Category: Kid Stuff

Reglued

I finally finished the bible study for the book Unglued by Lysa TerKeurst (again, I’m not important enough to get paid to say things like that). To say that I changed during this study would be an understatement of huge proportions. I’m not sure when God changed me through it; there were a few aha moments during the study, but there isn’t a definitive moment where I can say “that changed me”.

And really, that’s how it works. Though, as a society, I believe we want stories with a clear moment where we awoke from our slumber. They are more interesting; more hopeful, perhaps. I’ve come to realize that lasting change doesn’t happen overnight. It’s a process; sometimes it’s slower than we want, but it’s a process nonetheless. I remembered thinking, as I was surrounded by these women, my friends, that I honestly couldn’t figure out why they were doing the study. They were so…together, while here I sat thinking “I hope they never know how much more I need this study than they do!” I’m a yeller of epic proportions; I always have been. I couldn’t even remember a time where I handled something stressful in an appropriate manner.

That isn’t it, y’all. You have to click here to read the rest!

The Wisdom of Erma Bombeck

I loved Erma Bombeck. Even as a child, I would read her books and I totally identified with her sarcastic parenting. To be honest, thinking now, I wouldn’t be surprised if it shaped my parenting, and even my writing.

I read everything on the Internet tonight in a feeble attempt to avoid doing my bible study work (some days it’s just harder than others, ok?). After reading everything else, I went to Snopes.com in search of nothing but dull reading that didn’t require the hard look inside that Lisa TerKeurst’s writing does. Yes, y’all, Snopes. I was trying that hard to avoid reading anything emotional.

And on the Randomizer, this popped up:

IF I HAD MY LIFE TO LIVE OVER – by Erma Bombeck
(written after she found out she was dying from cancer).

I would have gone to bed when I was sick instead of pretending the earth would go into a holding pattern if I weren’t there for the day.

That isn’t it, y’all. You have to click here to read the rest!

Imperfect Progress

I’m in a bible study called Unglued, based on a book by Lysa TerKeurst, recommended by a friend and then later organized by my best of friends. It’s a great book, though the bible study format isn’t one I have liked very much. Regardless, last night I did my homework and I wrote a prayer.

Father, please keep my focus on You by reminding me to surrender first, then ask for heightened spiritual senses to see and hear You throughout the day. Jesus, please help me to be gentle and humble in heart, and be my Counselor.

Today I was different. It wasn’t an active choice, I just realized partially through the morning that I wasn’t handling things my normal way. I’m a yeller for sure. Last night, the obvious notion that yelling never resolves or deescalates a situation really hit home to me. And so I walked differently today. I remembered that The Little One is just a 2 year old, and when I expect behavior beyond that, it’s not HER that begins the meltdown, it’s ME. I can see the buildup; small things that snowball until there’s a verifiable meltdown, and then chaos. And it happens daily.

That isn’t it, y’all. You have to click here to read the rest!

Camp Time!

Do y’all remember last year when we took The Oldest One to camp? I had just started this new fashion venture, right, and I put together this fabulous outfit that I thought looked awesome. Looking back, I’m not sure if my fashion sense has evolved, or if fashion in general has, but I wore this:

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You can read about it by clicking here; this outfit decision nearly cost my my life, in the middle of one of the worst heat waves to hit in decades.

So, we are going back, bringing The Oldest One back yet again this year. I dressed differently this year; a lot different.

I paired a half-sleeve, navy and white striped shirt from Love Culture that set me back a mere $7, with mint green shorts from J. Crew ($8, thank you very much, warehouse sale), and mint sandals from Call it Spring, and apparent branch off of Aldo. FYI, I don’t get paid or free stuff for this because I, 1. Am not that important, 2. No one knows me, and 3. Lemme know if you know how to get people to do that, because I would totally be into that. I will wear your donated clothes. And I won’t even go back on sabbatical.

That isn’t it, y’all. You have to click here to read the rest!

One Room Down!

Yay! We finished a project in a day…even the one we intended to!!

Actually, we finished lots of projects, including cleaning, rearranging, and organizing The Oldest One’s room.  Looks great! The big project, however, was the dollhouse renovation, and today we finished the nursery.

Before:

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And after, of course:

Love the gleaming "hardwood floors"

Love the gleaming “hardwood floors”

The Oldest One watched in amazement while I cut the paper and attached it. We lost the tacks for the back part so we used cut tacks; they worked just as well (so far).

We had an awful lot of fun today. I love that kid.

Remodel. . .Dollhouse Style

So The Oldest One watched in wonder while I redid our home. She loved helping and was a great help, but she has her own sense of style and I could tell she wanted to do something of her own. So, I came up with the idea of redecorating a dollhouse.

Though all I could find were those crappy plastic ones, or ones that were WAY expensive and had already been done. So, I had (what I believe to be) to be an ingenious idea; start from scratch. So, I bought her this:

Uh, that’s a sweater-holder, Lacky, not a dollhouse.

I had vision, though; we’d start from scratch and we’d wallpaper it and everything. The three bottom cubes have actual fabric cubes in them to hold all the doll stuff; the rooms will be in the top six cubes.

Today is the first official day of summer vacation and The Little One is at daycare (woohoo), so it’s just The Oldest One and I, and we are going to really rock this thing. I cannot wait to show you the after product. And she’s lead decorator, too. I steered her away from glittery walls and such, but all else is on her! I can’t wait to see what she does; my sister bought her some awesome furniture sets for Christmas, so we are doing at least two rooms today!