Happy Saint Patrick's Day

Being irish and looking the part, I consider this my kind of holiday.  So from this pale, freckly, auburn haired, light eyed lady to you: Happy Saint Patrick's Day!

Preparing for Starters

With this fabulous burst of spring weather, the gardening bug has already bitten me.  I thought it would be a great outdoor activity for us to start some little seedlings, getting them ready for the raised garden beds in the back yard.

It felt good for everyone to get some hands in the dirt.

Of course there was a break for some power car maintenance with my always enthusiastic helper.

Eventually, a few of the starts made it to the sun spot on the dining room table.  There they will stay until hardened enough for the raised beds.  I do plan on getting some other starts planted this weekend, pictured here are only sweet peas, beefsteak, oh-boy tomatoes, I'm thinking we will be needing a bit more variety than that!  My husband's only request is cucumbers. Easy enough.

In preparation for maintaining, harvesting, and canning the garden, I browsed the isles of the Green Valley Book Fair with my husband, Mom, Dad, and babe in the Boba wrap and I found what I think are the basic essentials for gardening:

The Homestead Handbook: The back to basics guide to growing your own food, canning, keeping chickens, generating your own energy, crafting, herbal medicine, and more.

 Incredible Country Store: Potions, Notions, and Elixirs of the Past and How to Make Them Today

  God's Wisdom For Your every Need.

Yep, I think I'm as prepared as I'm going to get.  This is our first year of starting a garden of our own (we've always had a large family garden at my parents house, just not here), so I'm hopeful but humble.  I plan on fumbling my way through this planting season and I'll try to keep the blog updated with any successes/failures and what I think I did right/wrong.  Stay tuned...

Limitations

It was a far from perfect day.  A day full of trudging through stores, taking care of the not-so-fun errands.  My arms trying to push a loaded cart while holding a 32 pound toddler who simply will not sit in the buggy without a meltdown.  After check out I attempt to load our loot into the trunk of the car but fail miserably as everything topples out of the warehouse boxes, some rolling under the car.  I was exhausted, she was reacting to my frustration.

When we got home, I carried her inside, sat her in the living room and it was as if the previous 3 hours had never happened for her.  She was back to where she was comfortable, I was still drained.  After the groceries were put away I was hoping to fall into the recliner and relax for a bit while she played.  But when I sat down she began the process of enthusiastically trying to tempt me with every toy she could put on my lap.

It was then that it finally clicked for me.  She didn't understand that we had a challenging day, why should she?

The week prior I took her to the park to enjoy one of our few warm days in March.  I was very engaged in playing with her, crawling through tunnels and sliding down slides, when a woman who had been watching her children from the park bench tapped me on the shoulder and said "You are just the best babysitter!"  I smiled and explained that I am in fact her mother. (Imagine, a mother doing that?)

 

Kids don't understand that you may look silly to others.  They don't understand that you've had a bad day, or that you need to decompress for just five minutes.  They shouldn't have to.  Our limitations are ones we set for ourselves and when you do that it is perceived and mimicked by your children.  (skip to: "But Mooooommmm fill in the blank.")

I'm working on this, I still have the rare days where my husband comes home and I ask him for "just 5 minutes" to do this or that.  But I have taken the hum-drum "woe is me" out of my voice.  My dear child is not a burden but the largest blessing I have ever known.  Our choice to have me be a stay at home Mom is not a chore but a gift that my husband works very hard to provide.  I can not allow myself to make these imaginary boundaries, but I will work to see that my daughter sees joy in every moment, love in every action, excitement in every possibility, and a positive reflection on every day.

What's Been Missing

I have attempted many times to get back into the swing of blogging again.  I felt as though I needed to catch up on all of the things happening between posts.  I can't do it.

After losing my Grandpappy in January, I have tried, drafted, and failed to put into an essay of sorts, what an amazing figure he was in our family.  So I think I'll keep it simple, because well, he was a pretty simple man.

He was steadfast.  Iron willed.  Strong.  Constant.  A Provider.  Hard worker.  He knew what hard work was and he didn't shy away from it.  He also knew that family was always a priority.  As a grandchild, I always knew, without it having to be said, I was loved and cherished.

I miss him terribly.  I miss Grandpappy, Nana, Grandma, and Uncle Timmy so much sometimes it hurts.  But as my side of the family gets smaller we also get so much closer.  Phone calls and visits become more frequent.  That's the blessing of having parents that live 5 minutes away and being one of four siblings - we have each other to lean on, to bring each other up, and to remember so much greatness we've shared.

I am so proud of my family, the way I was raised, and where I came from.  And Grandpappy started that.  Thanks Grandpappy.  I love you.

Rock On Momma

It’s 2:16am and my “mommy ears” have been perked, I’ve been listening to her over the baby monitor rustling in the crib.  Then I hear her sweet, almost cooing “Momma”.  I click the top of the baby monitor that lives on my side of the bed, and see her sitting up in the corner.  Roll out of bed and a short walk across the hall I open her door.  She sees me and instantly stands, arms stretched out reaching for me.

“Hi Momma”

“Hi my baby, it’s still bedtime.  Let’s go night night.”

Her deep brown eyes look at me, I feel her tiny toddler hands embrace my face, then she kisses me, wraps her arms around me and lays her head on my shoulder.  We make our way to the rocker in the corner of the room.

Once rocking, her head is tucked under my chin, ear pressed against my chest listening as I softly sing, “Silent night, holy night, all is calm, all is bright…” The baby blanket draped over us, holding her close, I stroke her still baby soft hair while I continue to rock.

Silent Night

O Holy Night

Jesus Loves Me

I half sing, half hum tonight’s songs and she’s almost asleep again.  We rise from the chair, she’s curled up in my arms and we start our swaying walk back to the crib.  Pausing in front of the crib just for a few more moments of back and forth, I kiss her head and lay her down.  Her heavy toddler eyes look up at me as she’s rubbing her ears and I whisper, “Mommy loves you, sweet dreams”, her eyes close and she’s trying to sleep.

My husband, who had been listening to my whispering lullabies over the monitor, feels me get back into the bed, rolls over, kisses me saying in his deeply soft sleepy voice, “Good job Momma, I love you.” 

“I love you too.”

I snuggle under his arm and try to fall back to sleep.

 When I was pregnant, a woman I knew at work had told me with warning in her voice, “Once you start rocking them, you can’t stop.”  And now, when I see an expectant mother, I smile and with love in my voice say, “Once, you start rocking the baby you’ll never want to stop.”

So I say to all of the Mommas and soon to be Mommas of the world: Rock on Momma, rock on.

'Tis the Season

I am a well-documented Christmas fiend, the first of November and our house in fully decorated.  This Christmas has been a little hectic for us with specialist visits for my husband and abdominal surgery for myself, I am very thankful that we decorate so early because I'm not sure it would have been done otherwise.  I'm struggling a little bit with my normal Christmas time activities due to this lovely surgery recoup time, but I thought I would share some of my favorite things about the season in hopes of making up where my "cheer" has been lacking.

• Church: The feeling of walking into church during the Christmas season is fantastic.  Watching the children light the advent wreath and stay late to decorate the Christmas tree reminds me of my enthusiasm doing the same not so long ago. 

• The readings: preparing for the celebration of the birth of baby Jesus, are like a familiar bed time story; comforting and relaxing, easing you into the joy, peace, and the true reason for the season.

• Christmas music:  I know them all.  Just ask my husband.  I sing them ALL day and all evening long, while rocking our little one, cooking, knitting, sewing, the shower, anywhere.  No one is safe from my Christmas caroling.  Doris Day, Dean Martin, Elvis, Andy Williams, Nat King Cole, I stick to traditional classics.  You will find it is very hard to have a bad day listening to Doris Day.

• Decorations:  It warms the house, all of the warm red and green and glints of gold sparkles here and there.  I love covering every nook of our house with Christmas goodness.  Every morning I bring our little girl downstairs she "oohh" and "ahh"s over the Christmas lights.

• Baking: Snikerdoodles, apple pie, shortbread, pecan tassies, cheesecake, brownies, peanut butter cookies, sweet bread wreaths...yeah.

• Knitting: "Baby it's cold outside...." *click click click* Nothing like knitting something snuggly warm on a frosty cold December morning while your toddler plays at your feet.

• Family: We are always gathering, shopping together, eating together. Love it.

• Christmas movies:  My poor hubby has to put of with any and all Christmas movies that happen to be on.  (Deep down I know he loves my Christmas movie nerdiness)

• Baby Muffin's Christmas:  This being her second Christmas we are so excited (admitting that we went way overboard on goodies for under the tree) we are so pumped to carry her downstairs in her Christmas pajamas that her Nana picks out every year and hear her little toddler "wow".  Sit cross-legged on the floor and snuggle together opening presents.

•  Santa:  He's towards the bottom because he's not my holiday showstopper, but he is a pretty generous guy and loves kids so he's good in my book.

If you are struggling finding your Christmas spirit, I suggest you pile into the car with your loved ones and head to an evening church service.  On the way pop in a Christmas CD and admire the Christmas lights.   Once there sit close, hold hands and praise together.  Prepare your hearts for the story and meaning of Jesus' birth.  Go home, eat some warm food (preferably the holiday season variety) and watch a family Christmas movie.

Wherever or whoever you are I hope the true meaning and spirit of Christmas finds and warms your heart.

Where I've Been

I've been busy.
I've been needed.
I've been loving people who need my time.

So please forgive me for not being here.  I hope to have time to write soon.