Wednesday, February 29, 2012

A Morning to Make Me Want to Rip My Hair Out

Krewson, dear boy, you wore your mama out this morning.  Less than a week shy from turning two, you're usually a fairly easy-going kid, but sometimes you get in these funks that exhaust me and your daddy and leave us wondering what on EARTH we are supposed to do with you.

You had me deceived into thinking we were going to have an easy start to the day when I walked into your room to find you standing with a big grin slapped across your face, clutching your favorite giraffe and buffalo.  I scooped you into my arms and you cuddled against me, replying "Wes" (Yes) when I asked if you'd had a good night.  As we walked into my bathroom, you asked, "Daddy go?" and I replied with the news that Daddy had already gone to work.

And then the tide turned.

You lowered your brow and the grin disappeared.  You frowned into the bathroom mirror, still in my arms, only lifting your brow for a brief moment when I acted goofy in an attempt to cheer you up.  I sat on the toilet for a moment with you to cuddle, and you purposely dropped your giraffe and buffalo onto the floor. I asked, "You don't want your giraffe and buffalo anymore?"  "NO."  Well, ok then.

Nothing seemed to go right after that.  I was already running behind on time, but you just wanted to be held nonstop.  When I tried to put you down on the floor, you'd hold your toddler legs up in the air and clutch onto me like a little monkey.  When I tried to dress you, you cried and clutched your arms against your chest to prevent me from taking off your sleeper, pouting the whole time, "No off!! No off!! No dress!! No dress!!"

Back in the bathroom, finally dressed, I asked if you wanted a squeeze fruit pack to eat, and you said yes.  But when I handed it to you, you frowned your little frown and exclaimed "No!!"  I tried a different flavor.  No to that one too.  You just stood there pouting, staring at me like I was the worst mother ever.

"Nana!!" you exclaimed.  "You want a banana?" I asked.  "Ok," you replied.

So I picked you up for the trillionth time and headed downstairs.  Got you a banana.  Came back to the bathroom.  Now running even more behind schedule.  Open the banana and reach out to hand you half.  To which you reply, "NO!"

Goodness gracious.

At that point I just laid the banana on the counter and left the fruit packs on the floor.  Obviously you had no idea what you wanted.

I climbed in the shower, and as soon as you thought I wasn't looking, you chowed down the entire banana and most of the fruit packs.  (Insert eye roll.)  You then put on your own shoes.  And I congratulated you.  You were so proud, and I was proud of you.  But then I noticed you were walking funny.  Because they were on the wrong feet.  I suggested to you that you switch them on to the other feet.  "NO!!"

When it was time for me to blow-dry my hair, you freaked out because you're scared of the hair dryer and demanded to be held.  I made a quick futile attempt at drying my hair one-handed while holding you in my other arm and being sure not to blast you with the hot hair that you are so illogically terrified of.  Not so successful.  Needless to say, I went to work with wet hair.

When it was time to leave and I figured you'd forgotten you'd put your own shoes on, I decided to switch them onto the correct feet.  You didn't like that one bit.  Tears ensued.  When I asked you to put on your jacket, you refused.  Pretty much anything I asked you to do, you wanted to do the opposite.

As we were about to walk out the door, I ran upstairs to grab a cardigan to throw over my shirt in case the office was chilly.  As I came down the stairs, I heard a car honking and I ran to the front door, filled with the irrational fear that you had suddenly figured out how to open the locked front door and run into the street.  Instead I found you standing there with a giant mischievous grin on your face, grasping my key fob as you listened to my car alarm going off.  Ooooooooooh child.

Finally got you in the car, and of course you wanted to buckle yourself.  As I stood there waiting on you to clasp the buckle with your clumsy little toddler fingers, you looked at me, then pointed to the driver's seat and said, "Go."  (Excuse me?!?!)  To which I replied (in a surprisingly calm voice), "No, Krew, I am standing right here until you finish."  Fortunately for the both of us, you didn't argue that one and got yourself buckled fairly quickly.

Finally dropped you off at daycare at only a somewhat late time, wished Grandma Eileen the best of luck, then thought to myself I might need a Starbucks latte on the way to work to settle my nerves.  Every frazzled mama deserves a Starbucks latte, right???

And then I realized why I wanted a latte so bad.

Because I'd forgotten to eat breakfast.

Awesome.  THANK YOU CHILD for stressing me out so much that as a starving pregnant woman I forgot to EAT.  (And have I mentioned that I'm gluten intolerant and can only eat the breakfast items from maybe two restaurants?)

Starbucks latte it was.  Grande decaf nonfat raspberry latte.  Fortunately it filled me up enough to get me through the majority of the morning.

And honestly, after sipping down that latte, I must say I felt a whole lot better.  And I thought to myself, okay, parenting isn't that bad.  As long as I can drown my sorrows in a Starbucks latte.


All photos courtesy of the iPhone. :)

Tuesday, February 28, 2012

17 Weeks 4 Days Belly Pic

There's a new belly pic up on my pregnancy blog if you're curious about those types of things. :)

http://babybesidodos.blogspot.com/2012/02/17-weeks-4-days-belly-pic.html

Also be sure to cast your vote as to whether it's a boy or a girl! Less than a week until we (hopefully) find out! Yay!

http://babybesidodos.blogspot.com/2012/02/17-weeks-2-days-kicks-and-whats-your.html

Hope everyone has a great Tuesday night and splendid Wednesday. :)

Monday, February 27, 2012

Review: Comforts Brand Baby Products

I recently had the opportunity to receive and review some Comforts brand baby products.  In case you are unaware, Comforts is a Kroger line, and they carry diapers, wipes, formula, sippy cups, etc. - many, many items for your baby or toddler.



I was pretty excited to receive not only sippy cups and wipes, but diapers as well.  And I can say that overall I'm pretty pleased with these products.  The diapers are somewhat comparable to the style of Luvs - not quite as soft and stretchy as Pampers or Huggies, but they get the job done.  (And honestly, I prefer Luvs, mostly because of price, so I really didn't mind the Comforts diapers being similar to them.)  Compared to Luvs, Comforts brand feels a little more like paper.  They also seem to get more mushy when your child wets them a lot (such as when wearing them throughout the night).  Overall, though, they've served their purpose well.  We've had a few nighttime leaks, but we've had that with other diaper brands, also.

The sippy cups have worked great.  They have little covers for the mouth spouts, which I love for keeping the spout as germ-free as possible.  (Krew also thinks the covers are lots of fun to flip on and off, on and off.)  And I can honestly say that I really, really like the wipes.  They are very durable and firm, yet still soft.  So they get the job done, if you know what I mean. ;)  I would most definitely purchase the wipes again.

So my final review:
 - If the diapers are a great price and you don't mind Luvs-style diapers, go for it.
 - The sippy cups look a little cheap but have a covering for the mouth spout and work great.
 - The wipes work great, and have one of my favorite textures for wipes.  (If you are a person who prefers softer, silky wipes, these may not be for you.)

I have some coupons for the products, if you are a friend who lives near me and would like to try them out.  Please let me know!


Disclaimer: I received Comforts brand diapers, wipes, and sippy cups through BzzAgent (bzzagent.com) in exchange for providing my review of these products.

Sunday, February 26, 2012

Easy Recipe w/ Gluten-Free Option: Tortilla Soup

My friend Audrey passed this recipe on to me, and I absolutely LOVE it.  It was super easy and super delicious.  And it's very simple to make gluten-free, which is always a plus for me. :)  Hope you enjoy!

Tortilla Soup


Ingredients:
1 can refried beans
1 can chicken broth (I used gluten-free)
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained (I used pinto beans instead - I have a pregnancy aversion to black beans)
1 can corn, undrained (I used white corn)
1 can chicken, undrained
3/4 cup salsa
2 cups cheddar cheese
baked tortilla chips


Steps:
1. Mix all ingredients except cheese and chips together in large pot on medium heat.  Stir until refried beans are mixed through.
2. Simmer 10 minutes on low.
3. Stir in 1 cup cheese until melted.


Serve bowls of soup with extra cheese and baked chips.

Thursday, February 23, 2012

Goodbye to a Dear Friend

On Tuesday night, I stayed up gabbing and laughing with my two girlfriends Casey and Erin until nearly 11pm. With Casey's kids in bed and Erin's and mine at home with our husbands, it was the perfect girl time. Just talking about everything, from the serious the the hilarious, while chowing down on ice cream and brownies. It reminded me of my high school or college days, when my girlfriends and I would stay up into the wee hours of the night just talking and laughing about life.

Then we said our tearful goodbyes.

Today a moving truck is packing up all of Casey's stuff to move her and her family across the country to San Francisco. I have been dreading this day for a long, long time and always kept praying it wouldn't come. But the jobs for her husband didn't show up anywhere else, and it finally became clear that God wanted them to pack up and move. So off they go. Casey's husband, Jason, has been in California since the beginning of January, and I know it has been terribly hard for them to be apart. Not to mention that Casey has been taking care of their two kids on her own for two months now. I can't imagine how exhausting that must be.

I am going to miss Casey terribly. She is one of my best friends. Very few North Carolina friends have known me longer than her. She's been my friend through dating too many guys, my anxiety disorder, finally finding Dave, engagement, prepping a wedding, being a newlywed, getting pregnant, having my first baby, postpartum depression, raising a toddler, and now my second pregnancy. She's been involved in it all. Our kids are best friends, as much as toddlers can be best friends, and we've had frequent play dates since they were itty babies. She's one of the most dependable, honest, and unselfish people I know. I can't even count the number of ways she's shown her love and support as a friend throughout the years. Having her gone is going to be hard - I know there's going to be a hole, and that I'm going to feel it most on my Fridays off work when I typically head to her house for a few hours.

BUT I know that God has great plans for her family. And I know that this is not about our friendship or about me. This is about Casey and her husband, what God wants to do with their life, and where He wants to take them. He has a purpose through it all. I pray that they can see that purpose and that they find themselves among a loving community in San Francisco. I pray that they feel at home and don't feel too disconnected from their friends and family on the other side of the country. We all need to remember that they are just a phone call, text, or plane ride away. And I also may selfishly pray that He brings them back this way eventually. I'm allowed to pray for that, right?

So funny that despite being best friends, we have like two pictures together. All of the pictures are of our kids. :)


At my baby shower, January 2010.


Adi and Krew, Summer 2010


At the hospital May 2011, when her son Ronan was born.

Adi and Krew, Summer 2011



Winter 2011-2012



Last Friday, Adi and Krew's last time hanging out before the big move.


Casey, girl, I am going to miss you SO MUCH. I am so so grateful that we are excellent texter friends and that I know I'll be hearing from you multiple times weekly and we'll be having our usual 20-page long text conversations. :) I am so excited to come see you in San Francisco. And I am so looking forward to you visiting after my baby is born.  I know this is not the end, just a new way for our friendship to continue and grow.  LOVE YOU GIRL. :)

Wednesday, February 22, 2012

Link Love: 2.22.12

It's been a while since I've written one of these posts, so my list has been piling up and is (as you can see) pretty long at this point. Click on a few as you have time. Hope you enjoy. :)

Maybe I’ve Ruined My Kids - We do the best we can as parents, and God handles the rest.

Pray for Your Children - An easy-on-the-eyes list of ways to pray for your children.

I don't want to - Doing things because God has called us to them, not because we want to.

Motherhood Mondays: The hardest two months of my life - For any of you who have read about my battle with postpartum depression, this post describes SO accurately what I was going through. An excellent post.

Why My House Was Too Big - A family downsizes houses simply because.  Even with two kids, who now have to share a room.  Interesting concept.

Fiercely Dependent - When God uses buckets to cause you to lean on Him.

Weight of Being a Good Mom - Jesus died so we wouldn't have to carry the weight of trying to do it all.

A Stripped Down Version - Stripping it down to re-find your relationship with God.

Television - Short and sweet, but convicting.

Tuesday, February 21, 2012

Verses that Inspire [Me]

I thought that today I would share some of the Bible verses that have stood out to me recently during my [attempt at] daily Bible reading. I've actually been writing each of them down on an index card to add to my God wad, but so far I've failed to memorize even one.

(I'll send out another plea - anyone up for some Scripture memorization accountability??)

Some of these struck me because of the deeper thoughts they invoked.  Others were simply good reminders of things I should focus on on a daily basis but oftentimes let slip from my mind.

I lie down and sleep;
I wake again, because the Lord sustains me.
 - Psalm 3:5

In your anger, do not sin;
when you are on your beds,
search your hearts and be silent.
 - Psalm 4:4

Cast your cares on the Lord
and he will sustain you.
 - Psalm 55:22

My soul finds rest in God alone;
    my salvation comes from him.
He alone is my rock and my salvation;
    he is my fortress, I will never be shaken.
 - Psalm 62:1-2

Trust in him at all times, O people;
pour out your hearts to him,
for God is our refuge.
 - Psalm 62:8

The Lord does not look at the things man looks at.  Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.
 - 1 Samuel 16:7

Set a guard over my mouth, O Lord;
keep watch over the door of my lips.
 - Psalm 141:3

The Lord is close to the brokenhearted
and saves those who are crushed in spirit.
 - Psalm 34:18

Turn from evil and do good;
seek peace and pursue it.
 - Psalm 34:14

Wait for the Lord;
be strong and take heart
and wait for the Lord.
 - Psalm 27:14


Those are just a few of my index cards.  If you have any Bible verses that have stood out to you lately, please do share. :)

Sunday, February 19, 2012

Happy Birthday Hubby

Today is Dave's 31st birthday. :)

Happy birthday to my husband!

Love you hunny. Couldn't ask for a better person to share my life with. :)

Wednesday, February 15, 2012

Airport Photo Op

While Krew and I were traveling to Indiana a few weeks ago, a photo op presented itself when Krew started playing around a structural metal beam in the airport. It had holes in the center that a) made great frames for his little face and b) made excellent giant foot holes for him to use to climb (I had to limit his height - he got a little over-zealous, no surprise). :)












If nothing else, it provided some entertainment for both of us during a long layover in Chicago!

Tuesday, February 14, 2012

Music Love: Small Enough

I absolutely love this song.  It came up the other day on my iPod and nearly brought me to to tears.  It always does.  If you feel small, insignificant, forgotten, or overwhelmed, this may be a song for you...



Small Enough by Nicole Nordeman
Link to Video

Oh great God
Be small enough to hear me now

There were times when I was crying
from the dark of Daniel’s den
And I had asked you once or twice
if you would part the sea again

Tonight I do not need a fiery pillar in the sky
Just want to know you’re gonna hold me
if I start to cry

Oh great God
Be small enough to hear me now

Oh great God
Be close enough to feel me now

There have been moments
when I could not face Goliath on my own
And how could I forget we marched
around our share of Jerichos
But I will not be setting out
a fleece for You tonight
Just wanna know if everything will be alright
Oh great God
be close enough to feel me now

All praise and all the honor be
To the God of ancient mysteries
Whose every sign and wonder
Turn the pages of our history

But tonight my heart is heavy
And I cannot keep from whispering this prayer
Are You there?

And I know You could leave writing
on the wall that’s just for me
Or send wisdom while I’m sleeping
like in Solomon’s sweet dreams

I don’t need the strength of Sampson
or a chariot in the end
Just wanna know You still know how many
hairs are on my head

Oh great God
Be small enough to hear me now



Other music recommendations:
It's Alright
Always
Keep Saving Me


And last but not least, Happy Valentine's Day to my wonderful Dave. I love you hunny. :)

Sunday, February 12, 2012

Toddler Room Dresser - Need Your Input!

Dave and I are planning to move Krew into his new "big boy" room as soon as we finish getting it decorated and set up. But we are stuck. We simply can't decide on what to do with his dresser.

Observe:

Here is his new bed...


(The Kura bed from Ikea. After a short while we will raise the mattress up about a foot onto slats, and then in a couple years we will turn it into a bunk bed.)


and here is the dresser: (excuse the mess everywhere - right now it is a catch-all room :) )



Here is an image of the two together:


(As you can see, they don't match very well.)


We are going to add dark brown vinyl decoration to the walls (something Dave will design), and I also want to transfer over the following wall hangings from his nursery:


His name decoration from Ashley - I may paint the baby blue over with a darker blue to match the blue on the bed, but I definitely want to take it into the new room.



The song I put into a frame for him - Hold On To Jesus by Erin O'Donnell (I changed the female words to male words). Very special to me.



His framed lifetime hunting license (courtesy of Grammie and Grandpa Todd).


So...what do we do with the dresser? If we paint it, what color do we paint it? Do we leave parts of it the color it already is, or do we paint the whole thing? Should we do the drawers in different colors to match the rest of the room, like in this post: http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/the-technicolor-dreamcoat-dres-97860?

Please, provide your thoughts. Dave and I really can't arrive at any final decision!

Saturday, February 11, 2012

Easy Recipe: Orange Chicken Stir-Fry (with a gluten-free option)

I have made this recipe for dinner a couple times in the last month. Dave and I both really like it, it's fairly easy and quick, and it has a minimal number of ingredients. Not to mention I've been craving orange juice lately so it tastes doubly delicious to me.

If you're looking for an easy Asian dinner to make at home, give this one a try. :)

Orange Chicken Stir-Fry
from http://busycooks.about.com/od/chickenstirfryrecipes/r/Orange-Chicken-Stir-Fry.htm

Ingredients:
  • 2 Tbsp. oil
  • 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into thin strips
  • 1/4 tsp. salt
  • 1/8 tsp. pepper
  • 3/4 cup orange juice
  • 2 Tbsp. soy sauce (Use gluten-free if necessary - I recommend Kikkoman brand, as some other brands still make me sick. You can find a location that sells it using this website: http://www.kikkomanusa.com/homecooks/products/products_hc_details.php?pf=10106&fam=101.)
  • 1 Tbsp. cornstarch
  • 2 cups frozen baby peas, thawed (We use steamed broccoli instead.)
  • 1/2 cup cashew pieces
  • rice or noodles, cooked (use gluten-free if necessary)
Preparation:
  1. Heat oil in heavy skillet or wok.
  2. Add chicken, salt and pepper. Stir fry until chicken is cooked.
  3. Combine orange juice, soy sauce, and cornstarch in small bowl.
  4. Add mixture and peas (or broccoli) to skillet.
  5. Stir fry 2-4 minutes until sauce thickens.
  6. Stir in cashew pieces.
  7. Serve over hot cooked rice or noodles.
My tips:
- As with most recipes, feel free to adjust the amount of each of the ingredients. The last time we made it, I thought it needed more sauce, so I made another half-batch of the sauce and added it.
- If your chicken breasts are giant, don't cook and cut up four. I learned this lesson the hard way. We now have a bunch of cooked chicken pieces hanging out in our fridge, and I have no idea what I'm going to use them for.
- If the sauce is too runny at the end, just keep stirring it over heat. It will thicken up over time.
- If you're adding already-cooked veggies, don't add them until the sauce is at the thickness you want it. Otherwise the veggies may overcook while you're waiting for the sauce to thicken.

Enjoy!

Thursday, February 9, 2012

One of Those Weeks

It's been one of those weeks at work. Ya know, the ones where by the end you're so drained that you just want to go sit in a steaming bath for three hours while sipping some hot tea and eating a giant bar of raspberry-filled chocolate and reading a fiction novel about someone else's life where everything is funny and a thing such a work stress doesn't exist and everything is all hunky-dory happily ever after. That's about what I want right now.

I often wonder about the purpose of times like these at work. What is God trying to tell me? How is He trying to move me or push me? Does He want me to respond through action or does He just want me to toughen up?  Does He want to break me down to lean on Him more?  Is this just sandpaper being used to turn me into the person He wants me to be?  Is it just meant as a reminder that I do not belong in this world, but rather in eternity with Him?  Or is it meant to tell me that I'm not where He wants me and that I need to start stepping in a new direction?

So many possibilities.  No clear answer.  Only the awareness that it's been one of those weeks.

Sunday, February 5, 2012

22/23 Month Update!

Krewson is 23 months old today.  Just crazy.  One more month till we have an official 2-year-old on our hands!!

I think the biggest development for Krew over the last two months has been his language.  He now repeats EVERYTHING we say and has a rather impressive vocabulary.  He strings two and three words together more often than not.  He's even started occasionally using articles ("the", "a", etc.) which just started in the last week or so.  His word pronunciation isn't the greatest yet, but I know that will develop with time.  For now we just love listening to him chatter and having the ability to hold conversations with him.  Sometimes he says things that we don't understand, which can be frustrating, but more often than not we're able to figure out what he's saying and respond.



We've also been working on learning numbers, shapes, letters, and colors.  He absolutely loves to count to ten, over and over and over.  Also loves to sing the ABCs.  I try to practice his colors with him as often as the opportunity arises, but they don't seem to be clicking very well.  He can sort objects into groups based on colors, but he can't seem to keep track of the color names.  In fact, he just says that every color is red.  Apparently his NC State-fan daddy has trained him well.

He loves his trains, cars, trucks, buses, and airplanes.  Frequently while driving we'll hear "truck!" from the back seat.  Then "BIG truck!"..."BUS!"...."Ooooooh BUS!".   He loves to play with his toy train set that he got for Christmas, along with all his toy cars and trucks.



He also loooooooooooves to color right now.  His favorite thing to use is his markers, but he'll sometimes go for his crayons, too.  We had to have a few teaching situations for him to learn that we only color on paper and not on the wall or table, but he seems to have it pretty down-pat now.

Being outside is still one of his favorite things to do.  He'll just go in the backyard and walk around, picking up objects and kicking a ball. Also really enjoys his sandbox.  Thankfully we've had a very mild winter so far, so he's been able to go outside quite a bit.  When he's not able to be outside, he enjoys throwing balls and frisbees around the house.  He's gotten pretty good at shooting into the basketball hoop he got for Christmas, and he's learning the "proper" way to throw a frisbee thanks to his daddy.



He has always been a bit more on the "thick" side...very solid, heavier than you would expect him to be by looking at him, with a big belly in proportion to his body.  But recently Dave and I both noticed that his body seems to be thinning out.  His belly is shrinking.  He feels easier to hold, more long and less thick.  It's so weird.  I pick him up in the morning, and I can totally tell he's changing.  He feels like a monkey instead of a teddy bear, if that comparison helps at all. :)



Of course maybe all that body-thinning is because the kid runs a million laps around our house daily.  No joke.  He all of a sudden takes off and runs lap after lap after lap.  Nearly every day.  A lot of the times he requests that we run with him.  "Daddy!! Mommy!! RUT!!!"  ("Rut" = "run" in toddlerese.)  Then he'll shout "STOP!" and we'll all stop.  Then he'll shout "GO!" and we'll all go.  Round and round and round.  Till Dave and I are tired and begging for a break.

In terms of clothes, he's wearing 18-month pants, 18- to 24-month shirts, 18- to 24-month pajamas, size 6 shoes, and size 4 diapers. It's crazy to me that his feet haven't grown in what seems to be months. I'll be curious to find out his height and weight stats at next month's doc appointment.



He still prefers daddy over mommy, grandpa over grandma, and uncles over aunts.  (Still makes me sad.)  He still loves music, singing, and dancing (yay!).  Favorite movies are still...once again...Horton Hears a Who (he has the sound effects for the first ten minutes memorized) and Blue's Clues (he sings and dances along with the songs).  Veggie Tales has faded away a bit right now, but I'm sure it will come back eventually. His love for shoes has also faded it seems, thank goodness, so he's not as opinionated on which pair he wears right now. I hope it stays that way for a while. I enjoy picking out his outfits without worrying about what he thinks. :)


Watching Blue's Clues...
(the band episode, hence the drum)


He's started getting more particular about his food, which can be slightly frustrating. Foods he used to gobble up he'll now turn his nose up at, including spaghetti, mashed potatoes, chicken, and mac n cheese. I have no idea why this started, but I hope it doesn't stick around. He won't eat ANY veggies and it's pretty much driving me insane. I just keep pumping him with fruit (he'll eat fruit all day long) and then I try to fill in the veggie gaps with veggie/fruit squeeze packs. I also try to hide veggies in food items such as pasta sauce to get some extra nutrition down him.



We've set up his new Ikea twin bed in what will be his new bedroom, and we'll be moving him over to sleep in there sometime in the next few months. We want to get him used to sleeping in there well before the new baby comes so we have as few adjustment problems as possible. Either way, I'm sure we're going to have some issues when the new baby arrives. He is very much used to being a single child with Daddy's and Mommy's undivided attention. :)



Oh, one other thing that has developed is that he is now INCREDIBLY independent and INCREDIBLY stubborn.  I mean, he was these things before, but they are markedly more obvious now.  He has to do everything himself.  And if we try to do something for him, he gets mad and falls apart.  To the point where if we hand him a cookie, but he wanted to pick the cookie from the plate himself, he will have a meltdown and refuse the cookie.  Yes, I'm serious.  Our child will refuse a cookie when he feels that his independence is being challenged.  Crazy, right?



Whew, well, that was a lot of updating. I'll share more for his birthday in a month. :)

Friday, February 3, 2012

God Wad

A few months ago I read the book "Stuff Christians Like" by Jon Acuff.  If you're a person who enjoys dry humor, I really recommend you check it out.  I think he is hilarious.  The whole book is basically him cracking jokes on Christians. Which is okay, because he is a Christian and is making fun of himself 90% of the time.  He also manages to throw some spiritual lessons in there and really make you think about how un-Christian your "Christian" behavior can be, which is challenging and appreciated.  Of course, if you're not the dry-humor type, you might think his jokes are dumb.   But I loved them.  So much that I bought the book for my dad and three brothers for Christmas.  And they all loved it too.  Of course, we all share the same sense of humor.  Because, ya know, we're related.  So risk it if you will.  And please don't come back hating on me if you don't like it.

Anyways, a review of the book wasn't supposed to be the point of this post.  What I actually wanted to talk about was the God Wad.

In one part of the book, Jon talks about his God Wad, which is a stack of index cards with Bible verses on them that he carries around with him in his pocket.  I thought this idea was simply genius.  Because, honestly, I am HORRIBLE at memorizing Scripture.  I have about four passages half-memorized.  And that's it.  It's ridiculous.  How much more would God be able to speak to me on a daily basis if I was carrying His written word around in my heart?  I'm thinking quite a bit more.  So my reasoning was, I would create a God Wad, carry it around in my purse, and memorize the verses when I'm waiting at the doctor's office, sitting in traffic, etc.

And create a God Wad I did.  It's a continuous process.  As I'm doing my morning readings right now, if I read a verse or passage that strikes something within me and I think to myself "I'd like to remember this later", then I write it down on an index card and add it to my God Wad.

And now you're thinking, "Yay, good job, Kara!!  You are going to have pages and pages of Bible verses written on your heart for whenever a moment of need may strike!!  God is going to be able to speak to you so much more clearly now!!"  Right?? Wrong.

I haven't memorized a SINGLE ONE of those dumb index cards!!  In fact, they're not even in my purse.  They're sitting on my kitchen counter.  So now I have an ever-growing stack of my most-preferred Bible verses (is it wrong to say I prefer some over others? I know it's all God's word...) sitting on my kitchen counter collecting dust.  Taking up space in my house instead of in my heart.  DUMB.

SO.  It's time to crack down. I need to start some memorization.  I need to put my God Wad to work.  If any of you friends would like to be an accountability partner, please do so.  When you talk to me, ask me how my God Wad memorization is going.  Leave a random comment on a blog post inquiring about it.  Maybe a little accountability is what I need.

And...of course I'd like to offer up the invite for anyone to join in.  Anyone else need to start a God Wad and actually memorize it??  We could work together. :)

Ok.  I'm going to go memorize an index card now before bed. :)

Wednesday, February 1, 2012

F.lux

Today I randomly stumbled across this free software available for download.  It was actually recommended by another website, which was trying to provide tactics for falling asleep more easily.  I of course found it interesting, because I love discovering random finds like this, so I thought I'd share.

Basically, the software adjusts your computer monitor's color and brightness throughout the day to most closely follow the natural lighting you'd be seeing that time of day.  Supposedly, if you are on your computer at night, this could help with the transition from computer to sleeping.

I haven't downloaded it yet, but I may have to give it a shot.

(Note: If you are a person who edits the color of your pictures on your computer, having the monitor colors adjust may not be such a great thing.  This is why I'm a bit reluctant.)

Check it out!

F.lux:  http://stereopsis.com/flux/