Wordisbawn

Big News on the Quick 5

2012-02-04T20:53:00.000-06:00

1. It's been hard to write the Quick 5 lately. Nothing I had to say was quite as important or as interesting as what I wasn't saying. But now, we're ready to make the announcement. If you need a clue, I refer you to the picture.

That's right! We are expecting again. And we are excited! The next addition of our family is due to make his/her appearance on my birthday towards the end of August.

2. This puts us at about 11 weeks along. As the picture says, we've been told our baby is the size of a fig currently. Whether or not that is true, he/she seems to be a healthy little one! We have already had our first prenatal check-up, and everything seems to progressing just as it should be. I got to hear the heartbeat, and it is healthy and strong! In fact, as soon as the doppler touched my tummy, you could hear that sweet little heart thumping away!

3. We learned the news for ourselves on Christmas Eve. We had suspected that it might be the case for a little while, but finally decided to find out so we wouldn't have to wonder through holidays. Christmas was a fun time, sharing the news with both sides of the family. Both sets of grandparents are thrilled! We wanted to keep the information to ourselves for just a bit, telling only family and a few friends. But now, we're ready to come out and say, "We're pregnant!"

4. How have I been feeling? Exhausted! With Eliza, the morning sickness had been horrible; many days I couldn't move from a face-down position on the couch. With Simon, it had been nearly non-existent. This time around, exhaustion is the main deterrent to a normal day, but the more exhausted I am, the more prone I am to nausea. Things have been getting better by small degrees the past few weeks, though, and I am seeing the light at the end of the first trimester tunnel approaching!

5. Are we hoping for a boy or a girl? Well, we have one of each, so there's not pressure either way! I'd like to have another girl (I have the name picked out, not to mention using up all those girl clothes I'm saving!), but we definitely won't complain if it's another little boy. We feel so blessed just to have another member to join our family, our prayer is simply that he/she will be happy and healthy and that we will be good parents. We do, though, intend to find out what we're having. As with the other two, we appreciate the opportunity to name the baby in anticipation of his/her arrival and to prepare for that special little person. As I said, we have a name for a girl, but I doubt we will have much difficulty thinking of a boy one should the need arise. Just seven to nine or so more weeks to go until we find out!

*Bonus (as I foresee some people asking): This baby and Simon will be about 16 months apart. That puts each of our kids spaced just a little under 1.5 years apart. When #3 is born, we will actually have three under 3 for a short time! A little intimidating? Yes! But we look forward to watching the kids grow up together so close in age. Eliza is already such a good little helper, I foresee that when the adjustment period is over, that she will be a big help as the Big Sister.

The lasagna project

2012-01-18T18:01:00.000-06:00

I have aspirations. I have dreams: of a truly homemade lasagna.

Lasagna is one of my husband's all-time favorite dishes. I discovered this our first Valentine's together when we were still dating. It was clear that Valentine's was not a holiday on my man's radar: his plans were to go to the high school guy's small group. Rather taken aback, I confirmed with him that he had no plans for us to spend the evening together. To his credit, he took a completely different tack and invited me over for a movie. I know, though, that there would be no flowers, no chocolates, no sweet little something to tell me how smitten he was. In fact, I think we ended up watching a rough-and-tumble action flick rather than a romantic comedy to nurture those budding romantic feelings between us.

Despite my suitor's lack of romantic leanings, I wanted to give him something. I had spent many, many Valentine's as part of the Black Hear Club. Yes, as a joke my friends would hang black construction paper hearts in their college dorm room and sing, "I am an Island," and I always joined in. We called the holiday Single's Awareness Day like so many others have. This was my first Valentine's as a couple, and I wanted to do something for this man I already knew I wanted to marry. So I made him lasagna. He ate practically the whole thing during our movie!

Since then, making lasagna for Nick has always held a special place in my heart. I still remember the enjoyment on his face as he partook of that humble half pan of lasagna; I like to recreate it. I keep the dish a special occasion one so that it is truly special, not an every day meal like pizza or rice and beans or soup is around here. In fact, I am making it again this coming Valentine's. (The intention had been to make it for his birthday as a treat, however we ended up having lasagna twice in the week preceding with each side of our families.)

For this lasagna, I want to make something truly special. Part of my goals for our health and diet this year is to move more and more away from processed food and to have good, homemade fare. It does require an upswing in some of my skills, and I think it's good for me. For Nick's favorite dish, this means a number of new experiences. For one, I will be using homemade ricotta. Did you know that you can make homemade ricotta? I've been going on a bit about it on facebook, and let me tell you, it's worth the hype. I made my first batch yesterday (rather small, just over a half pint yield), and it was everything I'd hoped it would be: flavorful, creamy, and not grainy like storebought. Storebough, if you'll forgive me, is has all the flavor of a cardboard box next to this stuff. Homemade? The word luscious comes to mind. I have already eaten the entire batch, stirred with a little homemade marmalade. Today, I buy more milk and will be making some more! I truly can't wait to stir in grated parmesan and some herbs into this cheese for the lasagna.

I also want to use fresh pasta. I'd read once that lasagna is good, but lasagna made with fresh pasta is divine. I want to test that theory. We have a pasta roller for our kitchen aid, and I am going to make our lasagna noodles. I also intend to work on a bolognese sauce using my own red sauce recipe that Nick likes so much.

My only fear is that my expectations will be too high: perhaps it won't be as "divine" as I hope? Perhaps the inherent joys and beauties of these homemade efforts will be lost? I kind of doubt it; I hope not. I have some time to recipe test the meat sauce and to perfect my pasta. I'll keep you abreast of developments. Be watching shortly after Valentine's to know how the lasagna turned out.

Booking It 2012 with Life as MOM

2012-01-12T19:57:00.001-06:00

For 2012, I am loosely participating in an online book club hosted by Life as MOM. While I'm not reading her program, my reading list for the year was inspired by it as well as some of my selections from her readings. You can check out her reading program as well as the posts and selections of other bloggers participating in the club here.

For the month of January, I had chosen to read The Happiness Project by Gretchen Rubin. Unfortunately, I have not yet read enough of the book to really talk about it yet. I obtained my copy from the library later than I had hoped. As well, I was trying to finish Cleopatra by Stacy Schiff before it had to be returned. I have at least finished the biography on Cleopatra and would like to talk a little bit about that before I share my first impressions on The Happiness Project.

I picked up Cleopatra close to Christmas last month after seeing it on a recommended biography list. I enjoy reading biographies from time to time, and it had been awhile since I'd picked one up. Some of my favorites are on famous (or rather infamous) medieval British queens by Alison Weir. While I'd never been particularly interested in Cleopatra, who had always rather seemed melodramatic, an assumption supported by Elizabeth Taylor's portrayal, the recommendations I read online, mostly focusing on Schiff's excellent writing, expert storytelling and fresh perspective, convinced me to give it a go.

Schiff makes a very pointed effort to portray Cleopatra in a very different light than she is normally portrayed. From the beginning she points out that the last Egyptian queen's story is told through the eyes of male historians, all Roman, who were opposed to the type of woman Cleopatra was likely to be. Roman's prefer their women to be the ancient equivalent of the barefoot and pregnant in the kitchen adage: obedient, content to remain in the background, a support to her husband, and certainly not equal to a man. Should a woman have any competency beyond running a household, any persuasive ability, any considerable intellectual prowess, or authority of her own, then she was clearly wanton and practicing magic. Cleopatra, who was well-educated, erudite, and clever, by her own personality went against the Roman grain. According to Schiff, Romans found royalty itself repugnant, and that Cleopatra was both female and royal merely cemented her as an infamous woman. This is the woman the Roman historians portray: a cautionary morality tale. Instead, according to Schiff, it is more likely that Cleopatra was intelligent, persuasive, a competent ruler, well-loved by her people, and cool-headed, able to win allies and compatriots, deeply resourceful. Contrast Elizabeth Taylor's portrayal (think petulant, manipulative seductress) with a capable woman who made the most of her opportunities.

Schiff certainly spins a new light on several Cleopatra legends. (Her appearance before Julius Caesar from within a carpet? Yeah, not likely so steamy or so attractive: she was likely carried in that rug across a swamp and through a teeming metropolis. She was likely sweaty and disheveled.) A wanton woman? Though she was never married to anyone other than her brothers (strictly political marriage, and considering their ages and their bitter rivalries, never consummated), she seemed to be monogomous: there is no evidence that she was ever involved with anyone than Julius Caesar and Marc Antony, both affairs years in duration and several years apart from each other. Despite the debacle of Actium, for decades she ruled Egypt well, coming through famines and hardships while still providing for her people and maintaining wealth.

By the end of the biography, Schiff takes such great care to list alternative readings of the history to the motives prescribed by Cleopatra's Roman chroniclers, that you begin to wonder where the credence truly lies. During the recounting of Actium, the efforts are almost belabored. There is no doubt that despite Cleopatra's more-than-able reign over Egypt, her last year(s) with Antony showed a great deal of poor judgement. Actium can be nothing less than a debacle. Still, Schiff's case for Cleopatra is compelling. I found myself often thinking, "Really? Oh, really?" throughout the account and desiring even to look up biographies on Antony and especially Octavian, a.k.a. Caesar Augustus, feeling I had not previously known or understood either man at all. (On a side note, a cousin has sent me a copy of Plutarch's Parallel Lives, and I can't wait to read it in more depth, as Plutarch is one historian responsible for the account of Cleopatra and Antony).

As for The Happiness Project, I am only a few chapters in. I confess to finding her long explanation of the formation of her project, from research to philosophical ~~rambling~~ definition, to be a bit tedious. As well as her constant dependence on psychological research a little "know-it-all". I also struggle with how much I disagree with some of the philosophical statements she pins her project on. (Happiness is not the purpose of humanity or human existence. My faith squarely lays that in worship at my God's feet, from which a great deal of joy can be derived.) However, already she has supplied some excellent ideas. For one, I liked her gradual approach to adopting resolutions or changes: pick a few for one month, work on those, and then add a few more the next month. Theorectically, by the end of the year, you would have accomplished a great deal of change without overwhelming yourself with too much at once. Already, I've been looking at my own resolutions trying to see how they can be spread out over time for better chances of success.

Granted, again, I'm only chapters in. Who knows, by the end of the book, I may be a huge fan. For now, I have reservations. I hate to say this, as I feel I'm judging before I really know the whole. But that is the honest reaction at this time. I'm not giving up on it, though. Next month, I still hope to have The Well-Trained Mind read and ready to discuss (though I am beginning to be concerned that I may not get it in time, as I will be getting it from the library; I've been on hold for a copy for nearly two months now). I also intend to finish The Happiness Project and finish the review then. Plus, perhaps I'll have a little Plutarch for you as well. (Smiley face could be inserted here....)

Anyone read anything worth talking about lately?

Friday Quick 5

2012-01-06T07:00:00.000-06:00

What a week! Let's just get on to the Quick 5, shall we?

1. I mentioned at the beginning of the week that we took a trip to Colorado and our engine seized on the way. We were actually 40 minutes from Nick's parents house when we were waylaid on the roadside. It overshadowed our trip, a little bit, with the concern over paying for the engine. We have an emergency fund tucked away for times such as these, but we foresaw that it would possibly drain that fund, which we would then have to try to save up over the next few months. Praise be to the Lord of All, we have been blessed generously! We have barely had to dip into that fund due to some very generous gifts from some very wonderful brothers and sisters in Christ. I can't say "Thank you" enough to these individuals as well as to our parents, who have given generously to us as well. We are hoping the Trooper will be up and running again soon, which will be a boon to us since the Jimmy is a semi-reliable car at the moment.

2. Nick and I are currently going through Dave Ramsey's Financial Peace University on our own right now. We have borrowed the cds and are listening to them. We are determined to do what we can to reduce our bills and utilities and trying to pay off debts. The rest will be tightening our belts are far as they can go. I am looking at ways to make our grocery bill stretch even further, from using coupons to even considering making rice and beans (a very economical meal) twice a week. Thankfully, Nick doesn't seem to have many whims meal-wise and doesn't bore with leftovers the way I sometimes do; just no onions or peppers, please, and he's fine. We hope the debt-snowball will pay off quickly. Doing away with medical bills and school loans will hopefully free up capital to put us on a firmer financial standing, and hopefully enable us to buy this house.

3. I'm discovering the paradox of toddler-hood with Eliza. One minute she is an absolute delight as she says something new or uses a new skill she's learned or exhibited her developing humor. The next she is a pain in my rear, throwing fits over small things, pushing her brother (whom she really does love) down or forcibly removing his toys from his person, or chewing her daddy out for something she doesn't like (usually discipline for being naughty). As I write this Quick 5 she is singing and dancing, her brother along with her as he bounces on his knees. Precious. She is at once still very young and dependent and growing up and gaining her independence. It's a hard age. For mommy and child. She has begun to tattle on herself: she came running into the kitchen yesterday saying she was sorry and then let me know she had touched my new laptop (a definite no-no). It was difficult to discipline her (she knows she's not to touch the laptop, especially when she has to climb to do it) when she was apologizing and being so honest with me. Again, at once proud of her honesty and frustrated with her naughtiness.

4. We are watching "The Rescuers Down Under." I've decided this is definitely a sad movie: the mom calling out for her missing boy, the authorities handing her his lost backpack... Being a mother gives you a totally new perspective on drama. I never watched Private Practice because as a whole I don't go in for that kind of drama. Now, I categorically refuse to because of the heartwrenching stories about dying and sick children. I would be yanking my children from their beds to hold them after something like that!

5. I've been thinking about my sophomore year of college lately. I remember telling a very dear friend before the school year started that I had a feeling it was going to be an important year: I could feel big things coming. To my mind, at that time, I hoped it meant meeting my husband and maybe getting married at the end of the year (HA!). Instead, I was in a number of car accidents (thankfully, none of them injurious), went to Puerto Rico to do hurricane clean-up, got a new and unexpected college roommate, and my grandmother passed, not particularly in that order. That's a very big year indeed! It follows the adage that you don't always get what you expect. If I had, I wouldn't have met Nick (who wasn't remotely following the Lord at that time), I wouldn't have married him, and my children would be quite different. Of course everything worked out for the best and I couldn't be more grateful. If I'd gotten married then, I would never have gone to Africa. I would never have backpacked through Europe. I would never have spent a year in Alabama with my parents or lived in St. Johns' in Omaha with some of the best roommates I could ever have asked for. I can't imagine my life without these experiences or without Nick and Eliza and Simon. It's good to remember years like that when things don't go as planned. Not everything that happened was good: my grandmother passing was hard and incredibly sad, though I don't worry about where she is now. The car accidents were stressful. Puerto Rico, however, was an amazing (though in many ways difficult) experience. I have hopes and expectations for this year, but if they don't happen? I can trust that the Lord knows best. "The heart of a man plans his way, but the Lord establishes His steps." (Prov. 16:9. Look it up, it's good stuff.)

2012 Reading Plan

2012-01-04T07:00:00.000-06:00

On Monday, I mentioned as part of a set of personal resolutions I've made a twelve-month reading plan for my own enrichment. I love to read, and I tend to read a lot of fiction. Generally speaking, I simply pick up whatever sounds good/appealing or is recommended at the time. I don't read with purpose or for enrichment very often. This year I wanted to change that. Inspired by Life as MOM's Booking It online book club as well as a very close friend's book club overseas, I decided to read with more direction this year, trying to stretch my wings. The result is the list below.

It is rather conspicuous in its lack of fiction, only four titles out of twelve. Most of these are books I've had an interest in reading but never bothered to seek out, others are ones I've known I should read for sometime but have never tried. Only two am I picking up simply because I've heard other people read them and recommend them.

My hope is not to simply limit my reading to these books. But, seeing how long it is taking me to get through one book at the moment, and how busy this year is promising to be, I might feel good just accomplishing the list. At the end of every month I will blog about that month's selection, as well as any other books I might have read that I feel noteworthy. In fact, the one I am reading at the beginning of this month, a biography, definitely deserves a mention. I'll have to try and finish it to share with you, as well as get a move on The Happiness Project.

January-- The Happiness Project, Gretchen Rubin

February--The Well-Trained Mind, Susan Wise Bauer

March-- The Elegance of the Hedgehog, Muriel Barbery

April--The Dirty Life: on Farming, Food and Love, Kristin Kimball

May--French Women Don't Get Fat, Mireille Guiliano

June--Mary Boleyn, Alison Weir

July--The Confessions of St. Augustine

August--Three Cups of Tea, Greg Mortenson

September--Joy the Baker, Joy Wilson

October--The Thirteenth Tale, Diane Setterfield

November-- Mere Christianity, C.S. Lewis

December-- On the Edge of the Dark Sea of Darkness, Andrew Peterson

Life as MOM's posting day and link-up is the 12th of every month. While I am not following her reading plan except in one selection (though I might choose to read more on the side if there is time and availability of material), I do intend to post and link-up then. So, if you're interested in hearing about any of these books, tune in on the 12th of each month!

New Year's Resolutions

2012-01-02T10:43:00.002-06:00

Happy New Year, all! We had a relatively trying end to the year (our engine seized on a trip to Colorado and will now need to be replaced), but over all it was good. Lots of time spent with both sides of the family, cousins playing, siblings chatting, movies, and good food. Nick and I enjoyed our third anniversary together, and the time together looking back and looking forward has only confirmed to me, again, how blessed I am to have such a man as my husband.

2011 was a fairly good year for us. Our son was born. Our daughter is growing and developing and a constant delight. We have had wonderful opportunity to live in this apartment, and while not perfect, do some nesting and make this place our home. However, there are things that I would like to improve upon, things I would like to change, and New Years' is an excellent time to consider all these things, make some goals, and a plan for moving forward.

I've divided my resolutions into categories. It's actually made for a number of resolutions, but I think all are attainable with some realistic expectations and a game plan.

Personal Resolutions
These are things I want to change about myself or how I do things. I want to get up early and establish a morning routine that will allow me to accomplish some of my goals in other areas. I want to blog more consistently. I have developed a 12 month reading plan for 2012 which will encourage me to read books I've been thinking about for sometime as well as try new material; it is surprising devoid of fiction material, which is my standard reading material. More on that to come. Another goal is to prepare for and participate in National Novel Writing Month this year. This may be the one goal I might have to let go due to some changes on the horizon. I tried it this last year, however, and was disappointed that I didn't (or couldn't) take it more seriously; I want another chance.

Physical Resolutions
The first set of goals I have for my physical resolutions can be lumped under "eat healthier". I know that is a vague, immeasurable goal, but it's more a category heading. Under it I would list, eat more vegetables, consume less sugar, and drink more water. I indeed have benchmarks: such as drink 2 glasses of water in the morning, in the afternoon, and in the evening. Eat 2 kinds of vegetables at dinner, building into lunch, and eventually breakfast. Cut sugary drinks (my favorite!) such as soda, chai, and hot chocolate, especially as comfort aides. I also intend to resume a regular exercise routine. The overall goal, here, is obviously to be healthier and more physically fit.

Spiritual Resolutions
I am a big believer in writing while you study the Word of God. My goal is to be more consistent in journaling. I have allocated a journal of the purpose and intend to use it as part of my morning routine, to journal and study each morning in God's Word for a time. I also hope to memorize the Book of James. I've made attempts in the past and have failed. By breaking it into smaller pieces and employing a few new tricks, I hope to have the whole thing memorized by the end of the year. It'd be fantastic if I completed the goal early and could take on another small book! We shall see.

Financial Resolutions
Nick and I are starting Financial Peace University by Dave Ramsey. Our current goal is to get a budget made and followed. We have Step 1, an small emergency fund established, though it might be emptied by the engine, completed, and we are hoping to attack our debt. We also hope to buy the house by the end of the year.

School/Education Resolutions
My 12-mo. reading plan could also go here, but I intend to start on my own education as I look toward homeschooling my children in the future. I also hope to start Eliza's education with Tot School in the morning and potty training when I feel she is ready for it. On top of all this, Nick and I will be taking part in The Urban Ministry Institute here in Topeka and it's my goal to complete all the work; this doesn't sound lofty, but when I have difficulty completing a Beth Moore Bible study, a college level course will take some dedication.

Household Resolutions

These are ongoing, always. The goal is to keep the house cleaner, keep a better pulse on our pantry inventories, and to declutter. I am following a decluttering schedule I found on Pinterest to help identify things we don't really need and clear the air a bit. We've been pretty basic in our possessions as our apartment has small rooms, but clutter still abounds.

Does the list seem extensive and possibly out of reach? Yes. I know resolutions should be kept simple and maybe few. But these are the goals that have really been on my heart the past few months. I have chosen the few for each category that are most important to me; I admit, it's my hope that because they are in different areas of life, hopefully a reading plan won't get in the way of eating more vegetables. Also, as I began work on many of these goals in the past few months, I hope the number of changes I'm attempting won't be as big a deal. I already read a great deal; now I'll read with more purpose. I've been trying to eat better for months, but now I have goals and a plan for what that should like. I have benchmarks set and intend to review quarterly how I'm doing. Because they are important to me, I want to be sure to accomplish them.

What about you? Do you make resolutions at the New Year? What plans do you have for 2012?

Friday Quick 5

2011-12-16T06:55:00.003-06:00

Man, has it really been so long since I've had an opportunity to sit down and write here? I think it attests to the craziness of the past several weeks. About which, I am ready to share:

1. The Women's Retreat for church. I wrote the curriculum. Yes. Yes, I did. Did I ever really share that here? I don't think so. I only shared it with a few friends prior to the retreat, though the word did moderately get around. I never intended to get any publicity/acknowledgement for it. The hard work would be more than amply paid if the women enjoyed the retreat, were encouraged and even challenged in their walks with the Lord. That was my hope for the time, anyway. Praise be to the Lord that it seemed to go well and that I have heard many positive comments in the past weeks since that early November weekend. My prayer had always been that HE would be glorified, and I think He was.

2. We've started a new sleep schedule with Simon, and that is largely why I haven't been writing. Or doing anything. He used to sleep with us (against my better judgement) and it got to the point where I only slept a few hours a night because of the little guy. Horrible, short hours with pains in my back and side and neck from trying to sleep around his growing form. It finally came to the point where I had to put him in his own bed and let him holler at the top of his lungs as I just couldn't take it anymore! Since then, he's been in his own bed, sleeping *most* of the night. He still wakes up sporadically, naps badly, and wants Mama to come and snuggle him to sleep. It's made exercising difficult, quiet and alone time almost impossible. Already this morning I have been in twice to rock him and feed him so that he will sleep later and not wake up his sister. I'm hoping things will equalize before long. I have plans for my morning time.

3. The past few months I was supposed to participate in a Maximize Your Mornings challenge. The challenge was to get up early, have quiet time and hopefully exercise before your kids get us so you are ready to start the day with purpose. I say supposed to, because all this nonsense with Simon made it almost impossible to do it. When he started crawling, I couldn't leave him in the room, lest he wake up and crawl off our bed which is almost well over three feet high. Sleeping in his own bed, well, we've covered that already. It also didn't help that my accountability group was a bit of a flop. I never heard or saw evidence of the group captain, and people didn't participate much. I am starting again in the new year with the new challenge, because I as I said, I have plans for my morning times: quiet time with the Lord, exercise, and hopefully enough time for some personal study and a shower.

4. Topeka Urban Ministry Institute, otherwise known as TUMI. It's a program that started here in Topeka this past year. It's really rather exciting, as it's a seminary level course for the cost of books, with a distinct emphasis on ministering to the city. This is especially a great partnership for our church, because our purpose is to reach out to the community around us. The Hapkido program Nick teaches in is hoping to bring in kids from the surrounding community. We would like to participate, but I feel apprehensive that I can get the homework and reading done while our children are so small. It's something we are praying about, but I suspect if we do it, this morning time will be even more essential.

5. I have been so busy the past few weeks (scratch that, months), that I've been ordered to not volunteer for anything for sometime by my very loving husband. Possibly, five to six months. (Would that count TUMI, then?) His intentions are good and true: I've run myself a little ragged the past few weeks. I've been exhausted, the house has been a disaster, and I have had, at time, to sacrifice time and attention for my children. Not good. I think, though, he may underestimate my penchant for taking on projects. As I have one for the new year in mind. I am going to create a reading list for myself. I'm always looking for something good to read, but it tends to be haphazard and sporadic that I will pick up this or that book to read it. I've decided to make a list of twelve books to read in the next year, one per month. I definitely intend to read far more than that, but I want to at least read with purpose twelve books. So far the list is small: The Well-Trained Mind by Susan Wise Bauer; The Happiness Project by Gretchen Rubin; and French Women Don't Get Fat by Mireille Guiliano. The list is short at the moment, but not for lack of ideas. I'm also considering The Dirty Life: A Memoir of Farming, Food, and Love by Kristin Kimball; The Elegance of the Hedgehog by Muriel Barbery; Joy the Baker Cookbook; et cetera, et cetera, et cetera... I think it may be a narrow-it-down kind of deal and set the rest on an auxiliary list to be read as there's time.

*Bonus: If you're wondering about Eliza, she's fantastic. She turned two last month. She giggles, sings, holds her brother's hand in the car when he cries, and is two. Exercising her will and stuff like that. She's developed a habit of wanting to snuggle, something Mama is savoring. Who knows how long a child will be willing to sit in your lap and lay their head against you? I'm taking full advantage. She also tells her Bubby, "Come one," and crawls to get him to follow her. She enjoys playing with him and I hope that lasts.

Well, the kids got up at 6:30 and are now roaming the house looking for me as I hide in my room to get this finished. (Not really, the door is fully opened.) But they've found me and crying and pulling has ensued. TTFN (ta ta for now).