Monday, April 11, 2011

Blog Revival

Alternate Title: I Just Keep Talking

Last week I dared myself to neglect the computer and this week I'm going to swing in the other direction. My poor blog is practically on life support and I'm challenging myself to revive it. So get ready for a steady stream of wordy mediocrity!

During Sunday school yesterday, Curtis quoted our missions pastor, William Taylor, who had once told him "I raised my kids to leave, not to stay." That's something that Curtis thinks about a lot. (I agree with it but I'm not having it painted on the playroom wall.) Curtis, in fact, left the nest at age 20 and flew twelve hours south to live in Houston, Texas. I am grateful that he planted his life in this city with me and I know that he has sacrificed a lot to do that. He has a wonderful, loving family that he doesn't get to see very much.

We had the great blessing of Curt's parents visiting us this weekend. They spoiled my kids with love and attention for three days. We had such a fabulous time.

Steve and Cozy drove down on Friday afternoon. That evening we took them to our favorite new restaurant where you can eat greasy organic burgers outside while the kids entertain themselves in a mound of sand. After everyone went to bed, Curtis and I snuck out of the house and saw Source Code, which I loved.

On Saturday morning we got up really early and drove to Chappell Hill, Texas, for the Bluebonnet Festival. (We went there three years ago when Jackson was exactly Annabeth's age.) We got there an hour early and it was great because there was no traffic, there were hardly any people around, and the vendors were already in action. The only downer was that there weren't a lot of bluebonnets due to the severe lack of rain in the area.

Late that afternoon we went to a gymnastics birthday party. The kids had the time of their lives. Annabeth was too young to really participate in Jackson's party at the same place last year, but she lived it up this time.

On Sunday morning we went to church. After that, we deviated from the norm of Pappasito's and went to El Tiempo for some Mexican food. I was so excited to find out that they serve breakfast on Sunday mornings! I got a breakfast taco, which was phenomenal, and a little pecan pancake. Next we went to The Dump to look at some furniture. No one bought anything, but I eyed a set of mirrored furniture for the guest room. It was supposedly marked down but still way too expensive.

After naps, we let the kids play with the water hose in the back yard. I let Annabeth wear her new swim suit without a diaper and I'll spare you the details of how that turned out.

Speaking of diapers, Annabeth has taken hers off at least seven times in the last week. Her sheets and blankets have been washed four times. Tonight she went to bed wearing a sweet duct tape belt. Perhaps this new habit is a sign that she is ready to be potty trained. However, I am not ready for the battle of wills that is going to take place when we embark upon that season of tribulation. So duct tape it is.

Lord, how did I get two strong willed children?

Oh, I forgot you were there.

On Sunday evening we went to dinner at California Pizza Kitchen. I had their Chinese salad, which is the greatest salad in all the world. My mother-in-law got the BLT pizza and, bless her heart, no one wanted to try a bite. I think it was the mayonnaise.

I am totally on a roll with interesting details tonight.

We made a quick trip to Target because Annabeth needed some spring shoes like yesterday. I bought three pairs for half the amount I would have spent on one wide pair at stupid Stride Rite. I'm so sick of the lack of selection and the high prices I supposedly need to pay for my kids' wide shoes. I think the Target shoes we ended up with will work, at least for a while. When we got home, Annabeth did a little fashion show of her spring and summer dresses paired with her new shoes. I have to say, I love this part of having a daughter.

The other thing I love about having a daughter is watching her care for her baby dolls. Her favorite thing to do is pull all the diapers and wipes out of their containers and "change" her babies. She makes me laugh. Except when I'm picking up the diapers for the third time or stuffing twenty wipes back in the box. I try to keep it all out of reach but that little turkey seizes every opportunity. She also really loves to carry one wipe around with her, sort of in the spirit of a handkerchief. She likes to blot her face with it.

This morning Annabeth brought one of her baby dolls in the car with us. She was strapped into her car seat - clearly, she's still my baby - and cradling the doll in her arms like a real infant. It broke my heart but in a good way. She just looked so innocent and sweet.

Well, my eyes are starting to blur and I'm sure yours are too. I'll be back tomorrow with more exciting, cutting edge content for you, dear reader! Realistically, it will probably consist of all the pictures my eyes are too blurry to look at right now.

39 comments:

Erin Ward said...

Sounds like a great weekend! And don't worry - I like all the boring details. It makes us miss you less! :)

Molly said...

She changes their diapers, ironically she is over hers. What a fun time!

Oh and don't feel bad Cozy, I probably would have ordered the same thing!

E said...

You have a sweet spirit and great sense of humor like your momma! I love your blog, Amanda!

Anonymous said...

reading your thoughts is just plain fun...love how you connect with words and have the gift of true expression of what's in your heart. loved source code too!

Angela said...

I hear ya on the pottery training! Is it really time??? I think I am to lazy! Hey, at least I am honest!

Hayley said...

I love the details - makes me feel we're normal! :)

My 2.5 yr old girlie uses the wipes as blankets for all her babies - I love walking in her room and seeing every stuffed animal and baby well taken care of. Then I re-box the wipes so the babies can dry.

kristyo15 said...

Don't ever comment, but had to laugh at your sweet girl taking off her diapers. My beautiful, strong willed 2 and a half year old daughter did the same thing...until, one of my friends showed me the cure all. Take the footed, zip up pajamas and cut the feet off...put them on backwards, and zip them up the back. It solved our problem, so I thought I'd share! :)

Unknown said...

So glad you are back to the blog world! We missed you.

Ashley said...

Overpriced mirrored furniture at "The Dump?" Awesome.

lavonda said...

At least you do enough on your blog for it to be on life support. :) I started one a while back, but cannot find the time to write on it. Then when I do find some time, I hesitate, not knowing what to say. (my step-son is sort of famous, so I always doubt myself with what to put out there for people to read. I guess I live in fear more than faith on that one.) So kuddos to you for doing what you do! You do it very well Amanda. Maybe I'll start with some pictures on my blog, just to get something going. You've inspired me!

re movies... you must go see Soul Surfer with your man. Great date night movie... based on a true story... infused with scripture and a great message... you will LOVE it. My 10 yr old said she wants to be a surfer after watching it. Except we live in North Georgia, so maybe not. :)

I've always heard when toddlers can pedal a tricycle they're ready to start potty training. Something about motor control with the lower half of their body? Was pretty accurate with my two at that age. I don't envy you these days to come. Praying it's easy for you!

Jackie said...

Hi There, yes, sounds like a good weekend! We drove out to the bluebonnet festival on Saturday also. But, unfortunately we didn't know to go early and got caught in the traffic. So, just decided to take a few pics in the bluebonnet fields...like you said though...they needed some rain! Poor bluebonnets! :) Oh, and I didn't know El Tiempo served breakfast either...good to know! Hope you and your sweet family have a wonderful week! Blessings...

Holly said...

Greasy organic is a classic pairing of words. Hahaha! I am beyond tired. Just wanted to say that you are great parents. And yes, we raise them to leave and to serve. But for these moments, we will embrace and enjoy. :- ) praying steady. Goodnight!

Anonymous said...

Oh my goodness, I am trying to hold back the giggling of the adventures with your daughter. My little girl is 14 months now and I can tell that my future may look a lot like your present! Duct tape belt? Love it! Thanks for sharing a great post FULL of news.

Marc and Charity said...

Yay for revival! :) Addie does the same with a wet wipe- walks around with one while wiping her face, the wall, the bed, etc. Sounds like a fun weekend, all the eating out made me mouth water!

Tara G. said...

My third and Annabeth sound like two peas in a pod. She started changing her own diapers, too, and to give her credit, she actually did a pretty good job if you overlooked the skid marks on the PBK rug ($$$$). We finally threw in the towel and went through potty boot camp. All that to say- totally with you on holding out as long as you can! :)

Lindsey said...

You know, now that I think about it... I think my parents definitely "raised me to leave". I am actually really grateful for that because it has made Ivan and me fearless in regards to moving away, traveling, and being apart. Our time together is even more precious when we spend it with my family.

LoL.. and I know what you mean about "blog revival". My barely post on my blog anymore.. and when I do it is like three posts at a time like yesterday.

Joyce said...

Mine are 20 and 22 and pretty independent, one in uni and one now moving to a big city. Sigh. My hubs and I keep reminding ourselves that this is parenting success but it does make for a very quiet house.

I love the BLT pizza-it's one of my faves! I also love the bbq chicken salad so that's what I normally get but that BLT pizza is really good!

Enjoy your little ones!

Stacy said...

The duct tape belt has me laughing, when my daughter was at that age she pulled her diaper off on a regular basis and then proceeded to paint the walls in her bedroom one afternoon, I totally broke out the duct tape at that point!!! haha

Unknown said...

I love the fact that you and Curtis had to sneak out to see a movie! That is so the case when you parent young toddlers (mine are 3 1/2 and almost 2) and have to find time for yourselves!

It's sweet that Annabeth mothers her babies--she's got the instinct for sure!

Prayers and blessings,
Rebecca

Unknown said...

I love your blog! Keep writing, girl!

Tonya Gray said...

Please keep the details coming! Love hearing your stories and now I KNOW I need to get to CPK and try that Asian chicken salad!

Unknown said...

So glad you are back to the blogging world, we missed you! And don't know if you know New Balance makes wide shoes for kids. My daughter has wide feet so we always buy her tennis shoes at the New Balance outlet out on 290 near Fairfield. Also, I always just bought her the sandals that didn't completely cover her foot, but just had the strap in the front and then the back and they seemed to work better for her wide foot. And these can definately be bought at Target. Just a suggestion.

Jenny said...

Loved reading this!

Missy June said...

I was on a flight and sat next to a woman who was coming to visit her daughter in Austin. Mom lived in India and had not seen her daughter in seven years...her excitement and anticipation were so clear even through our language barriers.

"What if I go for a season when I don't see my daughter for seven years?" It was such an overwhelming thought, but I've given my children to our Lord and He may direct them to lands far from mama. I can only trust He will give me the stregth to endure and be so grateful for modern conveniences like email!

Yes, I am preparing my little ones to leave - it's true, but the reminder was important to me. Thank you!

Cheryl said...

Girl, what is it with the wipes? My almost 2 yr. old loves them too. Anytime he gets fussy in the car, I just hand him a wipe and he acts like I've given him the greatest treasure.

And I am soooo not looking forward to potty training. But it's my last time, so hooray for that!

Nancy Mon said...

A little pecan pancake? Thanks for letting a sista know about another place and opportunity to find my favorite pancake. Thanks Amanda! You know this news brings me great joy!

Lauren said...

We were in Brenham this past Sat morning. Funny that we were practically all together! We noticed the lack of bluebonnets, too.

JayCee said...

Love the "blog revival"....can't wait to see the pix!

Dionna said...

First of all - I'm empathetic with your mother-in-law. When I lived in Las Vegas right after high school (okay - about 1991), they had a California Pizza Kitchen inside of the Mirage. I LOVED it and BLT pizza was my favorite. It was so good.

Secondly - that quote - ugg. That thought has been on my mind A LOT lately with two girls going into 9th and 7th grade next year. My daughter happily informed me that I will now have no more elementary students! (Insert tears, here.)

Anyways, my husband and I have been doing some dreaming of moving somewhere warmer someday & seeking God's direction on all of that with timing and stuff. I want to move sooner so the girls will have a chance of planting down near us. He thinks after they graduate might be better. How can a mother possibly uproot away from her kiddos, I ask? We've been in Idaho for about 10 years - NO family nearby at all. I'd love to have my girls marry and live near us.
Okay - thanks for letting me spew.

J said...

A big fat AMEN on the part about the price of kid shoes!! Ridiculous!!

abirdcalledhope said...

Haha! I have twin cousins and when they were about Annabeth's age my aunt was changing one's diaper and while she was, the other one took her's off and threw it at my aunt saying, "Catch, Mommy!"

Adoring Family said...

I know what you mean about the potty training. Everyone always wants to get their kids out of diapers and I'm like "Why? so you can stop off at every oh-so-sanitary public restroom you see."
Ummm, no thanks. I know it is coming for my little man, though. I do love your blog. I am excited about all the new posts!

Shellie Paparazzo said...

I love hearing the normal details of your life. It makes me feel like we're real friends and you're sitting in my living room chatting with me, just like your mama's books and blog make me feel :) I laughed at the duct tape thing, cause I distinctly remember doing that with one of my children. I believe it was Jeremiah. He eventually got to where he could even get it off with the duct tape and we had to wrap it around twice! He couldn't get that off! I had two strong-willed children also. Maybe you should try a third time:) My third was so easy!!! But she has severe eczema and ADD to go with that sweet, tender spirit, so they all have their issues.

April said...

My second-born daughter liked taking off her diaper before she was ready to be potty trained. She also learned how to remove the duct tape belt we put around her diaper. We finally had to resort to packing tape! It was harder for her to peel off than duct tape. (It was harder for me, too. I had to use scissors to cut the tape when I changed her!)

paul said...

My friend told me about your little escapee. I had a few friends and family members that were struggling with the same diaper diving issue. In response, about a year ago we started EscapeeJays...escape-proof pajamas. 100% guaranteed. Anyway, take a look if you are interested. What happens in a diaper should stay in a diaper. www.escapeejays.com
Thanks

paul said...

Amanda, Thank you for posting our comment. I was hoping that would be ok. We would love to send you a pair for her to try. You can me an email me at paul@escapeejays.com if you interested in trying out a pair.
Thank you
Paul

Stephanie said...

If she has some zip up pajamas, you can twist the feet and zip her up the back. She'd have to be Houdini to get out. That worked for us with our 2.5 year old. Hope you have some success with that! That taking the diaper off thing gets really old.

Unknown said...

You will never regret keeping this diary of your life! While you might feel it's mundane to write down stuff like this, you'll be so thankful in years to come, when life is busier, to be able to look back on these days, and remember your babies. :)

Charity said...

I was quickly perusing this post... it's past my bedtime on a Saturday night... ahh... when I saw the line "Lord, how did I ge two strong willed children..." I say that to myself everyday only we have three!!!

I like to think we are raising strong Christians... unless they do me in first!