested so we went out and bought underwear and he pranced around the house all day either nakey or looking way too much like a little boy.
   
   But I should have known something was up when he went upstairs alone and wouldn’t come when I called. Something was definitely up, but I’ll spare you. Today he would only sit on the potty while watching TV and then I realized that as soon as he actually had to go he would get up and go in places other than the potty. AND after the 73rd meltdown of the day when he was crying because I wouldn’t let him eat a cookie out of the trash, I slapped a diaper on that butt and gave myself an A for effort.
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2. Probably a good idea since we all have bronchitis. Potty training whilst coughing, blowing snot bubbles, and in general feeling unwell is not the best idea. Poor Naomi is a wreck. Malachi is getting better but it seems the incessant whining/crying/tantruming/screaming is the first symptom to arrive and the last to go. And don’t think I’m just talking about Malachi here. (Kidding! Sort of.)
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3. So my dreams of having a potty-trained baby by next weekend when we go camping are probably not going to come true. Weather and health-permitting we are all four going camping and I am ex. ci. ted! We’ll see how long the excitement lasts after the first 50-degree night all in a room together trying to keep the children away from the campfire but I am at least determined to enjoy the anticipation even if the actualization has us racing home to our oven, baby gates, sound machine, and diaper genie.
   
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4. Why do I always get writer’s block on number 4?
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5. When I was younger I had this obsession with Anne Geddes. I loved all manner of children dressed as bees or flowers or covered in vegetables or whatever. I’m not as into it now, but the other day I was making bierocks (so good!) and got a wee bit inspired:
   I realize that I am incredibly weird, but I really thought it was hilarious.
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6. So, have you seen this video? One of my friends who works in the school system said that all the kids are watching it and “At least they keep it weird.” I’m really not sure what this says about this generation. When I was growing up Youtube wasn’t the mega-sensation that it is now so I don’t really remember what kind of weird, obscure things we got into but I think I’m gonna go out on a limb and say we were never this bad. Right?
   
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7. So I had always heard how boys were easier as babies. I know girls are more difficult in general – the DRAMA. The hair. The makeup. The hormones. But holy crazy cow, is Naomi into EVERYTHING. Malachi never chewed stuff and was pretty content to play with his toys. Naomi’s favorite chew toy is any type of cord she can get her hands on and she will play with a baby toy for approximately 2 seconds before she has moved on to more exciting things like her brother’s favorite stuffed animal, her brother’s disgusting spit-soaked lovey, my shoes, the dog’s brushes, magazines, and any other number of things she shouldn’t play with. I didn’t really have to baby-proof with Malachi but I have a feeling Naomi is going to be the kid that breaks bones, jumps off ledges, and shoves marbles up her nose. I literally cannot keep up with her. She is already faster than me. Lord help us.

7QT – 7 Things I Learned About Myself on Pinterest

Linking with Jen, like I do.

So originally this was gonna be kind of a cop-out post.  I wasn’t feeling terribly inspired to blog, but then I realized I wasn’t feeling terribly inspired to fold laundry, either, and if I was just gonna sit on the couch and waste time I ought to post something and this seemed easy. But the more I thought about it, the more introspective I got. Dangerous.

So without further ado – 7 things I learned about myself on Pinterest.

1. I’m not as servant-hearted as I thought.
   
   This is sooooo me. Here I am thinking I’m gonna serve others by opening the door for them or letting them over in traffic but I get no head nod or acknowledgmental wave or “thanks” and then I turn all, “You’re WELcome! Geesh!” After I pinned this I realized how pathetic that was. But then I wonder… am I really not servant-hearted, or is it something else? In spiritual gifts tests I always test really high in the justice/judgment category, which basically means I have a very strong and clear sense of right and wrong. So if I do the right thing for someone and it’s not met with the “right” response it seriously ruffles my feathers. But if they do thank me, it gives me a mini and quick emotional high. Still, though, I’d rather just be glad to serve regardless of the response.
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2. I’m getting over the goo-goo-gah-gah-everything-baby-is-so-cute stage.
   
   See that goooorgeous bag up there? That’s my next diaper bag. I’ve been through four different diaper bags so far and the one I have now is by far my favorite. It’s convenient, smart, easy to carry, and UGLY. If it could talk all it would say all day long is, “Look! I’m a diaper bag! I hold diapers! The woman carrying me is a MOM because I’m a DIAPER BAG!” and I’m just over it. Convenient as it may be, I’m ready for a cute bag that can house my purse essentials (i.e. everything) and the diaper bag essentials for two kids and not be such an ugly piece of ugly. So PLEASE help me choose, because I am super torn: this or this?
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3. I’ve been lying about the birthday party thing. To myself and others.
   
   For Malachi’s first and second birthdays we just had small affairs. A few balloons, family, one friend, a cake. It was WONDERFUL and he was happy. Little kids don’t need huge parties – they won’t remember them, it’s a waste of money, they are happy just to be with the people they love. It’s all true. Except…I want to have a theme party for my kids! With a ridiculous cake! And favors! And coordinated games! And other kids! I do. I admit it. It’s out there now. I feel better?
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4. I’m too busy.
   
   This is a really hard one. I realize it when I scroll through my pins and see project after project after project that I want to do that I haven’t had time for. The gallery wall. The once-a-month-cooking. The memento organization. I know that having two kids under three is HARD and that some days I will get nothing done and that’s ok. But I still feel like I can’t JUST do the homemaker thing. I need to stay involved in something else, right? Like my ESL program, directing missions at our church, hosting a small group, attending Bible study, mentoring girls from our church… I don’t know what or how to cut out. But if I use my free time to hang out on Pinterest and Facebook, it’s not because I’m a bad prioritizer – it’s because I’m too tired to do anything else. I’m gonna have to mull this over for a while, I think. (<— Case in point: I started this post yesterday.)
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5. I am less bohemian than I think I am.
   
   I had a ten-dollar Kohl’s gift certificate come in the mail this week and I got really excited because I’ve been wanting to buy these harem pants ever since I saw how cute they looked on Grace. Apparently I am a whooooooole lot taller than she is because harems that scrunch at the ankles = cute but harems that don’t even touch your ankles = story of my life. I was in speed-shop mode because my kids were with me but guess what I came out of the store with instead? A coral-colored striped baseball tee. It’s cute and comfy and soft and it has thin, horizontal stripes just like roughly 50% of my shirts do. And it’s coral, like roughly 30% of my clothes are. I like to think I’m all cute and bohemian but when it comes right down to it I think my style is more “comfy, stripey stuff.” Which is actually kind of annoying.
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6. I still have some pretty big questions that I need to work through.
   
   Take a look at my books to read board or my spiritual growth board and there are some big, big topics there. Homosexuality. Violence and pacifism. The atrocities of the Old Testament. I’ve been reading this book since before Naomi was born and I can’t recommend it highly enough. It has helped me immensely in sorting out some questions about God and in understanding some of His complexities. Having questions at first can be terrifying – it shakes you to your core. But the coolest part about the quest to answer them is realizing that God is not waiting at the end of your search – He is in the journey.
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7. I should maybe cut back on the boob-talk.
   
   
   We can just chalk that one up to the family I was raised in.

Now tell me: What can you learn about yourself by taking an objective look at your Pinterest?

7 Not-So-Quick Takes

Let’s just re-name this one “Seven separate blogs in one” because that would be more honest.  Joining Jen and the masses (<—unintentional pun that most people won’t get but I still think is funny.)

1. Wherrrrrrrre tooooo beginnnnn…… Ah. Let’s talk about the “Cups” song. You know that song “You’re gonna miss me when I’m gone” which is actually called Cups? When I first saw Pitch Perfect I Googled the song for my Dad and came up with the original-ish version by LuLu and the Lampshades and felt all cool and indie because I Facebook-followed some UK band no one ever heard of. (Holy run-on sentence.) And then whatshername from Twilight did her own too-fast and too-much version and it became a huge hit. But lu-HONG before the song or even before I knew anything about Full House my sister and I and our sister-best-friends were doing the cup thing in a round while singing Knick Knack Paddy Whack Give a Dog a Bone. All that to say that I can now sing and perform “Cups” and I feel awesome but really my most enraptured audience is my son who likes to smack and throw a cup around with me while I sing. And for the record, this is by far the coolest version I’ve stumbled across:
   
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2. Let’s talk pre-school. My worstest fears came true and Malachi cried for over an hour straight on his first day before the nice teachers finally just called me to come get him. The second day I stayed for an hour and then left. He bawled his eyeballs out for about five minutes and then did fine. The third day I stayed for five minutes and he was calm by the time I left the room. The fourth day he got mad at me because I put his juice in the wrong place and he kept asking if his friend “Jalkdjl” (best translation I can muster) could come with us. He’s only gone four days so far and he already says “yewo” instead of “ye-yee” and has started stringing words. He’s also much more cuddly with me than before because I think he misses me. Heart = mush.
   It’s also been really nice to have some time with just Naomi.  She sleeps most of the time he is gone but when she’s awake I realize what a HUGE difference it makes to have a baby to yourself with no one else around.  I forget how easily distracted I can be just by having Malachi around, even if he is behaving. It’s nice to be able to make her giggle or play with her without constantly answering questions or checking to make sure Malachi hasn’t gotten into anything he’s not supposed to.
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3. A while ago I wrote a post about finding unity between Catholicism and Evangelicalism and this past week Jen (who hosts 7 quick takes every week so you know you love her!) commented on my post and told me it was great food for thought. I was so excited on the more serious side because the post was all about building bridges and it felt like maybe God had used my post to build one. And I was so excited on the less serious side because OH MY WORD JEN FROM CONVERSION DIARY COMMENTED ON MY BLOG!!!!!!
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4. I am an avid couponer and I have saved us tons of money on our grocery/toiletry/medicine/diaper bill over the last couple years but the truth is that money saved does not always equal money in hand. This month I’ve successfully sold something on Craig’s List and participated in a local consignment sale that’s made us a little extra money as well.  I have to say that it’s really rewarding to feel like I’m contributing something to the budget again, small though it may be.
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5. Labor Day weekend we went to visit one of my closest friends and her family. We had so much fun – it really made me realize how much I miss having her here. Our kids are really close in age and they love each other. She and I stayed up waaaay too late talking and really could have kept on. Our husbands are friends, too. It was great. We even got our kids to pose really well for some group shots:
   One thing I noticed while were there was A) how ADORABLE their cottage-style house is and B) how uncluttered and simple it was. Erin had just enough decorations in just the right places to feel homey and welcoming but not like you had just walked into the middle of a hobby shop like someone else I know’s house….ahem. Anyways, we came home and I immediately started weeding. I took stuff off my kitchen walls and counters, spread stuff out, and put things in a yard sale pile but now the problem is the laundry basket of decorations that I DO want to keep but don’t have anywhere to put. I did decide to hang one picture in the laundry room but other than that I don’t know how to use my stuff without going back to my clutterful ways. So I’m kind of stuck.
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6. Naomi continues to eat like a 20-year-old college boy home on break. This morning for breakfast after nursing she ate an ENTIRE pear. The other night for dinner she had half an avocado AND half a mango. Malachi has an uncanny and definitely NOT genetic sense of rhythm so it wouldn’t surprise me if he becomes a dancer or drummer or something but I’m wondering if Naomi’s first extracurricular activity should be competitive eating. That or competitive pooping because…..for real.
   
   Poop, there it is.
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7. Well, I think I’ve succeeded once again in stunting my readership growth rate by discussing super-exciting things like de-cluttering and poop. I think I’ve done my duty for the day. Be sure to tune in tomorrow as I delve into the entrancing subject of the best dish soap ever or maybe I’ll go hard core and tell you what I dreamed about the night before. It’s gonna be epic.

7 of ’em

Linking with Jen and this is gonna be fastfastfast because I wasn’t even planning on posting and I really don’t have time.  And if THAT doesn’t say, “I love you dear readers” I don’t know what does.  So let’s make this a linky list instead of the usual. (I tried to say “uszh” but I’m not sure how to spell it….)

1. This blog post is one of the BEST I have ever read.  Even after she had to remove her hilarious pictures (sob!) I still love it.  I don’t talk about it often (ok, maybe I do) but I am a huge breastfeeding supporter/promoter/believer and it’s awesome to hear so much support and also so much humor that I TOTALLY get. And since I won’t be getting 1.5 million unexpected views on my blog, here is my favorite picture she had that she later removed:
   
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2. Books I want to read: Fight (A Christian Case for Nonviolence) because it is veeerrrrryyyyy interesting (for lack of a better term) being a usually-anti-war (but always pro-troops!), anti-death-penalty, mostly conservative Christian in the south.  Wow, I’m revealing all sorts of new stuff about myself today.  Also, the author of this book co-authored a book with Francis Chan that I dearly loved, so.  There’s that.  I also want to read Grace-Based Parenting because that concept was rolling around in my head verbatim since I had my first child and it’s something I aspire to and fail at daily.  I’d love some perspective and clarity.  And on a much more shallow note, Death Comes to Pemberly.  Because I am a Jane Austin addict but she is dead and I need SOMETHING to fill in the gap.  Book donations always appreciated.
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3. Ok, number three and I’m already out of links (and brain cells). Speaking of being out of brain cells, I almost forgot about Malachi’s pre-school orientation today but thankfully I DID remember and it was great. I think he’s going to love it but I dread the crying leave-taking that I KNOW is coming. He starts Tuesday so, prayers for myself and him and also myself much coveted.
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4. For the 98% of you who linked over here from Facebook, this is old news (yawn) but I’d like to just point out that since my daughter started solids less than two weeks ago she’s eaten an entire butternut squash, 2 sweet potatoes, a whole pear, a whole banana, 2 jars of peas, 2 jars of prunes, and 2 jars of blueberry applesauce.  And she’s heeeee-yuuuuge.
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5. Maybe blogging at 9:45 at night when I should be getting ready for bed and a 4-hour trip tomorrow is not a great idea after all.
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6. For some reason this week a lightbulb turned on and Malachi has figured out how to pronounce things correctly(er).  For example, he now says “ba” for ball instead of “dee.”  He can say “Fo” (four) and “dah-puh” (diaper) and “chich” (church). This is a big leap for him and it makes me really excited.  If he can say “music” soon instead of “da-sich” I will be one very happy mother.  He’s been pretty behind in his development all along, so it was also encouraging today when the preschool teachers talked about focusing on a color a month and I’m like, “My son KNOWS his colors and is VERY familiar with ye-yee already, thank you.”  He also is really, really interested in letters and reading and is watching Wheel of Fortune with even more rapt attention than usual.
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7. If you’ve lasted this long I feel like I should reward you so let me send you on to happier and funnier pastures.  If you like to make fun of dumb Pinterest pins, this is your new best friend.  If you want to feel really old when you’re not that old, check out this one.  Refreshing perspective on dealing with curse words here.  And trust, me this is a good idea.  I know because I said the mother of all curse words once, was told not to repeat it, and promptly asked my other parent what it meant who was so taken aback that that was the day I got THE talk.  The birds and bees talk.  And on that note….. Bye.

7 Quick Takes Numero Seis

1. Let’s start off with a confession slash funny story and let me preface it by saying: No one got hurt. Naomi has been napping in our bed since she was born because having two kids under three share a room was probably not the best decision I’ve ever made. Anyway, this past Sunday she was napping on a guest bed right next to where I was sitting so I knew I would hear her when she woke up.  I finally heard the mild “I’m frustrated” fuss and went to get her. But she wasn’t there. I couldn’t find her. I could hear a muffled fuss (not really a cry) and walked around the room til I saw one foot sticking out from under the dust ruffle. She somehow managed to fall off and roll under the bed and I don’t know how she did either because the pillow barrier was untouched and the bed isn’t that high off the ground. So yeah. Bed sleeping days are over. Except for today because Malachi was making noise when she was dosing off and so….
   
   We are living on the edge.  The very well-protected edge.
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2. I’m currently the classiest of the classy and watching Wife Swap. Judge me not. This one has a legit Rastafari family (look that up if you want your head to spin). The other is the most controlling family I’ve ever seen. The Rasta family keeps saying things like “The $8,000 you are going to spend on a home theater could buy 800,000 mosquito nets for kids in Africa,” and “Jah will provide,” and they are pro-homeschooling. And they are also crazy, don’t get me wrong, BUT. Never did I ever think I’d see the day when I was more in line with the Rastas than the type-A chore charters. Just call me Rastafallie (get it?). But there will be a chore chart in my home one day. Rest assured.
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3. Naomi is currently sleeping in the bathroom. Or not sleeping, I should say. She went from being the most! amazing! sleeper! ever! to waking up 1 to 3 times a night. Today the doctor encouraged me to “ignore her” and let her learn to sleep on her own. We’ll see how long I can handle that, but she needs to be not in Malachi’s room and not in our room lest she see me and start doing horizontal jumping jacks and so….bathroom it is.
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4. Speaking of the doctor, we saw a different doctor today and I’m not a huge fan. I wish I knew why – maybe because she is just loud enough to make Malachi nervous (not difficult) or maybe it’s because no one will ever be as awesome as our normal doctor or maybe it’s her purple lipstick. I’m leaning towards the lipstick.
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5. I’m sorry to report that my garden does not look good.  Not sure if my tomatoes are gonna make it or not and half of me wants to pick them while they are green and let them ripen indoors and half of me wants to give it another chance because maybe tomatoes come back to life after 70% of the branches and leaves are dead? Maybe? No? Here’s a picture of this week’s harvest:
   
   What do you think I should do with the five green beans? Are there any recipes out there that call of 1.3 ounces of pole beans?
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6. Last week I asked you to like Anderson’s Facebook page for me so I could be the thousandth like. I’ve had their page open on my computer for a week, and I refresh it religiously to see if it’s close yet. Yesterday they were only 6 away and I was being very serious about my monitoring (what I will do for 10 bucks…sad). Then they sent out a text blast reminding people about it while I was putting Malachi down for a nap. And being the boring, responsible, stupid, boring, responsible mother that I am… I finished nap time and by the time I got out to my computer…. 1,004 likes. I was so disappointed I shut my computer lid and come to think of it, I don’t think I ever did actually “like” them. Petty much?
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7. On a more serious note, I’ve had two things on my mind a lot lately. One that I was grappling with last night is the “trend” or whatever of growing, faithful, ministering Christians cussing like it’s totally normal. The other thing I was thinking about a lot is the vaccine issue. Being a mom and learning about vaccines is hard because there is SO much information and SO many conflicting “facts” and SO many accusations of who is a trustworthy source and who is not… Anyways, yesterday I came across this article about Christians swearing, and today I came across this article about vaccines. And while I am still thinking a lot about both issues, it was like God just said, “I hear you, and here’s what I want you to see today.” He is good like that, isn’t He?

Go see Jen, the hostess with the mostess, for more takes!

7QT again

It’s Friday!  Linking with Jen.

1. My garden is a constant source of frustration for me.  My tomatoes were doing KILLER – so exciting!!!  Then stinkbugs started eating them.  No biggie – I looked up solutions and dealt with that problem.  But now they seem to have some kind of disease.  It’s either a wilt or blight, if you are interested.  And from what it sounds like there isn’t much I can do about either.  I am going to be devastated if I lose my tomatoes – all 20 or 30 green ones out there.  Not to mention the nonstop frustration that is my strawberry plants.  Better luck next year, I guess.
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2. Well, that was a pretty negative note to start out on.  Let’s try again!  I made my first baby food for Naomi today.  I can’t believe she is that old already.  Plus it brought back memories of when Malachi was that little.  The slimy butternut squash all over my hand, not being able to get all the meat out of the peel, turning off the food processor to discover the baby is screaming in terror at the noise and you didn’t realize it… been there, done all those.
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3. Ok, take three.  Think positive!  Tonight we are going to a baseball game with Jeremy’s coworkers.  There is going to be free food and the kids (well, the kid, realistically) get unlimited access to the bounce house and the bounce house and the bounce house, because I don’t think the batting cage or the fast pitch station are good choices for Malachi at this point.  Anyways, it is beautiful out (just what you came here for! another commentary on the weather!) and I’m excited.
   

   If Malachi could remember this, he would be excited, too.

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4. Just got back from getting Naomi up from another spectacular 20-minute nap.  If I had a penny for every time this week that I’ve said “I’m not gonna fight with you, honey, I’m just not” I’d probably have enough money for a bouncy-ball from the Wal-mart lobby.  The lesson here is, don’t try any more dairy “just to see if she’s better yet” ever again ever.  Ever.
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5. Because putting a humor pin on your blog is NEVER a cop out, let me just give you a couple from my narcissistic board called “Sounds Like Me.”  Here’s one that describes my life pretty much all the time:
   Here’s one that explains why I never feel like I have anything together:
   
   And here’s one that pretty much describes what’s going on right now:
   
   And when I say I have no shame, I really do mean it.
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6. Wanna help me win ten bucks?  You know you do.  There’s an awesome country market nearby and whoever is their 1000th “like” gets a gift card.  I haven’t liked them yet because I’m waiting for precisely 19 more people to go first.  Help a mutha out.
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7. Let’s see, what else can I bore you with….  Jeremy took Malachi to the playground the other day and when Malachi lost his footing and Jeremy responsibly left him hanging, Malachi figured out how to hang from stuff.  And now we walk into various rooms and find him hanging from his crib, the sink, the upstairs balcony (kidding! for now…) and yelling out “HA ha! haHA!”  I really really wish I had a picture to show you but I don’t and while I’m nowhere near beyond re-staging a past moment to look natural, Malachi is sleeping and I like to let sleeping monsters lie.
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   Hasta.