What Day Is This??

Staying Active

Well if missing a few days, or um, a week worth of blogging isn't real life...I don't know what is!!

I see all these inspiring and creative blogs whether based on food, diet, exercise, health, spirituality, etc...and I think to myself, "Who in the world has time to blog about these things everyday when they are busy managing a household?"

This past week was chilly here in Charlotte and we had snow flurries and enough ice that caused schools to close for a day. I grew up in Grand Rapids, Michigan so I'm used to "snow days" and lots of snow. Here in NC if we get flurries everyone scatters and the grocery stores run out of milk and bread. It's quite comical. But...it has been much too cold to play outside especially since I don't have proper winter gear to keep the boys warm. Since it's only this cold a few weeks out of the entire year I failed to buy gloves and scarves and water-proof coats for the boys. Whoops!

That being said we had lots of activity time inside! Lots of Peppa Pig and Mickey's Clubhouse, lots of coloring, play-dough, chasing Asaph around the house to get his energy out.

Speaking of energy, Tyler has been doing the Insanity workout DVD every night for the past month and he finally inspired me to get in shape. I'm not athletic by any means, I hate working-out or running, so it's hard to find motivation to stay in shape. I still have my baby-belly and I am now 5 months post-partum from baby #2. With baby #1 I lost the belly fat extremely fast, especially with the help of nursing. This time around I'm nursing as well but the baby-belly is still lingering.

I spent a little time on the internet researching online post-natal work-outs and was happy to find this gem of a site!

www.momsintofitness.com

I'm going to be doing the 30-day slim down challenge in an effort to trim off this baby-belly! And in an effort to stay active! This website has all kinds of great work-outs that can be done in the ease of your own home. I recommend it even if you are not looking for post-natal routines, simply looking for some cardio!

Here's my baby-belly shot from this weekend:

I'll keep up with posting updates and pics as the work-out proceeds. I am inspired to keep up with the routine until this summer when I know we will be spending some time at the beach. (NOT looking forward to a bathing suit, ughh.)

Here are a few things I made for dinner this week. I experimented with a balsamic Salmon with Lemon, Asparagus and Tomato Orzo and a homemade BBQ Chicken Pizza. (I have been giving Colic Calm to Rowan and it has helped him considerably. After a month of no dairy I've started to eat it again little by little. I'm leaning towards a simple heartburn issue rather than a dairy allergy with him. We will see how he does this month!)

Recipe for the Orzo:

http://www.happilyunprocessed.com/2013/08/19/lemon-orzo-with-asparagus-and-cherry-tomatoes/

Days 9, 10, 11, 12...

Enjoy

There's a good reason I haven't posted in a few days. I haven't had time!!! Haha...I knew it would catch up with me eventually but I didn't think it would happen during week two!

What can I say? This has been a week where I've exerted more energy than I'm used to. So far, this has been the biggest challenge and the greatest adjustment since leaving a desk-job. I'm on my feet all day long, I'm not used to this. I'm used to relaxing with my feet up under my desk on top of the computer modem and only getting up to go to the copy machine or the restroom or to grab lunch. I'm not used to standing, bending down, reaching over, running, hopping, lifting, squatting, etc...

Even with the busyness of it all, I've had a great time with the boys. These two weeks have been filling my heart with joy and my kitchen with smells of cinnamon and pumpkin. (I've been experimenting with baking dairy-free; so far pumpkin bread with coconut oil is amazing but egg and dairy-free brownies are awful.) I've been able to sneak in a few naps here and there and just enjoy watching the boys enjoy one another. I've had time to enjoy my husband and took the boys to meet him for lunch one day near his office. I've had time to enjoy being quiet and sitting in the presence of the Lord. I took a few minutes to play a few songs on my piano. I've actually enjoyed an entire cup of coffee before it went cold!

These are things I enjoyed much more than blogging or surfing the internet or twitter or facebook or pinterest....because they are so much more rewarding and fulfilling!

Have you seen this video? I'm sure you have. It just about sums this week up!!




This video reminds me of the Proverbs 31 woman. The woman who does it all and enjoys it while she does! While she may be doing these things in different seasons of her life, she is a beacon of light to her children and the crown to her husband. I love this passage, I hope you do too :) Oh. And Happy Valentine's Day. <3

 

DAY 8

Rain Rain Go Away

Monday blues...yesterday was a rainy day, all day! Needless to say I was in a very lethargic mood and decided it was a day to relax and enjoy time inside with the boys. At this young age it's not easy to do arts and crafts with Asaph, he has the attention span of a fly. Here one minute gone the next and who knows what is on his mind! We got creative with some play-dough. Asaph had a great time holding it in his hands...but he didn't quite grasp the concept of making shapes with the dough. He just wanted to hold it and look at it and run around the house with it.

But now I have a problem. I let him play with the dough on our dining room table and he has left all knds of spots and stains on the fabric upholstered chairs. I'm sure many spots and stains are from remnants of food and drool as well. I tried to scrub the chairs with Woolite carpet cleaner and it made them worse! I'm not sure what to do now, I think I will try Oxyclean. Any other recommendations? The fabric is not very porous so I thought it would come right up but rather these stains look like oil marks. Ahh! And there is playdough in the rug under the table. Ahh! This picture is how I felt about it...LOL. I've decided, or rather learned, that there are going to be many more marks and scruffs and spills and stains all over the house. I can live with it. I've also learned that stuff is just stuff. The dining room table has seen better days but I'd rather it be worn with love than not be worn (or used) at all. I find more joy in watching my son have fun in discovering new things than I find joy in a stationary piece of furniture. Wood is wood, there is plenty of it to go around. But there will only be one special time my son is a toddler, one special time I get to teach him about play-dough, one special time I get to watch his face light up as his brain soaks up all the intricacies of this new object. I hope I remember this in the days to come as Rowan grows older as well. Sometimes rain days are good food for thought.

Days 6 & 7

Wisdom

Have you seen the movie Evan Almighty? I enjoy this movie especially because of the intricate use of Biblical references that are subtly interwoven throughout the script. It's a good fiction story that illustrates the faithfulness of God and His capacity to transform lives. Some people will say it is heretical or blasphemous, but from the standpoint that the film is fiction, the message is truthful; God delights when we trust in Him. This scene had me laughing because of the Biblical reference. Steve Carrell's character is driving in his car, overtly trying to ignore and run from the character who portrays God. God shows up in his backseat suddenly and without warning and Steve's character screams out of fright and shock. God says, "Let it out son, it's the beginning of wisdom."

I laughed quite a bit because I knew the film was referencing the passages that say, "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge (Psalm 1:17)", and "The fear of God is the beginning of wisdom (Psalm 111:10)."

But Hollywood has the fear of the Lord all wrong. While funny it may be, the fear mentioned here and elsewhere in scripture is not referencing the idea to be scared or to be frightened. The Hebrew noun Yare translated means to fear, to revere, to stand in awe of, to honor, to respect. Likewise the Hebrew noun Yirah also means to fear an object, find an object awesome, reverence, piety. The fear of the Lord is respecting God's authority, revering his power, standing in awe of his majesty, reveling at his marvelous works. In essence, it is the knowledge that you and I are the Created and that He is the Creator. According to the Bible this is the beginning of all wisdom.

This weekend was busy for us and I chose not to blog because I wanted to make the most of the family time together with Tyler while he was off work. I saw Evan Almighty on TV and it got me thinking down this rabbit trail regarding wisdom. A huge desire as a parent is that I impart wisdom to my children. It's been a prayer on my heart..."Lord give me the wisdom to know how to love these children, how to discipline them, how to raise them..."

These are my thoughts from this past weekend while acclimating to parenthood. :)


Some references if you are interested in further studies/hermeneutics regarding the fear of the Lord:

Website with Biblical Hebrew translations regarding fear:
http://www.hebrew4christians.com/Scripture/Parashah/Summaries/Eikev/Yirah/yirah.html

Article outlining Biblical Hebrew references to fear:
http://lifehopeandtruth.com/god/who-is-god/fear-of-the-lord/

John Piper's entry on fear:
http://www.desiringgod.org/blog/posts/the-goodness-of-god-and-the-fear-of-god

John MacArthur's study on fear:
http://www.gty.org/resources/bible-qna/BQ083112/fear-god-with-all-your-heart

DAY 5

Eating Out?

Posting once a day is going to be a little difficult, I'm not sure how I'm supposed to have time to THINK much less get those thoughts into a blog! Ha!

After Tyler got out of work last evening we decided to go out to eat.

Going out to eat without toddlers is like eating ice cream- it's sweet, savory, smooth and enjoyable.

Going out to eat with toddlers is like eating stale potato chips- they are rough, tough, chewy and unsatisfying.

There are a few questions to ask yourself before venturing to a restaurant with toddlers. Some things we've learned:

1) Is the restaurant kid-friendly? Meaning; If my child throws a temper tantrum or spills food everywhere, will everyone notice?

2) What is the likelihood that we will have to wait more than 30 minutes for a table? Meaning; Do I have to find ways to entertain my toddler outside the restaurant so they don't run around and knock down a waitress?

3) What is on the menu? Meaning; Are we going to pay and arm and a leg for food that our toddler won't eat or that ends up on the floor?

We asked ourselves these questions before we left last night and we decided on a little BBQ joint near Uptown not far from our house. The food is delicious and the restaurant is packed and noisy, lots of televisions, very loud. Perfect!

I giggled as we were walking past other diners to our table as one mom about my age was up out of her seat trying to grab her toddler as he was dodging her under their table. I walked by with Asaph on my hip and she looked up and said with a sigh, "You know what this is like..." I smiled and said, "I sure do!" Nothing like cheering on another mom. I feel your pain. Eating out is not what it used to be!

When we got our food Asaph decided he only liked the hushpuppies and once they were gone he started screaming and kicking and trying to get out of his highchair. At the same time Rowan started to cry uncontrollably and I had to hold him while I ate (I had ribs, mind-you, which are impossible to eat with one hand.) Tyler and I switched off children so we could both use two hands to finish eating at some point and then looked at each other like, ok, time to get outta here! Well...it was a nice try anyways. It was nice not having to cook.

The best part of the night? After trying to convince Asaph to eat (pretty much anything at this point), bouncing Rowan up and down for 20 minutes while trying to console him and picking up forks, knives, crayons and other items Asaph flung across the restaurant my husband looked at me and said, "Babe, I can totally see a need for a babysitter now!"

Yes, yes my dear. :)

DAY 4

Outta Time

I had zero time to post yesterday! We ran errands yesterday and picked up some arts and crafts activities for Asaph. Nap time, I had homework, cleaned out our much-overdue overflowing junk drawer in the kitchen and had a surprise visit from Pops (Tyler's dad). Rowan was up every two hours last night, I'm really unsure why. Could be teething but he has not had a fever, could be upset stomach, could be a growth spurt and he is hungry...I'm still at a loss with him because his actions are inconsistent.

I went out and purchased a bunch of arts and crafts for Asaph last week and hid them in my closet. I have taken one activity out everyday and told Asaph they were his "surprise" for the day. Here are a few of the surprise activities that have occupied him on these cold chilly days when we can't go outside to play:

1) Crayola "Mess-Free Fingerpaint & Paper"- The fingerpaint is transparent and only works on special paper. Washable and easy to keep clean!


2) Crayola Dry Erase Board with Dry Erase Crayons- These crayons are great because they easily wipe off of any surface; walls, floor, refrigerator, etc.


3) Crayola Washable Markers- If they aren't washable, they aren't worth buying!

Day 3

Keeping Up

If there is one thing I learned as a working mom, it was how to make easy, quick and healthy meals for dinner. I had little time for preparation if any at all and very hungry mouths to feed the minute we walked in the door from work. The easiest and quickest meals are usually the most healthy in our house. Our usual grocery routine is this: once a month trip to Sam's Club to stock up on meat, poultry, fish and eggs. During the week I usually make one trip to our local grocer for vegetables, fruit and odds and ends. Our dinner is typically a fresh protein with one or two vegetables, baked, pan-seared or grilled. It's easy, I simply stock up on our favorite vegetables for side dishes at least once a week. (I also enjoy Trader Joe's frozen sides like Butternut Squash Risotto and Sweet Potato Gnocchi- yum!)

Today we had honey wheat bagels with almond butter and bananas for breakfast. After going for a nature walk in our neighborhood this morning (ok, it was really only 4 houses down the street and back, but my son explored everything in-between) I spent an hour trying to get Asaph to take a nap. Usually after lunch he is extremely tired, but not today. My infant slept all morning and of course woke up just as my toddler went down. I am still in school finishing my Bachelor's degree (I've taken classes here and there for uhh...well...a really long time now, its quite ridiculous) and I had homework to get done today. I'm 4 classes away from graduating, taking one class a semester. I was absolutely crazy working full-time, having babies and going to school!! But somehow I managed to keep up with it all. I ended up having to hold Rowan most of the time I did homework because he is extremely fussy and needy. He is also really adorable so he's hard to put down. :)  I knew Tyler would be home from work early so I planned out our dinner in advance. Pan-seared pork chops with bacon-wrapped asparagus and paprika garlic red potatoes. (I was inspired by an episode of Ina Garten's Barefoot Contessa to chop up some fresh garlic and bake it with the potatoes. Love Ina!)

Here are a few pictures from the day. After nap time Asaph decided to draw all over his face and arms with blue marker (thank goodness I bought washable!), he took his dry erase crayons and drew all over the oven and dishwasher and proceeded to take every Tupperware lid out of the cabinet. I'm enjoying spending time with my boys and figuring out this domestic-diva thing while trying to keep up with him...the house at the end of the day looks like a tornado. Ha!

DAY 2

Expectations

It's 10 PM.

I hope you find it as entertaining as I do that I'm just now sitting down to blog. Today was a day on my feet, chasing after my ball of energy Asaph and soothing a very fussy baby... and I'm exhausted about ready to hit the hay. So this will be a short entry (and I'm starting to wonder how I'm going to find the time to blog these 100 days after all...haha!!)

I have a few expectations when it comes to this stay-at-home endeavor. I guess we will see if they hold true:

1) I expect that I will have higher expectations for myself than my husband will. I say this because I have the mind of Martha (Luke 10:38-42) and I constantly busy myself with a to-do list. My greatest challenge here is that I learn rather to be Mary; content to wait, content to sit, content to let laundry pile up, content in the small things. "Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for Him," Psalm 37:7.

2) I expect that my children will expect me to be present. Again, busying myself with household chores, or school work, or a blog! defeats the purpose of being at home. My children will expect me to read with them, participate, pay attention, play games, and be a mentor and leader to them.

3) I expect my heart to be transformed, I expect to increasingly know my Savior better, I expect to be tried and challenged in ways that will strengthen my faith.

These are just a few things I'm mightily looking forward to!

Tomorrow is a new day, new adventures. For now, I'm pooped and both kids are sleeping, which means I've gotta get to bed!! Until the next...

Day 1

Dairy-Free Nursing

This week has been anticipated for months! My sons Asaph, almost 2 years, and my infant 4 month-old Rowan are sound asleep for nap time (I'm shocked they went to sleep at the same time!) and here I am with a to-do list a half-mile long, laundry piled up (how do two babes have SO much laundry?!), haven't eaten lunch yet, dishes in the sink, a living room strewn with toys, a dog that desperately needs a bath (among other things...) and I'm taking a little time to write about the adventures of DAY 1.

My youngest has had a problem nursing since the day he was born. He kicks his legs, flails his arms, pulls off the breast and cries, sounds congested and spits up almost everything he eats. I can hear his stomach rumbling as he nurses. For a while I assumed it was gas (because he has some manly gas every now and then!) but as it has persisted I inquired with my doctor who recommended a heartburn medication. Granted, Rowan has a LOT of spit up and heartburn made sense, but now on month 4 after reading some forums and blogs I've concluded he most likely has a food allergy. Three days ago I decided to eliminate dairy from my diet. Here's a link to a list that I found on another blog of dairy ingredients to avoid when shopping for dairy-free food: http://www.godairyfree.org/dairy-free-grocery-shopping-guide/dairy-ingredient-list-2

As this is a new endeavor for me I'm hoping I can stick with it for a month and carefully monitor Rowan to see if his eating habits change. (He is still growing like a week and putting on weight so the doctor was not much concerned...)

Last night (Superbowl Sunday!) my husband wanted a "Superbowl" type meal. I asked him what that meant and he said, something like snack-food but healthy. I made chicken fajita nachos (his portion smothered in shredded cheese and sour cream, my portion no cheese, no sour cream but homemade guacamole instead). I made sure to read the back of the ingredients for everything I used; white corn tortilla chips, fajita seasoning, etc...It was a great alternative to my usual dairy favorites. Today's breakfast was eggs and bacon, lunch has yet to be determined but I've already munched on watermelon and strawberries and pretzels. I bought Almond Milk and made a peanut-butter, cocoa, banana and vanilla almond milk smoothie last night. I didn't realize how much dairy I ate on a regular basis until I needed to cut it out of my diet. Pretty astounding how many foods contain a milk product!

Here's a little of what we did today; built a fort out of blankets in the living room, played with alphabet magnets, read a few books, learned how to blow bubbles with soapy water. Nothing too exciting today, but I'm sure as these 100 days progress there will be much more to learn. :)