Jumping Daisy

>Since it was actually nice and warm outside, and we don’t know when that will happen again, we took the time after work, before dark to carve our pumpkins!

Leila and I agreed, the insides of a pumpkin are gross.

Leila picked out the picture she wanted on the pumpkin, and was really enthusiastic about helping…for a while 🙂

What mommy was doing after Leila grew tired of pumpkins

Leave it to Cory to research an unconventional pumpkin carving method.
Daddy and Leila posing with the finished products

>This project has been brewing in my mind for quite some time. The house has long since been taken over by toys, and I really wanted to get my living room back to a state where maybe I could hide the toys well enough that the whole place didn’t look like a playroom. In order to do that, I had to make room for toys elsewhere…I think you know where this is going. I felt a little bit bad, but honestly, I gave up any “woman room” I may have had a long time ago. (No kitchen comments, that is not a woman room.)

Here is a shot of the play area that we set up in the “man room.” I made those pillows by recovering some old throw pillows in the style of a fleece tie blanket. Bright, colorful and soft. The toys were semi organized for about 15 seconds while I took this picture and then Leila promptly started dumping containers, and I tried to hold it together while all of my work was undone. 🙂

See, it isn’t all kid room!! Daddy still has his sports stuff, big TV and recliner, as long as he doesn’t look over his right shoulder, he can pretend he is in his old man room!

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>I turned 29 on the 15th. I don’t really like a fuss about my birthday, I am just not one to thrive on attention in most cases. I do think it is important that Leila learn that everyone has a special day, not just her, and she really enjoys spoiling mom and dad too so it works out well. Daddy took Leila shopping, and though she was less excited about the giant cookie birthday cake that she picked out when she was told that she would not be eating it immediately (I guess there was a bit of a meltdown in the mall), I can report that she was excited to give it to me on my birthday, so she must have gotten over it! 🙂

I woke up on my birthday to “Pioneer Woman” pancakes with strawberries and whipped cream. Made from scratch by my husband. This is the man who I begged to make me pancakes one morning about 4 years ago when I was pregnant with Leila. If you know Cory, you know that he is a pretty happy guy, kind of hard to rattle. Well that day four years ago he told me that he would NEVER attempt pancakes again, and I believed him because he was quite pissed off at his failed attempt at the perfect cake. Well, I guess his love knows no bounds because I feasted on some beautifully prepared pancakes, and I didn’t even have to ask. Not only was there a stack of flapjacks to greet me, but there was Diet Dr. Pepper on ice. How cute is this?

29 is no big deal. Every year and every day is a gift, the more I have, the more blessed I am. Thank you family for such a special day…I have to admit, the spoiling was kind of nice.

>Today I am reminded of something that my mom always used to say to us. “Why can’t I have anything for myself!?!” Sorry Mom, I feel your pain now.

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I read this book by Max Lucado a couple of weeks ago. I have recently started trying to focus more of my time on reading for relaxation and I picked up this book because I was having a hard time dealing with some tragic happenings. I decided today to post about this book, because as I read the book, I knew that I really enjoyed it, but now a couple of weeks removed from reading it, I am finding myself reflecting on some of the items that the author brings up, and really finding comfort in the tough things in life. If you are a Christian, you will enjoy this book, I can’t imagine that you wouldn’t. It was a very quick read, even with two little kids around and it was spiritually uplifting, educating and comforting.
Lucado writes about an experience that he had riding in some kind of military plane. It was very fast and very frightening. He writes about focusing on the pilot of his plane, who has been through this very flight many many times before. He focuses on the pilot and his experience to bring himself comfort though a very frightening experience for himself and he likens it to focusing on Christ through our hard times, and remembering that he has been here before, and he will bring us through one way or another. The book is full of these types of scenarios: A real life experience coupled with an account from the Gospels where Jesus has calmed a similar fear, and capped off with words of comfort and removal of fear. I checked this one out from the library, and I can see myself checking it out again. Either way, I will definitely be reading more of this author. I consider myself to be a “Christian Lite.” And this book appealed to me where a lot of Christian Literature seems judgmental and overbearing, this does not.
As I told my dad, each chapter of this book was like a really good church service without the music! 🙂

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>Yesterday after work Leila and I both got to experience our first time picking a pumpkin from a pumpkin patch. Not sure who enjoyed it more, but I have to say it was pretty exciting to find that perfect pumpkin to bring home! Since it was an impromptu trip, these are cell phone pictures so not great quality.

>What Leila Thinks of Mommy
Tuesday, October 13th, 2009

Last winter a lot of my Facebook friends were doing this with their little kids. At the time Leila was too little to really answer so I waited. Yesterday I felt the urge to give it a try, so here is my interview with Leila.

Here are Leila’s answers (she’s 3 and a half):
—————————————————————————–
What is something Mom always says to you?
I LOVE YOU

What makes Mom happy?
If I got her a Valentine

What makes Mom sad?
If some of her friends get sick.

How does your Mom make you laugh?
she tickles me

What was Mom like as a little girl?
She was a little kid

How old is your Mom?
It’s a pretty tricky one, I don’t know.

How tall is your Mom?
Like this size (holds her hands in front of her, one at her belly, one at her neck)

What is her favorite thing to do?
play with me

What does your Mom do when you’re not around?
She gets sad

What is your mom really good at?
She is good at yo-yoing

What is your mom not very good at?
At picking up fire on a shovel

What does your mom do for her job?
She watches me play

What is your mom’s favorite food?
dinner and breakfast

What makes you proud of your mom?
I really love her

If your mom was a cartoon character, who would she be?
A princess one

What do you and Mom do together?
We play with blocks

How are you and your mom the same?
Our eyes are brown

How are you and your mom different?
She have glasses on her

How do you know your mom loves you?
because she really loves to play with me

Where is your mom’s favorite place to go?
To the library

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Today was Thea’s dedication at church. Our church is a non denominational Christian church and we do not practice infant baptism. Instead we wait until the child makes the choice for himself and then they get a full on dunking. I remember my baptism and I am hoping that my daughters choose to be baptized as well, but I am happy to leave that up to them.
The dedication ceremony is our way of committing to raising Thea in a Christian home and to do our best to teach her to live as Christ would want. It is very important to me, because I take the pledge seriously. We may not have the best attendance record at church, and I do not claim to be a perfect example of Christian life, but it is important to me to do my best to live as Christ lived. Whether or not my children grow to have a strong faith in God, I want them to grow up thinking of others and practicing empathy and compassion, as Jesus did. We are so blessed to have our family and our congregation behind us as we all pledge to raise Thea in our Church family.

For this event, I requested one of my favorite of the traditional dedication songs, here are the lyrics:

I Was There to Hear Your Borning Cry

I was there to hear your borning cry,
I’ll be there when you are old.
I rejoiced the day you were baptized,
to see your life unfold.

I was there when you were but a child,
with a faith to suit you well;
In a blaze of light you wandered off
to find where demons dwell.

When you heard the wonder of the Word
I was there to cheer you on;
You were raised to praise the living Lord,
to whom you now belong.

If you find someone to share your time
and you join your hearts as one,
I’ll be there to make your verses rhyme
from dusk ’till rising sun.

In the middle ages of your life,
not too old, no longer young,
I’ll be there to guide you through the night,
complete what I’ve begun.

When the evening gently closes in,
and you shut your weary eyes,
I’ll be there as I have always been
with just one more surprise.

I was there to hear your borning cry,
I’ll be there when you are old.
I rejoiced the day you were baptized,
to see your life unfold.