Christmas is Coming

Here it is, early morning and baby went back to sleep after eating. I, on the other hand, was too hungry to sleep so I got back up and made myself breakfast and am enjoying the quiet peace of no current demands. Christmas is just days away and we are flying to Spokane at the crack of dawn tomorrow morning, so this is my last day here to get things ready. At least, I hope we are flying at the crack of dawn, we are flying standby thanks to some free guest passes from a dear friend who is a pilot, so we're praying that our travels are safe and timely since sitting around in an airport waiting for an open flight with a one-month old is not my idea of a happy day.
But for today, the laundry is almost done, my shopping is done, my baking is done and I'm hoping to deliver some gifts this afternoon. This Christmas season snuck up on me, as I expected it to, since the first few weeks I was in the baby-daze. I really like handmaking gifts and I have been able to do just a little of that with biscotti for my dad and a little chicken-scratch embroidered bookmark for my mom. I knew I wasn't going to be able to do much in the way of handmade this year. If I was really great, I'd line up my crafts through the year to get them done in time for Christmas, but really, who does that? I have been having fun reading some craft blogs and dreaming about the things I want to try after Christmas is over and life returns to semi-normalcy. I still am loving being at home and still do not take it for granted that I get to be here. While there are difficulty things about having a newborn (like late late nights since she refuses to sleep before 1:30 am most nights), it's still pretty quiet and calm compared to having a toddler or multiple kids. While I look forward to those crazy times too, I am reveling in the time I get to devote to Adelaide and taking care of things at home right now. My days are filled with things like laundry, cleaning, baking, meal planning, and of course, feeding the baby, burping the baby, changing the baby, bouncing the baby, dressing the baby...it's a good thing for me that I like doing all of those things.
I am anxious about traveling with her, our first big trip away from home and we're flying, which I always get anxious about anyways. Part of me wishes we were able to drive because it eliminates some of the packing and planning stress; whatever we can cram into the car can come with us. Flying is a whole new ballgame and I'm a little stressed, especially since we're not guaranteed a spot on a flight if it fills up. This could mean that her carseat, which we're planning on checking, could end up in Spokane and we could be stranded at the airport with no way to get her home if there are no flights available. This is the only way we could really afford to fly to visit Jesse's family this Christmas, though, so I'm praying that, as always, the Lord will give me provide for all of our needs and that I would rest in the knowledge that He is sovereign even over airline schedules and our flying experience this week. It doesn't mean it will be easy, but it does mean that we'll make it through this holiday season just fine.
Here are a few pictures from the past week...

Baking cookies with Adelaide, my little Roo

Christmas at the Gatz's (my family celebrated early since we're going to Spokane and they're going to Disneyland)

This is what we see every night after leaving Adelaide in her bassinet for awhile hoping she will fall asleep. She is nice and quiet, at least, but definitely NOT falling asleep... she will lay like this for two hours with occasional intermittent fussing but refuses to sleep. The room is pretty dark too, it's bright here because of the flash, but she lays staring up at that mobile for literally hours. As cute as it is, it drives me bonkers because we're hoping she'll fall asleep before we go in there to get ready for bed -no such luck!

Lyddie playing with her new floor gym from Mimi and Poppy!

Five weeks old and growing by the second!

Drifting off...

Part of our bedtime routine already includes reading a story or two and she sometimes will look at the pictures (unless she's fussing). She sure loves her daddy and mommy loves it when daddy comes home after working two jobs in one day. That makes for a long day for us both, since I have her nonstop without a break that whole time, and she is often fussy in the evenings and wants to be held the whole time. I can't hold her all evening usually because there are things to do (like make dinner!) so she spends a lot of her evenings crying, especially when Jesse's gone on Monday nights, but oh well...I don't know how single moms or army moms do it, it would be so hard to be alone like that.

Merry Christmas!

Summer pictures

Here's Jesse when we were babysitting sweet little Karis, the baby of our friends Kyle and Melissa. Karis is just almost 3 months old and they had never left her; we loved spending a few hours with a baby and "practicing!" I think every expecting parent should have this as a requirement just as a "dry run." I know it is different when it is your own and they are with you for good, but I definitely got to teach Jesse how to change a diaper ahead of time, warm up a bottle, etc.

On our third anniversary, which we celebrated with a trip to Grazie, a delicious little Italian restaurant we had never explored, a visit to Half Price Books, and a surprise movie I had planned for Jesse - District 9, a movie he had talked about wanting to see for a few weeks. It was a really fun night, and so nice to have a real date right smack in the middle of the week. Wish we could do that every week!

Hittin' the Road

We're headed to Portland this weekend for a getaway. Jesse found a great 4-star rated hotel on Priceline for a really reasonable cost so I'm full of hopes that we have a relaxing and fun weekend. I've been scanning cheap and free stuff to do over the weekend and found a cool blog with ideas for each week that are free (www.aroundthesunblog.com) So I think on top of relaxing we'll have some fun ideas, especially if the weather is good. I didn't know this before, but the biggest urban forest park is in Portland (Forest Park) with miles of trails, so we might check that out.

I love only working a half day on Fridays. It gives me time to clean on weekends we're at home and pack for weekends we are away. They make me feel like this:
If you need a good laugh today, visit www.dooce.com, where Heather relates everyday life stories in way that makes them seem extraordinary and hilarious. Browse through her archives and you'll find some gems. I've become a daily reader of her blog in the last month or more.

Simple Daybook

This is an interesting guide to simply journaling and reflecting. The questions are nice and even calming.

For today... (March 3rd, 2009)

Outside my window...sunshine, glorious sunshine. My garlic chives and strawberry plants poking their heads up, struggling to meet the sun.

I am thinking...my kitten's habit of playing fetch with wine corks is bizarre and adorable.

I am thankful for... a husband who has cleaned the house, done laundry, and is doing the grocery shopping while I'm at home feeling yucky! I wish all women were so blessed! I can't overemphasize what he's done today, he's been working the whole day around the house!

From the kitchen...homemade chicken noodle soup tonight with baking powder biscuits.

I am wearing...my cozy fleece pink pajama pants and floral long sleeve shirt... if I have to feel sick, I am going to feel comfy while doing so!

I am creating...a lace knit shawl to go with my fancy dress for my work auction at the end of the month (but am discouraged because I've had to tear it out at least three times. I'm also waiting for a mirror to arrive in the mirror to insert in a beautiful frame I found at the thrift store over the weekend!

I am going... nowhere fast today!

I am reading..."Same Kind of Different As Me" (Ron Hall and Denver Moore) with my husband, and "Sarah" by Orson Scott Card. I also just started "Faithful Women and Their Extraordinary God" by Noel Piper this morning.

I am hoping...that the Lord provides support for us to be missionaries in Yakima within the year and that he will bless us with a beautiful family.

I am hearing...the dryer rattling upstairs and an Over the Rhine album on the stereo

Around the house...I have "new" couches finally! They are beautiful and perfect for our little home, much more fitting than the other hand-me-downs we were blessed with when we first married and had no money!

One of my favorite things...is wisely using our resources to make our home comfortable, organized, and beautiful - thank you Lord for Goodwill!

A few plans for the rest of the week: assuming I feel better tomorrow, back to work! We have Bible study tomorrow night, Deacon's meeting on Thursday and are headed out of town to Portland for the weekend for a long-overdue getaway!

Here is picture thought I am sharing...my new couches, aren't they pretty?! What a steal off Craig's list! (and one of my kitties enjoying them as much as I am... hi Chloe!)

Visit The Simple Woman's Daybook for more entries!

Weekend joys

I love the weekends so much lately since Jesse is here with me. We have been trying to be really intentional about using that time with each other to refresh and get ready for the long weeks but are willing to be flexible and spend time with others too, since that's so important to us.

Last night we got a phone call from a dear friend who was upset because the family had all just rushed her sister to the hospital. The sister (also a friend of ours) has had health problem after health problem and was having symptoms presumably related to the autoimmune disease(s) she has been diagnosed with. We had been going back and forth about trying to make plans or just staying home when we got the call and decided to drive to the hospital and sit with the family for a while. I'm really glad we did, I think it meant a lot to that friend who called us and it's important for the body of Christ to be with each other during times of fun and joy as well as grief and pain. I got an update today, and the sister is being kept in the hospital until Wednesday to see if they can bring her closer to normal and then they will decide what to do. Please pray for this family, as they are facing numerous medical and life struggles right now.

Today we had a really lazy day with some minimal attempts at organizing and tidying up the house. These attempts were actually quite half-hearted and the house probably looks worse now than it did earlier! I did accomplish my meal plan for the week and will try to post it on my little food blog as well. We did some errands and got a jump start on some Christmas shopping. I also started planning the details for our 4th annual pumpkin party we're hosting this coming Friday (halloween). I'm still puzzling over what to dress up as on Halloween.

Jesse has planned something for us to do tonight but isn't telling me. I have no idea what it is, but I'm excited to find out!

We went out on a walk this afternoon and gathered leaves and crabapples and pinecones. I made a little jar of our treasures and I'm trying to decide what to do with all the beautiful leaves we found. I think I might press them and then make some cards. The air was so crisp and cool this afternoon and it was good to slow down and get outside and really notice the seasonal changes.

I've been busy in the kitchen lately and I think I'll try some bread making this week out of a bread recipe book I got at the library this week. If it's good, I'll comment over on my other blog. Every fall I get back in the mood for housekeeping, baking, cooking, reading, and being generally productive. With Christmas only about 9 weeks away already, I have decided to get busy and not be rushing at the last minute. (Or I'll still be rushing but maybe the important things will be accomplished for the most part)

So many...

people are pregnant right now. When did we get to the phase of life that people are having babies?? It's crazy. Jesse's cousin and best friend Jerry and his wife Jessica are expecting a baby in August. Jesse's other good friend Danny and his wife Amber are expecting a baby in... October I think? And my friend Morgan just called me the other day to say she is expecting in February!
And then! My good friend Michelle called me on Wednesday to tell me her wedding was going to be in August and she asked me to be a bridesmaid! I am so thrilled for her; she has been dating her fiance David for a while and I figured they would probably be getting engaged in the near future, but I didn't know the wedding was going to be so quick! I really think, though, that that's the way to do it if you can. Our 1 1/2 year engagement was really not ideal in many senses, but God was sovereign and knew what our relationship needed! I think we have a strong marriage and I think having to wait for it and develop our relationship more and more was essential - but I don't think everyone should go for that option! We would definitely have been married much sooner - so I'm excited for Michelle. AND instead of living in Arizona going to school, she will be living up in Everett/Lynnwood. Hopefully we will be able to connect more frequently.

So this week has held some pretty big news for a few of my friends! I'm excited for Morgan and Michelle. I sure can't wait until the day we feel it's time to have a baby - but again, we are trying to be patient and rest in what God's timing seems to be.

Next week I start taking the NDT course which is being held at CTC. This is actually a huge and exciting thing. I have been hearing about NDT principles of treatment, and my supervisor (and best friend's mom) has said that it will change the way I treat. I am excited to have a better understanding of overall normal development and to have a stronger understanding of how to work with children who have movement disorders. This is the amazing thing to me: I have been hoping for at least 5 years that I would eventually get to take an NDT course, but they are typically 8-weeks long, and typically not in Seattle... they are all over the country, but there was no way I could afford that much time off work AND the $3700 tuition for the class. So get this: the center where I work - CTC, is hosting the course. And it's not going to be 8 straight weeks, it will be 8 weeks spread over 8 months, so the other weeks of each month, we can work. AND because CTC is hosting and there have been a few scholarships and the ability to apply my continuing ed money to the course,instead of $3700, I am taking this class for $700. $700!!!!!!!!!! It is such a blessing! No matter where we end up in the future or what I am doing, I am trusting that God is giving me this training for a reason and a purpose.

So starting next week, one or two weeks a month, I will be in class again from 8-6 on Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, and Saturday. It will be a sacrifice, but it will be worth it. I'm excited!

Some thoughts on homeschooling

This collection of thoughts is in response to a blog post by "HomeandHearth" who expressed interest in homeschooling her kids one day. Her boyfriend had multiple objections, and she was looking for "answers" from those who might have experience with the subject. The following is my response to these questions:

1. Isn't it really hard to do?
2. Isn't it really expensive?
3. Won't other people think we're weird?
4. Don't only hard-core religious evangelicals homeschool?
5. Won't we have to teach our kids everything ourselves?
6. Won't they grow up "weird" and unsociable?
7. Will they still be able to join sports and clubs?
8. Will the kids hate us?
9. Will we hate the kids?
10. Would it be hard to enroll them in public school later if we decide not to continue homeschooling?
11. Is there room to homeschool if we're living in an apartment?
12. Can they still get into college?
13. Will we both still be able to work?

Straight from the horse's mouth as a girl who was homeschooled all the way through junior high and high school...

1) It does take work. I watched my mom homeschool four of us and it took dedication and diligence to make sure tasks were being completed and lessons were getting planned, but parenting in general takes a lot of work. People who don't want to work hard as parents probably shouldn't be parents... (in my humble opinion)

2) My family homeschooled on 1 income- my dad is a mailman, so it was doable. We made sacrifices - we didn't go on a lot of big vacations, my dad did have a second job for a while and so on, but I think that would have been the case even if we were in school. Homeschooling was not what cost the most- but having my mom stay home did cost a lot. But it was a blessing at the same time.

3) Some will think you're weird. Some will think you're cool. Regardless, you'll get a lot of questions. What's wrong with being unique anyways?

4) While my family is definitely Christian and involved with our church, my parents didn't choose to homeschool us for any religious reasons in particular. I appreciated being able to have some formal education about church history, but "Bible" wasn't really a core subject in our curriculum - literature, science, and math.

5) Join a co-op or alternative school option. There are some "schools" here in Seattle that meet a couple days a week and send along homework for certain subjects. When we got into high school and subjects like chemistry that my mom wasn't equipped to teach on her own, we bought DVDs of interactive class broadcasts (bobjones university) which were good. Religious, yes, and while I'm definitely not a fan of "bob jones' philosophies", I feel like I was adequately equipped for college classes in science and math that way. I know other families who did these subjects on their own, but this worked for my family.

6) I've known weird/unsociable homeschool families. I've also known some pretty weird and unsociable public school and private school families. If you're weird and unsociable, you'll be that way regardless of whether you attend a school or not. We were involved in youth group at church and various activities in the community- sports, music lessons, and more, so I didn't really miss the social piece at all. When I got to college, people were "surprised" to find out I was homeschooled, because I was so "normal." Whatever that means.

7) Yes - most schools allow homeschoolers to participate in classes, extracurricular activities, sports, etc. It's definitely feasible.

8) I love my parents and always have. I don't think my educational background has anything to do with it - unless making me appreciate all the hard work and sacrifices they made to give me what they felt to be a really quality education and family connection.

9) My parents probably hated me at times... (or at least really disliked me) but that would have been equal or maybe greater if I'd been in school. I think I could have been a real brat if I'd gotten caught up in the wrong crowds. I was a brat half my teenage years anyways, just like everyone else, right?

10) My two youngest brothers are currently attending public schools because my mom decided to work outside the home. It was a difficult transition in many respects, especially for my mom, who misses being at home with them all day. They do fine in school, have made friends, participate in music/band, sports, etc. I think as long as you keep records of the subjects you've taught, you probably won't run into any problems from schools.

11) You could probably homeschool in a closet if you wanted. I did most of my schoolwork at the dining room table, on the couch, or in my room on the floor or at the desk. I sometimes did it at the doctors office or in the car. You might have to be creative with storage of books/materials but it's doable. Our house wasn't huge and my mom always found a way.

12) I went on to graduate magna cum laude at my state university and just finished my master's degree last August. I had no trouble at all getting into school. My SAT scores and documents my mom sent along with my application probably helped (she kept an intensive list of my reading/literature and transcript of subjects formally covered).

13) As to whether you could both work, I can't really answer that. I think that might be tough, especially if you're trying to homeschool little bitty elementary/preschool agedkiddos. But as with anything, I think creativity, diligence and flexibility with scheduling could make it possible.

I'll end with a few extra notes of my own: a) I don't think homeschooling is for everyone- parent or child. Some people insist that there is only one right way to educate your kids - some say ONLY public school and others say ONLY homeschool. I say BALONEY. It depends on the kid and family. My brother and I are pretty much polar opposites in terms of personality. I am very internally motivated, he's not as much - I did really well and enjoyed homeschooling, he did well at the high school (not that he didn't do well at home, but he worked harder when someone else was "driving him"). I think as a parent, you need to use discretion about what will work for your kid's personality. I think it's worth trying different things, but if something's not working, it's okay to change course mid-stream.
b) I was a sociology minor in college and as a class project conducted a research paper on homeschooled girls and self-esteem. I interviewed a number of girls and I think I have the paper saved somewhere on a disc. If you're interested, I can email it to you- if not, no offense taken. I know you're looking way off into the future with this topic! A quick summary of the results: no significant insecurities or low-esteem was noted from a multitude of interview questions. In my research, I actually found studies that indicated that homeschooled kids are MORE involved in their communities and social activities than the average kid since they and their parents are making sure to seek it out. There were other interesting findings in my research as well, but that was a few years ago and I can't recall anything from that long ago!

Getting ready for another week!

Here we are, another week! I can't believe how fast these weeks are flying by - I always have intentions of other posts to add to my blog but can only seem to find time for the meal plans. Since Jesse and I are pretty heavily involved in church, especially with leading the young adult group there, our "down time" is either spent totally vegging in front of a movie or working on planning for activities for the group. I know that moms probably read that and think "Oh brother, how can she think that's busy" but it can overwhelming at times. I suppose it's good preparation for being a mom in some respects, and I have days that I come home from work and really don't want to cook, clean, plan, do laundry, meal plan, etc. Other days, I find it very rewarding to take care of things around the house. And my dear husband is currently cleaning both bathrooms of his own initiative, which I appreciate more than he knows.

So first things first:
Last week I had planned a few new recipes, but didn't get around to the potato and onion fritatta, so I won't review that one. The "Chicken Zucchini pot" was one of those few meals I have tried that after preparing it, I thought "WHAT WAS I THINKING!!" It was some chicken in the crockpot all day with some zucchini and spices. That was it. WHAT WAS I THINKING? The zucchini was total mush and since there wasn't any liquid included in the recipe, it was slightly burned at the edges by the time I got home from work. Needless to say, Tuesday night became date night and we had dinner at Panera bread. THE Spiced Zucchini bars that I made for Bible study were excellent and I have just posted the recips on His Little Wife Feasts. They were moist and sweet and sugary with bits of fruit. Almost a zucchini bread and almost a bar. I will be making those again - and for a whole 12th of the entire recipe, it's only 3 WW points!
The Mediterranean Salad was delicious as well - artichoke hearts making anything delicious!

This week with new recipes starred ***:

**Monday: Mediterranean Chicken with Rosemary Orzo (from Betty Crocker). We had this tonight, so I can already review it - it was good! Next time I would let the orzo cook a little longer, but essentially it's chicken tenderloins sauteed with onion, fresh rosemary, tomato, zucchini, chicken broth, and yellow pepper. We added feta cheese on top to give it little more flavor and I added some lemon pepper as well to give it a little tang. I was pleased.

Tuesday: Red beans and rice in the crockpot - easy peasey and nice to come home to a hot filling meal

Wednesday: Church supper, no COOKING! Huzzah! I'm still thinking up a recipe for bible study treats, something that will stay good overnight and be equally good 24 hours after making it as it was when it came out of the oven. I'm a tough cookie to please. Hey - maybe cookies.

Thursday: Cheesy Chicken and Rice, one of my mom's staple dishes and a crockpot meal that is super easy and such a comfort food for me! Green beans on the side.

Friday: Corned beef and cabbage (one of Jesse's favorites) with baked sweet potatoes on the side (I think this is another slow-cooking recipe... that crockpot is getting a workout this week!)

***Saturday: Chicken Chilaquiles from my Everyday FOOD cookbook (sort of looks like enchiladas without the tortilla and served over tortilla chips. Jesse picked it out, so we're going for it!

I hope it turns out to be a good week food-wise. It will definitely be a busy week. We have Bible study at our place on Wednesday after church events, a meeting at church on Thursday (good thing we're doing the crockpot!) and Friday afternoon I am picking up my dear friend Morgan from the airport to spend some time together... Saturday evening I think I'm possibly speaking at our church's youth retreat. Yikes... this week is going to zip by. I better enjoy tonight and tomorrow night's peace.