Help, Please

Hey there. I'm looking for a baby carrier that I can haul lazy Logan around in. I have a snugli thing as well as a sling. BUT, I would really like something I can put to the side. You know, just like I'm carrying him on my hip, but without needing to use my hands. Because, well, sometimes, just sometimes I need my hands for other things. The other carriers I have are better suited for smaller babies, too.

So if you have a suggestion, that would be great. I'd also rather not have to spend an arm and a leg on it because well, I use those too.

So We Remember

Kids are always saying funny, silly, crazy things. Sometimes we can figure out the things Kaylee says, other times…well…

A few days ago, Adam's dad was picking on Kaylee. Immediately after he said something she started whining, or something relatively close. Deiciding to pick on Eddie, I picked Kaylee up, cuddled her and said, "Oh, did Pops hurt your feelings?"

Kaylee: "No."

However, she continued to whine. About a second later, she came over to me, "I hurt my feelings."

Me: "Where are your feelings?"

Kaylee: "They're in my shoes."

***There you have it folks, if your feelings are hurt, change your shoes. Easy as that. ;)

Pictures

Have I mentioned how much I like pictures? I like taking them and looking at them. In the near future, I need to learn how to use Photoshop. Adam bought me a training CD, which I've looked at some, but haven't really been able to take enough time to learn it. It's such a "big" program. So, in the meantime, here are a few unedited, unplayedwith, pictures. ~Enjoy~

Helping Hand

I'm hoping this will make sense. When I write later in the evening, or close to midnight, whichever the case might be, I sometimes have no idea what I'm saying. What's that? I never know what I'm saying? Okay, you're right.

The other day when we were at the pumpkin patch, yet another thing I need to post about, there was a guy who thought he dropped his wallet. Somewhere.in.the.field. Not that there were tons of people there, but before long every single person who was at the patch was out looking for his wallet. His wife ended up going home to see if he left it. Honestly, I wanted to stay longer to see if it was at home or if he found it, but we had to go after helping look for at least 20 minutes.

Not long ago some lady was walking out of Costco with her cart overflowing…a common site in that place. As she went over a bump, the entire top contents of the cart spilled out into the parking lot. Mom ran to help her, picking up all she could carry, and following them to their car to help load it.

Today, some guy was pushing his car out of the road. As soon as I saw him, some other guy was running to help him.

You may be wondering the connection…no, it was not the guy who lost his wallet pushing his car because he ran out of gas and could no longer pay for it. Good try.

The connection is all of these people, in some way, needed help. And while there are even better examples, these are real-life examples I have personally witnessed. Not only did they need help, people were there to help before they could ask for it.

I often think about ways to help people. It's easy for me, as a stay-at-home mom to get caught up in the daily things, but that is no kind of example to lead for the children I am trying to raise up in the ways of the Lord.

Here's where it gets jumbled, but in my head it makes sense. Just go with me here…

Several years ago I was walking into a fast food place, and a young boy, without prompting, saw me and opened the door for me. I may have even mentioned this before…it wouldn't surprise me because it meant so much for me. I remember thinking, That's how I want my kids to be. When I'm not around, I want them to see a need, a place to serve and just do it.

While we were helping that guy look for his wallet, I explained to Kaylee that someone else's daddy lost their wallet and we were going to help him look for it.

Even if they are not ready completely, I want them to know what is going on.

When we're visiting Adam and he has to go out on a call, I explain to Kaylee that someone is sick or needs help and that Daddy is going to help.

It's important for them to know that not everyone has everything they need. We help those we can. Serve those we can. See a need, and if we can, we meet it. We take meals to people who need them. We donate things when we can.

But, for me, there are times I struggle with this. I have a really hard time when I hear about a need and I can't do anything about it. I have a hard time when I see a homeless or needy person and can't help. If I'm alone or by myself with the kids, for safety reasons I do not ever stop to help anyone. I also have a hard time discerning if someone really needs help, or if it is a ploy.

This wasn't even a way I used to think until we were recently approached by the same woman in multiple different parking lots… The first time we saw her she told us she ran out of gas and needed money to get a little more to get home. We offered to follow her to the gas station, but she declined. She didn't really want the gas, she just wanted money.

So the whole discernment thing is something I'm working on.

I transcribed a sermon that really spoke about this, and soon I'll share some insight I gained from it because this thought/thing/process is definitely something heavy on my heart.

 

 

So Far Behind

I started a post the other night, then decided I needed to add pictures…it was supposed to be a quick download and then back to the blog. However…I did not realize there were so many pictures on the camera…over 1300 to be exact (or not so exact). Some had been downloaded and not erased…and well…it just took much longer. Like everything in my life.

 

I need to post pictures and talk about the fair. It was a long time ago, but the kids had so much fun I feel I need to capture some of the memories.

I need to blog about Logan's first birthday…I mean, really people, how can I not?

 

I need to blog about our trip to the DC Zoo.

 

I've just been running out of time to write about everything. Fortunately, I've had a good bit of work lately. I've also been working on making my own cloth diapers. By the time everything has come, and as quickly as I'm working on them, they should all be ready about the time the kids go off to college. Perfect!

 

Without time to breathe in sight, I'll just slap something down… Hopefully I'll find more time soon.

2 Going on 12

I commonly say my two year old is a 12 year old…

Case in point…

She walks into my room the other morning, "Mommy, can I borrow your belt?"

Me: Uh, sure. (Thinking…the thing could probably wrap around you 16 times, but who cares?)

Kaylee: Thank you.

…and she walks away.

Not even in school, and already she wants to borrow my clothes. Not to mention the fact she nearly plowed me over to get to my heels when I was getting ready for a show. Nice. Really, really nice.

Change…or something…

Okay, first of all, I have to say that those catchy titles that everyone else comes up with…well your secret is out and I'm going to buy the book you have. Until then…yeah, see above. That's what you get.

Ahem…

So I wrote a post about this the other day, and it wouldn't post, so quickly, because I know you're on the edge of your seat wondering…yes, I'm looking for a new hairstyle. Wow…glad I got that out there. I'm sure you're glad too. But see, the problem is I have an unruly mane very thick, hard to deal with hair. So I might see a hairstyle I love, and be totally unable to support it. So anyway…if you see someone roaming down the street resembling a beast, it might just be me, with a bad cut…or something like that.

But on to today, the real issue at hand. I woke up with a list of to-dos longer than I knew I could accomplish. I got on somewhat of a good run with it, however, and my outlook was bright. I made it through my first transcription within a reasonable amount of time.

Then somewhere, I don't even remember when, I got into a fight over Cheerios. Seriously…Cheerios.

Kaylee, plainly on purpose, dumped an entire bowl of Cheerios on the floor. So, I asked her to please pick them up. She declined. And, well, because a request like that is not declinable in this house, the cartoon she was currently being allowed to watch was turned off…until she picked up the Cheerios. She declined again. Sparing every little detail, it turned into an enormous struggle, veering off the Cheerio path and coming back.

Mind you, it wasn't entirely about the Cheerios. It was about discipline and follow through on my part, and teaching obedience and respect on Kaylee's part. And boy is it hard.

I really had too much to do to deal with it. I needed to get my work finished. I needed to work on other things. I needed to get some housework done. (Which, by the way, never got touch, let alone accomplished.) And I most certainly didn't need to get into a fight over Cheerios.

The fact of the matter was, however, that I had to deal with it. It wasn't about winning or domineering. It was about loving my little girl so much that, even though she didn't like it at the time, I taught her that her behavior wasn't acceptable or to be tolerated.

Being that Kaylee is now two and a half, struggles like this are happing more often than they used to. She is very bright, and knows how to work the system, if you know what I mean. She really is a good girl. She uses her manners almost all of the time. She is kind to her brother. She listens…most of the time. I really am not complaining about her…or really even the day we had today.

All I'm saying is that it's hard sometimes disciplining. It's easier to flip on Backyardigans, Dora or whatever and deal with it…later. But later might never come. It might always be…later. Then what?

So as tired as it might make me, and as hard as it is, I have to keep going. Press on. Pick my battles, but press on. Because I love my kids, and it can be no other way.