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| From downloaded 102809 |
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
Soccer
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
Misc
A random smattering of photos which if I could figure out how to get my text under each one would read as follows:
Pic 1 & 2, Guess who's pushing her walker now?
Pic 3 & 4, Fall colors here are beautiful, although the pic doesn't do it justice. We haven' t seen the sun in a long time.
Pic 5-7, Dressed up for early trick or treating at Grammy Elaine's house this year.
Friday, October 23, 2009
In other news
In my emotional train wreck over the house drama yesterday I was unable to post some of the good things going on around here. Not too much really, but fun and exciting none the less.
The first is my darling Brennan. She is now pointing at things and babbling as she is really trying to talk. One of her favorites is to point at me and say, "Dada." Oh well. So Jeff and I are both Dada. It's a start. She has also started to give us high fives which is oh so cute. Lastly, she has begun to use her walkers. She has both kinds, the kind you sit in and the kind you push. Of course the cutest one to watch is the push walker. She is soooo careful and it takes her quite awhile to get across the floor but she is able to do it all on her own. I think it is a bit exhausting for her because she is only up for doing it a few times each day, but it's a start. She has her sippy down and will now take juice and water out of it. This is a big relief as I will be ready to wean soon and now know she can take something other than me. Brennan has never had a bottle in her whole life, or a pacifier for that matter. She still snubs table food. Occasionally I can get her to eat a couple bites of it, but mostly the only thing she enjoys that is solid is cheerios and baby cookies. She really likes pureed foods. I find this strange as Kadyn hated pureed food and really took to table food quickly.
And my last bit of news is that my sister is expecting a 3rd child. Yes, I am a bit secretly jealous (not the whole pregnancy part, just the whole 3rd child part), but mostly I am happy for her. It was a certainly a surprise and shock for everyone. For reasons I can't mention our whole family really feels this a totally a God thing and that this will be the first boy in the family to be born. She is not going to find out what she is having so we will have to wait for a long time. She is due in April. God seems to be working a lot in her marriage and we are all grateful for his work in their lives. Hoping it will be a boy so I can convince Jeff that us "Koehn" girls can have more than....girls. We would really love to have a son.
On the house front, we still have no idea when we are moving in. It will be soon, but I can't say for sure right now. I did get confirmation that we can renew our lease for the month of November even if we only need it for one day. It is a shame that we will have to pay for the entire month considering that we will probably only need it for a short time but it does solve two problems. The first problem is our fish. Storing them in something else for only a couple days would've been tough. The second problem is Thanksgiving. My entire family is coming down. Although we have an entire unfinished basement that will have extra beds, we have no air in the basement yet; that means our basement will be very cold this November. Therefore, each of the girls would've had to give up their rooms for guests. I had planned to have one couple in each of the girls' rooms, the cousins in the living room, and Jeff and I in our own room, but now that we will probably be renewing our lease, my sister's family will have a place of their own to crash. So I suppose there is a perk to our problem.
It has been a long week for us. Since our van broke down Monday we have been trapped at our apartment. The part for the van had to be ordered and so the van probably won't be back until Saturday, maybe Sunday. Some of the days we were able to get outside and play on the playground which was nice, but yesterday it was cold, rainy, and dreary. I ended the day with a soar throat and a little congestion; I thought perhaps I was getting Brennan's cold. I know I am probably more prone to illness right now because I am short on sleep due to all of Brennan's night wakings (that and she often pokes her boogery, slobbery fingers in my mouth and nose). Those things coupled with all the house drama made for an awfully stressful day. But alas a new day has begun and I'm in better spirits. We will probably be trapped inside all day again, but I don't seem to be any sicker. My throat is still a little scratchy.
I have done a lot of praying and making myself accept our circumstances with the house. I am also forcing myself to look at the positives as I know there are other people going through things a lot worse. When I think about things in this light I realize how selfish I can be and feel guilty for letting something so trivial get me so worked up. Through this all, I am still incredibly blessed and therefore, I am grateful. Yes, it is a new day and today I choose a new attitude.
The first is my darling Brennan. She is now pointing at things and babbling as she is really trying to talk. One of her favorites is to point at me and say, "Dada." Oh well. So Jeff and I are both Dada. It's a start. She has also started to give us high fives which is oh so cute. Lastly, she has begun to use her walkers. She has both kinds, the kind you sit in and the kind you push. Of course the cutest one to watch is the push walker. She is soooo careful and it takes her quite awhile to get across the floor but she is able to do it all on her own. I think it is a bit exhausting for her because she is only up for doing it a few times each day, but it's a start. She has her sippy down and will now take juice and water out of it. This is a big relief as I will be ready to wean soon and now know she can take something other than me. Brennan has never had a bottle in her whole life, or a pacifier for that matter. She still snubs table food. Occasionally I can get her to eat a couple bites of it, but mostly the only thing she enjoys that is solid is cheerios and baby cookies. She really likes pureed foods. I find this strange as Kadyn hated pureed food and really took to table food quickly.
And my last bit of news is that my sister is expecting a 3rd child. Yes, I am a bit secretly jealous (not the whole pregnancy part, just the whole 3rd child part), but mostly I am happy for her. It was a certainly a surprise and shock for everyone. For reasons I can't mention our whole family really feels this a totally a God thing and that this will be the first boy in the family to be born. She is not going to find out what she is having so we will have to wait for a long time. She is due in April. God seems to be working a lot in her marriage and we are all grateful for his work in their lives. Hoping it will be a boy so I can convince Jeff that us "Koehn" girls can have more than....girls. We would really love to have a son.
On the house front, we still have no idea when we are moving in. It will be soon, but I can't say for sure right now. I did get confirmation that we can renew our lease for the month of November even if we only need it for one day. It is a shame that we will have to pay for the entire month considering that we will probably only need it for a short time but it does solve two problems. The first problem is our fish. Storing them in something else for only a couple days would've been tough. The second problem is Thanksgiving. My entire family is coming down. Although we have an entire unfinished basement that will have extra beds, we have no air in the basement yet; that means our basement will be very cold this November. Therefore, each of the girls would've had to give up their rooms for guests. I had planned to have one couple in each of the girls' rooms, the cousins in the living room, and Jeff and I in our own room, but now that we will probably be renewing our lease, my sister's family will have a place of their own to crash. So I suppose there is a perk to our problem.
It has been a long week for us. Since our van broke down Monday we have been trapped at our apartment. The part for the van had to be ordered and so the van probably won't be back until Saturday, maybe Sunday. Some of the days we were able to get outside and play on the playground which was nice, but yesterday it was cold, rainy, and dreary. I ended the day with a soar throat and a little congestion; I thought perhaps I was getting Brennan's cold. I know I am probably more prone to illness right now because I am short on sleep due to all of Brennan's night wakings (that and she often pokes her boogery, slobbery fingers in my mouth and nose). Those things coupled with all the house drama made for an awfully stressful day. But alas a new day has begun and I'm in better spirits. We will probably be trapped inside all day again, but I don't seem to be any sicker. My throat is still a little scratchy.
I have done a lot of praying and making myself accept our circumstances with the house. I am also forcing myself to look at the positives as I know there are other people going through things a lot worse. When I think about things in this light I realize how selfish I can be and feel guilty for letting something so trivial get me so worked up. Through this all, I am still incredibly blessed and therefore, I am grateful. Yes, it is a new day and today I choose a new attitude.
Thursday, October 22, 2009
The chaos that is my life continues
FYI this post is probably full of typos or run on sentences. I really don't care at this point. I'm too angry to go back through it. My apologies.
When we started this whole house process we were set to close late August, early September. Then it got moved to mid November. Next it got moved to mid October. Mid October turned into next Wednesday. Next Wednesday got moved to next Thursday. Now if we're lucky it might be Friday giving us a whopping 2 days to move all by ourselves with two small children. If it's not Friday it could be sometime next week. I am so angry right now. I am clueless as to our future for the next two weeks.
Our landlord as told us we have to pay a full month's rent even if we only use the apartment for 2 days. The big question is, can we even sign on for November now? If they have already found a new tenant that only leaves us with a couple options which all depends, of course, on the new closing date. Should we close early next week we could have our stuff stored in a moving truck(s)and stay in a hotel which could add up to as much as a whole months rent depending on how many trucks we need and for how many days we need them plus the cost of a hotel room (we moved a lot of stuff with our van last time so we have no idea how much we can actually fit into a moving truck). Then there's the option of getting another storage unit and staying in a hotel for a couple days; again more money wasted on a storage unit we will only use for a couple days plus the added bonus of moving everything TWICE!
All of this plus the fact that our van broke....AGAIN! What looked like it might be another 300$ fix turned into a 450$ fix. I've been stranded in the apartment (that I HATE) since Monday. The part for the van won't be in until the end of the week. We might get our van back Saturday, if not Saturday, Monday.
I tell you, the saying, when it rains it pours, is soooo true. I am so stressed out right now. I know everything will work out somehow, but I am such a planner. Not knowing where I will be living in one week is really freaking me out. It's looking like the delay of this house is going to cost us big time. I've lost my sanity...for now. I'll let you know when I find it.
When we started this whole house process we were set to close late August, early September. Then it got moved to mid November. Next it got moved to mid October. Mid October turned into next Wednesday. Next Wednesday got moved to next Thursday. Now if we're lucky it might be Friday giving us a whopping 2 days to move all by ourselves with two small children. If it's not Friday it could be sometime next week. I am so angry right now. I am clueless as to our future for the next two weeks.
Our landlord as told us we have to pay a full month's rent even if we only use the apartment for 2 days. The big question is, can we even sign on for November now? If they have already found a new tenant that only leaves us with a couple options which all depends, of course, on the new closing date. Should we close early next week we could have our stuff stored in a moving truck(s)and stay in a hotel which could add up to as much as a whole months rent depending on how many trucks we need and for how many days we need them plus the cost of a hotel room (we moved a lot of stuff with our van last time so we have no idea how much we can actually fit into a moving truck). Then there's the option of getting another storage unit and staying in a hotel for a couple days; again more money wasted on a storage unit we will only use for a couple days plus the added bonus of moving everything TWICE!
All of this plus the fact that our van broke....AGAIN! What looked like it might be another 300$ fix turned into a 450$ fix. I've been stranded in the apartment (that I HATE) since Monday. The part for the van won't be in until the end of the week. We might get our van back Saturday, if not Saturday, Monday.
I tell you, the saying, when it rains it pours, is soooo true. I am so stressed out right now. I know everything will work out somehow, but I am such a planner. Not knowing where I will be living in one week is really freaking me out. It's looking like the delay of this house is going to cost us big time. I've lost my sanity...for now. I'll let you know when I find it.
Newest obssession leads to pondering the future
Something I've come to realize about myself is that I can be a bit obsessive about things. I've gone through many phases. For example, I had a sewing phase as I'm sure you remember. This is one that I think will return in full force again as soon as Brennan gets a little older and I'm not worrying about her finding needles on the floor etc. Also, I had a phase where I obsessed about cloth diapering. I still use them full time and enjoy using them. Currently, as you know, I am in a new phase of teaching preschool.
I have been doing this for 3 weeks now and I am really really enjoying it. It is so fulfilling to me to teach. I have been blown away by the free resources out there to do this and it almost overwhelms me because I want to do it all. Last night as I surfed through all the different lesson ideas, worksheets, crafts, activities, I caught myself thinking...."there's no way I can do all of this before Kadyn enters school." I felt anxious because I wanted to be able to do it all. It all seems so fun. I wonder if this is a phase that will ever fizzle out like so many others. However, part of me feels it won't because I know teaching is part of me, makes me happy, and I feel is one of my God given gifts.
There isn't orchestra in the Branson schools. The Branson schools have band and chorus. I am certified to teach both, however, I have no desire to teach either. All this preschool teaching has got me thinking, perhaps when the time comes (when all my kids are in school) I should get certified to teach basic elementary education. Also, part of me wants the flexibility of being a sub. When my kids get sick, are off for inservice days, holidays, etc. I have to be there for them. We do not have the luxury of having family in town to help us out with our children. One of us has to be available to be there for them on those days. Being a full time teacher often means being committed after school, on inservice days, and during the summer taking courses to insure that you can renew your teaching certificate every 5 years. My fear is that my duties as a teacher will overshadow my responsibilities as a mother. I don't know how many days I left for work before the sun came up and and came home from work when the sun was down while I was teaching orchestra. I guess it's safe to say, I give 150% to my job.
All this is to say that teaching preschool to Kadyn has really got my thinking wheel turning about what the future holds. I know I have plenty of time to figure this all out, and yet, I want to have some idea of what I will do now because I know that these early years with my children will pass in the blinking of an eye. I would love to have one more child, but this issue is still being debated. Being a mother is the most rewarding and fulfilling roll I have EVER had. Perhaps it's because it combines my two passions and loves, my children and teaching.
I wish money weren't a factor in a decision like this, but let's face it, two incomes is better than one in today's day and age. Saving for retirement is very important at this stage in our lives. If money weren't an issue, I would not return to work so I could remain 100% available for my family when they need me. I would probably find some way to volunteer my time for good causes during school hours, but I would like to keep my family as my 100% focus. I admire women who can juggle it all. My sister is one of them. I know how working full time can be exhausting. I remember coming home and being too tired to cook a good meal in the evening, or even cleaning the kitchen for that matter. All my deep cleaning always had to be reserved for the weekends. All grocery shopping had to be reserved for evenings. All appointements, had to be reserved for evenings. And yet, evenings should be reserved for being with your family especially since you have been apart all day long. It's such a delicate balancing act.
Just thinking about it makes me anxious. I know this is going to sound so pioneer, but sometimes I long for the olden days when women were expected to stay at home and care for their families. At least then I wouldn't feel guilty for desiring this roll in my own life. Right now it makes me feel guilty for wanting this. It's as if staying home is doing a disservice to my family because it doesn't bring in any money. I see so much merit in that old school line of thinking. I find so much worth in staying at home. I wish our society would see it as well.
Well anyways, I'll get off of my soap box for now. Time will tell what God's plans for me are. And honestly, I am a little worried, but overall I know that when the time comes God will direct my heart as to his will for this area in my life. I suspect I will have a peace about whatever decision I should make and he will help me sift through everything that comes with that decision. I'm excited to see what life holds. Untl then, I adore being a mother of two of the most precious little girls on the face of this planet.
I have been doing this for 3 weeks now and I am really really enjoying it. It is so fulfilling to me to teach. I have been blown away by the free resources out there to do this and it almost overwhelms me because I want to do it all. Last night as I surfed through all the different lesson ideas, worksheets, crafts, activities, I caught myself thinking...."there's no way I can do all of this before Kadyn enters school." I felt anxious because I wanted to be able to do it all. It all seems so fun. I wonder if this is a phase that will ever fizzle out like so many others. However, part of me feels it won't because I know teaching is part of me, makes me happy, and I feel is one of my God given gifts.
There isn't orchestra in the Branson schools. The Branson schools have band and chorus. I am certified to teach both, however, I have no desire to teach either. All this preschool teaching has got me thinking, perhaps when the time comes (when all my kids are in school) I should get certified to teach basic elementary education. Also, part of me wants the flexibility of being a sub. When my kids get sick, are off for inservice days, holidays, etc. I have to be there for them. We do not have the luxury of having family in town to help us out with our children. One of us has to be available to be there for them on those days. Being a full time teacher often means being committed after school, on inservice days, and during the summer taking courses to insure that you can renew your teaching certificate every 5 years. My fear is that my duties as a teacher will overshadow my responsibilities as a mother. I don't know how many days I left for work before the sun came up and and came home from work when the sun was down while I was teaching orchestra. I guess it's safe to say, I give 150% to my job.
All this is to say that teaching preschool to Kadyn has really got my thinking wheel turning about what the future holds. I know I have plenty of time to figure this all out, and yet, I want to have some idea of what I will do now because I know that these early years with my children will pass in the blinking of an eye. I would love to have one more child, but this issue is still being debated. Being a mother is the most rewarding and fulfilling roll I have EVER had. Perhaps it's because it combines my two passions and loves, my children and teaching.
I wish money weren't a factor in a decision like this, but let's face it, two incomes is better than one in today's day and age. Saving for retirement is very important at this stage in our lives. If money weren't an issue, I would not return to work so I could remain 100% available for my family when they need me. I would probably find some way to volunteer my time for good causes during school hours, but I would like to keep my family as my 100% focus. I admire women who can juggle it all. My sister is one of them. I know how working full time can be exhausting. I remember coming home and being too tired to cook a good meal in the evening, or even cleaning the kitchen for that matter. All my deep cleaning always had to be reserved for the weekends. All grocery shopping had to be reserved for evenings. All appointements, had to be reserved for evenings. And yet, evenings should be reserved for being with your family especially since you have been apart all day long. It's such a delicate balancing act.
Just thinking about it makes me anxious. I know this is going to sound so pioneer, but sometimes I long for the olden days when women were expected to stay at home and care for their families. At least then I wouldn't feel guilty for desiring this roll in my own life. Right now it makes me feel guilty for wanting this. It's as if staying home is doing a disservice to my family because it doesn't bring in any money. I see so much merit in that old school line of thinking. I find so much worth in staying at home. I wish our society would see it as well.
Well anyways, I'll get off of my soap box for now. Time will tell what God's plans for me are. And honestly, I am a little worried, but overall I know that when the time comes God will direct my heart as to his will for this area in my life. I suspect I will have a peace about whatever decision I should make and he will help me sift through everything that comes with that decision. I'm excited to see what life holds. Untl then, I adore being a mother of two of the most precious little girls on the face of this planet.
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
Dip Night
I think I started a new family tradition....dip night. Jeff is the hardest person to please when it comes to food. Just to help you understand let me just say that I have actually contemplated putting chicken into a blender and blending it up, so it is processed enough for him. It's very difficult. Kadyn loves what I cook, so most of the time I am cooking for two. Jeff just picks at whatever I make and usually ends up downing a bunch of chips or crackers later to make up for what he doesn't eat. I no longer consider myself a bad cook. Since I have become a mother, I have forced myself to get better at cooking outside of a box, and most of the time Kadyn and I really enjoy what I cook.
Anyhow, I realized one day that it's hard to go wrong when it comes to making a dip. I thought of making one evening "dip night." Yesterday was the trial run. After Kadyn's soccer game the coach and soccer player came home the wonderful smells of 3 different dips. Two of the three were traditional dips you would find at a potluck. One of the three was a dip I've never had before. I cooked a 6 layer bean dip, a cheese/sausage/tomatoe/salsa dip, and a cream cheese/walnut/corn/lime and other seasonings dip. I intended on making guacamole but the avocados weren't ready yet. Jeff loved the dips and Kadyn warmed up to them eventually. I think when I told her about "dip night" she had invisioned ketchup and barbeque sauce, her favorites. Anyhow....I have requests to make a fruit dip and some kind of lighter dip for the next go around. There are so many dip recipes out there the possibilities are endless.
My hope is that every one of our family members will eventually have their "one dip" that they love, and each dip night will consist of a favorite for each family member and maybe a new one too just to change things up. I'm not sure how often we will have dip night. It will either be weekly or monthly. Probably monthly. Anyhow, I've always wanted to create my own family tradition that wasn't someone else's idea. Perhaps other families do this, but I know of none. Hopefully this will be something that everyone looks forward too, and when my kids go to college, they will come home and ask for "dip night." Better yet, maybe they'll start a "dip night" of their own when they grow up and have children of their own. I so love having my own little family. What traditions can I think up next? I'd love to hear any family traditions you have kept or have started.
Anyhow, I realized one day that it's hard to go wrong when it comes to making a dip. I thought of making one evening "dip night." Yesterday was the trial run. After Kadyn's soccer game the coach and soccer player came home the wonderful smells of 3 different dips. Two of the three were traditional dips you would find at a potluck. One of the three was a dip I've never had before. I cooked a 6 layer bean dip, a cheese/sausage/tomatoe/salsa dip, and a cream cheese/walnut/corn/lime and other seasonings dip. I intended on making guacamole but the avocados weren't ready yet. Jeff loved the dips and Kadyn warmed up to them eventually. I think when I told her about "dip night" she had invisioned ketchup and barbeque sauce, her favorites. Anyhow....I have requests to make a fruit dip and some kind of lighter dip for the next go around. There are so many dip recipes out there the possibilities are endless.
My hope is that every one of our family members will eventually have their "one dip" that they love, and each dip night will consist of a favorite for each family member and maybe a new one too just to change things up. I'm not sure how often we will have dip night. It will either be weekly or monthly. Probably monthly. Anyhow, I've always wanted to create my own family tradition that wasn't someone else's idea. Perhaps other families do this, but I know of none. Hopefully this will be something that everyone looks forward too, and when my kids go to college, they will come home and ask for "dip night." Better yet, maybe they'll start a "dip night" of their own when they grow up and have children of their own. I so love having my own little family. What traditions can I think up next? I'd love to hear any family traditions you have kept or have started.
Monday, October 19, 2009
Who's who?
One is Kadyn and one is Brennan, can you tell which is which? OK so maybe the fact that the older version of Kadyn is in one of them is a dead give away, but they do look alike don't they?
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| From Drop Box |
Recent pics from this week
Sunday, October 18, 2009
The hawk
So close and yet so far away
We are getting close to finally closing the chapter on apartment living. I say "close" but yet it seems so far away. We are set to close a week from this coming Thursday. It has been delayed by one day (which irritated me since we don't have a lot of time to move) because the builders are behind....again. I really shouldn't be complaining as we are so incredibly blessed to be getting a house like this PERIOD. Forgive me, it has just been a long 4 months in this tiny little apartment; I need to vent a little to help clear my head.
Probably the thing that makes it seem so far away is the fact that each night with Brennan seems to be getting worse and worse. She really was a pretty good sleeper when we moved, and then she started getting her first teeth, followed by a cold, followed by an ear infection, followed by another ear infection, followed more teething, followed by yet another cold which we are dealing with right now. Needless to say, there hasn't been a lot of sleep going on around here. Since this all started we have had about a week off here and there and then something else would start in. Brennan has gotten so used to waking and having us tend to her for fear of waking the neighbors that I'm afraid waking, crying, and getting rocked and/or nursed back to sleep is something she has come to expect from us. Her napping has even gone downhill. She used to take two naps and it has now moved to one short nap a day. Most days her nap is only one hour. Today she was very fussy and I have to think that this lack of sleep is getting to her. I keep thinking that the longer we keep up this catering to her every whim, the harder it will be to break her of it when we move.
Kadyn had many times when her sleep routine was interupted by sickness, teething, etc., but when it it was all over, I made her learn to once again sleep for longer stretches which usually involved a little bit of crying and it worked every time. I prefer to use the ferber method (which is more for my peace of mind really because it just feels so mean to let them cry and never go in and acknowledge that you hear them). If you are unfamiliar, you basically let them cry but go in 5 minutes and tell them to go back to sleep, then the next time it's 10 minutes later, then 15 minutes and so on. As irritating as my neighbors can be, I just can't be that person that lets my child cry at night and disturbs their sleep. I realize we are so close now and it won't be long and I can finally get Brennan back into better sleeping habits, but with each passing day of less sleep, my patience for waiting for our closing day gets harder and harder.
Here's hoping that when closing day comes I have enough energy left from all these sleepless nights to wrangle the girls while trying to move into our house. (We will be doing most of the move by ourselves and have no one to help us with the girls). Here's hoping that I actually get enough rest to stay healthy and not catch whatever cold my daughter seems to pick up each week. Here's hoping that we can actually have enough time to get the girls' rooms painted in time before we have to move the furniture in it, hang our light fixtures, and install our appliances (we've got less than 3 days to get out of our apartment). These are all things that we opted to do ourselves to save money. Here's hoping that I can manage to pack this apartment and somehow manage to have enough space to live around the stacked boxes until we close on the house. Here's hoping that Brennan doesn't unpack everything I pack (she's really into taking things out of their places (you should see her unload my laundry basket). Here's hoping Brennan can actually get healthy and stay healthy for more than one week. And lastly, here's hoping that I don't have a nervous breakdown during it all:)
OK OK enough ranting. I do feel better now. I just wanted to add that despite all my moaning and groaning, I am incredibly thankful for the blessing we are about to receive in this house. I think this will be the first house that will truly become our home. I think we will be here for a very very long time. I can't wait for the memories that we will be making in this home. The tears, the fears, the laughter, the smiles, the hugs, the kisses, the trials and tribulations, the ups and downs. Because I know this home is a blessing from the sweet Lord above, I hope that we will use this home to bless others and glorify the one who entrusted it to us. Having said that, I close with a big smile on my face. Soon and very soon, I can put apartment living behind us and begin my life in a new home with my precious family. Thanks God. I love you!
Probably the thing that makes it seem so far away is the fact that each night with Brennan seems to be getting worse and worse. She really was a pretty good sleeper when we moved, and then she started getting her first teeth, followed by a cold, followed by an ear infection, followed by another ear infection, followed more teething, followed by yet another cold which we are dealing with right now. Needless to say, there hasn't been a lot of sleep going on around here. Since this all started we have had about a week off here and there and then something else would start in. Brennan has gotten so used to waking and having us tend to her for fear of waking the neighbors that I'm afraid waking, crying, and getting rocked and/or nursed back to sleep is something she has come to expect from us. Her napping has even gone downhill. She used to take two naps and it has now moved to one short nap a day. Most days her nap is only one hour. Today she was very fussy and I have to think that this lack of sleep is getting to her. I keep thinking that the longer we keep up this catering to her every whim, the harder it will be to break her of it when we move.
Kadyn had many times when her sleep routine was interupted by sickness, teething, etc., but when it it was all over, I made her learn to once again sleep for longer stretches which usually involved a little bit of crying and it worked every time. I prefer to use the ferber method (which is more for my peace of mind really because it just feels so mean to let them cry and never go in and acknowledge that you hear them). If you are unfamiliar, you basically let them cry but go in 5 minutes and tell them to go back to sleep, then the next time it's 10 minutes later, then 15 minutes and so on. As irritating as my neighbors can be, I just can't be that person that lets my child cry at night and disturbs their sleep. I realize we are so close now and it won't be long and I can finally get Brennan back into better sleeping habits, but with each passing day of less sleep, my patience for waiting for our closing day gets harder and harder.
Here's hoping that when closing day comes I have enough energy left from all these sleepless nights to wrangle the girls while trying to move into our house. (We will be doing most of the move by ourselves and have no one to help us with the girls). Here's hoping that I actually get enough rest to stay healthy and not catch whatever cold my daughter seems to pick up each week. Here's hoping that we can actually have enough time to get the girls' rooms painted in time before we have to move the furniture in it, hang our light fixtures, and install our appliances (we've got less than 3 days to get out of our apartment). These are all things that we opted to do ourselves to save money. Here's hoping that I can manage to pack this apartment and somehow manage to have enough space to live around the stacked boxes until we close on the house. Here's hoping that Brennan doesn't unpack everything I pack (she's really into taking things out of their places (you should see her unload my laundry basket). Here's hoping Brennan can actually get healthy and stay healthy for more than one week. And lastly, here's hoping that I don't have a nervous breakdown during it all:)
OK OK enough ranting. I do feel better now. I just wanted to add that despite all my moaning and groaning, I am incredibly thankful for the blessing we are about to receive in this house. I think this will be the first house that will truly become our home. I think we will be here for a very very long time. I can't wait for the memories that we will be making in this home. The tears, the fears, the laughter, the smiles, the hugs, the kisses, the trials and tribulations, the ups and downs. Because I know this home is a blessing from the sweet Lord above, I hope that we will use this home to bless others and glorify the one who entrusted it to us. Having said that, I close with a big smile on my face. Soon and very soon, I can put apartment living behind us and begin my life in a new home with my precious family. Thanks God. I love you!
Monday, October 12, 2009
Sooner the better
Kadyn has popped some mystery spots on her body. At first I thought it might be chickenpox because it looks just like them. However, 3 days later, they haven't really gotten any worse, or any better. They also look like bug bites. Anyhoo, after everything I've read on chicken pox I'm ruling that out today. It could be viral I suppose, but really it doesn't seem like a viral rash to me. She's not itching them and there are no other symptoms.
Yesterday when I was changing Brennan's diaper I noticed a brown little spec on her head. When I went to pick it off it jumped. A FLEA! WHAT! We have no hairy animals anymore. The only thing I could figure is that our neighbor's dogs have fleas and they are somehow creeping through the vents. I really don't have a clue, but it grossed me out and got me to thinking. Is it possible that those spots on Kadyn are flea bites? I haven't seen any other fleas since. I washed Kadyn's sheets with clorox this morning just in case. I vacuum all the time so that should help if there are more.
In addition to the flea I have found several spiders, what I think is silver fish bugs, and even a slug. They spray but I don't think they spray very well for all the bugs I find around here.
All I know is, the sooner we get out of this apartment the better. The closer we get to closing date on the house, the more impatient I become. Things like cigarette butts outside my front door, bugs all over, brown socks from the ground in dirty carpets, listening to the upstairs neighbors hacking, cursing, and the smell of cigarette smoke coming into my bathroom vents is really grading on my nerves. 2.5 weeks can't get here soon enough. I will survive. As Jeff put it yesterday. These past 5 months will someday just be a blimp on our radar, but they will be a blimp that we will never forget! Yea for home ownership! There is nothing like it. I hope I never have to live in an apartment again.
Yesterday when I was changing Brennan's diaper I noticed a brown little spec on her head. When I went to pick it off it jumped. A FLEA! WHAT! We have no hairy animals anymore. The only thing I could figure is that our neighbor's dogs have fleas and they are somehow creeping through the vents. I really don't have a clue, but it grossed me out and got me to thinking. Is it possible that those spots on Kadyn are flea bites? I haven't seen any other fleas since. I washed Kadyn's sheets with clorox this morning just in case. I vacuum all the time so that should help if there are more.
In addition to the flea I have found several spiders, what I think is silver fish bugs, and even a slug. They spray but I don't think they spray very well for all the bugs I find around here.
All I know is, the sooner we get out of this apartment the better. The closer we get to closing date on the house, the more impatient I become. Things like cigarette butts outside my front door, bugs all over, brown socks from the ground in dirty carpets, listening to the upstairs neighbors hacking, cursing, and the smell of cigarette smoke coming into my bathroom vents is really grading on my nerves. 2.5 weeks can't get here soon enough. I will survive. As Jeff put it yesterday. These past 5 months will someday just be a blimp on our radar, but they will be a blimp that we will never forget! Yea for home ownership! There is nothing like it. I hope I never have to live in an apartment again.
Tuesday, October 6, 2009
A fun idea
I've always known that plants can purify the air that we breath in our homes. I've also always known that the air quality in our homes is often more polluted than the air we breath outside. However, one of the authors of a blog that I follow went as far as to say that in order to get a significant improvement in the air quality of our homes, you should aim to have 1 large plant or 2 small plants for every 100 square feet in your home. Now this seems pretty excessive, but my home could stand to have more plants in it. I love plants. However, somewhere in the mix of getting pregnant the first time and raising 2 children 3 years later, my plants kind of went to the wayside and died. I decided it was once again time to replenish the stock and hopefully purify the air a little more. I often catch whiffs of smoke coming from the apartment above. I hate it!
What started as a little air purification project turned into a really cool idea for the girls. I decided to get them each a little baby plant. I have been told that some parents plant a tree for every child born. Then as the years go by, they take a picture of their child by their tree. This led me to think....why not a plant instead? Some friends of mine told me that they still have plants from when they were children. The challenge, of course, is to keep the thing alive. We shall see. I made a big deal out of it with Kadyn. She helped me pick her plant and then we painted the pot we planted it in hot pink and decorated it with a beaded necklace and sequins. Later she named it "Katie," so we wrote her name on the pot with a black marker. It was a fun little project to do together. I had visions of Kadyn going to college with her little Katie while I teased her that if I visited her and it was dead, then I would know she was partying too hard.
UPDATE: the wonderful pot started molding (that's what I get for using a planter that's been stored outside for years),so we will be ordering Katie a new home as soon as we move. We found the coolest themed planters at this website:
http://www.magicfitdesigns.com/catalog/index.php
What started as a little air purification project turned into a really cool idea for the girls. I decided to get them each a little baby plant. I have been told that some parents plant a tree for every child born. Then as the years go by, they take a picture of their child by their tree. This led me to think....why not a plant instead? Some friends of mine told me that they still have plants from when they were children. The challenge, of course, is to keep the thing alive. We shall see. I made a big deal out of it with Kadyn. She helped me pick her plant and then we painted the pot we planted it in hot pink and decorated it with a beaded necklace and sequins. Later she named it "Katie," so we wrote her name on the pot with a black marker. It was a fun little project to do together. I had visions of Kadyn going to college with her little Katie while I teased her that if I visited her and it was dead, then I would know she was partying too hard.
UPDATE: the wonderful pot started molding (that's what I get for using a planter that's been stored outside for years),so we will be ordering Katie a new home as soon as we move. We found the coolest themed planters at this website:
http://www.magicfitdesigns.com/catalog/index.php
Going well
Day two of Christian preschool at home is complete and we are having a blast. The letter for this week is G and we have been able to relate it to the bible story about the spies of Canaan. Kadyn has memorized her verse Joshua 1:9 already and is starting to memorize the days of the week. We have started working on reading a calendar and reviewing shapes that she has already known for some time; this has included a shape domino game, shape rubbing (art project), picking different shapes out of a bag blindfolded, identifying them, and then separating them into piles. She also did two different art projects with the letter G and did a letter sorting game where she had to sort all kinds of G's in different fonts which involved putting all lower case G's in a one pile and all upper case G's in a another pile. We also review the bible story each day and answers questions about it.
It has been a busy two days to say the least, and Kadyn is loving every minute of it. Some of it is very easy for her because she already learned it before, but I think it is good to go back and review so she doesn't forget before real school starts. About the only thing that I haven't been able to do is the supplemental readings. Our library in Branson.....sucks! It is all donation and is very old and outdated.
I am including a picture of some of the projects Kadyn has done these last two days.
Brennan has been a trooper through most of Kadyn's learning time either taking a nap or eating her cheerios and watching all the activity; today we did take a Brennan break and all sat down and played ball together.
I'm not sure if you can see it that well, but she has also started writing her name in all capital letters. We have worked with her a little on this, but mostly she has done this on her own. I tried to have her draw lower case letters, but she doesn't seem ready to do this just yet. Anyways, this has been a very exciting development. Sometimes she does write it backwards. I often wonder whether this has something to do with the fact that she's left handed. Anyhow, after a little instruction she will do it the right way. You can see on one picture she wrote it backwards on the other it is the correct way. I'm soooo proud of her! Not bad for 3 1/2!
It has been a busy two days to say the least, and Kadyn is loving every minute of it. Some of it is very easy for her because she already learned it before, but I think it is good to go back and review so she doesn't forget before real school starts. About the only thing that I haven't been able to do is the supplemental readings. Our library in Branson.....sucks! It is all donation and is very old and outdated.
I am including a picture of some of the projects Kadyn has done these last two days.
Brennan has been a trooper through most of Kadyn's learning time either taking a nap or eating her cheerios and watching all the activity; today we did take a Brennan break and all sat down and played ball together.
I'm not sure if you can see it that well, but she has also started writing her name in all capital letters. We have worked with her a little on this, but mostly she has done this on her own. I tried to have her draw lower case letters, but she doesn't seem ready to do this just yet. Anyways, this has been a very exciting development. Sometimes she does write it backwards. I often wonder whether this has something to do with the fact that she's left handed. Anyhow, after a little instruction she will do it the right way. You can see on one picture she wrote it backwards on the other it is the correct way. I'm soooo proud of her! Not bad for 3 1/2!
Sunday, October 4, 2009
Opening myself up
As all of my faithful readers know, I have always had this blog be private. You have to log in to view the blog. My reasoning behind this decision has been mostly fear. I suppose my mother has somewhat put the fear of God in me about the dangers of internet. You hear stories of people stalking other people online and then doing horrible things. Also, for reasons I don't care to mention on this blog, I fear complete strangers seeing pictures of my children. Let's not forget to mention that allowing this blog to be open is allowing complete strangers to share in some of my intimate thoughts, feelings, and emotions because I have always been very forthcoming and honest in all my posts.
Then there's the fear that someone will leave nasty comments that I shouldn't let get to me, but because I am who I am, I know a part of me will take it personally. I've seen other blog owners delete comments from their blogs and I always assumed someone out there left a hurtful comment. Do I really want to expose myself to that?
But on the other hand, I really enjoy reading comments from my readers which seem to be very few. It can be affirming and comforting when other people try to connect to you through comments. Connections make life so much more fun. On days where Jeff works late and I have no adult conversations, sometimes those comments can be the highlight of my day. So in hopes to make more connections to others through my blog life, I am opening up my blog to anyone. I suppose I always have the right to change my mind. Hoping I don't regret my decision. My prediction is that I really won't get any more readers than my faithful few. And if that happens, that's fine. So to those of you who have stuck by me this far and read faithfully, thanks! Your reactions and comments about my little world, mean a lot:)
Then there's the fear that someone will leave nasty comments that I shouldn't let get to me, but because I am who I am, I know a part of me will take it personally. I've seen other blog owners delete comments from their blogs and I always assumed someone out there left a hurtful comment. Do I really want to expose myself to that?
But on the other hand, I really enjoy reading comments from my readers which seem to be very few. It can be affirming and comforting when other people try to connect to you through comments. Connections make life so much more fun. On days where Jeff works late and I have no adult conversations, sometimes those comments can be the highlight of my day. So in hopes to make more connections to others through my blog life, I am opening up my blog to anyone. I suppose I always have the right to change my mind. Hoping I don't regret my decision. My prediction is that I really won't get any more readers than my faithful few. And if that happens, that's fine. So to those of you who have stuck by me this far and read faithfully, thanks! Your reactions and comments about my little world, mean a lot:)
Friday, October 2, 2009
piggyback post
For this post I will piggyback to one of my early posts about deepening Kadyn's faith. As you know I have started a new scripture memorization tactic with Kadyn and so far it's going really well. Kadyn just about has her first verse memorized and I got it memorized quickly as well for two reasons: teaching helps me learn something more thoroughly and the verses are simple for her age. OK so it's kind of like cheating really on my part, but it's better than not having any memorized right?
Anyhoo....I attended a class at our church on how to incorporate faith into daily living with a preschooler. One idea led to another and next thing you know I'm searching for anything I can get my hands on to help me teach Kadyn bible stories in a very memorable and effective way. I stumble into a website with free resources to teach Christian Preschool. All the lesson plans and resources for those plans are free online. It incorporates math, science, English, and much more into daily lessons that always have a Christian theme. It really is well done and very neat and a fantastic way to incorporate faith into regular learning. I am so excited to get started. There are lesson plans for children as young as 2.
Getting to go into teaching mode again is very exciting. This should be rewarding for me as well. This is not to say that I haven't been teaching Kadyn all along. She can count to 100 now, say all her ABC's, most of their sounds, recognize a variety of shapes, do simple addition, tell me opposites, do a few rhyming words, tell me the first letter of words she hears, cut with scissors, hold a pencil correctly,aurally spell her name, and draw a few letters. However, now I have even more ideas of things I can work on and actual lesson plans with coordinating activities to reinforce it all. OH, I'm so excited I can hardly wait! The teacher in me is on fire again:)
So I guess, in a way, I will be homeschooling Kadyn for her preschool years. Everyone keeps asking me if I will be sending her to preschool as if it is a given that all people do this. I have never felt that Kadyn needs formal preschooling since I have always worked with her on preschool concepts and her social skills are 20 million times better than mine were going into school, so that has never been a concern for me; it seems like a waste of money to me to send her to preschool when she is getting the same education from me at home. She is not the least bit shy around other kids and makes friends easily. She is given on average, at least 3 times a week to be around and play with other children, and once a week she gets to be led in class by another adult at church sunday school. I do not intend on continuing to homeschool her once she is 5 years old as the schools here in Branson are supposed to be very good and Jeff is antsy for me to bring in a little income to help out. The only way that could change is if God convicts our hearts otherwise.
I'm a little concerned how to balance Brennan time with my new activities with Kadyn, but I suppose that there's a way to do it all as I know homeschooling mothers do these things all the time.
Well anyhow, this is my newest and latest idea. Time will tell if I stick to it, but it's been fun to plan up for this week anyways. Kadyn LOVES learning so I'm sure it will be well recieved if I can stick to it.
Anyhoo....I attended a class at our church on how to incorporate faith into daily living with a preschooler. One idea led to another and next thing you know I'm searching for anything I can get my hands on to help me teach Kadyn bible stories in a very memorable and effective way. I stumble into a website with free resources to teach Christian Preschool. All the lesson plans and resources for those plans are free online. It incorporates math, science, English, and much more into daily lessons that always have a Christian theme. It really is well done and very neat and a fantastic way to incorporate faith into regular learning. I am so excited to get started. There are lesson plans for children as young as 2.
Getting to go into teaching mode again is very exciting. This should be rewarding for me as well. This is not to say that I haven't been teaching Kadyn all along. She can count to 100 now, say all her ABC's, most of their sounds, recognize a variety of shapes, do simple addition, tell me opposites, do a few rhyming words, tell me the first letter of words she hears, cut with scissors, hold a pencil correctly,aurally spell her name, and draw a few letters. However, now I have even more ideas of things I can work on and actual lesson plans with coordinating activities to reinforce it all. OH, I'm so excited I can hardly wait! The teacher in me is on fire again:)
So I guess, in a way, I will be homeschooling Kadyn for her preschool years. Everyone keeps asking me if I will be sending her to preschool as if it is a given that all people do this. I have never felt that Kadyn needs formal preschooling since I have always worked with her on preschool concepts and her social skills are 20 million times better than mine were going into school, so that has never been a concern for me; it seems like a waste of money to me to send her to preschool when she is getting the same education from me at home. She is not the least bit shy around other kids and makes friends easily. She is given on average, at least 3 times a week to be around and play with other children, and once a week she gets to be led in class by another adult at church sunday school. I do not intend on continuing to homeschool her once she is 5 years old as the schools here in Branson are supposed to be very good and Jeff is antsy for me to bring in a little income to help out. The only way that could change is if God convicts our hearts otherwise.
I'm a little concerned how to balance Brennan time with my new activities with Kadyn, but I suppose that there's a way to do it all as I know homeschooling mothers do these things all the time.
Well anyhow, this is my newest and latest idea. Time will tell if I stick to it, but it's been fun to plan up for this week anyways. Kadyn LOVES learning so I'm sure it will be well recieved if I can stick to it.
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