Monday, July 30, 2012

What I'm into this Month- July 2012 Edition


You know I'm back when...

Was it really August the last time I did one of these?! Wow! So since then, I've gestated and given birth to a new baby boy! I do so admire and respect those that just keep on keepin' on during pregnancy. I don't know how you do it! I guess I realized in part why I don't do it: I kinda get anemic during pregnancy. (I think it's safe to say after three out of three). I didn't have a blog during either of my previous pregnancies, but I did have other stuff that got sorely neglected. This pregnancy was pretty rough for me all around, and I've yet to determine exactly why, but thanks be to God, the recovery has been the easiest by far!

On another note, my two year "blogiversary" just whizzed right by in June. I did nothing to commemorate! Boo!

Anyway. July has been a pretty calm month for us. We are getting back into the swing of things, and I've been brave enough to take three little ones out in public "awl by mysewf" as my daughter would say. It's July in Arizona, so, you know...it's HOT, so we don't get out too much. But we've had some breaks in the heat with our annual summer Monsoon (the most amazing weather).

So, without further ado...

On My Nightstand- (Or rather, on my living room side table) Grace Based Parenting. This one is full of revelation for me, even though I'm only on the second chapter! I may be posting about something that "clicked" for me pretty soon. (Brace yourself! Ha ha!)

Want to Read- French Kids Eat Everything (among others). Seems like it would be a good read for me, especially since we deal with a fair amount of picky-ness around these parts.

TV Show Worth Watching- Well, lemme tell ya! I've never really had anything noteworthy to share in this category, but oh, we now have Netflix. (Hellooo, 21st century!) I've been mildly obsessed with watching favorites from my childhood and adolescence. My selections so far: The Wonder Years (I'm now about halfway through the second season- and as an added bonus I can watch this one on my phone- we don't yet have any sort of device that allows us to watch the streaming shows on the television). Punky Brewster is one of my DVD selections, and we're about halfway through the first season. To my delight, my kiddos actually enjoy this one. It's a pretty sobering thought that my older son is the exact age I was when this show premiered. Yikes!

Also, I've started to watch some reality television- (I have so much to catch up on, being that I haven't been willing to subscribe to cable in about eight years or so...but I digress). I watched PBS' miniseries, Frontier House, and soon discovered that they have several other versions from different eras. (So exciting!) If you aren't familiar with Frontier House, they recreated life on the old frontier in Montana, from the time of the Homestead Act of 1862. They sent three families out with only the provisions that would have been available at that time to see how modern people would adapt. I found their challenges really interesting, especially now that I've learned to not depend on some modern conveniences like certain health and beauty products. (I know there was a lot more to it than that, but that's just one area I can relate to).

There. I think that more than makes up for my lack of enthusiasm for television in the past. Don't ya think? (By the way, feel free to suggest shows for me to watch. I'm all ears!)

Movie I've Seen- Somehow, nothing is coming to mind...even though we recently signed up with Netflix. Ha! (Suggestions?)

In My Kitchen- I'm back on the allergen-free diet. My little one was starting to show some allergic symptoms, pretty similar to what my daughter dealt with in her early months. I figured a little proactivity on my part was in order. I started an elimination diet like the one here, but quickly added in some other foods, since I started to feel like I was starving myself. Not good for a nursing mother! So, for now, we're eating a lot of meat, rice, vegetables, and I'm experimenting with some gluten-free, dairy free, egg free ideas. I made crackers the other day, which were a hit with everyone, I'll share my recipe in a coming post. The good news? The symptoms my son was experiencing have improved a lot! I'm all about progress.

Newest Blog Read- Becoming Peculiar. I found her through a link up on Sorta Crunchy. I saw the title of her post, "14 Reasons I Don't Wear Shoes," and I had to read (who doesn't need more reasons to not wear shoes? Maybe this is why I haven't been totally successful with the Fly Lady's program. Ha ha). But then I got kinda sucked in to reading about her Mennonite upbringing (a culture I knew virtually nothing about). And found some cool recipes for personal care products to try.

What I'm Looking Forward to Next Month- Well, it will be six years of marriage for my husband and me! Also, Baby J is turning two months old. Aaand... my big boy will be starting school! We've opted to do the online public school for this year. With the new baby and a toddler to care for, I just wasn't sure about jumping in to doing full-fledged homeschooling this time around. I'm glad this option exists, especially since it can be tailored to each child's specific educational needs. So, for now, we are doing "school at home" rather than homeschooling. I'll let you know how it goes!

What are YOU into this month?

Thursday, July 19, 2012

Swirly Thoughts


"I feel like I need an outlet. There are things on my mind. But I don't know what to say," I told my husband recently. "My thoughts are just too...swirly!"

I'm six weeks into being a mom of three. I've definitely gotten my energy back (for the most part). I've been able to get our home back in some semblance of order. Starting to get routines figured out. These are good things!

But what direction is this blog taking? I don't know. I feel the need to spend some time in prayer and hearing from the Lord what He will have me do here. I never wanted to simply have content. Just to post consistently...though that would be nice. It would keep me from "falling off the map" I guess. I also never intended for this blog to really be about me, which, having looked back over some of the more recent posts, seems to be the direction I've been taking.

Also? Aside from blogging, I need to get back into the habit of being in the Word. That's probably why I'm coming up blank here. How can I encourage anyone if I'm on empty? How can I even care if I'm so out of touch from His perspective?

“I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing." John 15:5

So, that's where I'm at for the moment. Waiting. I so desperately want to get back into blogging, but I need Him to bring some order to these thoughts that are swirling around.

Pray for me?

What has been on hold in your life lately?