Gratituesday: It makes me grateful!

I love Gratituesday.  I love that it happens on Tuesday.  Which is usually the day my life starts to spiral out of control. 

By which I mean that I spend Monday enjoying the memories of the weekend and slowly starting to stress out about all of the work that needs to be done around the house.  Sometime Monday evening, I remember that we have two birthdays this week, and I still need to bake, wrap, and make cards.  I remember that I am hosting a playdate on Wednesday and my mother-in-law is arriving on the weekend, and I can't remember the last time the floor was mopped.  I remember that we have two outings this weekend due to the birthdays, and I have to prepare a lunch out for Noah so that I don't cause his allergies to flare.  I also find out that somehow I forgot to buy new vacuum cleaner bags, and this one refuses to fit any additional dust.  Not to mention Ulysses that I said I'd finish by Wednesday.  And the review I need to write.

As you can see, the stress starts to spiral faster and faster, and by the time I hit bed on Monday night, I am a wreck.

Then I wake up on Tuesday morning and get to blog about something that inspires gratitude.  This simple excercise is enjoyable most weeks.  But this week, reflecting on the beautiful time I had with my husband on our date, the warm weather walks I took with my daughter, and the extra cuddle time I had with my son has saved my sanity. 

I think I'll take some time this morning to involve the kids in the housework and make it fun.  No sense stressing out now, right?

Gratituesday: The Kids

These kids of mine.  Some days they drive me bonkers, but I have to admit that on my list of blessings, they rate pretty highly.

Lately, they have been playing together a lot.  Instead of individual games iwth separate toys, Adrienne is trying to work Noah into her games.  They like to draw together, read together, and hide in their tents together.  My absolute favorite, though, is when they play "Sleeping Beauty" together.

Adrienne builds a "bed" of couch cushions and pillows in the middle of the living room floor.  She then climbs to the top and promptly "falls asleep."  It is not long before the call comes, "Noah, come here.  You have to be the Handsome Prince and wake me up!"  Sometimes he comes of his own volition, other times mother has to intervene and escort the prince to kiss "Sleeping Beauty." 

This game, pictured above, has brought me hours of joy in the past few weeks.

Gratituesday: Fun with Fabric Dye

This post is part of Gratituesday at Heavenly Homemakers

As you can see, the camera is back up and working, which is a joy in itself!  However, I am most grateful for the crazy looking pillow pictured above.  It is called a Snoogle and manufactured by Leachco, makers of a variety of maternity/baby items.

Nathan and the kids gave me this pillow as part of my birthday gift months ago, and I swear, I don't know how I survived without one for so long!  It provides back support, tummy support, and hip alignment.  When baby comes, it can double as a comfier version of a Boppy.  And at night, I just like to snuggle in it to watch TV and knit.  Something about the way it cradles me is so comforting!

In any event, it came with a white cover, which, after a month, became quite dingy.  Of course, it was covered in little dirty toddler handprints, cat fur, and assorted other ickiness.  So.  Off to the store I went to buy a bottle of RIT fabric dye. 

After about ten minutes of stirring in a sink full of hot water, my new and improved apple green snoogle appeared!  Victory!  Not only am I grateful for the snoogle, I am grateful that it is no longer icky, dingy white. :-D

I was so inspired that I decided to transform some old, white towels we got at our wedding.  But that is a story for another day.

Gratituesday: My Espresso Machine!

This post is part of Gratituesday at Heavenly Homemakers

For the past, oh, ten years, I have been a bonafide caffeine addict.  I realize that it is not good for my health, or that of my babies, but I simply cannot, and do not, want to give it up :-D  There is something about a big, hot mug of coffee that just eases my mind.  I drink it first thing in the morning to prepare for the day and after dinner to unwind and get ready for bed. 

With my birthday last month, Nathan and his parents conspired to buy me an espresso machine.  It finally arrived a week and a half ago, and BOY am I grateful!

Now, without spending tons of money at the coffee shop, I can have a latte every day.  I also don't have to wrestle children in and out of the car, across the snowy street in the early morning rush hour, and into the coffee shop.  I can make my own latte, just the way I like it, while everyone is either asleep or in pajamas.  HOORAY!

There is also something divine in steaming my own milk.  For years, I worked in a variety of coffee shops, and my favorite activity has always been to steam the milk.  I love the sound and smell as it heats up and begins to froth.  It is a kinesthetic experience that I totally enjoy.

It may be a small thing that shouldn't matter, but having my own espresso machine makes me "super happy."

Gratituesday: Skype

This post is part of Gratituesday over at Heavenly Homemakers.

A few weeks ago our family upgraded our computers.  We weren't sure whether or not we'd actually use the built-in webcam and microphone, but, hey, we aren't going to turn down free stuff, right?

Over the weekend, we downloaded Skype, an internet phone system that also allows you to video chat.  How cool!

As it was my sister's birthday, we called her and let Adrienne sing "Happy Birthday" to her.  It was fantastic!  Adrienne was much more talkative, seeing the person with whom she was interacting.  Of course, it was good to see her apartment, since she moved to D.C. after we moved to Wisconsin.  Nice how technology can make these things happen!

Then, this afternoon, we "skyped" with my mom, and she was able to see the little ones playing with their play-dough and singing some songs.  Noah was confused about the whole thing, but then, if someone you couldn't remember started talking to you out of a computer, you might be confused, too!  Adrienne, on the other hand, was so excited to talk to her "Granny" and be able to see her. 

Having family living so far away from us, it sometimes gets lonely, and you don't have a good picture how your loved ones look from day to day.  Also, the concept of aunts and grandparents gets abstract for the little ones at times.  So, I am grateful for Skype for allowing me to see and interact with family members no matter where they live.

What are you grateful for?

Gratituesday: My Husband

The last month has been a lesson in trust. And a lesson in teamwork.

While I have been either confined to bed rest on doctor's orders or unable to move due to pain, the daily life of our family has not slowed down too much. The children still need to be fed, washed, and otherwise supervised. Since Noah can't even walk, there is a lot for a parent to do around here. And while I was lying in bed, someone else had to pick up the slack.

Enter Nathan.

He managed to rearrange his work schedule so that he could work from home during the day, and go in to work at nights. He changed diapers, mopped up after accidents, cooked three meals a day, took the children on outings, kept the house from falling apart around us, and somehow managed to work 45 hours per week. Oh, and did I mention the night wakings? The poor man has been working non-stop around the clock.

Somehow, though, he didn't get frustrated or angry. He kept on assuring me that it was his turn to carry the workload of our family until I could get back up to par.

While I am grateful to be up and moving around again this week, I am more grateful for the man who has allowed me the time I need to recover. Without him, I am not sure what I would have done.

Gratituesday: The Co-op

It's Tuesday. Wait. It's Gratituesday! Time for another post!

I'm dealing with some pretty excruciating pain which has kept me house-bound for weeks now, and I just have not been able to get to the store to buy groceries. Since I usually keep a fairly stocked pantry, I haven't needed to get anything, but we are now down to eating, shall we say, creatively.

We are completely out of oats, flour, olive oil, and sucanat. And, since I haven't been cooking, the disappearance of kitchen staples has escaped my notice. That is, until this morning when my husband asked what to prepare for breakfast since we only had a half-cup of oats... Hmmm... Time to go shopping.

Which is why I am so grateful for the Willy St Co-op here in Madison.

I can sit at home and shop online, picking everything from frozen foods, rice milk, and produce to my staples out of the bulk bins. Then, when I send Nathan out to get the groceries, he just has to drive up, identify himself, and they load all of my items into his car!

After trying this online shopping once, I can't see going back to navigating the co-op with multiple kids ever again!

Thanks for making life so much easier for a mother who is stuck at home :)

Gratituesday: My Life

This post is linked to Gratituesday at Heavenly Homemakers.

It seems like a bit of a cop-out, but today is my birthday, and I am grateful for my life.

I have not had a particularly long life yet (although that is hopefully going to happen! ) but it has been a very blessed life; my parents and sisters have been a fantastic presence throughout its entirety. My childhood is filled with great memories, from the early years in South Africa with lots of family and friends, to relocating to North Carolina and meeting lots of new friends. In high school I was blessed with relatively good schools, positive role models, and tons of dreams. And in college, I met and married the love of my life. From there, I have received the two most wonderful blessings a woman could hope for: my children. This year, too, should bring its share of joy.

When I consider the stories and pictures I've seen on the news, books I've read, and movies I've watched, I am awed that my life has been free of heavy burdens. The gratitude, today, on my birthday, is overwhelming!

Gratituesday

I haven't been blogging lately. Somehow I got caught up in a lot of running around, chasing children, and obsessive cooking. Luckily--and I was lucky--I ended up on bedrest for the next two weeks. So I thought I'd use the spare time to start blogging again, and what could be better than a gratituesday post.

This weekend, I nearly lost my pregnancy, but an ultrasound early Monday morning revealed a heartbeat. All of my prayers were answered! I just have to stay in bed for the next two weeks until they can get a better view of Baby #3 to ensure all is well. So, as I said, I am thankful to be on bedrest.

I am also thankful for "the kindness of strangers." Or maybe not such strangers. While I'm waiting for my mom to come up and help me with the kids, cooking, and such, the hubby is spending a lot of time off of work trying to help out. He is getting very stressed, as he is working full time and trying to do the work of a SAHM, too. This is where my friends have stepped in and arranged playdates for the kids and meals for each night.

There is no way I could ever express how thankful I am to all the people who have prayed, entertained the kids, and fed our family. And, of course, countless thanks to GOD who has provided for us.