Don't get used to it! :o)
Just thought I'd share a cute video of Camden performing his ABCs...
Enjoy!
ABCs by CMF from Mandy Jo on Vimeo.
Friday, August 20, 2010
Thursday, August 19, 2010
An Attainable Goal
Perhaps the best thing for me to do right now is not commit to posting on a routine basis. Seriously, I thought I was busy in college...then I graduated and got a job...I thought I was busy working full time...then I got married...and thought I was busy being a wife while working said full time job...then I had one kid and found I was busier than I'd ever been before...even though I'd stopped "working" to stay home...
Then we had our second child and there are some days when I feel like I deserve recognition for taking a shower before dinner time! I'm not kidding...busy has taken on a whole new meaning. Between keeping both of them fed, diapered, educated, entertained, and socialized...I have barely a second to myself. It doesn't help that they have "opposite" nap routines - i.e. she's asleep when he's awake and vice versa. And I have to admit...when I do get that coveted moment alone, the blog just isn't high up on the priority list...getting that shower in and possibly going to the bathroom with complete privacy, now that's a priority!
The ease and availability of Facebook has also allowed me to feel like I can "slack off" in the blogging area. I can snap a picture on my phone and upload it directly to my FB page - one little statement and hitting upload vs. finding the cable, connecting the phone/loading the SD card, logging in, writing a blog post, etc. and you can see how with my limited "free time" FB is just so much more attractive. Because so many of you that read the blog are also my (or Ryan's) Facebook friends and you see the pictures, read the funny things Camden says, and generally know how things are going with us, I just let the blog slip by the wayside. However, I do understand that not all of you are on Facebook and to you, I apologize for the lack of update...
My last "excuse" is that MOPS (Mothers of Preschoolers) is getting ready to start in the fall - and while I was busy last year serving as Hospitality Coordinator for a group at a church here in Irving, I've reached a new level of busy this year as I hesitantly obeyed God's calling to start and coordinate a group at my home church. God has blessed that (initially reluctant) obedience and I am so excited to have 56 moms and 81 kids registered for our group this year. We are now down to the wire in our preparations - lining up speakers, placing moms at tables, training table leaders and mentor moms, etc. etc. etc. So when the kids are finally in bed for the night, I use what little time I have before passing out from exhaustion to work on MOPS stuff and catch up with Ryan.
My hope is that as Camden starts his two day a week preschool on September 7th and MOPS launches on September 20th, things will slow down for me a little and I can have a little more time to myself. Blogging may not get moved up on the priority list, but hopefully the increase in the amount of free time I have will allow me to get to things I don't normally have time for.
In the meantime, since I know for a fact there are a few of you who are eagerly awaiting current pics of the kids, here are few from our recent beach trip to tie you over...
Then we had our second child and there are some days when I feel like I deserve recognition for taking a shower before dinner time! I'm not kidding...busy has taken on a whole new meaning. Between keeping both of them fed, diapered, educated, entertained, and socialized...I have barely a second to myself. It doesn't help that they have "opposite" nap routines - i.e. she's asleep when he's awake and vice versa. And I have to admit...when I do get that coveted moment alone, the blog just isn't high up on the priority list...getting that shower in and possibly going to the bathroom with complete privacy, now that's a priority!
The ease and availability of Facebook has also allowed me to feel like I can "slack off" in the blogging area. I can snap a picture on my phone and upload it directly to my FB page - one little statement and hitting upload vs. finding the cable, connecting the phone/loading the SD card, logging in, writing a blog post, etc. and you can see how with my limited "free time" FB is just so much more attractive. Because so many of you that read the blog are also my (or Ryan's) Facebook friends and you see the pictures, read the funny things Camden says, and generally know how things are going with us, I just let the blog slip by the wayside. However, I do understand that not all of you are on Facebook and to you, I apologize for the lack of update...
My last "excuse" is that MOPS (Mothers of Preschoolers) is getting ready to start in the fall - and while I was busy last year serving as Hospitality Coordinator for a group at a church here in Irving, I've reached a new level of busy this year as I hesitantly obeyed God's calling to start and coordinate a group at my home church. God has blessed that (initially reluctant) obedience and I am so excited to have 56 moms and 81 kids registered for our group this year. We are now down to the wire in our preparations - lining up speakers, placing moms at tables, training table leaders and mentor moms, etc. etc. etc. So when the kids are finally in bed for the night, I use what little time I have before passing out from exhaustion to work on MOPS stuff and catch up with Ryan.
My hope is that as Camden starts his two day a week preschool on September 7th and MOPS launches on September 20th, things will slow down for me a little and I can have a little more time to myself. Blogging may not get moved up on the priority list, but hopefully the increase in the amount of free time I have will allow me to get to things I don't normally have time for.
In the meantime, since I know for a fact there are a few of you who are eagerly awaiting current pics of the kids, here are few from our recent beach trip to tie you over...
Tuesday, June 15, 2010
Once a month...whether I want to or not...
Evidently that phrase refers to my frequency of blogging. Cut me some slack...between diaper changes, making bottles/giving bottles/washing bottles, entertaining Camden and then giving him his (much needed) baths, conquering Mt. Laundry, keeping up with the dog hair, and taking the occasional shower, I don't have time for much else. I know with a new baby you all want to see pictures, hear all about how things are going with the kids, etc...and I will try my best to keep you updated. Unfortunately blogging gets moved to that category of things that "I wish I had done today"...much like a shower often does.
So this morning marks my first formal attempt at getting back to my pre-baby body. Just before getting pregnant with Camden I lost around 50 pounds. It took me about six months of Weight Watchers and Jazzercise (once a day during the school year and two-a-days during the summer when I wasn't working). I also walked 4 miles just about every day (in addition to the Jazzercise) and even did a sprint triathlon during my first trimester of pregnancy with Cam-man. I was probably in just as good, if not better, shape as when I was playing tennis at good 'ol East Wilkes High 14 years ago.
However...fast forward three years and two babies later...I get winded just climbing the stairs to my Sunday School class at church - and now you know the real reason I insisted we buy a ranch-style house this time. I'll be honest...it's just a little discouraging. I just feel like I have sooooo far to go to get back to where I was - not just with the baby weight, but with the muscle tone, resting heart rate, etc. But Confucius say, "A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step" so I figured I'd jump in with both feet. I just don't think those "single steps" he was referring to were on an aerobic step in a 5:30 a.m. circuit training class!
Holy cow! Let me say that again, HOLY COW! I thought I had achieved my goal just getting up and being there on time...but that wasn't all the instructor was going to expect from me this morning. She obviously needs to get to know me better so she can have more realistic expectations about what she's going to get from me - especially that early in the morning. I'm not going to go into great detail on the torture...er, I mean, exercises she had us doing. Let's just say if our government wants to get terrorists to talk, forget waterboarding, just let this instructor have an hour with them. I would have told her all of my deepest secrets if she'd offered to let me skip the "squat thrust using a stability ball" station. At one point during the weight lifting portion of the class she's walking around and offering constructive criticism on our performance and starts to instruct me on how to hold in my abs tighter so that I can "really feel the burn". Are you kidding me? I'm not even close to the point of wanting to work my abs better - I'd just like to find my abs. I haven't seen them in months. Seriously, can I just be waterboarded next time?
Alas, it's really what I need so I guess I'll stick to it. Being at the gym is helping me watch what I eat too - not b/c I'm thinking that I shouldn't just eat back all the calories I've just burned...but b/c my arms are too sore for me to lift them high enough to get something out of the fridge or pantry. This will certainly help when I weigh in at Weight Watchers on Saturday morning.
So here are my official goals - by the time Alison turns one I'd like to:
So this morning marks my first formal attempt at getting back to my pre-baby body. Just before getting pregnant with Camden I lost around 50 pounds. It took me about six months of Weight Watchers and Jazzercise (once a day during the school year and two-a-days during the summer when I wasn't working). I also walked 4 miles just about every day (in addition to the Jazzercise) and even did a sprint triathlon during my first trimester of pregnancy with Cam-man. I was probably in just as good, if not better, shape as when I was playing tennis at good 'ol East Wilkes High 14 years ago.
However...fast forward three years and two babies later...I get winded just climbing the stairs to my Sunday School class at church - and now you know the real reason I insisted we buy a ranch-style house this time. I'll be honest...it's just a little discouraging. I just feel like I have sooooo far to go to get back to where I was - not just with the baby weight, but with the muscle tone, resting heart rate, etc. But Confucius say, "A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step" so I figured I'd jump in with both feet. I just don't think those "single steps" he was referring to were on an aerobic step in a 5:30 a.m. circuit training class!
Holy cow! Let me say that again, HOLY COW! I thought I had achieved my goal just getting up and being there on time...but that wasn't all the instructor was going to expect from me this morning. She obviously needs to get to know me better so she can have more realistic expectations about what she's going to get from me - especially that early in the morning. I'm not going to go into great detail on the torture...er, I mean, exercises she had us doing. Let's just say if our government wants to get terrorists to talk, forget waterboarding, just let this instructor have an hour with them. I would have told her all of my deepest secrets if she'd offered to let me skip the "squat thrust using a stability ball" station. At one point during the weight lifting portion of the class she's walking around and offering constructive criticism on our performance and starts to instruct me on how to hold in my abs tighter so that I can "really feel the burn". Are you kidding me? I'm not even close to the point of wanting to work my abs better - I'd just like to find my abs. I haven't seen them in months. Seriously, can I just be waterboarded next time?
Alas, it's really what I need so I guess I'll stick to it. Being at the gym is helping me watch what I eat too - not b/c I'm thinking that I shouldn't just eat back all the calories I've just burned...but b/c my arms are too sore for me to lift them high enough to get something out of the fridge or pantry. This will certainly help when I weigh in at Weight Watchers on Saturday morning.
So here are my official goals - by the time Alison turns one I'd like to:
- be back at my pre-baby weight
- celebrate her first birthday by doing a 5K and
- do at least one of those squat thrust thingies without passing out
Wednesday, May 26, 2010
Nine years...and counting...
Happy Anniversary to us!!!
It's so hard to believe that Ryan and I have been married for nine years today...and since we started dating in 1996, we've been together in some form of a relationship for nearly 14 years! Over the years we've taken vacations, dined a fancy restaurants, and spent quality time engaging in our favorite hobbies/pastimes to celebrate these anniversary milestones. So, how does a couple in our current stage of life celebrate year #9 you might ask? Why, by getting the kids to bed early so that we can enjoy some takeout on the sofa and hopefully get in a little meaningful conversation before the baby needs a new diaper or to be fed again, of course! :o) And we wouldn't have it any other way...
Before I grab the takeout menu and start thinking about dinner...please indulge me for a posting's worth of a mushy anniversary message to him...
Nine years into this sacred institution of marriage, I can safely say there's no one with whom I would rather be institutionalized! :o) Seriously, I just want you to know how thankful I am that you are a part of my life and there's not a day that goes by that I take your presence for granted. I've known for a long time what a wonderful man you are...and I've known for several years what a wonderful husband you are...but now to see over the past couple of years what a great father you are, I know that I am truly blessed to have you in my life.As each year passes and we move in and out of various life stages, I am thankful to have you to walk through them with me...I can't wait to see where the journey will take us next. Knowing that you'll be in all of my tomorrows makes my today so wonderful!
James Taylor said it best...how sweet it is to be loved by you...
I needed the shelter of someone's arms,
and there you were
I needed someone to understand my ups and downs,
and there you were
With sweet love and devotion
Deeply touching my emotion
I want to stop and thank you baby
I just want to stop and thank you baby
I close my eyes at night
Wondering where would I be without you in my life
Everything I did was just a bore
Everywhere I went it seems I'd been there before
But you brighten up for me all of my days
With a love so sweet, in so many ways
I want to stop and thank you baby
I just want to stop and thank you baby
You were better for me than I was for myself
For me there's you and there ain't nobody else
I want to stop and thank you baby
I just want to stop and thank you baby
How sweet it is to be loved by you!
It's so hard to believe that Ryan and I have been married for nine years today...and since we started dating in 1996, we've been together in some form of a relationship for nearly 14 years! Over the years we've taken vacations, dined a fancy restaurants, and spent quality time engaging in our favorite hobbies/pastimes to celebrate these anniversary milestones. So, how does a couple in our current stage of life celebrate year #9 you might ask? Why, by getting the kids to bed early so that we can enjoy some takeout on the sofa and hopefully get in a little meaningful conversation before the baby needs a new diaper or to be fed again, of course! :o) And we wouldn't have it any other way...
Before I grab the takeout menu and start thinking about dinner...please indulge me for a posting's worth of a mushy anniversary message to him...
Nine years into this sacred institution of marriage, I can safely say there's no one with whom I would rather be institutionalized! :o) Seriously, I just want you to know how thankful I am that you are a part of my life and there's not a day that goes by that I take your presence for granted. I've known for a long time what a wonderful man you are...and I've known for several years what a wonderful husband you are...but now to see over the past couple of years what a great father you are, I know that I am truly blessed to have you in my life.As each year passes and we move in and out of various life stages, I am thankful to have you to walk through them with me...I can't wait to see where the journey will take us next. Knowing that you'll be in all of my tomorrows makes my today so wonderful!
James Taylor said it best...how sweet it is to be loved by you...
I needed the shelter of someone's arms,
and there you were
I needed someone to understand my ups and downs,
and there you were
With sweet love and devotion
Deeply touching my emotion
I want to stop and thank you baby
I just want to stop and thank you baby
I close my eyes at night
Wondering where would I be without you in my life
Everything I did was just a bore
Everywhere I went it seems I'd been there before
But you brighten up for me all of my days
With a love so sweet, in so many ways
I want to stop and thank you baby
I just want to stop and thank you baby
You were better for me than I was for myself
For me there's you and there ain't nobody else
I want to stop and thank you baby
I just want to stop and thank you baby
How sweet it is to be loved by you!
Thursday, April 29, 2010
Love...multiplied
I have a confession to make...about a month ago I really started to worry about my ability to love two kids "equally". I just wasn't sure I could juggle having two and making sure that one or the other didn't get the shaft when it comes to my time, my attention, and especially my patience. To make matters worse...Camden is such a good kid. Don't get me wrong, he has his "two year old issues" like any other kid...but he's always been a good sleeper, a good eater, and an all around pretty "textbook" baby. (If you're familiar with "The Baby Whisperer" and my personality, you'll know that's a good thing.) I honestly thought that if Alison wasn't quite so textbook and took too much of the the time, patience, etc. that I have for him away, then I was essentially "cheating" on him.
Then she arrived...and I quickly realized that just when you think you've been giving all of your love to someone, you find that you have the capacity to love even more.
I knew this was true when Ryan and I went from being "a couple" to being "a family" but I really thought that it was because the love was different. I had all of this new love for Camden b/c I love him in a totally different way than I love Ryan. But I love my kids with the same kind of love...so I was worried that there wouldn't be enough love to go around. It's amazing how love is just multiplied without any effort on the part of the parent or the child - that there's connection that exists that bears no explanation b/c there really is no way to explain it.
Don't get me wrong, I know there will be many moments when even though I love my children, I really don't like them very much (it happens most often during her 2 a.m. scream fests or when he's having one of his "two year old issues" I mentioned earlier) and I know that because my children are different, I will love them differently. But it's great to know that while I love Ryan with all my heart, there's more than enough love remaining in that heart to go around for the kiddos too.
I am totally in love - with my husband, my kids, and my Jesus (who gives me the strength to get through the scream fests and the "issues") and it just keeps multiplying everyday!
Then she arrived...and I quickly realized that just when you think you've been giving all of your love to someone, you find that you have the capacity to love even more.
I knew this was true when Ryan and I went from being "a couple" to being "a family" but I really thought that it was because the love was different. I had all of this new love for Camden b/c I love him in a totally different way than I love Ryan. But I love my kids with the same kind of love...so I was worried that there wouldn't be enough love to go around. It's amazing how love is just multiplied without any effort on the part of the parent or the child - that there's connection that exists that bears no explanation b/c there really is no way to explain it.
Don't get me wrong, I know there will be many moments when even though I love my children, I really don't like them very much (it happens most often during her 2 a.m. scream fests or when he's having one of his "two year old issues" I mentioned earlier) and I know that because my children are different, I will love them differently. But it's great to know that while I love Ryan with all my heart, there's more than enough love remaining in that heart to go around for the kiddos too.
I am totally in love - with my husband, my kids, and my Jesus (who gives me the strength to get through the scream fests and the "issues") and it just keeps multiplying everyday!
Thursday, March 25, 2010
Just a few cute pictures...
Ryan's mom was in town this past weekend for a "pre-Alison" visit with Camden. Since she's soooo much better about taking pictures than I am, I swiped these from her camera to share with you...
Camden in his new Nemo suit - a handmedown from a friend - he would leave it on 24/7 if I would let him.
A booty shot of Nemo...
Camden in his kitchen -
a future Food Network star in the making
Granna and Camden in what will hopefully be our last snow of the season!
The next posting may be to announce Alison...we're two weeks from the due date. Keep us in your prayers and we'll keep you posted!!!
Sunday, March 14, 2010
Clickity-clack, Clickity-clack...
Away went the engine without looking back...and we were on it!!!
Yesterday, our child learned that we are the coolest parents...ever. In fact, he told us about a hundred times using that very word - "cool". It was intermixed with another 100 uses of the word "awesome" - so all in all, we felt pretty good about our decision to take him to ride Thomas the Tank Engine for his birthday rather than getting him another toy (which he needs like he needs a hole in his head...seriously, we're running out of room to peacefully exist in our house b/c half of it looks like a Toys R Us and the other half looks like a Babies R Us!).
We started off the morning in the giant inflatable Thomas bounce house and it just got better from there. From everything to playing with the wooden train sets in the Imagination Station Tent to meeting and getting his picture made with Sir Topham Hatt to actually riding on the train, the morning was just full of one giant smile after another. It certainly made the day even more special for him to share this adventure with his friend, Amanda with whom he does just about everything. Her mom, Kristina, and I think it'll be absolutely adorable to have all of these pictures for their "wedding slide show" about 30 years from now. :o)
After the train ride we came back to the house for a cookout with some friends and a Thomas the Tank birthday cake to round out the day's festivities. He loved being sung "Happy Birthday" to by all of our guests...and even waited for us to sing to him again when he had another slice of leftover cake at dinner that night. Here are a few pictures from the day and a link to the Picasa Album with all of them. Enjoy!!!
Yesterday, our child learned that we are the coolest parents...ever. In fact, he told us about a hundred times using that very word - "cool". It was intermixed with another 100 uses of the word "awesome" - so all in all, we felt pretty good about our decision to take him to ride Thomas the Tank Engine for his birthday rather than getting him another toy (which he needs like he needs a hole in his head...seriously, we're running out of room to peacefully exist in our house b/c half of it looks like a Toys R Us and the other half looks like a Babies R Us!).
We started off the morning in the giant inflatable Thomas bounce house and it just got better from there. From everything to playing with the wooden train sets in the Imagination Station Tent to meeting and getting his picture made with Sir Topham Hatt to actually riding on the train, the morning was just full of one giant smile after another. It certainly made the day even more special for him to share this adventure with his friend, Amanda with whom he does just about everything. Her mom, Kristina, and I think it'll be absolutely adorable to have all of these pictures for their "wedding slide show" about 30 years from now. :o)
After the train ride we came back to the house for a cookout with some friends and a Thomas the Tank birthday cake to round out the day's festivities. He loved being sung "Happy Birthday" to by all of our guests...and even waited for us to sing to him again when he had another slice of leftover cake at dinner that night. Here are a few pictures from the day and a link to the Picasa Album with all of them. Enjoy!!!
Our little engineer playing at the Thomas Table
Camden and Amanda enjoying a snack together before the train ride.
Camden and Ryan just after the train ride!
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