p e a c e...

nothing quite defines "peace" like the image of a soundly sleeping baby.

among the hustle and bustle of life, amidst noise and chaos, tired babies always embrace peace.

they may fight sleep in a loud and busy place, but wrapped in a soft, sweet smelling blanket or

skin-on-familiar skin, they eventually give in...

and sleep.

we all go through times when peace seems to elude us.

it's loud, it's busy and we're drowning in the noise of alarms, reminders and deadlines barring us from that deep, freeing exhale that seems to shift the heavy load we bear off of our backs so we can at last receive...

peace.

sometimes we just need to give in.

we need to let go.

maybe cry, maybe apologize, maybe forgive, maybe laugh....

we need to silence the noise of the world and breathe...

and allow ourselves to be covered and tucked tightly into the warm, renewing comfort

of God's perfect peace.

Philippians 4:6-7 (The Message)

 ^6-7Don't fret or worry. Instead of worrying, pray. Let petitions and praises shape your worries into prayers, letting God know your concerns. Before you know it, a sense of God's wholeness, everything coming together for good, will come and settle you down. It's wonderful what happens when Christ displaces worry at the center of your life.

Uncle Mikey & Kai

two of my favorite boys.

being a big sister, believe it or not, taught me a lot about being a mommy.

mikey and i have always had a different kind of relationship.

i attest this in part to me being older when he was born AND the fact that my mom went back to school during his elementary school years and i was next in line for things like taking him to school, getting him breakfast, helping him get dressed, etc. those things were never a burden to me. i enjoyed stepping in and getting to be a sister-mom. i can remember dropping him off at elementary school (usually late)my senior year in high school and making him give me a kiss on the cheek before he got out of the car.

i often have deja vu moments when i catch myself doing something with Kai that I did with Mikey years ago. such as:

tucking him in under the "floating blanket," reading books with over-the-top animation, making him "fly" on my feet while laying on my back and belting made up-silly-random songs at the top of my lungs to make him laugh and probably scare/weird him out a little bit...

and...yeah, Mikey turned out a little like his big sister, with a wild imagination and an over-active verbal response system (which is both a blessing and a curse).

i can only hope that Kai will be lucky enough to inherit our ability to smile our way through life's storms and make a joke out of just about anything.

I'd say the odds are in his favor.

9 month update!

Kai Quincy

at

9 months

Now that he's pulling up on EVERYTHING, he often enjoys looking out the window while standing bouncing on the back of the couch.

And yes, like I said pulling himself up on EVERYTHING...

and trying to climb on everything.

His favorite climing posts thus far: the couch, any door or window, any coffee table, the dishwasher, the pantry, MOMMY and honey (and those are JUST the faves!).

Favorite toy: ANYTHING with wheels....

or anything that easily slides around on the ground while being pushed. This boy LOVES wheels!

He also loves to MOVE. He's crawling in super speed now...

He has recently mastered the art of clapping!

I have been taking him to baby/toddler story hour at the local public library

(every Wednesday at 10, it's fun!) and we sing lots of songs that have motions and he mirrors the bigger children (and Mommy, of course!)

He's also started crossing his little ankles when he's in a sitting position (seen above and at right below).

My little man....

Yes that's a BlackBerry on the floor next to him.

It was my DEAD BlackBerry that he so kindly decided to give a bath to early last week. He literally dropped it in his full bathtub. I turned my head for ONE second...

He is also eating peas (and cereal and old pieces of breakfast lunch and dinner...and dirt and leaves...).

Off the floor.

Yep, please note the bowl that was intented to hold the peas. Nope, he dumps his snacks on the floor and sometimes doesn't even bother to pick them up, he just eats em' straight off of the floor like Honey. It's hilarious and great for building up the immune system...or something like that ;)

Yum! Sticks!

...also any cup. Or bowl. Really, anything with an opening he LOVES to pretend like he's drinking like a big boy. G and I let him drink water out of our cups and he enjoys it so much he tests every cup/bowl out to see if it contains any refreshing cold water. But in the photo located above-right he was really just toasting to the marriage of Mommy's buddy Veronica!

Eating LOTS of fun new foods.

Some of the newer favorites include kiwi, grapes, egg yolk (boiled/microwaved) and raisins!

Loves, loves, loves to be OUTSIDE.

Here he has walked (in his walker) to the door (more like RAMMED the door) and is shrieking to get my attention to take him outside. He does this at the back and front door several times a day.

If it's decent out we are outside a LOT working in the yard, watering the garden and flowers and weeding...

Still lovin' bathtime, especially if it's with cousins!

Bathtime has changed quite a bit, however. He crawls all over the place and pulls himself up on the sides.

He also enjoys splashing. A lot. It's getting more interesting with every day

 (not to mention more WORK for the usually WET and TIRED bath-giver!)

Favorite mode of transportation: Mommy's old blue backpack

 (My Dad used to carry me and my siblings in this thing!)

My little red...

getting more personality with every single smile-filled day!

 (Think they're related?!)

Such a fun age.

SUCH a fun boy.

Tuesday .02 (five randoms & some GOOD NEWS!)

1. Kai threw my BlackBerry in the FULL bathtub last night. Yeah, it's a goner (phone numbers, video clips, yet-to-be-printed pictures of Kai {tear}!). Talk about "device detox!" (I think I jinxed myself). However, I DID find the time today to take our HUGE pile of recycling AND 5, yes FIVE loads of laundry (all folded, too!). No, I didn't let our dirty clothes build up to 5 loads, I washed blankets, sheets, towels, car-towels, dog-towels, kitchen towels....
2. I did this workout today from Shape magazine. I haven't done any of her dvd's but judging on how fatigued my legs feel (a GREAT feeling, btw!), maybe I need to.
3. I've been meeting weekly with a "mentor" of sorts who has encouraged me to return to my long-lost habit of keeping a prayer journal. After about a month back into it I can't believe I ever stopped. Talk about rejuvenating the old prayer life! Writing my prayers down like letter to God is a wonderful way for me to keep focused (I have an ever-drifting overly imaginative mind!), yet also keep a record or diary of sorts of what I'm going through that day. It's pretty awesome to be able to look back and see how God worked even the hardest of situations out for good!
4. I've also been LOVE, LOVE, LOVING The Message (MSV) Bible. I've owned a copy for awhile but never really delved into it...until now. It's reads with a wonderfully personable feel and allows me to gain insight from the dryer or more difficult passages.
5. GOOD NEWS!: Today I received word that my Initial I (K-12) School Counseling license is in the mail! Due to some unfortunate circumstances this has been a LONG time coming, but at last I can reap the fruits of my grad school labors and put the past year of waiting and paperwork behind me! I actually cried (for joy!) when I got the message. YAY!

a 3-part post for Mother's Day...for Mom, for Kai, for STRONG women.

FOR MOM:

i was in the car the other day with my mom and Kai, doing something silly to try to keep my sweaty, hyper baby boy from breaking into hysterics....i can't remember exactly what i was doing, it may have involved gum or an empty cup filled with ice or a bag of garbage...or all three, who knows.

anyway, my mom was watching me (smiling) in the rear-view mirror and non-chalantly remarked

your gonna be such a fun Mom.

with a heart happy heart i replied well, i learned from the best, ya know.

my own Mother is and has been my biggest role model as i have embarked on my own journey through motherhood. she truly embodied the definition of selfless, unconditional love to me and my siblings all throughout our childhood.

she:

forced us to try new things, encouraged us to be adventurous, told us to shut off the tv/computer/video games and go play outside, she read us stories and played games, she made us all sit down at the table for dinner, got us up EVERY morning for sunday school and church (usually singing a VERY annoying song), she was honest, took a genuine interest in our everyday lives, knew how to give "tough love"

and best of all taught us how to love Jesus.

i can only hope and pray that i can give Kai what i had growing up.

my siblings and i have all "hated" her at times, but never for lack of love.

as we have all grown up, "Mom" has taken on a new meaning: friend.

it is her love and example that shape the Mommy i am today, and the Mother that i am becoming. sure, we don't agree on everything and our parenting styles are definitely not identical but she and my Dad are both at the root of who i am.

FOR KAI:

Just a few things I Love about being YOUR Mommy

To Kai on my first Mother's Day

1.

i love your sleepy song. the sweet, high pitched babbles that start with such force and then fade into peaceful sleep.

2.

i love your curiosity for all things new, and the way you absorb, learn, experience and find joy in the smallest things like dried leaves and string.

3.

 i love your energy. you go, go, go. you don't do anything half-speed. you play, eat, and babble tirelessly....and then crash, of course (which is another love of mine, your wonderfully long NAPS!)

4.

i love that you hold onto me, and not just so i don't drop you. you snuggle when your cold, or tired....and burrow your little red head into my neck when you get scared (like when i vacuum!).

5.

 i love the little baby language you speak. "nanee" is my name right now, which is so cute. you say "dada" and, of course "mo" at mealtime. i can already tell you will be a social chatterbox like your mommy and daddy, and will probably be asking you to quiet down soon, but i'm excited to have conversations with you!

6.

 i love starting every morning with your sleepy smile, and the soft sighs and coos you make as you fall asleep in my arms each night.

7.

 i love when you pull yourself up to my legs and try to climb into my arms--it's like your sign for wanting snuggle time and it melts my heart.

8.

i love that you like adventures, already. you are a happy traveler and don't mind being in your carseat (most of the time!).

9.

 i love how you make me want to be a better everything.

10.

 i love YOU, Kai Quincy, what a blessing you are!

FOR ALL WOMEN:

maybe you are a Mom, maybe you are a Mother-to-be, maybe you are a wife, sister, friend...whatever the roles you embody may be, just know that whether you are a "mother" or not, you have mothered.

I have been mothered by friends. I have been mothered by teachers. I have been mothered by co-workers. I have been mothered by my little sisters. I have even been mothered by my students....

and when i say "mothered" i do NOT mean the nagging, hovering, overbearing definition.

i mean
inspired,
encouraged,
comforted,
listened to,
cared for,
hugged,
LOVED.

i believe Mother's Day is a day to celebrate strong women, who give those gifts unconditionally and fill such a vital role in raising a generation with a purpose and hope.

So Happy Mother's day to you...

It's your day and YOU MAKE A DIFFERENCE!

my COOL parents.

Check out the tumblr Dads are the Original Hipsters. You'll laugh, I promise.

 

It made me think...

hmmm...

 

MY DAD was is pretty darn hip!

 

short shorts, shaggy hair, retro nikes...

awesome tux. awesomer hair

(both guys AND girls).

 ...for that matter, my PARENTS were are hip!

 

Some supporting facts:

• I grew up riding around in a volkswagon van. swear.
• At a very young age i could sing along to numerous Simon&Garfunkle and Steve Miller Band songs.
• my Mom wore tube tops. those things were awesome.
• they had matching perms (i would only be so lucky if G and i could pull that off!)

i'd say it's safe to say that the "hipster" inside of them still lives...

it's evidenced in my Dad's classic VANS he sports with his jeans on casual friday

and...

well, my mom DID perm her hair just last summer...

(and check out my Dad's hat!)

 Love you Mom & Dad!

"Children learn to smile from their parents."

~ Shinichi Suzuki

device detox: a challenge for a technology dependant, socially unsatisfied generation.

[sound of fingers tapping keys]

We've all had it happen to us. Somebody texting or scrolling through email or Facebook during conversation/dinner/meetings/church/a movie/[insert your own instance].

I don't really mind this if it's sparce and done at random, but there are people who do this every 10-15 minutes (or less!) and it DRIVES ME CRAZY!

If you can't get through a movie without looking at your phone/texting you need a device detox!

Cell phone addiction is just as rampant as Ipod addiction, and both are equally harmful to the innate human ability to COMMUNICATE. Once one becomes so reliant upon technology to make them feel "normal" they are unable to properly or comfortably function in a social setting, which is really quite unfortunate and something that I see all too often in mine and (especially) younger generations.

Many of us struggle with technology vices. Maybe you constantly check your email. Maybe your always on Facebook. Maybe you spend hours surfing the web. Maybe you send hundreds of texts a day. Maybe you can't seem to stop working via email received on your phone...

Daniel Sieberg, author of The Digital Diet writes that "constantly checking your BlackBerry, Facebook, and Twitter can be addictive--when you aren't online you worry somebody needs you or that fun things are happening without you. This habit can stress you out and damage real-life relationships. It's tough to conect with someone stitting next to you when you keep checking for texts." Sieberg suggests going a day without using your phone or a day without logging in and instead "HANG OUT with friends, read a book, enjoy nature and you'll begin to see things you never did before when you were always looking at a screen."

I'm not going to lie.  I have three active email accounts (1 personal, 1 school, 1 work) and I receive all of them via BlackBerry. I check my FB, I text, I surf the web and sometimes play games on my BlackBerry. I check my BlackBerry frequently, but once I noticed myself reaching for it during frequent lulls in conversation or caught myself messing around on my phone mid-convo I knew I needed some distance.

After re-evaluating my device-dependance my realizations were:

1. The world will not end if the blinking light on my phone flashes for an hour or two unnoticed.

2. There is no email that can't wait. Really.

3. Facebook is more fun and interesting when you limit your checking to once or twice a day (if that!).

4. There is a great deal of real-life CONNECTION to others that is missed when you are slave to the screen (addicted to the constant checking).

5. Less is more. Balance is best.

I began to leave my phone in the car during social events, dinner dates, hang outs, etc. If I felt like I needed to have it with me (like if Kai was with a babysitter) I would silence everything BUT phone calls and keep it zipped in my purse until I heard a ring. I have also begun to make a point to NOT carry my phone around with me everywhere I go. I have so much more to do than pounce on my phone at it's demanding alerts, not to mention a pair of little blue eyes that want MY FULL attention and love.

Are you slave to you phone? Your laptop? Your IPod?

I challenge you to break free. Take a technology fast and walk on the wild side:

Listen to the breeze blow through the open window. Hear the birds chirp in the trees. Spend a solid hour playing with your niece or nephew. TALK and take interest in the lives of your kids. Your spouse. Pick up an old, perhaps forgotten hobby. CALL an old friend or even better, write a letter.

Just think of all of the hours you've spent staring at a screen or drowning out the world...what if you had devoted all of that time to something else? Your life may look a bit different...you may be happier...you may feel more fulfilled, you may find a renewed sense of purpose...

LIVE.