Sorry I haven't blogged much lately. Last week we were busy at Vacation Bible School, and this week we've been trying to beat back a case of mild sickies.
I went to Urgent Care last night after about 48 hours of having a SUPER sore throat, stiff neck, swollen glands, and a headache. They tested for strep throat (which is what I thought it was), but it turned out just to be a viral infection which will have to run it's course on its own. I am sore today, but doing alright with my Tylenol and Orange Juice. I have not had a fever, so I've been able to function reasonably well as a Mommy (thank you Lord!).
J-Boy has had diarrhea for almost a full week. He's been happy as a clam, with NO fever or vomiting (again, thank you Lord!). However, he's had a nasty diaper rash and lots of Pedialyte to make up for his lost nutrients.
Lorelin had her three-year well check yesterday morning, so they let us bring J-Boy in at the same time. My pedatrician gave me a special diarrhea forumla which has definitely helped to slow down the "flow"...so to speak.....and he does seem to feeling better overall.
Lorelin had a great three-year well check, and was a champ at the doctor's office, calmly and sweetly complying with all that the doctor and nurses asked.
Well, that's about it....I am going to go and lay down for nap, since the rest of my crew is either sleeping or on their way there.
I'll post more summer snapshots soon.....
Wednesday, July 30, 2008
Tuesday, July 22, 2008
Take Me Out To The Ballgame - Part 2
Here's a short video (sorry, it's not the best quality) of the girlies as they root on the Diamondbacks. This was late in the night...around the 10th inning, I think. We were tired, but they were moving and grooving. K-Bug knew that our team was the "Red Team" with the red hats, so she made up the little red team cheer all by herself.
GO RED TEAM!!!
GO RED TEAM!!!
Take Me Out To The Ballgame - Part 1
This past Friday, we took our girlies to their very first professional baseball game. I had a found a "Family Fridays" ticket package that included a seat, a hot dog & soda, and a free pass to the zoo all for $15 apiece. PLUS, it was advertised that there were fireworks after the game - that's all I needed to know....
My father-in-law loves the Diamondbacks, so he bought tickets as well and brought his grandson (our nephew) along.
My Mom came over and watched J-Boy for the evening, so we were all set to go with just the four of us.
We left our house around 5:00 p.m. in order to beat traffic, and ended up with an altogether easy commute and an immediate parking space (yeah!).The girls were fascinated by all of the BIG buildings in the down-town Phoenix area, and even more fascinated by the LARGE stadium that we were getting to go inside!!
I asked a nice man to take our picture outside of the stadium as we were getting ready to go in.
We headed up two very large escalators and finally made our way up the third level where we found our seats (yuppers, we were in the cheap seats, but I didn't really mind.)We had a great view of the field!
After four trips to the bathroom, and one small hike for ice cream, I was starting to wonder if the game was as good an idea as I first thought. The girls were getting tired and a little bored, and around the fourth inning I just wasn't sure that we were going to make it through (especially us parents! :)
Then,around the 5th or 6th inning, both girls caught their second wind. From that point foward, they clapped, they cheered, and they danced! :)
FINALLY.....in the 11th inning....the tied score was broken by a home run from the opposing team -sorry Diamondbacks :( BUT we were happy because finally we saw
FIREWORKS!!!!
K-Bug must have danced during the entire fireworks performance. She loved it!! Lorelin was a little more subdued, but when asked aferward she said that she liked it as well. :)
We arrived home at midnight, and got into bed around 12:30 p.m. Not surprisingly, the girles slept until almost 9:00 p.m. the next morning.
My father-in-law loves the Diamondbacks, so he bought tickets as well and brought his grandson (our nephew) along.
My Mom came over and watched J-Boy for the evening, so we were all set to go with just the four of us.
We left our house around 5:00 p.m. in order to beat traffic, and ended up with an altogether easy commute and an immediate parking space (yeah!).The girls were fascinated by all of the BIG buildings in the down-town Phoenix area, and even more fascinated by the LARGE stadium that we were getting to go inside!!
I asked a nice man to take our picture outside of the stadium as we were getting ready to go in.
We headed up two very large escalators and finally made our way up the third level where we found our seats (yuppers, we were in the cheap seats, but I didn't really mind.)We had a great view of the field!
After four trips to the bathroom, and one small hike for ice cream, I was starting to wonder if the game was as good an idea as I first thought. The girls were getting tired and a little bored, and around the fourth inning I just wasn't sure that we were going to make it through (especially us parents! :)
Then,around the 5th or 6th inning, both girls caught their second wind. From that point foward, they clapped, they cheered, and they danced! :)
FINALLY.....in the 11th inning....the tied score was broken by a home run from the opposing team -sorry Diamondbacks :( BUT we were happy because finally we saw
FIREWORKS!!!!
K-Bug must have danced during the entire fireworks performance. She loved it!! Lorelin was a little more subdued, but when asked aferward she said that she liked it as well. :)
We arrived home at midnight, and got into bed around 12:30 p.m. Not surprisingly, the girles slept until almost 9:00 p.m. the next morning.
Monday, July 21, 2008
Monday Moments....Things That Gurgle & Flush
Or don’t flush, such as the case may be…(hee,hee)
Maybe our water is just really hard, or maybe our toilet handles are just wimpy, or….. maybe we flush too hard. Whatever the case may be, we have broken two toilet handles in the span of just a few weeks. This has rendered our potties un-flushable by the normal method of pushing the outside handle.
Instead, you have to lift the back of the lid off the commode, and then reach inside to manually pull the lever that releases the water flow.
We have yet to go to Ace’s Hardware/Lowes/Home Depot for new potty handles, so in the last week, there has been a lot of “alternative flushing methods”
Not a big deal, UNLESS you happen to have your mother-in-law and her mother coming over on a Saturday morning for an extended visit.
This was the case this past weekend, and we didn’t remember until about an hour beforehand that our potties were still broken and our guests might need to use the bathroom. And then….well…..how would we ask them to flush?
My hubby went into big-time MacGyver mode, asking for some rubber bands and duct tape. I went into the bathroom a few minutes later to find that he was trying to jerry-rig a temporary handle made up of two used choptsticks held together by the rubber bands, and glued to the inside of the potty with lots of duct tape.
I lost it. I had to hang onto the bathroom sink (being careful not to break anything off of it! ) on account of my laughter.
I wish I had taken pictures, and I wish even more that his invention had worked.
Alas, the chopsticks wouldn’t hold, and we ended up explaining everything to our family members. My mother-in-law assured us she had experience in “alternative flushing methods” and made it in and out of the bathroom just fine.
I’ve heard of people dropping their cell phones in the toilet, but this past week I landed our phone in a rather uncommon swimming pool.
I was diving for the phone one morning this past week, when it slipped out of my hands and fell over the back of the kitchen counter. I wish I could say that this is an infrequent event, but the truth of the matter is that the phone takes regular spills off the counter, usually bouncing on the floor or landing in a pile of dry cat food. We had had several close calls with the cat’s water dish, but thankfully it always seemed to “just miss” taking a swim.
Well, on this particular morning, my hubby had moved the cat’s water to the opposite side of their food dish, thinking that if the phone fell, it would have a better chance of missing the water dish.
Turns out he was WRONG.
Instead, as the phone slipped like butter from my grasp, still sounding-off from the incoming call, I heard a sudden “SPLASH” and then a gurgled ring as the phone continued, even in it’s suddenly submerged state.
I was a big dummy, and picked up the phone to answer it (I know, I know….it was a blonde moment). My hubby was the one on the phone and he immediately asked me why the phone was making a loud buzzing sound in his ear.
I quickly recounted the phone’s “dip in the pool” and he advised me to immediately hang up, and take out the battery pack to let the phone dry.
I gingerly slid out the phone’s contents, and am happy to report that once dry, the phone made a miraculous recovery.
Also, we’ve found a new, safer home for the kitchen’s phone.
Although at the point, you might be wondering about water safety at the Smith household, I assure you that any visits to our abode (which oddly rhymes with commode) will be clean and dry……I just hope you don’t have to use the bathroom…….Just kidding!!!
We are getting it fixed this week…
Feel free to come over and flush the toilets just for fun if you’d like…..
Merry Monday everyone!!
Monday, July 14, 2008
Comfy In My Own Skin
How much do you like yourself? How do you feel about who God has created you to be?
I have been having some great conversations with some very good friend about htis very topic. We have been talking about who we are, underneath even the Mommy, wife, sister, daughter, friend, etc. roles that we fill.
Number one - we are daughters of Christ.
Now, I believe that as we understand that God created us, with every part of our personality intact from the day we were conceived, and that we also understand that “nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 8:39 NLT) Only then we can start to take those steps in accepting ourselves and relaxing in our own skin.
But we live in an imperfect world. And for those of us who sometimes care too deeply about pleasing others, and for those of us who care too much what others think {guilty as charged: I am talking about myself here}, we have to constantly come back to pleasing God first, and leaving others, with their thoughts, feelings, etc in His hands.
It’s not as easy as it sounds….
I have a funny example of this from last Sunday night. My Mom and I had run up to the local Safeway grocery store so that I could get, among other things, a can of formula and some bottle liners.
Right before I left the house, Lorelin came running up to me with a large, plastic tiara in her hand. “Here, Mommy, this is for you!” she said. “You can wear it!”
“To the store?” I asked. “Yes” she said. “Bye!”
Now, when it comes to funky clothes, funny hats, or sparkly tiaras, I am willing to wear them anywhere, anytime, and truly, I don’t care what anyone thinks. So, I stuck the tiara on my head and off we went.
We had gotten most of our grocery items, and were just about to hit the check-out line when we stopped short at the card isle. The racks were full of those new “Cards With Sound” and I just LOVE those things!! My Mom does too, and we can spend a good 10-15 minutes on that aisle alone, listening to the cards, singing along to the songs we know, and dancing to the really groovy ones.
So, there we were – singing, dancing, and laughing when a woman started down the aisle toward the cards we were looking at. She stopped her cart behind ours and proceeded to fix us with “the look”, you know…..
“ I-think-that-you-are-being-rather-loud-and-crazy” look . She then silently started looking at cards.
I decided the best approach was the direct one. “Don’t you just love these cards?” I asked. “They are so much fun!”
“Mmmm, yes…..” she replied, with a frown. My Mom and I picked up this very large musical card that vibrates in your hand with its intensity and volume.
“Here, feel this!” my Mom said, shoving the card into the lady’s hand.
Poor thing! She looked like the card (or we) might bite, and pursing her lips, quickly touched the card and then jerked her hand away.
“Have a good night!” I called, as we finished getting our cards and walked down the aisle.
“Mmm…hmm….” I heard her mumble as I turned to go.
It was about that time that I thought about the tiara on my head, and the fact that my Mom and I probably did descend on this poor lady like a couple of nuts in our effort to be friendly.
This is a funny example, because as I was pondering what this woman thought of me, I fully realized that it didn’t matter. I didn’t know her….and she didn’t know me (she was probably glad of that fact…)
However, it’s so much tougher when it’s someone you DO know, and someone that DOES know you. If it had been a friend of mine who had responded the way that lady did, I probably would have spent the rest of the evening wondering if I had done something wrong, etc.
I am thankful that I am learning to become secure in Christ, and comfortable in who God created me to be.
Day by day…..
I have been having some great conversations with some very good friend about htis very topic. We have been talking about who we are, underneath even the Mommy, wife, sister, daughter, friend, etc. roles that we fill.
Number one - we are daughters of Christ.
Now, I believe that as we understand that God created us, with every part of our personality intact from the day we were conceived, and that we also understand that “nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 8:39 NLT) Only then we can start to take those steps in accepting ourselves and relaxing in our own skin.
But we live in an imperfect world. And for those of us who sometimes care too deeply about pleasing others, and for those of us who care too much what others think {guilty as charged: I am talking about myself here}, we have to constantly come back to pleasing God first, and leaving others, with their thoughts, feelings, etc in His hands.
It’s not as easy as it sounds….
I have a funny example of this from last Sunday night. My Mom and I had run up to the local Safeway grocery store so that I could get, among other things, a can of formula and some bottle liners.
Right before I left the house, Lorelin came running up to me with a large, plastic tiara in her hand. “Here, Mommy, this is for you!” she said. “You can wear it!”
“To the store?” I asked. “Yes” she said. “Bye!”
Now, when it comes to funky clothes, funny hats, or sparkly tiaras, I am willing to wear them anywhere, anytime, and truly, I don’t care what anyone thinks. So, I stuck the tiara on my head and off we went.
We had gotten most of our grocery items, and were just about to hit the check-out line when we stopped short at the card isle. The racks were full of those new “Cards With Sound” and I just LOVE those things!! My Mom does too, and we can spend a good 10-15 minutes on that aisle alone, listening to the cards, singing along to the songs we know, and dancing to the really groovy ones.
So, there we were – singing, dancing, and laughing when a woman started down the aisle toward the cards we were looking at. She stopped her cart behind ours and proceeded to fix us with “the look”, you know…..
“ I-think-that-you-are-being-rather-loud-and-crazy” look . She then silently started looking at cards.
I decided the best approach was the direct one. “Don’t you just love these cards?” I asked. “They are so much fun!”
“Mmmm, yes…..” she replied, with a frown. My Mom and I picked up this very large musical card that vibrates in your hand with its intensity and volume.
“Here, feel this!” my Mom said, shoving the card into the lady’s hand.
Poor thing! She looked like the card (or we) might bite, and pursing her lips, quickly touched the card and then jerked her hand away.
“Have a good night!” I called, as we finished getting our cards and walked down the aisle.
“Mmm…hmm….” I heard her mumble as I turned to go.
It was about that time that I thought about the tiara on my head, and the fact that my Mom and I probably did descend on this poor lady like a couple of nuts in our effort to be friendly.
This is a funny example, because as I was pondering what this woman thought of me, I fully realized that it didn’t matter. I didn’t know her….and she didn’t know me (she was probably glad of that fact…)
However, it’s so much tougher when it’s someone you DO know, and someone that DOES know you. If it had been a friend of mine who had responded the way that lady did, I probably would have spent the rest of the evening wondering if I had done something wrong, etc.
I am thankful that I am learning to become secure in Christ, and comfortable in who God created me to be.
Day by day…..
Merry Monday!
Hello!
I am coming off of a very busy weekend (which I will blog and post pictures of soon!), so I haven't had time to write a Monday Moment for today.
Maybe tomorrow....
I am coming off of a very busy weekend (which I will blog and post pictures of soon!), so I haven't had time to write a Monday Moment for today.
Maybe tomorrow....
Wednesday, July 09, 2008
Four Month Update: J-Boy
Well, I took J-Boy to his four month check-up this past Monday (although this Friday he will be 4 ½ months old).
He weighed in at a hefty 16 lbs, 10 oz, and although he still has the big pounds, the pediatrician commented on his activity (kicking his legs, etc) and noted that he had dropped some in “percentile points” from his last visit.
She suggested an increase in calories, and based on his current weight and size, she gave the recommendation to start him on rice cereal. This will be a gradual introduction, giving him as many as two weeks of rice cereal before introducing oatmeal a week after, barley the week after that, and then finally starting him on a first fruit or veggie when he is almost six months old.
Ahh…the world of solid foods (and solid food poopies)……here we come!
The pediatrician also commented on how strong J-Boy is. He pulls to stand readily easily, and strains to sit up when laid on his back. He loves to put his fingers into his mouth, and has been quite happy with the recent discovery of his feet and toes.
He is sleeping quite well through the night, and will easily go to sleep around 8:00 p.m., before waking around 5:00 a.m. for a bottle. He returns to bed immediately, and sleeps for a few more hours before awaking in a happy, talkative mood.
Thank you Lord, for a baby who is easy-going and sleeps WELL!!!!!!!!!!!!! {Lorelin was colicky and neither she or I slept well for at least a year}
J-boy is very drooly right now, and although he chews on his hands and fists, I don’t see any evidence of that legendary “first tooth”.
J-boy loves to coo and he LOVES to be talked to. His sisters love to hold him, kiss his head, and can always make him smile and laugh. He also loves to splash and kick his legs in the bath, resulting in one happy baby and one wet Mommy (okay, okay…so I’m happy too)
We are so thankful for the healthy start to J-boy’s first four months. He is our joy and we love watching him grow!
Here are a few snapshots of J-boy and I together. I should have some more “formal shots” coming soon!
He weighed in at a hefty 16 lbs, 10 oz, and although he still has the big pounds, the pediatrician commented on his activity (kicking his legs, etc) and noted that he had dropped some in “percentile points” from his last visit.
She suggested an increase in calories, and based on his current weight and size, she gave the recommendation to start him on rice cereal. This will be a gradual introduction, giving him as many as two weeks of rice cereal before introducing oatmeal a week after, barley the week after that, and then finally starting him on a first fruit or veggie when he is almost six months old.
Ahh…the world of solid foods (and solid food poopies)……here we come!
The pediatrician also commented on how strong J-Boy is. He pulls to stand readily easily, and strains to sit up when laid on his back. He loves to put his fingers into his mouth, and has been quite happy with the recent discovery of his feet and toes.
He is sleeping quite well through the night, and will easily go to sleep around 8:00 p.m., before waking around 5:00 a.m. for a bottle. He returns to bed immediately, and sleeps for a few more hours before awaking in a happy, talkative mood.
Thank you Lord, for a baby who is easy-going and sleeps WELL!!!!!!!!!!!!! {Lorelin was colicky and neither she or I slept well for at least a year}
J-boy is very drooly right now, and although he chews on his hands and fists, I don’t see any evidence of that legendary “first tooth”.
J-boy loves to coo and he LOVES to be talked to. His sisters love to hold him, kiss his head, and can always make him smile and laugh. He also loves to splash and kick his legs in the bath, resulting in one happy baby and one wet Mommy (okay, okay…so I’m happy too)
We are so thankful for the healthy start to J-boy’s first four months. He is our joy and we love watching him grow!
Here are a few snapshots of J-boy and I together. I should have some more “formal shots” coming soon!
Don't Look At The TV!
J-Boy is absolutely mesmerized by the bright colors and constant motion to be found on TV. And while we are not opposed to his getting sneak peeks of the flashy screen, we are big believers in not having our children (and most especially babies) particpate in large amounts of viewing at one time.
Soooo, we had the TV on because we were watching the Olympic trials, and J-Boy kept trying to turn his head to stare at the screen. He was sitting in his Bumbo, so I turned him all the way around to face me.
That is when he propped his arm up on the back of the Bumbo, and turned his body completely all the way around so that he could still see the TV.
That stinker!
We couldn't resist sharing a laugh and grabbing this video before we moved him again.
Soooo, we had the TV on because we were watching the Olympic trials, and J-Boy kept trying to turn his head to stare at the screen. He was sitting in his Bumbo, so I turned him all the way around to face me.
That is when he propped his arm up on the back of the Bumbo, and turned his body completely all the way around so that he could still see the TV.
That stinker!
We couldn't resist sharing a laugh and grabbing this video before we moved him again.
Back To Blogging....
I know, I know....everyone has been going thru withdrawals without the ol' Smith blogs to entertain you! :)
However, I am happy to report that it is a good blogging week, and it is my personal goal to blog at least once every day.
And, all kidding aside, it is always my joy (and usually cathartic for me as well) to share with you tibits of Smithlets. (ha! I just made that up)
Somtimes I am so strange.....
However, I am happy to report that it is a good blogging week, and it is my personal goal to blog at least once every day.
And, all kidding aside, it is always my joy (and usually cathartic for me as well) to share with you tibits of Smithlets. (ha! I just made that up)
Somtimes I am so strange.....
Wednesday, July 02, 2008
Family Gathering
This past Sunday afternoon, we had a family gathering at my sister-in-law's house. We celebrated my in-laws fifteenth wedding anniversary (congratulations Jen & Eric!!!) and also my husband's birthday (which was yesterday)
Here is a picture of all of us together:
This is Brian's grandfather Ron, and Ron's energetic wife Bobbi! We were so happy that they could be there!
Everyone ooed and cooed over J-Boy (how could you not??) and we all enjoyed cake and ice cream. Fun times!!
Here is a picture of all of us together:
This is Brian's grandfather Ron, and Ron's energetic wife Bobbi! We were so happy that they could be there!
Everyone ooed and cooed over J-Boy (how could you not??) and we all enjoyed cake and ice cream. Fun times!!
Summer Fun: Gymsters
We have been having some summer fun with the Gymsters program. It's a activity-based program that keeps the kids moviong, as well as teaching them sign language and the "scientific" names for their body parts. My girlies have had a great time with Teacher Lonnie and Gymsters!!
Tuesday, July 01, 2008
Would you like a little cheese with that whine??
When I was a kid, I remember my Mom saying the above rejoinder whenever I started to whine. Well, I do like cheese...but I'd rather just whine.....
It's been one of those days...
Lorelin has been in trouble more often than she's been out of it. So many fits!!
K-Bug bit her sister's finger, and got in big-time trouble for that. She said she was pretending to be a "mean kitty-kat".... but biting is still OFF-LIMITS
J-Boy has been fussy and not taking good naps.
And it's one of those days that I just feel like I don't look good, and even more, I definitely don't feel very up.
I feel lonely, even though I know I have loads of fabulous friends and a wonderful loving family.
Maybe I should check my calendar...is this just PMS??
I had a good week last week, and an interesting weekend....so...I'm not sure what's up.
I'm going to pour myself a glass of sparkling lime water (a special drink my friend Nickle-Pickle has helped me to appreciate) and read a few chapters of my Bible...
I promise to post a few more positive things tonight...
It's been one of those days...
Lorelin has been in trouble more often than she's been out of it. So many fits!!
K-Bug bit her sister's finger, and got in big-time trouble for that. She said she was pretending to be a "mean kitty-kat".... but biting is still OFF-LIMITS
J-Boy has been fussy and not taking good naps.
And it's one of those days that I just feel like I don't look good, and even more, I definitely don't feel very up.
I feel lonely, even though I know I have loads of fabulous friends and a wonderful loving family.
Maybe I should check my calendar...is this just PMS??
I had a good week last week, and an interesting weekend....so...I'm not sure what's up.
I'm going to pour myself a glass of sparkling lime water (a special drink my friend Nickle-Pickle has helped me to appreciate) and read a few chapters of my Bible...
I promise to post a few more positive things tonight...
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
