taking stock??

So I decided to do as I do and follow Ember's lead of sorting posts. It would be nice to look back here and find a post I made about whatever. But I tend to blog a lot, about nothing. How do you catagorize crap? I don't know. I pulled a few out specifically about Millie.

So I'm reading through the posts trying to find a common link between any of them. The only thing I can find...

I start WAY TOO MANY sentences with SO...

Who does that? Am I retarded? That's like going to listen to someone talk and they say um... or like. It's so irritating and frustrating. And really makes me look stupid. At least in my opinion. Do other people do this? Or even notice this? I know I ramble and write in run-ons or fragments. But that's me. I can accept this about myself. But the SO has got to go. But it's so ingrained in my person, I don't know if I'll be able to stop it. Doesn't the boss on "Office Space" say that all the time? Soooo...I'm gonna need you to come in on Saturday...?

So (ah...stop!!) if you want to find a post I've written, check under Millie or SO.

Friends

Wow! I don't think I could say enough about the friends I have. Amazing women with strengths that strengthen those of us lucky enough to be around them. With weaknesses they are kind enough to share with the rest of us so we can share their sorrows and try to help build them up. At this point in my life, I am in desperate need of friendships. It is a hard place to be in. I've grown up, I am most definitely an adult. But as a mom and wife, my own identity is constantly shoved to the back and often gets lost. But thankfully, I have friends who can see past all my daily labels and see me. They can bring me back to myself. "Hello Aubrey, it's nice to see you again. We should keep in better touch with each other."

Here are a few quotes I've read recently and enjoyed. I hope you all have a wonderful day. We are getting another blanketing of snow and its beautiful. The sun is just bright enough to make the world seem hopeful. It's fresh and bright, clean and white. Promising a wonderful warmth inside with our loved ones. I love you all!

"We are all blessed to have our lives filled with love, family and friends."
"True friendship is seen through the heart, not the eyes."
"The most important things in life...aren't things."
"May your home be a place where friends meet, family gathers, and love grows."
All of these came from an amazing catalog of items from Country Door in Monroe WI. If I had my own retreat space, it would be filled with stuff from this catalog. I love it!!! Check it out if you get a chance at their website.

another interesting fact

Hey all. So I received my first copy of Body and Soul magazine that my friend Kate got me for my birthday. And wouldn't you know it, the first page had 6 simple ways to better your life and the planet. While this initially might not seem like such a fantastic thing, the number one thing it had listed was this:

"Chat it up

Grabbing a cup of tea (I hope coffee is okay but I'm guessing not) with a friend might boost your mental health as much as your social life. A recent University of Michigan found that if you socialize for just 10 min. a day, you can sharpen your mind as much as you would by doing brain games or crossword puzzles."

This was fantastic for me. I have a really crappy mind and feel the need to do every crossword puzzle, sudoku puzzle, cryptoquote, and word jumble in the daily papers. Yet that doesn't really fill the void in my life. So I hope reading blogs and e-mails daily can do the same thing. I really feel closer to all of you when I can see what's going on in your lives. Please leave me a comment so I know it's important to you too. I know more of you are reading than writing, but let me know you care! And maybe we can schedule a date for tea and talk! Or coffee and chat.

Another MOPS mom

This story reminded me so much of what my friends are going through and I hope your stories end up the same way. It also reminds those of us who made a family so easily to just say Thanks.


Cherishing Handprints
Melanie Leaver, Area Coordinator
My husband found me sitting on the stairs today, holding a paintbrush slick with fresh paint on it. He noticed there was no new paint on the walls and then saw tears running down my cheeks toward a silly grin.“Honey, is something wrong?” he inquired tenderly. “Oh, everything is so great!” I honestly told him. Moments earlier, when I went to the stairs to begin the painstaking task of painting around the handrail, I saw a landscape of handprints and messy smears – ranging from peanut butter to cheese cracker residue, dirt to other unrecognizable substances.They sneak up on me from – a doll left tucked under my pillow, a soggy cracker found in a coat pocket – reminders that my children are HERE! During years of repeated miscarriages, I wondered if I would ever have the indescribable blessing of waking up at 2 a.m. (and again at 3 a.m.) to soothe a child. Would my refrigerator ever become an overflowing gallery of precious childhood art? What about play-dates and sick days and parent-teacher meetings? God later answered the cries of my heart and gave me not just one, but two children. And my children make their presence well-known in their waking hours. The house is abuzz with laughing and crying, bickering and playing. But it’s in the quiet of nap-time or the still of the late evening hours when I feel my children’s presence most strongly. My living room floor is littered with toys, something is stuck on the ceiling fan, and I can see that my daughter has found my lipstick. Again.It’s in those discoveries when I close my eyes, push aside the grumbling housekeeper in my head, and thank God for my precious little ones and cherish the mess!

Such reassurance

This came in the most recent MOPS newsletter and I think this is the reason for my funk lately. I haven't been sleeping like usual. I was spoiled by naps and sleeping through the night. But now with Millie, I stay up until atleast midnight so I can take her out before falling into a deep sleep and then I'm up at 5:30 to take her out again. We usually can fall back to sleep until the alarm goes off at 7 to start getting Arlington ready for school. So, my not-quite-6hrs of sleep is not serving me well.



People who say they sleep like a baby usually don't have one.(Leo J. Burke)


The Nap
Rhonda Headley, Council Coordinator
Recently one morning, my husband and I found ourselves in the midst of some intriguing circumstances. The girls were away, he didn’t have to be at work for three more hours, we had no pressing demands on our time, and we were home alone. Whatever could we do with ourselves? With a twinkle in our eyes and our hearts skipping a beat, we let out the dog, turned off the phone and ran to the bedroom. The flannel sheets enveloped us, we spooned, and we immediately ... lost consciousness. That’s right. We napped! And I do not mean that as a euphemism for anything else but hard-core sleeping. In fact, two-and-a-half hours later, we awoke stiffened in our spoon positions. We hadn’t moved an inch. My husband had serious sheet prints on his face, and I think I detected a small pool of drool on my pillow. That nap was sheer ecstasy and easily one for the record book!I have always craved sleep. I am a Queen Napper. In college, I would schedule classes with just enough time between to slip back to the dorm and doze awhile. Later when I was a substitute teacher during the day, I would rush home to take a quick siesta, and then go to my second job as a restaurant server. Even now, on Sundays, I dream about taking luxurious naps while my husband and kids ignore me.However, I never knew “tired” until I became a parent. The midnight feedings, the worry, the nightmares (theirs and mine), the calls for water and back-scratches (no kidding), and a dog with no bladder control whatsoever have marred my sleep more times than you can imagine. I actually find myself daydreaming about sleep.So if you call my house during the day and you know I’m not at work, just leave a message. I’m probably taking advantage of the best guilty pleasure (besides chocolate): I’m napping!

Millie in a dress

So I said I get some pics of the girl up in her dress. I've put the rest on my flickr acct. I'm gonna get Darrell holding her in her dress by the Mustang soon. Today it's only 3 degrees outside, so it won't be now.

a new car, another year

So Darrell got his car. Isn't it beautiful? He's anxious to get it painted. But it runs well enough and he got it for a pretty good deal.

And on Sunday, Darrell and I will have been married for seven years. Seems crazy to me!

What's your favorite Wii game?

Okay, now that we have our Wii, I'd like to know what is our best investment for game play. We have Wii Sports and Wii Play. Wii Play is really a great time with the kids. We've spent a lot of time fishing in the mornings. The game takes about a minute and a half and everyone enjoys it. I know I will be getting Wii Fit when it comes out.

I've been looking at Wii Game Party, Cosmic Family, Smarty Pants. What are you guys playing?

Fitness blah, blah, blah

So after much consideration, I'm putting off the treadmill. I just can't seem to justify spending over $1000 at the tail-end of the winter. It's going to get nice soon and I'd rather walk with the kids and dog so we all get exercise. But now that we have our Wii, I've been keeping my eye out for something fun on that. And now its here! I can't wait to get this. It is a little pricey right now, but so much cheaper than even a few videos and equipment that it's so gonna be mine! My gloomy mood has brightened a bit in this dreary afternoon. That and the fact that the weather is so crappy Darrell has stayed home and now I can tag team a lot of the work I'm tired of doing. Aka...the kids and dog. I desperately needed him home today. What a relief!

ugh

I'm tired, pissy and plain old miserable! I'm hating my life right now. I need a break. Like, maybe I should be playing the lottery and use my winnings for a weekend to a spa. I wish I had my favorite gals here so we could hang out and do something fun...and silly. That's what I need. Silliness. You'd think I could do that with the kids, but I'm so tired of them too. Yuck! I'm hoping I'll use my brain and go to bed early. We'll see.