Here is a weird list for you about myself.

Things that I think are a little creepy:

1. Sock monkeys. I’m sorry, they aren’t cute and cuddly to me. They are just a little “off” for some reason.

2. The first verse of “The Teddy Bears’ Picnic.” This song, from our Toddler Tunes cd, is what prompted this list. Seriously…should I be scared of teddy bears in the forest, frolicking together. Yep…I think I should.

3. Hairy spiders. I don’t mind daddy long-legs or anything, but the black fuzzy ones…*shudder*.

4. Rodents with beady eyes. Not all rodents. I like squirrels just fine. But mice. And rats. Yuck.

5. Steve Buscemi. I mean, he’s turned his creepiness into a movie goldmine. And I’m sure he’s really a very nice man. But still, just a little creepy.

There was one other thing I was going to put on this list, but I can’t think of it now. Oh well, this w ill do!

OTHER NEWS:

My MIL made it home from Liberia yesterday. They got to the Cleveland airport about 4:30, so they were pretty close to on time. She called us about 9:15 to let us know she was home. Yay!

We’ve had no bleeding incidents since the weekend. Shwew!

I just finished a really good book. It’s called The Divine Mentor (Cordeiro). Read it. Seriously. If your devotional life needs a restart. Or even a first start. This is a fantastic resource. I highly recommend it. To quote Marla, “Just, wow!”

So when my MIL left Liberia yesterday, it was sunny and 90 degrees outside.

They are currently stuck in Belgium because of the feet of snow being dumped on the East Coast/Midwest for the second time in a few days.

So, they were hoping to catch a flight early this morning to the States. But even if they managed that, they still have to figure out how to get to Ohio once they land. It’s going to be a long day for them. Please pray that the right flights open up and they get home safely.

Also, I was thinking I would do an interview with Pam about her trip and post it here, since some of you were interested in hearing about her experience. So, if you have any questions about her trip or Africa or whatever, let me know and I’ll see if I can get that done!

In baby news…

Alex is probably a week or so from figuring out how to climb onto the couch. Unfortunately, the couch is where we have “hidden” all the stuff we didn’t want them to have, so I have no idea where we will put all that stuff once he figures it out!

Both babies are inching closer (somewhat literally) to learning how to go down the stairs safely. Alex prefers sliding down on his stomach – going up in reverse. Erin seems to be more inclined to do the “bump-n-scoot” method. But either one works for me.

Erin has figured out that she can take her bib off. And she pulls it off regularly while she eats. I think I’m going to have to start pinning it around her neck or something. Sheesh…

Yesterday, they were playing together with a riding toy. Alex was sitting on it backwards. Erin was standing, facing him, pulling and pushing the toy with him on it. Both were giggling, having a marvelous time. I was watching, wishing I could get the video camera without interrupting them (I couldn’t) when Erin leaned over, held out her arms towards Alex and gave him a “hug” – and he leaned his head on her shoulder and grinned. It was too cute! And I was really sorry to have missed that moment with the camera!

And now, Erin is crying, so I’d better go see what happened…happy Tuesday! Enjoy the snow (if you got it)!

That pretty much recaps the weekend.

Friday was a long, hard day. Alex fell about 12:30 and cut his upper gum with his lower teeth (at least that’s what we think happened). And then he bled for 6 hours. He didn’t seem bothered by it at all and even ate just fine (they both enjoyed the popsicles especially!), but it was almost bedtime before we got done with all the drips and drops of blood. And, being 14 months old (today), he kept putting his hands and toys into his mouth like normal. So it was a frustrating day, to say the least. The only good part was that Eric got home early from work and helped me deal with it all.

On Saturday, I went out to shovel the driveway (something I like and Eric doesn’t), and Eric stayed inside to man babies. When I came in, he announced that I shouldn’t worry…the blood had stopped. My first thought was that God must have known I needed not to be around for that one and I thanked him for that! But anyway, it turned out that Erin had tripped and bashed her mouth into the back of Alex’s head. She bloodied her mouth and both were screaming quite loudly. But thankfully, popsicles helped that all heal quickly, too.

As for the busy, that was Sunday. We had a schedule change because of Super Bowl, and Karen and I were in the nursery for the “evening” activities. And they scheduled a meeting, with promised childcare, for an hour earlier than services were scheduled to run. So we got home from church in the morning at about 11:30, and I had to leave for church again at 2:30. Thankfully, no kids showed up for that meeting, so we had the first hour to just talk and laugh. Very nice! Then we only had 5 kids for regular services (two of which were mine), so it was actually a pretty easy evening!

Then we went over to Karen & Erik’s house for a Super Bowl party. We (Eric and I) don’t actually watch the football games, of course, but the commercials are worth it (some of them anyway). And it was good to hang out with people other than my babies for even a little bit. We got home about 7:45 and put the babies to bed, and we were in bed by 9:00. Nice!

Unfortunately, the babies didn’t have a good night. I’m sure they were just over-tired, since they only got one nap yesterday and were overstimulated right before bed. But that means they should take good naps today. And because I’m pretty tired, still, that will be good for all of us!

Happy Monday!

My first try at The Grocery Game:
So I decided to sign up for the free trial at The Grocery Game (thanks for the suggestion, Jess) and tonight I did my first grocery trip on “the rules.” It took a ton of prep time since it was the first time and because my coupons were in need of reorganization. But the shopping itself went pretty well (and since Eric kept the babies, I was alone!). And overall, I think I did very well. I did have to buy a number of things not on “the list,” but even still, my totals (from two stores) were $155 spent and $99 saved. And I won’t have to buy a number of things for a very long time. Nice!

And because I really like my title tonight, I will now share other “first try” moments from my life that I consider significant…

Age 18 – my first flight (to Chicago) on our Senior Trip. I was very nervous. It hurt my ears (always does).

Sophomore Year (high school) – My first international experience. We went to Montreal (I’m not sure Canada is really “foreign,” so I went with “international” instead.) for a missions trip. There was a house we drove by everyday that looked, to me, like the Gingerbread House in all the fairy tales would look. Good memories.

May 2004 – my first try at…well, maybe I won’t go into that one right now. (hee hee)

Age 10 (approximately) – my first hot air balloon ride (and, so far, only one). It was fantastic. But really loud. And I’d do it again in a second.

Freshman year (college) – First kiss. Sadly, it was not good. And though I kissed him again, it never got good. I was so glad to discover, when I first kissed Eric, that kissing can be SO much better than that first one. I had wondered a little. (And yes, I’ve only ever kissed two men – outside of acting roles…that’s really okay with me)

Junior Year (college) – I think that year is right…but anyway, that was the first time I swam in the ocean. On a family vacation at Hilton Head. It was so fun. The first time I saw the ocean was in Australia (in 1996). I thought it was a little absurd that I’d had to fly halfway around the world to see the ocean. But it was worth it.

Dec. 2008 – my first overnight hospital stay. To have twins. It was crazy and awesome and scary. And it was nice to go home so nurses stopped bugging me all night long. Of course, then the twins were the ones bugging me to feed them, but that’s another story…

2001 – my first “professional” theatre job. I was the dramaturg for a production of West Side Story in Dayton. (A dramaturg is someone who does research into the play/playwright/themes and acts as a resource for the actors and a liaison/educator for the audience). It was incredibly fun. I miss the theatre.

Okay, I think that’s a decent list, since I’m thinking these up off the top of my head, and I need to go to bed. Have a happy Friday. Hope you aren’t snowed-in where you are!

My MIL has been in Africa for a week. She is coming home next Tuesday. So far things are going well…her last update was from Sunday. They went to church (a 4-hour service) and had a whole fish for supper.

Still been swimming against the tide, mentally/spiritually/etc. I am starting to find words for the ache and what it may mean, but still not ready to write it down. On the other hand, maybe writing it down is exactly what I need to do…that always helps me (read: “forces” me) to figure out what I mean. We shall see…

We did make it to Bible Study yesterday morning. It’s really hitting home this time. Why we aren’t living the Christian life as the bible describes it and what we need to do about it. Good times! Sadly, one lady at my table is a little difficult in that she talks a lot, but doesn’t stay on topic and tends to ramble. I know I need to work on my attitude toward her, but her rambling is very frustrating to me. Any suggestions?

OH! And yesterday, I bought myself some pants! I have been needing to exchange a pair of jeans my mom got me for Christmas, but haven’t made it to the mall. So yesterday, because the babies’ naps were messed up from Bible Study, I decided I had time. So I went to the mall and exchanged the jeans. Then I stopped in another store on my way out and used my $25 Visa gift card from Christmas (a stocking stuffer) to buy a second pair of jeans. YAY!!!

AND IN other news…the babies are sleeping better again. No midnight or 2 a.m. wake-ups. The last couple of days, Alex has been waking up at 5:30, but going back to sleep until 6:30-7:00. I do like sleeping. It’s very nice.

Also, they have figured out how to turn on the cd player in the living room. The cabinet door is baby-proofed, but it opens enough for them to get their arm inside and push buttons. And they’ve figured out which button turns on their Toddler Tunes. Which they LOVE. So we have toddler music playing all.the.time now. And there is much dancing (them) and singing (me) along. Good times!

I’ve recently ordered some bible song cds, too. I’m looking forward to mixing things up!

I talked to my friend, Ghena, yesterday. It was a really great conversation, though only about 25 minutes. I just love good friends who can say so much in such a short time. Thanks, Ghena!!

My chore list has been going well. I’ve discovered that what I chose as my 5 daily chores are really the ones I need to do every day. If they are done, my house feels “tidy” – as if someone could drop in and I wouldn’t mind. It was really good to get so many other chores done in one week for once, and it was amazing how much free time I still had (really free time, too, since I didn’t feel like I needed to be doing something else). Hopefully, I can continue with this pattern!

And finally, I am trying to figure out how to cut our grocery budget. Have any of you ever tried that herculean feat (and succeeded)? What did you do? Or what have you heard that seemed to work?

This morning, Erin got up first.  We were playing in the loft, when Alex started to make noise.  “A-ye,” she said.  “A-ye.”  Then she started walking out of the loft, to their bedroom and to his crib, saying his name the whole time.  I turned on the light, and there he was, looking down at her.  I got him and put him down facing her.  She clasped her hands together and batted her long lashes at him with a sweet grin.  And as she walked by him, he reached out and patted her with both hands.  

I think they like having the other one around. that!

And here are a few pictures of the last few days…

We love the piano!
 

And he figured this one out on his own…smart guy

Oh, and Erin loves to give him food from her tray at meals (you’ll notice he already has her cup).

And just some other shots for fun…

Happy Thursday!

Becca Ware!

Congratulations, Becca…message me your address and I’ll send you some new materials to encourage you to start scrapbooking again!

In other news:

My MIL, Pam, is flying out this afternoon for her first-ever missions trip…to AFRICA! She’s going with the medical side of a team to do health teaching in a hospital (first week) and a clinic (second week). She won’t be back until February 7th, and she’s super nervous (she’s never been gone from home for 2 weeks, ever, and she’s never gone anywhere for longer than a couple of days without my FIL!). So, if you don’t mind, please say a prayer for her, for safety and God’s blessing on their service. I can’t wait to hear the updates…I’m sure it’ll be super-exciting!

I think that’s about all I’ve got this morning…happy Tuesday!

Updates:

• We had a good weekend at the farm.  We (mostly Alex) did not sleep all that well, so we’re all pretty beat.  But it was great to see the family and get lots of help with the babies.  And Eric got to hang out with his brothers, which he really enjoys.

• And I’ve finally figured out why the twins haven’t been sleeping well, even though they haven’t been sick, recently.  While tipping Erin upside down yesterday morning, Eric realized that he had a molar through.  And when we looked, we realized that she has 3 in (with the fourth on its way)!  So then we checked Alex, and he has 2 already in.  No WONDER they’ve been so cranky recently!

• The GIVE-AWAY is still open.  I will draw the winner’s name tonight, so if you want to win free scrapbooking materials (and didn’t enter on Friday), say so in a comment below!

• Oh, and I’m working on sending out the chore lists to those who asked for them.  I didn’t get them sent before we left for the weekend, but I hope to get them out today.  Sorry for the delay!

Okay, I am curious about something that came up with I chatted with my sister this morning.  So here’s a question for all of you who attend church.  Does your church cancel or move the time of services on Super Bowl Sunday?  If not, why?

Hope you have a marvelous day…happy Monday!

I just deleted a long, winding post about how I’ve been doing. I do mean to share it, but it isn’t pretty and I’m still thinking my way through it all. So I decided to wait until I could say it more succinctly. Suffice it to say that I think I’ve turned a corner, thankfully, and the feeling of intense internal pressure has found some release. And I’m looking forward to a weekend of relaxing at the farm.

In other news…

1. Erin was really melt-downy for Eric last night. Honestly, I think she missed me. I am super-glad that Eric could handle her tears as well as he did. But I’m also a little glad she likes me that much!

2. I cleaned my bedroom yesterday. I washed sheets, threw out trash, organized piles, put away clothes, remade the bed, vacuumed and washed the (attached) bathroom floor. I also managed to clean the kitchen pretty thoroughly and wash the bathtub. My house is starting to look somewhat kept-up again. It’s making me breathe easier today.

3. Yesterday, I also made myself a chore checklist. Some of my recent struggles have been exacerbated by my unkempt house (which wasn’t THAT bad, but it was enough to cause me some issues). I could see all the cleaning that needed done, but couldn’t seem to get to it. So it was just hanging over me, adding pressure.

So yesterday, I sat down and actually made up (I’ve been thinking it through for many weeks) a chore checklist to go on my fridge. I wrote down all the chores I want to get done regularly and divided them into daily, weekly, bi-weekly, and monthly chores. Then I separated the chores into 4 weeks (weeks 1 & 3 are identical, as are 2 & 4). Each week has a table for each group of chores, so I can check off when I do them.

Being a type-A personality, I’m very excited. Even if I don’t get every chore on the sheet done every day or every week, it will still get done more often than it is now. It feels more organized so I can handle chores in small chunks, rather than trying to do the whole house every time. And maybe it’ll even give Eric a way to see how he can help me out sometimes (if I’m way behind on a week, for example, he could do a chore and check it off for me!). I don’t know how often that will happen, but it’s possible now! SO I’m excited. I know, I’m weird…

EDIT (10:30 am): And I am more than happy to share my “creation”, so if you want it, just message me your email, and I’ll send my chart to you.

4. This article (Carla Barnhill) was really helpful for me yesterday. Feel free to read (or skim) it and tell me what you think of it.

5. And finally, I never win raffle-type things. Last night at Twins Club, I won two different things. A little necklace for Erin (a pink bonnet). And another drawing, too. Which means that, for the first time ever, I am going to do a give-away on my site!

See, I won some scrapbook materials. They are really lovely. But I don’t scrapbook. Not at all. I upload my pics to Shutterfly, order 4×6 prints of each one and stick them in albums. It’s what I can accomplish, and it’s enough for me. BUT, that being said, I am now the owner of some lovely scrapbook materials which I won’t use. So…I’m going to give them away to one of you. If you scrapbook (and want some free materials), let me know in a comment. I’ll put all your names in a hat and pick a winner. Should be fun!

Okay, on to my day…happy Friday and happy weekend!

Here’s a short (bulleted) list of the randomness of my life:

• Alex is beginning to walk a lot.  He was very content to crawl until just this week or so.  And he likes to walk while holding our hands. 
• Erin is walking like a champ.  She never wanted to hold our hands; she just wanted to walk.  And it’s a little weird still to see her stand and walk to bring me something, instead of crawling over.  We are definitely entering toddler stage!
• Yesterday, they got into the half-bath off the kitchen, and when I found them, they were unrolling the toilet paper.  I have to say, I thought that was just too cliche for my babies to do…   I guess I was wrong.
• Last night, Erin was up for about half an hour at 1:00 am.  Then Alex was up for a bit at 2:30.  I’m tired.  They’re still sleeping.  Figures.
• We went to the grocery store yesterday.  They did marvelously, even though we missed the beginning of our afternoon nap. 
• Tonight is a Twins Club meeting that I need to try to get to.  I haven’t been to a meeting for months. But by the evening, I don’t want to go out.  I want to stay home.  We’ll see what happens…
• I am appalled and overwhelmed by the clutter in my house.  For some reason, I can’t seem to get to anything but the basics (clean up the kitchen, for example), and the basics tend to repeat themselves, often more than once a day.  And we are going to the farm this weekend, so I’m losing my at-home-with-help time.  *sigh*  I need help.
• We are going to the farm this weekend because my MIL is leaving next Tuesday on a missions trip, her first one ever.  She’s going to Liberia, in Africa, for two weeks.  She’s really nervous.  So we wanted to get the babies out there before she goes.  I think she’ll appreciate seeing them. 

Random Mommy Questions:

• What do you think we should do with the money the babies were given for their first birthday?  
• How did/do you prioritize your day to spend time with your kids, get housework done, and make time for yourself?  I’m lost in this shuffle these days as the babies seem to be needing a lot more attention than they used to.
• What verse or passage has meant the most to you recently?  

Okay, I told you it would be random.  Happy Thursday.