Well, I started out the morning around 6 am with a rather UNthankful attitude. So instead of sharing about teething, biting, weaning, colds, and other things that I'm NOT as thankful for, I'll move on to what I AM thankful for.
I'm thankful for my sweet baby! Last Thanksgiving, I was hugely, uncomfortably, 39 weeks pregnant. My delivery was smooth, and other than acid reflux and one ear infection, which are minor in the grand scheme of things, Z hasn't had any health problems. And he'll be a year old next week! And my life has changed SO much because of the things I've learned in parenting Z.
I'm thankful for my patient, loving Hubby. He is so good to let me have time to relax when I need it...every night he gives Z a bath so that I can have a few minutes to myself. And he listens to me...and that's huge, because I talk A LOT. :) He does a lot of other things for us, too, like working to provide, shoveling the steps, cleaning off the car, plowing the driveway...
I'm thankful for the ministry God has led us to at the camp. I'm thankful that Hubby's 'job' isn't just a dead end, but it's an opportunity to serve God in every little task we do. I'm thankful for MY job, only part-time, I can bring Z with me and he can be a part of our ministry, too. It's perfect.
I'm thankful that we're not rich. (say what???) No, really. I'm thankful that we're not rich. I remember a few years ago, when Hubby and I were first married, I was talking to my MIL, who is infinitely wise...plus she reads my blog, so I'd better say something good... just kidding, Mom! :) No, really, though, as an aside, that's something else I'm thankful for- a great relationship with all of Hubby's family! Anyway, I was talking to my MIL, who has been a pastor's wife for about 25 years, and I remember saying to her, "I'm not asking to be RICH, I just don't want to STRUGGLE so much." And I will never forget what she said- "You know, sometimes I think God allows us to struggle so that we will learn to depend on Him." And that is so true. I've learned a lot about leaning on God and His provision for us has been amazing. And if we were rich, and didn't NEED anything, we wouldn't have been able to see God provide EVERYTHING we needed for our little Z. So many people have given us toys, clothes, and furniture for him, I haven't had to buy hardly anything.
I'm thankful that I have a family to be home with, in a warm house, with an extravagantly (hopefully) delicious dinner to savor together.
On a more practical note, I have never cooked a turkey before. Or stuffing. The mashed potatoes I should have down, but I'm praying about that turkey. :)
Enjoy your Thanksgiving, and for a unique perspective on giving thanks even when we don't feel like it, check out Angie's post. I cried and laughed, and was reminded how important it is to submit to God.
Thursday, November 27, 2008
Wednesday, November 26, 2008
Our Vacation- Part 2
Wow, we've been home from vacation for a week and a half now...it's hard to remember everything that happened! :) In my last post, I wrote about the camp conference, and driving down to Hubby's youngest brother's house in Chattanooga, TN, with Hubby's middle brother & his wife (A&A).
So we got to Chattanooga around 8:30, and Z had screamed for about an hour earlier in the evening while Hubby & brother were trying to have a conversation. Us lucky ladies got to ride in the screaming-free car. :) We met Hubby's youngest brother & wife (J&E) at BW3's (which, by the way, if anyone knows why it's nicknamed that, since there's only 2 W's in Wild Wings, I'd love to know), and we ordered some food, but Z was a little scared of Hubby's youngest brother, having not seen him for a while, and Z was tired & grouchy & wanted down...so us girls didn't stay too long, just long enough to eat, and then we headed to J&E's house.
Friday we all just hung out at the house, played games (typical for a family gathering), talked, played with Z. It was so fun & relaxing. On Saturday, J&E took us in to downtown Chattanooga - to the Art District, a cool coffeeshop, a walking bridge & to a cute carousel! Z rode the carousel & rode in the stroller & even took a nap while we walked around. It was so much fun, and such a cool downtown area! The weather was gorgeous- probably in the upper 50s or so- WONDERFUL considering it was probably snowing here at the time. :) When we got home that afternoon, I started feeling a little yucky, but sometimes I get nauseous headaches, so I attributed it to that...until I got sick. And I NEVER get sick like that. Even during my pregnancy, I never hurled. But I had the FLU. Yuck. Then, during the night, my SIL E got the flu...then in the early morning, A&A left for home, but only made it an hour down the road, and stopped at a hotel, because BIL A had the flu. I felt so yucky on Sunday, but we had to pack up & head to Nashville, because our reservation started that day...we managed, and actually by Sunday night I was feeling a lot better, and able to eat some crackers & soup. Thankfully it seems it was just a 24-hour bug, and I was back to about 90 percent by Monday! Hubby was only sick during one night, and a little nauseous the next day (Sun. nite & Mon.), so thankfully he didn't have it too bad!
Nashville was fun- someone had given us a week at a condo resort place, so our suite was really nice- Z had his own room, and we had a whirlpool tub in our master suite. Love it! :) I probably took 10 baths in the week we were there. :) We enjoyed relaxing as a family, taking Z to swim in the WARM pool, and playing on the resort playground- just swinging, mostly. One of the highlights of our Nashville trip was taking Z to his first zoo! He liked the animals that were active, like the meerkats & this one stork. But the animals that were just laying around, he wasn't really sure what he was supposed to be looking at, and it was kind of a cool, wet day, so some of the animals were kind of boring...but overall I think we had a good time. Hubby & I enjoyed the zoo, too, probably more than Z!
After a week in Nashville, we had to come home, and our trip home was NASTY. By the time we got to Cleveland, it was snowing, and it took us 4 hours to come the last 90 miles. Then, after we got our stuff unloaded into the house, and I was getting Z down to sleep, the power went out. And stayed out for half the night. And came back on. And went back off. Thankfully, our house didn't get too cold before it finally came on to stay around 4 am. But we were wishing we would've just stopped at a hotel, that's for sure. :)
It was fun to be gone on vacation, but nothing beats being home.
So we got to Chattanooga around 8:30, and Z had screamed for about an hour earlier in the evening while Hubby & brother were trying to have a conversation. Us lucky ladies got to ride in the screaming-free car. :) We met Hubby's youngest brother & wife (J&E) at BW3's (which, by the way, if anyone knows why it's nicknamed that, since there's only 2 W's in Wild Wings, I'd love to know), and we ordered some food, but Z was a little scared of Hubby's youngest brother, having not seen him for a while, and Z was tired & grouchy & wanted down...so us girls didn't stay too long, just long enough to eat, and then we headed to J&E's house.
Friday we all just hung out at the house, played games (typical for a family gathering), talked, played with Z. It was so fun & relaxing. On Saturday, J&E took us in to downtown Chattanooga - to the Art District, a cool coffeeshop, a walking bridge & to a cute carousel! Z rode the carousel & rode in the stroller & even took a nap while we walked around. It was so much fun, and such a cool downtown area! The weather was gorgeous- probably in the upper 50s or so- WONDERFUL considering it was probably snowing here at the time. :) When we got home that afternoon, I started feeling a little yucky, but sometimes I get nauseous headaches, so I attributed it to that...until I got sick. And I NEVER get sick like that. Even during my pregnancy, I never hurled. But I had the FLU. Yuck. Then, during the night, my SIL E got the flu...then in the early morning, A&A left for home, but only made it an hour down the road, and stopped at a hotel, because BIL A had the flu. I felt so yucky on Sunday, but we had to pack up & head to Nashville, because our reservation started that day...we managed, and actually by Sunday night I was feeling a lot better, and able to eat some crackers & soup. Thankfully it seems it was just a 24-hour bug, and I was back to about 90 percent by Monday! Hubby was only sick during one night, and a little nauseous the next day (Sun. nite & Mon.), so thankfully he didn't have it too bad!
Nashville was fun- someone had given us a week at a condo resort place, so our suite was really nice- Z had his own room, and we had a whirlpool tub in our master suite. Love it! :) I probably took 10 baths in the week we were there. :) We enjoyed relaxing as a family, taking Z to swim in the WARM pool, and playing on the resort playground- just swinging, mostly. One of the highlights of our Nashville trip was taking Z to his first zoo! He liked the animals that were active, like the meerkats & this one stork. But the animals that were just laying around, he wasn't really sure what he was supposed to be looking at, and it was kind of a cool, wet day, so some of the animals were kind of boring...but overall I think we had a good time. Hubby & I enjoyed the zoo, too, probably more than Z!
After a week in Nashville, we had to come home, and our trip home was NASTY. By the time we got to Cleveland, it was snowing, and it took us 4 hours to come the last 90 miles. Then, after we got our stuff unloaded into the house, and I was getting Z down to sleep, the power went out. And stayed out for half the night. And came back on. And went back off. Thankfully, our house didn't get too cold before it finally came on to stay around 4 am. But we were wishing we would've just stopped at a hotel, that's for sure. :)
It was fun to be gone on vacation, but nothing beats being home.
Thursday, November 20, 2008
Our Vacation- Part 1
Our vacation started out with a 7-hour drive to Southern Ohio for a camp conference. We left after church on Sunday, and drove through the afternoon. With stops for the baby to stretch & eat & all, we got there around 8:15 that Sunday night. The conference was held at Scioto Hills Camp, where hubby & I worked for a couple of years, so it was neat to see the changes they had made, and see everybody we used to work with, too. Hubby's brother & wife work at a camp in Iowa that also attends this conference, and the thoughtful S.H. staff put them in the room RIGHT next to us! So that was a lot of fun.
On Monday morning, we got up and hopped on a tour bus headed to Cincinnatti. We were nervous about how Z would act on the bus, but he did fine- slept some, played some, wasn't too fussy, and NO screaming, thankfully. After about three hours, we finally arrived at the Creation Museum. First, we all had to get our tickets (since we had a group of about 80 people there), and then take a group picture. After that, we got to enjoy the museum. It was amazing. The indoor, walk-through part is so neat. If you're a person who really enjoys informational reading, there's plenty of signs to read, and if you're not, there's lots of visual displays, life-size animals, plants, a life-size Garden of Eden, life-size dinosaur models, even a life-size model of 1 percent of the ark. It was a great experience. And then we went outside- there are fun bouncy bridges to walk on, paths & trails with flowers all around, and a petting zoo with a camel, goats, a pig, llamas, donkeys, sheep, etc. Z was a little unsure of the llama, but liked the sheep & goats.
We returned to the camp that evening, and Z slept the WHOLE way back- three hours- on the bus- thankfully! Tuesday morning, the actual camping conference began- the camp held different workshops about camping, including a workshop that Hubby & I attended on the challenges and rewards of raising children at camp. Hosted by Roger Williams, who is the director of Mount Hermon Camp in California, AND the father of Joy Williams. Heard of her? I have! :) It was really cool to hear about raising camp kids from someone who has been there & raised kids who love the Lord & serve Him. The SH staff had thought through the childcare aspect of the conference really well, so everyone with children under 2 were in the same lodge, with the childcare held in the middle room of said lodge. So Z could take a nap even if I was in a workshop, and I ended up getting to go to all the sessions & workshops, so that was very nice.
Of course, the best part of the conference is getting to see all of our friends from other camps (Hubby has been to 6 of these, and this was my 4th conference). And going back to our old 'stomping-grounds' to see how they've updated & even remodeled parts of the camp was really neat, too.
The conference was supposed to end after an early lunch on Thursday so that everyone could get on the road. But the speaker, the afore-mentioned Roger, needed a ride to Cincinnatti to catch his plane, and had to leave at 11. We were originally planning to drive down to Hubby's youngest brother's house in TN with Hubby's middle brother, and I was pretty excited about driving down together... but Hubby wanted to help the speaker out, and it was only an hour or so out of our way, so we ended up volunteering to leave early and take him to Cincinnatti. I wasn't overly thrilled about missing out on the drive with his brother & his wife, but I reluctantly agreed when I heard that no one else had offered to take him. He and Hubby ended up having good conversation the whole way there. The kicker, though, was that when we arrived at the airport, Roger said, "Thank you for allowing me to borrow your husband for these couple of hours". I was like... "uh, yeah, no problem..." with my head down in shame...I can be so selfish sometimes!!! We ended up being able to meet up with Hubby's brother & his wife a couple hours down the road anyway, and I rode with my SIL, and we had a great time talking & LAUGHING after all. :)
Alright, I'm going to close this post here...and work on another one to tell you about the rest of our trip. It may be another week before I get around to it, though, I'm warning you... :) Have a great Thanksgiving, all!
On Monday morning, we got up and hopped on a tour bus headed to Cincinnatti. We were nervous about how Z would act on the bus, but he did fine- slept some, played some, wasn't too fussy, and NO screaming, thankfully. After about three hours, we finally arrived at the Creation Museum. First, we all had to get our tickets (since we had a group of about 80 people there), and then take a group picture. After that, we got to enjoy the museum. It was amazing. The indoor, walk-through part is so neat. If you're a person who really enjoys informational reading, there's plenty of signs to read, and if you're not, there's lots of visual displays, life-size animals, plants, a life-size Garden of Eden, life-size dinosaur models, even a life-size model of 1 percent of the ark. It was a great experience. And then we went outside- there are fun bouncy bridges to walk on, paths & trails with flowers all around, and a petting zoo with a camel, goats, a pig, llamas, donkeys, sheep, etc. Z was a little unsure of the llama, but liked the sheep & goats.
We returned to the camp that evening, and Z slept the WHOLE way back- three hours- on the bus- thankfully! Tuesday morning, the actual camping conference began- the camp held different workshops about camping, including a workshop that Hubby & I attended on the challenges and rewards of raising children at camp. Hosted by Roger Williams, who is the director of Mount Hermon Camp in California, AND the father of Joy Williams. Heard of her? I have! :) It was really cool to hear about raising camp kids from someone who has been there & raised kids who love the Lord & serve Him. The SH staff had thought through the childcare aspect of the conference really well, so everyone with children under 2 were in the same lodge, with the childcare held in the middle room of said lodge. So Z could take a nap even if I was in a workshop, and I ended up getting to go to all the sessions & workshops, so that was very nice.
Of course, the best part of the conference is getting to see all of our friends from other camps (Hubby has been to 6 of these, and this was my 4th conference). And going back to our old 'stomping-grounds' to see how they've updated & even remodeled parts of the camp was really neat, too.
The conference was supposed to end after an early lunch on Thursday so that everyone could get on the road. But the speaker, the afore-mentioned Roger, needed a ride to Cincinnatti to catch his plane, and had to leave at 11. We were originally planning to drive down to Hubby's youngest brother's house in TN with Hubby's middle brother, and I was pretty excited about driving down together... but Hubby wanted to help the speaker out, and it was only an hour or so out of our way, so we ended up volunteering to leave early and take him to Cincinnatti. I wasn't overly thrilled about missing out on the drive with his brother & his wife, but I reluctantly agreed when I heard that no one else had offered to take him. He and Hubby ended up having good conversation the whole way there. The kicker, though, was that when we arrived at the airport, Roger said, "Thank you for allowing me to borrow your husband for these couple of hours". I was like... "uh, yeah, no problem..." with my head down in shame...I can be so selfish sometimes!!! We ended up being able to meet up with Hubby's brother & his wife a couple hours down the road anyway, and I rode with my SIL, and we had a great time talking & LAUGHING after all. :)
Alright, I'm going to close this post here...and work on another one to tell you about the rest of our trip. It may be another week before I get around to it, though, I'm warning you... :) Have a great Thanksgiving, all!
Monday, November 17, 2008
Happy International Babywearing Week!
November 12-18 is International Babywearing Week, and I've mentioned on here and on Twitter that I love wearing Z in a baby backpack while I work up at camp. It's also fun to wear him on walks, and when I wear him and vacuum, he doesn't cry nearly as much (he's doing better with loud noises, but the vacuum still intimidates him).
I'm relatively new to the whole babywearing arena, and didn't wear Z much when he was little, but I'm doing my research so that if another little one comes along someday, I'll be prepared, and I'm looking forward to wearing the next baby, hopefully in some kind of sling, wrap or mei tai. There are SO many more types of babywearing devices than I ever knew! Thanks, Stephanie, for opening up my eyes! :)
Here are Zachary and I on a walk around camp. I have a backpack that I got at a garage sale, and he loves it! If you can tell in the bottom picture, it has a metal frame which you can't feel when you're wearing it (the straps are really soft & comfy), but he loves it because he can stand up on the bottom bar & feel more active while he's riding. :)
I love babywearing because it keeps my baby calm & happy & close to me while I'm working- it's fun for him and me, and it's efficient.
To read about more people's adventures in babywearing, check out this post!
Oh, and I have lots of vacation/conference/24-hour flu adventures to share, so hopefully I'll get some posts written in the next few days. Okay, who am I kidding- I'll aim for one post in the next week. :)
I'm relatively new to the whole babywearing arena, and didn't wear Z much when he was little, but I'm doing my research so that if another little one comes along someday, I'll be prepared, and I'm looking forward to wearing the next baby, hopefully in some kind of sling, wrap or mei tai. There are SO many more types of babywearing devices than I ever knew! Thanks, Stephanie, for opening up my eyes! :)
Here are Zachary and I on a walk around camp. I have a backpack that I got at a garage sale, and he loves it! If you can tell in the bottom picture, it has a metal frame which you can't feel when you're wearing it (the straps are really soft & comfy), but he loves it because he can stand up on the bottom bar & feel more active while he's riding. :) I love babywearing because it keeps my baby calm & happy & close to me while I'm working- it's fun for him and me, and it's efficient.
To read about more people's adventures in babywearing, check out this post!
Oh, and I have lots of vacation/conference/24-hour flu adventures to share, so hopefully I'll get some posts written in the next few days. Okay, who am I kidding- I'll aim for one post in the next week. :)
Thursday, October 30, 2008
Ashamed
I'm ashamed of myself today.
Little Z woke up around 6:45, which with us keeping him up a little later each night to prepare for the time change this Sunday, amounted to about 6:15 adjusted time. He was so tired while nursing that he could hardly keep his eyes open, but when I put him back in his bed, he played and played and refused to go back to sleep. Instead of spending time in prayer, I checked my email. Why? I don't know. So I finally got him back up around 7:45, and was grouchy at him for not going back to sleep.
Then Hubby came down the hall asking for a bucket. Apparently he was awakened by drips of water from our bedroom ceiling. Why today? I don't know. A branch fell on our house about two months ago, and it hasn't leaked at all until today.
Then I decided that I needed to go shopping for some clothes, and spend some of my birthday money, and we needed to leave right away. Why? I have no idea. So I hurried to get myself and Z ready to go, and headed out the door as quickly as possible. I ran some errands, and then went to the Big K to see what their fall clothes looked like. Z was very good through the first round of shopping, but during the 'trying-on' phase of the trip, he started getting really fussy. And I was rather impatient and frustrated with him. And after I left the dressing room, after snapping at my little sweetheart, I saw a mother rudely snapping at her son, who was riding in the cart, and I realized I was acting just like her. (On a side note, this child was at least two or three years old, and was drinking milk from a BOTTLE. Does anyone else think this is wierd???)
When we finally left the Big K, I was tired, Z was fussy, and we still had to go to Wally-World to pick up some things (okay, a lot of things) for me and Hubby, including groceries. Z actually behaved very well in Wally-World, and I hurried through the rest of our shopping and even managed to surprise my husband by having time to get us Subway for lunch. But after we got to the car, and drove home, and ate, even after Z took a nap, and I was relaxing in front of the computer, I was just whupped. I was still grouchy, and just worn out from my grouchiness and Z's grouchiness.
Then I checked my facebook page. A friend's page said that his child had both been born and passed away today. "She came and touched our hearts and now she's running in heaven" his page said. And I cried. And I was ashamed of myself. God has given me SO much. I am so blessed to have my husband and my son, and I don't thank God enough. Instead, I snap at my son when he won't sit still in the cart in the Big K dressing room. And I fuss at my hubby for tracking mud around the house and cluttering up my kitchen counter when others wish they had the opportunity to clean up after their husbands for just one more day.
And I remembered that this contentment thing? I have NOT arrived. Contentment and Christlikeness are lifelong processes. And, oh, yes, He's still working on me!
Little Z woke up around 6:45, which with us keeping him up a little later each night to prepare for the time change this Sunday, amounted to about 6:15 adjusted time. He was so tired while nursing that he could hardly keep his eyes open, but when I put him back in his bed, he played and played and refused to go back to sleep. Instead of spending time in prayer, I checked my email. Why? I don't know. So I finally got him back up around 7:45, and was grouchy at him for not going back to sleep.
Then Hubby came down the hall asking for a bucket. Apparently he was awakened by drips of water from our bedroom ceiling. Why today? I don't know. A branch fell on our house about two months ago, and it hasn't leaked at all until today.
Then I decided that I needed to go shopping for some clothes, and spend some of my birthday money, and we needed to leave right away. Why? I have no idea. So I hurried to get myself and Z ready to go, and headed out the door as quickly as possible. I ran some errands, and then went to the Big K to see what their fall clothes looked like. Z was very good through the first round of shopping, but during the 'trying-on' phase of the trip, he started getting really fussy. And I was rather impatient and frustrated with him. And after I left the dressing room, after snapping at my little sweetheart, I saw a mother rudely snapping at her son, who was riding in the cart, and I realized I was acting just like her. (On a side note, this child was at least two or three years old, and was drinking milk from a BOTTLE. Does anyone else think this is wierd???)
When we finally left the Big K, I was tired, Z was fussy, and we still had to go to Wally-World to pick up some things (okay, a lot of things) for me and Hubby, including groceries. Z actually behaved very well in Wally-World, and I hurried through the rest of our shopping and even managed to surprise my husband by having time to get us Subway for lunch. But after we got to the car, and drove home, and ate, even after Z took a nap, and I was relaxing in front of the computer, I was just whupped. I was still grouchy, and just worn out from my grouchiness and Z's grouchiness.
Then I checked my facebook page. A friend's page said that his child had both been born and passed away today. "She came and touched our hearts and now she's running in heaven" his page said. And I cried. And I was ashamed of myself. God has given me SO much. I am so blessed to have my husband and my son, and I don't thank God enough. Instead, I snap at my son when he won't sit still in the cart in the Big K dressing room. And I fuss at my hubby for tracking mud around the house and cluttering up my kitchen counter when others wish they had the opportunity to clean up after their husbands for just one more day.
And I remembered that this contentment thing? I have NOT arrived. Contentment and Christlikeness are lifelong processes. And, oh, yes, He's still working on me!
Thursday, October 23, 2008
What is going on? Good question.
I have not blogged in forever. I will attempt to update all of my loyal readers on my life with a numbered list. Because I'm tired.
1. Little man is 10 months old. He's been eating a lot of LEAVES lately. That can't be good for the digestive tract. Never thought I'd be saying, "No, no, we don't eat leaves. Leaves are yucky. Yucky." in my life as many times as I have this week. He now says "all done", which is cute. He says it when we shut a door or leave a room or just whenever he feels like it. "Ah-gee" (pronounced with a hard g, not 'jee') means animal or person or anything else he deems exciting. He's not walking yet, but he may as well be- he can stand up almost on his own & he's into everything. Including all leaves & rocks within reach.
2. We still have a mouse. I am just defeated in the mouse area. I just give up. I stopped looking at what they have eaten in my pantry. I try to move the glue traps around to try to catch him, but I'm done worrying about it. It's so yucky. If I think about it too much, I may have a nervous breakdown. So I'm ignoring it & hoping it will just go away. Or eat some of my cooking and die.
3. I don't really have much else to post about. But I thought a number 3 would be appropriate. I'll post again when I have more awake brain cells to aid me in my writing.
1. Little man is 10 months old. He's been eating a lot of LEAVES lately. That can't be good for the digestive tract. Never thought I'd be saying, "No, no, we don't eat leaves. Leaves are yucky. Yucky." in my life as many times as I have this week. He now says "all done", which is cute. He says it when we shut a door or leave a room or just whenever he feels like it. "Ah-gee" (pronounced with a hard g, not 'jee') means animal or person or anything else he deems exciting. He's not walking yet, but he may as well be- he can stand up almost on his own & he's into everything. Including all leaves & rocks within reach.
2. We still have a mouse. I am just defeated in the mouse area. I just give up. I stopped looking at what they have eaten in my pantry. I try to move the glue traps around to try to catch him, but I'm done worrying about it. It's so yucky. If I think about it too much, I may have a nervous breakdown. So I'm ignoring it & hoping it will just go away. Or eat some of my cooking and die.
3. I don't really have much else to post about. But I thought a number 3 would be appropriate. I'll post again when I have more awake brain cells to aid me in my writing.
Saturday, October 18, 2008
Mousie Update
Yeah, so the mice are NOT gone. They are still here, taunting me and holding the tattered remnants of my sanity hostage.
The day after I wrote the above post, I saw another mouse, and the next morning woke up to find him trapped in a box trap - the kind where they walk in & can't get out. The next day, after that mouse had been trapped & I had re-cleaned my kitchen, I found more mousie evidence. And more yesterday.
So I laid out more glue traps around the kitchen, but no luck so far. I know, this really should not be this big of a deal, but it's just so GROSS. I'm back to hearing mice scratch at Z's baby monitor at 3 am, and thinking they're running over me in my sleep. No dreams yet, but I'll keep you posted.
It is never boring in our house. :)
The day after I wrote the above post, I saw another mouse, and the next morning woke up to find him trapped in a box trap - the kind where they walk in & can't get out. The next day, after that mouse had been trapped & I had re-cleaned my kitchen, I found more mousie evidence. And more yesterday.
So I laid out more glue traps around the kitchen, but no luck so far. I know, this really should not be this big of a deal, but it's just so GROSS. I'm back to hearing mice scratch at Z's baby monitor at 3 am, and thinking they're running over me in my sleep. No dreams yet, but I'll keep you posted.
It is never boring in our house. :)
Tuesday, October 14, 2008
Mousie Saga
Well, we have had quite the adventure in our house these last couple of weeks. Before we left on our vacation (sorry, that's part of the reason I haven't posted for so long!), I spied a mouse running around in our living room. Then we went to Iowa, visited our families, came back, and the mouse was still here.
In the past, we've always had cats, sometimes several cats at one time, who lived around & under our house & ate the mice before they got into the house. So I haven't really had to deal with mice overly much. But, as those of you who have experienced mice in your house know, they are SOOOO destructive. They eat through any kind of plastic or paper bag or box, eating & contaminating any food found inside, and they pulverize any kind of fabric or stuffing (potholders, blankets, sweaters) to make nests. Not to mention the thousands of little pieces of 'mousie evidence' that will be found anywhere they've made an appearance.
After being home from vacation a couple days and seeing the mouse several times, and finding many chewed & eaten things in my kitchen, I was totally disgusted and beginning to lose my mind. I couldn't sleep at night because I was imagining the mouse running over me (or worse, my 10-month old) in bed. I dreamed of mice & rats chasing me through the house & even getting caught in my vacuum. I thought I heard the mouse scratching at Z's end of the baby monitor. I jumped at every noise I heard come from anywhere near my cabinets, every creak of the house. It was ridiculous.
We bought the plastic snap traps, and a box trap that they're supposed to walk into & not be able to get out of. The mouse deftly avoided them and, in fact, ate the peanut butter OUT of the plastic traps without being snapped. The only time those traps snapped was when I was trying to load them. Can't you just see the mouse holding the trap open with his front paws while eating the peanut butter? Yech.
Finally, at the store yesterday, we bought some glue traps. These are sticky little pools that the mouse will get stuck in & not be able to get out. Someone recommended them to us. So we bought 8. I opened the top kitchen cabinet, above my head, to put the first one in, only to see the mouse peering down at me from a stack of my potholders. I considered throwing the glue trap AT the mouse, but instead I decided to scream, slam the door, and scare the baby, who began to cry. Much more effective.
When Hubby came home, I asked him to put the glue traps in the cabinet, which he was able to do successfully, without seeing the mouse. A couple hours later, I heard something moving around in the cabinet, and asked Joel to check the traps. He opened the door, and the mouse was sitting NEXT to one of the traps, staring at us. I screamed, burst into tears & proceeded to rant in detail about how I was losing my mind, and why was the mouse sitting NEXT to the trap, and when would he ever DIE already, and how MUCH of my STUFF would he EAT before it was over. How pathetic am I?
Anyway, this morning, Hubby checked the traps again, and found the little critter FINALLY stuck to one of the traps. Hallelujah. It was actually kind of cute, just sitting there looking at us, when we knew it couldn't get us. I said this to Hubby & he gave me the wierdest look. It said, "Seriously?" :) Hubby doesn't like touching mice, but he managed to get the trap into a plastic bag & throw it in the camp's dumpster!!! I think I did a jig when the mouse was gone. It remains to be seen whether he was our one & only mouse, or whether he brought friends and family. The remaining glue traps will be staying in their positions, at the ready. Just in case.
So overall, along with a small portion of my sanity, which may have been questionable to begin with, I lost a bag of rice, some navy beans, some peanut butter crackers & Saltines, breath mints, a bottle of sprinkles, two potholders and a kitchen towel. SO FAR. Hopefully this was a solo job and I won't find more stuff chewed into. Blech. So there's your disgusting story for the week.
In the past, we've always had cats, sometimes several cats at one time, who lived around & under our house & ate the mice before they got into the house. So I haven't really had to deal with mice overly much. But, as those of you who have experienced mice in your house know, they are SOOOO destructive. They eat through any kind of plastic or paper bag or box, eating & contaminating any food found inside, and they pulverize any kind of fabric or stuffing (potholders, blankets, sweaters) to make nests. Not to mention the thousands of little pieces of 'mousie evidence' that will be found anywhere they've made an appearance.
After being home from vacation a couple days and seeing the mouse several times, and finding many chewed & eaten things in my kitchen, I was totally disgusted and beginning to lose my mind. I couldn't sleep at night because I was imagining the mouse running over me (or worse, my 10-month old) in bed. I dreamed of mice & rats chasing me through the house & even getting caught in my vacuum. I thought I heard the mouse scratching at Z's end of the baby monitor. I jumped at every noise I heard come from anywhere near my cabinets, every creak of the house. It was ridiculous.
We bought the plastic snap traps, and a box trap that they're supposed to walk into & not be able to get out of. The mouse deftly avoided them and, in fact, ate the peanut butter OUT of the plastic traps without being snapped. The only time those traps snapped was when I was trying to load them. Can't you just see the mouse holding the trap open with his front paws while eating the peanut butter? Yech.
Finally, at the store yesterday, we bought some glue traps. These are sticky little pools that the mouse will get stuck in & not be able to get out. Someone recommended them to us. So we bought 8. I opened the top kitchen cabinet, above my head, to put the first one in, only to see the mouse peering down at me from a stack of my potholders. I considered throwing the glue trap AT the mouse, but instead I decided to scream, slam the door, and scare the baby, who began to cry. Much more effective.
When Hubby came home, I asked him to put the glue traps in the cabinet, which he was able to do successfully, without seeing the mouse. A couple hours later, I heard something moving around in the cabinet, and asked Joel to check the traps. He opened the door, and the mouse was sitting NEXT to one of the traps, staring at us. I screamed, burst into tears & proceeded to rant in detail about how I was losing my mind, and why was the mouse sitting NEXT to the trap, and when would he ever DIE already, and how MUCH of my STUFF would he EAT before it was over. How pathetic am I?
Anyway, this morning, Hubby checked the traps again, and found the little critter FINALLY stuck to one of the traps. Hallelujah. It was actually kind of cute, just sitting there looking at us, when we knew it couldn't get us. I said this to Hubby & he gave me the wierdest look. It said, "Seriously?" :) Hubby doesn't like touching mice, but he managed to get the trap into a plastic bag & throw it in the camp's dumpster!!! I think I did a jig when the mouse was gone. It remains to be seen whether he was our one & only mouse, or whether he brought friends and family. The remaining glue traps will be staying in their positions, at the ready. Just in case.
So overall, along with a small portion of my sanity, which may have been questionable to begin with, I lost a bag of rice, some navy beans, some peanut butter crackers & Saltines, breath mints, a bottle of sprinkles, two potholders and a kitchen towel. SO FAR. Hopefully this was a solo job and I won't find more stuff chewed into. Blech. So there's your disgusting story for the week.
Wednesday, September 24, 2008
Pooh, Golf Carts, and Marriage
It was the summer of 2001. Hubby and I had been dating for almost two years, and in Bible College years, that's a LONG time for a couple to be together before getting engaged. And boy, did I know it. I REALLY wanted to be engaged.
Hubby is really good at surprising me- he always goes out of his way to let me know ahead of time that we just don't have the money/time/whatever for something right now, and I (of course) always respond kindly, "Oh, alright, honey, I completely understand." Ahem. Let's get back to reality. Anyway...after we discuss said item and decide together that we truly don't need it, he usually surprises me with it soon after our conversation (not EVERYTHING I want, just some things- didn't want you all to think I'm spoiled or anything *wink wink*).
So, back to that summer, 2001...Hubby's family was getting together for a 'family camp' at his grandparent's house in northern Iowa. He had driven all night from his home in Ohio to join his family for a few days, and he stopped to pick me up at my eastern Iowa home on the way. We were so glad to see each other in the middle of a difficult summer apart. However, he was completely exhausted by the time we got to his grandparents house. I encouraged him to go take a nap, but first he wanted to take a ride on his grandpa's golf cart around the countryside and exchange the gifts we had brought for each other. We used to exchange little gifts for our 'month-iversaries' of dating. Weren't we just so unbearably cute?
So he went and got the golf cart, and pulled his gift for me out of the trunk. It was a huge box. I was a little embarassed because my gift for him was in a little tiny box. I don't remember exactly what my gift was. Maybe a t-shirt? I think there was definitely a Broncos mini-koosh ball involved. Anyhoo, we rode down to the creek in the golf cart and exchanged gifts. He opened his first, and was appropriately pleased, I'm sure.
Then I opened mine. Let me preface this gift by saying that I LOVED (and still do love) Winnie the Pooh. Having said that, my gift was a huge stuffed Pooh bear that talked. It was holding a green velvety ring box, which I got all excited about. I opened the ring box, and inside was a key ring and a smiley face sticker. I was not thrilled. Note to any guys who may be reading: when your girlfriend REALLY wants to be engaged, it is NOT a fun joke to pretend to propose to her. Not funny. Okay? Now that we've got that settled...
Thankfully, I was not too grouchy about the joke, though, because next we noticed that Pooh wasn't talking like he was supposed to. So Hubby said, "Let's turn it over & look where the batteries go in. Maybe that will help." So we did. And inside the battery compartment was a beautiful gold-wrapped box that actually contained MY ring. And Hubby got down on one knee in the mud next to the golf cart and asked me to marry him. Through tears of joy, I agreed. Although I suppose you could've inferred that from the fact that I refer to him as 'hubby'.
So, yes, I got engaged on a golf cart, holding a large Winnie-the-Pooh while my hubby knelt in the mud to propose to me. When you put it that way, I guess it doesn't sound very romantic- but I suppose you would just have to know me. :) It was truly a moment to remember for the rest of our lives.
A few weeks ago, we should've celebrated nine years of being together- dating, engaged, married, what have you all combined. Except we both totally forgot about it and just realized it the other day. So happy belated nine years together, hubby! :) And hope we will celebrate MANY more in the future! I love you! :)
Hubby is really good at surprising me- he always goes out of his way to let me know ahead of time that we just don't have the money/time/whatever for something right now, and I (of course) always respond kindly, "Oh, alright, honey, I completely understand." Ahem. Let's get back to reality. Anyway...after we discuss said item and decide together that we truly don't need it, he usually surprises me with it soon after our conversation (not EVERYTHING I want, just some things- didn't want you all to think I'm spoiled or anything *wink wink*).
So, back to that summer, 2001...Hubby's family was getting together for a 'family camp' at his grandparent's house in northern Iowa. He had driven all night from his home in Ohio to join his family for a few days, and he stopped to pick me up at my eastern Iowa home on the way. We were so glad to see each other in the middle of a difficult summer apart. However, he was completely exhausted by the time we got to his grandparents house. I encouraged him to go take a nap, but first he wanted to take a ride on his grandpa's golf cart around the countryside and exchange the gifts we had brought for each other. We used to exchange little gifts for our 'month-iversaries' of dating. Weren't we just so unbearably cute?
So he went and got the golf cart, and pulled his gift for me out of the trunk. It was a huge box. I was a little embarassed because my gift for him was in a little tiny box. I don't remember exactly what my gift was. Maybe a t-shirt? I think there was definitely a Broncos mini-koosh ball involved. Anyhoo, we rode down to the creek in the golf cart and exchanged gifts. He opened his first, and was appropriately pleased, I'm sure.
Then I opened mine. Let me preface this gift by saying that I LOVED (and still do love) Winnie the Pooh. Having said that, my gift was a huge stuffed Pooh bear that talked. It was holding a green velvety ring box, which I got all excited about. I opened the ring box, and inside was a key ring and a smiley face sticker. I was not thrilled. Note to any guys who may be reading: when your girlfriend REALLY wants to be engaged, it is NOT a fun joke to pretend to propose to her. Not funny. Okay? Now that we've got that settled...
Thankfully, I was not too grouchy about the joke, though, because next we noticed that Pooh wasn't talking like he was supposed to. So Hubby said, "Let's turn it over & look where the batteries go in. Maybe that will help." So we did. And inside the battery compartment was a beautiful gold-wrapped box that actually contained MY ring. And Hubby got down on one knee in the mud next to the golf cart and asked me to marry him. Through tears of joy, I agreed. Although I suppose you could've inferred that from the fact that I refer to him as 'hubby'.
So, yes, I got engaged on a golf cart, holding a large Winnie-the-Pooh while my hubby knelt in the mud to propose to me. When you put it that way, I guess it doesn't sound very romantic- but I suppose you would just have to know me. :) It was truly a moment to remember for the rest of our lives.
A few weeks ago, we should've celebrated nine years of being together- dating, engaged, married, what have you all combined. Except we both totally forgot about it and just realized it the other day. So happy belated nine years together, hubby! :) And hope we will celebrate MANY more in the future! I love you! :)
Monday, September 22, 2008
Chocolate Idols
Last night at church, our pastor made some comments about idol worship. The fact is that when we put anything ahead of Christ in our priorities, our life, our preferences, that thing is an idol. When we have a problem, and we turn to anything other than Christ for help and fulfillment, that thing is an idol.
I don't talk much about my weight struggle. It's pretty obvious to all who know me in person that I HAVE a weight struggle, but it's a pretty personal thing. Let me just say that part of my problem is that I am an emotional eater. Something happens to make me grouchy or tired, and the first thought that enters my mind is, "Do I have any chocolate/ice cream?" and "If so, where, and how much?".
Lately one of my major stressors is Little Z's teething. On days when he's teething, he's grouchy, and whiny, and sometimes melts down into screaming fits, and I just feel like I can't take it! And, of course, my first thought when this happens is 'CHOCOLATE'. Not to get down on my knees and ask God for an enormous dose of patience and wisdom. But chocolate. And so, in this instance, I am putting chocolate above God as an idol. And God is gently showing me that I need to choose instead to use food only as fuel for my body, not as an emotional band-aid.
God puts circumstances in our lives for a reason. Z's teething fits are a part of my life for a REASON. It's not because God wants to punish me or drive me insane, it's so that I can grow. Without difficult circumstances forcing me to examine the way I react to stress, and CHANGE that reaction by depending on God alone, there can be no growth.
So, wow, God, never thought I'd say this, but "Thanks for teething".
I don't talk much about my weight struggle. It's pretty obvious to all who know me in person that I HAVE a weight struggle, but it's a pretty personal thing. Let me just say that part of my problem is that I am an emotional eater. Something happens to make me grouchy or tired, and the first thought that enters my mind is, "Do I have any chocolate/ice cream?" and "If so, where, and how much?".
Lately one of my major stressors is Little Z's teething. On days when he's teething, he's grouchy, and whiny, and sometimes melts down into screaming fits, and I just feel like I can't take it! And, of course, my first thought when this happens is 'CHOCOLATE'. Not to get down on my knees and ask God for an enormous dose of patience and wisdom. But chocolate. And so, in this instance, I am putting chocolate above God as an idol. And God is gently showing me that I need to choose instead to use food only as fuel for my body, not as an emotional band-aid.
God puts circumstances in our lives for a reason. Z's teething fits are a part of my life for a REASON. It's not because God wants to punish me or drive me insane, it's so that I can grow. Without difficult circumstances forcing me to examine the way I react to stress, and CHANGE that reaction by depending on God alone, there can be no growth.
So, wow, God, never thought I'd say this, but "Thanks for teething".
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