10 signs that its time to clean your floors . . .

1. You have a strategic path around all thrown-about child paraphernalia. 
2. You avoid the tile at all costs because you're sure something will attach itself to your foot. 
3. You can tell what you've had for dinner the last four nights by looking at the floor in front of the stove. 
4. You have to wipe off your children's feet before putting on their shoes. 
5. You go to change your one-year-old's (oyo) diaper and the bottom of his feet are black. 
6. Your oyo thinks that crawling under the dinner table and eating shards of last night's dinner is "snack-time."
7. You find your three year old "cleaning" with her child size broom and she has an actual pile of dirt/food/nastiness that needs picking up. 
8. When vacuuming, your oyo walks in front of the vacuum to save every Cheerio from their inevitable demise. And then eats them. 
9. When you need a pacifier or hair retaining device, you can just look around and find one on the ground within arm's reach. 
10. You suddenly see your oyo charge at the oven, lay on his belly, retrieve an unseen pacifier from under the oven and place it in his mouth.

Yeppers. My floors are filthy.

How do you know when your floors are dirty?

Lunch Time Fun?

So, I've taken a stab at "bento-ing." Perhaps you have a curious look upon your face. A week ago, I would have had a similar stare.

One of Melissa's Creations

Last week I was on FB and I saw a friend had liked a post from a blog, Another Lunch. I stumbled over there and proceeded to spend two hours perusing Melissa's amazing posts and pics. Basically, a bento lunch is a lunch that is eco-, kid-, and creatively friendly. It has minimal waste, is healthy and fun.

I decided to take a stab at bentoing for Avery and its been a ton of fun for her - and me! I've done mostly lunches and a couple snacks. Even if we're eating at home, I'll make her lunch interesting by adding some mini-forks or putting some grapes on a swizzle stick. I've been using cookie cutters to cut out her sandwiches. She loves it! It has been pretty valuable to me personally because I enjoy serving her in this way. It also encourages me to come up with healthy options for both her and Nathan.

The pros for me are endless. She definitely eats more. She enjoys using the mini-forks and loves eating off of the swizzle sticks. Who knew? The little silicone cups are fun too. You can put anything in them and its a great way to portion control. Bentos are meant to travel. I picked her up from school and had to run errands so she ate lunch in the car and finished in the store. The cost has been minimal because I have tiny tubs and I bought the silicone cups at Ross and found some cute little things for fairly cheap on Amazon.

For this lunch in the photos - which isn't totally aesthetically pleasing, but it worked - I used two heart shaped cookie cutters. One for the sandwich and one for the fruit leather on the sides. Two silicone cups, one for the mini crackers and one for sliced string cheese. I usually add some fruit, but we were out. I'm still trying to figure out what to use for filler. I found the fork online and the green bin at Ross.  I saved the "waste" of the sandwich and the fruit leather for my lunch and the string cheese for Nate.

Avery enjoying her lunch. She ate every piece!

I'm nowhere near the level of my inspiration, but I'm heading there!

Check out Another Lunch and be awed. Melissa is very thematic and did the Twelve Days of Christmas last year. She's amazing!

How do you make lunches interesting? I need ideas! Would you take a stab at creating a bento lunch?

Wordless Wednesday - The Stroller is Much More Fun

The Place of Funk - Not the Disco Kind

I've had a difficult week. The kids have been great, but I feel like I've been in a funk.

Funks are difficult because it's not like you can retreat and gather yourself or just instantly change your attitude. I have found that when I'm in a funk, I tend to make decisions for myself instead of making choices for my kids. I'll try to read or do a crossword while they're playing instead of sitting down and engaging with them. I'll be quickly frustrated because I'm inconvenienced by being asked for help. I'll make a simple dinner because I'm lazy. I'll watch tv while the kids are napping instead of cleaning, reading, blogging, studying, praying . . . you name it.

Funks also cut to my heart. I hear things with a defensive ear. All the insecurities that I thought had progressed to have minimal impact on my daily life have all of a sudden come back in full force. I hate all of my clothes. I don't want to run into anyone I know just to tell them that I've been up to "the mom thing." I worry about my kids' futures constantly.

Avery asked me the other day why I was so big. Through my sensitive ears, my initial thought was to tell her it was because I'd just eaten about 80 Costco animal crackers. Really she was just asking how I grew so tall, but I was on the defensive! Ha!

So, how do you snap out of it? It took my ridiculous reaction to Avery's question to realize I was in a bad place. Initially, I chose to feel sorry for myself. Luckily I had Bible study that evening (we're studying insecurity - ironic, eh). It was interesting because I was completely under attack. Many of the ladies were talking about what they'd overcome. Everything they talked about seemed to trigger my anxieties. Afterward, I made mention of something to a dear woman and she showered me with encouraging words. She also implied that I was being quite absurd. That actually brought me to a place of realization.

In my funks, I put up a wall to everyone and everything - especially God. I don't want to pour into anyone or anything. What better way for me to become an ineffective mother, wife and friend? So, I'm now out of my funk, but it took a good friend, with her voice dripping with disdain to say, "Seriously?" Additionally, it took a lengthy conversation with Jesus - for most of which, I was silent.

Now I just need to figure out how I got into that funk in the first place.

Do you know what triggers your funks? How do you get out of them?

Wordless Wednesday - Picture Fun

Wordless Wednesday - Penn State Preppie

I Love You, Spiderman

Yesterday morning, when Mike emerged from the bedroom wearing a fitted red jacket, Avery exclaimed, "You look like Spiderman!!"

He did, in fact, look like Spiderman. 

She was very excited. Mike and I looked at each other because we had no idea she was remotely aware of Spiderman. She has a kickball with his picture. I recently bought some Tonka Trucks for Nathan with the Marvel Comics logos. She asked me about each one. After I described all the heros, she expressed that she liked the blue truck best. Still, I don't know where she's actually seen a picture of the fully suited Spiderman.

Her knowledge base is quickly growing. She is aware of far more than I credit to her. I know that Spiderman is a silly example, but we are constantly impressed by things she thinks and says. 

Perhaps the sweetest thing she said yesterday came as Mike buckled her into the Jeep after church.

She looked at him adoringly and said, "I love you, Spiderman."

Has your child said something that impressed or surprised you lately?

Nobody Told Me . . .

. . . that I would miss my music this much.


I love music. It takes you back. It lifts you up. It makes you feel.

My kids love music. We dance in the kitchen while I make dinner. We sing in the car. Nathan flails his arms to the music. He especially gets into it when a song has a jam out session in the middle. Avery enjoys action and movie songs. She's particularly fond our friend Dave's (DSM's) Creation Song. She's begun to ask what every song is about, most notably if it's a song to which I sing along.

The music I love the most is not kid appropriate. Snow Patrol, Dashboard Confessional, Dave Matthews Band, Foo Fighters, Lifehouse, and so on.

I have a playlist on my iPod titled "Depressing but Necessary." I think we should all create such a list! Avery is incredibly perceptive to emotion and these songs would literally make her sad. Needless to say, I don't listen to them very often. Then, when I finally do indulge, I realize just how much I've missed my dear friends.

So, by now you're thinking, "What is on this playlist?" There are 101 songs on the list, so I cannot share them all. but here are my top ten. It was incredibly difficult to choose.

Mikelle & I at a DMB concert. 

In no particular order:

1. Crack the Shutters - Snow Patrol
2. Need You Now - Lady Antebellum
3. What If You - Joshua Radin
4. Everything - Lifehouse
5. Hallelujah - Kate Voegele
6. Collide - Howie Day
7. Rest Stop - Matchbox Twenty
8. Crash Into Me - Dave Matthews Band
9. Hands Down - Dashboard Confessional
10. Round Here - Counting Crows
11. Crazy For You - Madonna (It just came on and I can't eliminate any of the above!)

What are your favorite kid-inappropriate songs? Or perhaps a kid-inappropriate band?

PS - I have a new commenting system on here. You can log in with a FB, Twitter, Google or Yahoo account. You can also create your own Disqus account with only your name and email. I know that some of you had difficulties creating an account with the old system.  

Additionally, as much as I love reading your comments on Facebook, I would love it even more if I got to read them here!

Wordless Wednesday - Punkin Ponderment

Oh, Mornings - The Variance

Nathan Awake Attack

Nate is the only morning person in our house. Poor soul. He's happy. He squeals with joy. Sometimes we have to take him onto the back porch so he doesn't wake the rest of the house.

Mike's brain functions at it's greatest capacity early in the morning, but his social skills are at their lowest. He gets into work around 6:15, but doesn't answer his phone before 8. It's a rule.

Neither my brain, nor my social skills are functioning in the morning. Nate's morning delight works quite well for me though. I can loathe the early morning hour privately on the coach as he plays.

My dear, dear Avery requires a full 30 minutes of wake time before any purposeful discussion can take place. I have to ask her questions that require only one word answers. Fortunately, Little Einsteins tends to snap her out of her funk as she pats her lap to make Rocket go faster - prestissimo!

I pray that God brings her a husband who is not a morning person. For his own sake.

What are mornings like in your house?