1 month 01/26/2012
Saying time flies just doesn't quite capture it. One minute I'm just trucking along in my normal, everyday life, and the next I have 3 daughters that are now 5 years, 2 years and 1 month old. Yes, somehow a whole month has passed since Aria Ruth was born and I think I barely blinked once. I know I haven't slept all that much...
I do have lots of catching up to do on various fronts, but let me start by getting out the story of the newest one's arrival so we can get that ball rolling.
It is so hard to believe she is already one month old. She was due on the 27th of December, but I was hoping desperately that she would arrive before Christmas, both so we wouldn't have another birthday to contend with on the holiday (it's a hassle) and so that my parents would get their full time with her once they arrived on the 23rd, especially since my dad could only stay for one week. It turned out well, since she came on the 21st.
I do have lots of catching up to do on various fronts, but let me start by getting out the story of the newest one's arrival so we can get that ball rolling.
It is so hard to believe she is already one month old. She was due on the 27th of December, but I was hoping desperately that she would arrive before Christmas, both so we wouldn't have another birthday to contend with on the holiday (it's a hassle) and so that my parents would get their full time with her once they arrived on the 23rd, especially since my dad could only stay for one week. It turned out well, since she came on the 21st.
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101 uses for Velveeta boxes 12/13/2011
Okay, not really 101, but before you throw out that perfect little box, consider the following uses and see if it is really worth making just that much more trash, when it could help simplify your life...at no extra cost!
Seriously, I currently have about 20 of these scattered around my house, and you can bet I'm saving up more!
*Note: I keep the cardboard part from the bottom. I do chunk the lids. And this is from the 2 lb packages. 1 pounders aren't actual boxes, just cardboard with flaps.
Seriously, I currently have about 20 of these scattered around my house, and you can bet I'm saving up more!
*Note: I keep the cardboard part from the bottom. I do chunk the lids. And this is from the 2 lb packages. 1 pounders aren't actual boxes, just cardboard with flaps.
Law vs. Faith 11/27/2011
We had an excellent discussion at church last week over the second half of Galatians 2. It was one of those conversations that left me with plenty of things rattling around in my head, just asking to be pondered further and shaken out into a better understanding.
The basic question has to do with how our lives are defined by faith in Jesus in ways that are different than the lives of the Jews were defined by their commitment to the law. It touched on how we define "faith" and "law". Faith must be more than mere recognition of the existence of Jesus, reaching to the place where we respond to Him as King and Lord, and as such removing ourselves from the position of authority, preference, control. Law references more than a basic set of instructions on how to live (that can now be ignored because Jesus changed all that...not quite), and encompasses the entire OT system that defined how someone HAD to behave in order to remain in good standing with God. We talked about how the new relationship given by grace through Jesus no longer relies on these rules and details for living, but we are still responsible for deferring to Jesus as our Savior, which has definite effects on how we live.
The basic question has to do with how our lives are defined by faith in Jesus in ways that are different than the lives of the Jews were defined by their commitment to the law. It touched on how we define "faith" and "law". Faith must be more than mere recognition of the existence of Jesus, reaching to the place where we respond to Him as King and Lord, and as such removing ourselves from the position of authority, preference, control. Law references more than a basic set of instructions on how to live (that can now be ignored because Jesus changed all that...not quite), and encompasses the entire OT system that defined how someone HAD to behave in order to remain in good standing with God. We talked about how the new relationship given by grace through Jesus no longer relies on these rules and details for living, but we are still responsible for deferring to Jesus as our Savior, which has definite effects on how we live.
Something you should read... 11/14/2011
A Holy Experience - When Compassion Becomes a Gold Rush
This is a blog I read from time to time. She writes beautifully, but more than that, I appreciate the depth with which she perceives the world. I'm not plugging Compassion International by passing this on, but was moved deeply by her observations of this boy's world and his pain, not just due to material poverty, but a life lacking in the things that give it meaning. May we always be paying enough attention to see when those gaps are evident in the lives we cross, regardless of location, program, financial status, etc. May we feel kicked in the gut and unable to ignore these whispered cries of heartbreak...they're everywhere and easy to miss, and preferable to pass over, because it might be too hard to let it hurt us, too.
This is a blog I read from time to time. She writes beautifully, but more than that, I appreciate the depth with which she perceives the world. I'm not plugging Compassion International by passing this on, but was moved deeply by her observations of this boy's world and his pain, not just due to material poverty, but a life lacking in the things that give it meaning. May we always be paying enough attention to see when those gaps are evident in the lives we cross, regardless of location, program, financial status, etc. May we feel kicked in the gut and unable to ignore these whispered cries of heartbreak...they're everywhere and easy to miss, and preferable to pass over, because it might be too hard to let it hurt us, too.
1. We like having Papa around.
2. It's hard. Hats off to single parents everywhere.
3. It has to be done. Crying in the middle of the night, early morning waking, hungry when food isn't ready, poopy diapers every 5 seconds (it seems)...it has to be handled and it's up to me.
4. My children will not ever, ever be calmer or kinder than I am. This is not patting myself on the back. It's saying that if I am upset and rude, it will not teach them to be better. I must be the example if I require it of them.
5. I am more easily irritated when tired and hungry. I must eat and sleep to take better care of them. This is exacerbated by pregnancy.
6. Sometimes time-outs are counterproductive. Sometimes cuddling, talking and then tickling or reading a book does more to repair moods and behaviors.
7. Cooking is overrated - pb&j or cereal are nutritious enough, even almost daily. Especially if we have plenty of fruit and carrot sticks for snacks and sides.
8. Cleaning up is not overrated. It does me psychological good to have my kids help put their toys away, pick up all those books they scattered from the shelf, and have the peace of mind of a (mostly) neat house once they are in bed. Same goes for me with dishes - keep up with them and things feel better.
9. If kids are up early, it's worth it to do tasks early. Let's face it, while kids are eating breakfast is a great time to wash dishes. And while they're playing happily in that morning stretch of rested and fed is a great time to work on projects or get a load of laundry pushed through. That way, when they hit a lull later in the day for a nap time or watching an episode of the Backyardigans, I don't have to rush to finish something during those few calm minutes and might actually be able to take a break myself to sneak a Reese's or read a chapter of a book. Especially important is finishing as much as possible before they go to bed so I'm not left with piles of things to do but can relax, choose a grown-up activity like phone calls or reading or a movie, and get to bed at a decent hour, no stress, but having completed the necessary things.
10. It's fine for kids to keep playing in the bath until THEY realize they're cold, even if I already knew they should have been. Enjoy the extra minutes or finish something up to buy that after-bed-free-time.
11. Putting kids to bed a half hour early will not make a big difference to them, but it just might save my sanity that day.
What about you? What parenting strategy keeps your head on straighter?
2. It's hard. Hats off to single parents everywhere.
3. It has to be done. Crying in the middle of the night, early morning waking, hungry when food isn't ready, poopy diapers every 5 seconds (it seems)...it has to be handled and it's up to me.
4. My children will not ever, ever be calmer or kinder than I am. This is not patting myself on the back. It's saying that if I am upset and rude, it will not teach them to be better. I must be the example if I require it of them.
5. I am more easily irritated when tired and hungry. I must eat and sleep to take better care of them. This is exacerbated by pregnancy.
6. Sometimes time-outs are counterproductive. Sometimes cuddling, talking and then tickling or reading a book does more to repair moods and behaviors.
7. Cooking is overrated - pb&j or cereal are nutritious enough, even almost daily. Especially if we have plenty of fruit and carrot sticks for snacks and sides.
8. Cleaning up is not overrated. It does me psychological good to have my kids help put their toys away, pick up all those books they scattered from the shelf, and have the peace of mind of a (mostly) neat house once they are in bed. Same goes for me with dishes - keep up with them and things feel better.
9. If kids are up early, it's worth it to do tasks early. Let's face it, while kids are eating breakfast is a great time to wash dishes. And while they're playing happily in that morning stretch of rested and fed is a great time to work on projects or get a load of laundry pushed through. That way, when they hit a lull later in the day for a nap time or watching an episode of the Backyardigans, I don't have to rush to finish something during those few calm minutes and might actually be able to take a break myself to sneak a Reese's or read a chapter of a book. Especially important is finishing as much as possible before they go to bed so I'm not left with piles of things to do but can relax, choose a grown-up activity like phone calls or reading or a movie, and get to bed at a decent hour, no stress, but having completed the necessary things.
10. It's fine for kids to keep playing in the bath until THEY realize they're cold, even if I already knew they should have been. Enjoy the extra minutes or finish something up to buy that after-bed-free-time.
11. Putting kids to bed a half hour early will not make a big difference to them, but it just might save my sanity that day.
What about you? What parenting strategy keeps your head on straighter?
Our little people 10/29/2011
On the one hand, I know my girls are still very young and for the most part, we don't know what they will really be like. However, we are seeing more and more of their specific personalities come through and it is fun! Most of the time...
They are quite different.
They are quite different.
The Finns 09/20/2011
Seeing alpacas for the first time
It's a small world, after all. We recently learned just how small when we were contacted by a Finnish university student about doing an internship for her Masters in Development through CUDA (formerly known as ICDU). A few conversations later, we agreed, and she and her husband packed up and headed to Arequipa to spend the next several months.
So, Anna and Sakari Heikkila arrived last Tuesday and have been staying with us while we look for an apartment for them. We have really enjoyed having them so far, learning a little about Finland, introducing them to the city, and generally having a good time just hanging out.
So, Anna and Sakari Heikkila arrived last Tuesday and have been staying with us while we look for an apartment for them. We have really enjoyed having them so far, learning a little about Finland, introducing them to the city, and generally having a good time just hanging out.
We made it. 09/10/2011
Just to update you, yes, we found a place to live. We now live in a completely different neighborhood than before, but the setup is just about perfect and our fingers are crossed that we won't have to move again.
The actual move-day took place almost two weeks ago, right at the end of August, so we were technically out by the end of the month, but took a few extra days to get the old place cleaned up and keys handed over. We were in a hurry, so once we decided on this apartment, we asked the owners what the earliest date we could move would be. They were doing some fix-up work on the place and having it painted, so our timelines ended up meeting right in the middle. The last Tuesday in August was a holiday, so our friends all told us we should move that day so they could come help...so we did. We actually moved in on the day the painter finished up, but luckily he had already done all the living spaces, so we just left that last room alone and set it up a day or two later.
The actual move-day took place almost two weeks ago, right at the end of August, so we were technically out by the end of the month, but took a few extra days to get the old place cleaned up and keys handed over. We were in a hurry, so once we decided on this apartment, we asked the owners what the earliest date we could move would be. They were doing some fix-up work on the place and having it painted, so our timelines ended up meeting right in the middle. The last Tuesday in August was a holiday, so our friends all told us we should move that day so they could come help...so we did. We actually moved in on the day the painter finished up, but luckily he had already done all the living spaces, so we just left that last room alone and set it up a day or two later.
We're running out of time. 08/23/2011
Yeah, between a busy internship and a whirlwind trip back to the States, I've been coming up shy on regular, everyday thoughts...much less insightful ones to share. And it looks like it's not changing just yet. We found out at the end of July that our landlord would not be renewing our lease, which meant we had until the end of August to find something and move. Add in two weeks out of the country and we had a big task ahead of us for the last week and a half of the month once we returned.
So after we landed Sunday morning and took some much needed naps all around, we bought a paper and scoured it, making lots of phone calls that afternoon. We set up times to look at some of the listings and headed out early Monday morning to see them. At the end of the day, we had settled on one and communicated to the owner that we would take it. He said to call today and we would get it finalized.
So Kyle called today, only to find out that the owner had given it to someone else who showed up this morning with money in hand to hold it. Since we've already gone through the papers from the last couple of weeks, we're back to square one with 8 days to get out.
Please be praying that we discover right where we need to be. Please pray that we handle ourselves well under this stress and help our kids make the transition as well as possible. It's easy to build up frustration when feeling stuck between people who want us out of the house and others who apparently don't want us in theirs. I'm not sure I believe that it matters all that much to God what house we live in, but I do want to honor Him with how we go about dealing with changes in our lives, especially when they make us crazy.
And for any who might know of a house for rent in Arequipa, give us a call. We'd probably take it! : )
So after we landed Sunday morning and took some much needed naps all around, we bought a paper and scoured it, making lots of phone calls that afternoon. We set up times to look at some of the listings and headed out early Monday morning to see them. At the end of the day, we had settled on one and communicated to the owner that we would take it. He said to call today and we would get it finalized.
So Kyle called today, only to find out that the owner had given it to someone else who showed up this morning with money in hand to hold it. Since we've already gone through the papers from the last couple of weeks, we're back to square one with 8 days to get out.
Please be praying that we discover right where we need to be. Please pray that we handle ourselves well under this stress and help our kids make the transition as well as possible. It's easy to build up frustration when feeling stuck between people who want us out of the house and others who apparently don't want us in theirs. I'm not sure I believe that it matters all that much to God what house we live in, but I do want to honor Him with how we go about dealing with changes in our lives, especially when they make us crazy.
And for any who might know of a house for rent in Arequipa, give us a call. We'd probably take it! : )
Yeah, I was unable to keep anything down, soon to be followed by Shaye. Allow me to pass along some wisdom I have picked up over the last 5 days, in random order.
- Being sick is awful.
- Having a sick child is awful.
- Laundry can hang on the line for three days without a problem.
- Washers can easily run again loads that have sat in them for three days.
- Clean laundry can sit in baskets for three days.
- Sick little girls generate alot more laundry.
