Temple Trip
Yesterday was our monthly family temple trip. It was wonderful! We went last month, but it was a Monday, so I didn't even get to go inside. Yesterday I actually got to do an endowment for the first time in AGES, so it was REALLY wonderful for me!
When we arrived at the temple I rushed in, hoping to make it for the first session. I didn't. So, I went out to ask if we could hang out for a little while, eat our picnic as breakfast, and stay for the two hours for me to do a session at 9am. Jess was cool with it, so that's what we did. The very first thing we almost always do when we go to the temple is to go in as a family to use the bathroom. Now that Kat is potty train(ing) (ed?) we probably really NEED to do it. :) So, we walked up to the temple from our parking spot. As we're walking in the parking lot the girls have to hold a hand and Ria sort of wistfully and happily says, "Isn't it wonderful to be at the temple together as a family!?" That comment just warmed my heart all the way through! It REALLY is wonderful to go to the temple together! I'm so grateful that Jess supports my desire for the family trips and spends some really wonderful time with the girls while I'm doing some work inside. It's just amazing and SUCH a blessing to me that our girls love the temple SO much! I KNOW it's because they are there frequently and can feel how it FEELS to be there - not just see that it's something important to Mama that Mama goes off to do! ^_^ We LOVE to see the temple!!!
Disgruntled Daddy
While I was inside Jess and the girls spent some time getting gas in the van, looking for a McyD's (for a playground and some ice cream), and then went to the regular playground. The gas in Orlando was $3.91 as opposed to $4.14 (least expensive) in Flagler County! So, we filled up from almost nothing. Can we say, "UGH!" It was $92 to fill up! Crazy, huh!?!?! That wasn't a problem at all for Jess. We found the gas station on the way to the temple so he just went back there.
From there he looked for the treat place (McyD's) and didn't find one at all. He didn't find a place with a playground AT ALL. Isn't that crazy!!?? On our way back to the itnerstate from the temple I looked the whole way and there wasn't a single fast food joint with a playground! WEIRD!
After not being able to find the treat spot, Jess took the girls back to the playground they normally frequent. The girls always love it, but Jess gets tired of the same thing. But that's not what bothered him. They spent some time there and the girls played. There were actually THREE other Daddy's there with their children (and no wives). The fact that there are Daddy's with their children is wonderful, of course, but Jess hadn't EVER seen another Daddy out with just his kids at that playground before. So, Jess introduced himself to the one Daddy that was hangin' out by himself. The other two were chatting together. Well, Mike, was there with his son, Eric. Ria and Eric became fast friends. When I called to tell Jess I was finished, he let the girls know it was time to leave. Kat was ready in a heart-beat (unusual!), but Ria didn't want to leave her newfound friend. Eric didn't want Ria to leave either. Rather than deal with a farewell, Eric headed to the place his Dad was keeping their cooler. He sat down on a bench and sort of pouted. Jess suggested Ria go over to say good-bye, which she did (also unusual because she normally tries to ignore good-byes). Jess is observing from a point outside of hearing range when Ria sits down next to Eric and said something to him. Then Ria hugs Eric to say good-bye and moves to leave. Eric grabs her back to him, hugs her tight again, and then plants a bug fat KISS on her cheek!
Of course, I know it's just on the cheek and all because I've heard the whole story now, but when Jess told me about the incident initially the look on his face made me think the kid had lip locked her or something! Seriously!!! Jess was so totally NOT happy about the fact that he had just observed his eldest daughter being smooched. It was absolutely hilarious to me to find out that not only had it just been a cheek kiss, but that Jess was just as disgruntled during the telling of it as he'd appeared when he informed me that "Ria had been kissed." What a RIOT! ^_^
Friends
We had the pleasure of having Victoria, a friend of Ria's, over to play for a little while today. It was really nice! Sage, Mary, and Victoria actually came to the library for story time this morning and then Victoria came home with us to play with Ria. After playing at the playground for a little while, we had a small lunch together and then Ria had the joy of playing pretend and dress-up with her friend. This is THE FIRST "big" activity with any other little children we've had for the summer. I've been so fatigued that I couldn't even consider the idea until a couple weeks ago. And then because of scheduling and me getting sick with the chest cold crud we couldn't have Victoria over to play for a little while even though I'd mentioned it to Sage. But it was really wonderful today!
Sage is just the sweetest lady and such a dear friend!! She actually brought us lunch when she came all the way out here to pick up her daughter, as a way to say thank you! Can you believe it? I mean, she brought her daughter all the way out here AND picked her up. That's TOTALLY a huge thank you to me because I didn't have to do anything to have her daughter to play with Ria! Except HAVE her here and that was just a joy.
On top of all that Jess and I have a business sort of meeting tomorrow morning and I had planned to ask and DID ask Sage if she would mind watching Ria and Kat for us. She totally didn't and then offered to come pick them up AND bring them home since she was going to be out and about anyway! So, not only is she serving me, but she's TOTALLY going the extra 20+ miles of driving/gas money to do it!!! I'm so blessed and so completely grateful to have such an amazing woman in my life! ^_^ Father surely loves me to have blessed me with such a friend as she!!! She's such an awesome example to me. I want to be like Sage when I "grow up."
Fried Veggies
So, my Mom used to make friend okra, squash, zucchini, and other veggies for our family when I was a kid. We would dip them in ketchup (ungrateful kiddos) and eat 'em up! Out of nowhere I got this HUGE craving for fried squash and zucchini (which we had in the fridge) a few nights ago. I told Jess. He was pretty much asleep so it's amazing his response was comprehensible, "I don't think there's anywhere that sells that stuff this late." I had to laugh because I wasn't thinking, "Let's go out and buy this." I was thinking, "Would you pleeeease make this for me because I REALLY want some!" You know... a weird twist on the preggie woman asking her partner to go to the grocery store for ice cream and pickles in the middle of the night. He didn't hear the hinted at request and I didn't ask him outright because it WAS pretty late. I just was hoping that the craving would disappear since I didn't get to satisfy it when it appeared.
Well, it hasn't gone the way of the dinosaur for the last few days, so I finally asked Jess to whip up some fried veggies for me today. He did, though he was sort of confused when he was preparing to do the actual egg dunking and stuff because traditional 3-step breading usually involves bread crumbs as the last step. But that's TOTALLY not how my Mom made it and I was craving that same style of stuff. So, he understood after a minute of Tori-explanation and they were totally WONDERFUL!
Basically you just cut up the veggies you want to use, (I like them kinda thick) cover them with flour, dunk them in scrambled egg, cover them with flour again, fry them up, and then sprinkle with salt. I HIGHLY recommend that if you make it yourself, you taste them after they have cooled. The flavors are AWESOME and much more enjoyable when the food is cooler than if it's right out of the oil! :) So, my craving is satisfied for a little while! ^_^ What a RELIEF!!!
Showing posts with label playground. Show all posts
Showing posts with label playground. Show all posts
Thursday, July 24, 2008
Thursday, July 3, 2008
Almost 3 Days
I'm surprised, but not, that it's been "sooo" long. I thought it was only a day ago that I was writing about our little bits of life, but I was wrong. I've been really busy, but not... thus not on the computer for the last couple of days! I actually didn't even touch it - except for when Jess asked me to help him print something. It felt kinda good to go computer-less (which also means no movies on the internet) for those days. I may start doing it more frequently. ESPECIALLY since I have SO much work (crochet, specifically) to catch up on!
TUESDAY
The busy-ness on Tuesday consisted, basically, of dozing/sleeping on the couch a LOT! I've been SO super tired. And it's not been because of late nite-nite times as much, either. I've been specifically trying to get to bed earlier (and having some success, I might add), but I still wake up and am not fully awake through most of the day - most days! Ria and I haven't even been consistent with classes this week because I've just been so tired. As a matter of fact, the girls didn't watch ANY television (movies) on Monday or Tuesday. They were REALLY awesome playmates most of that time both days. Kat has been pretending to be either a baby or a cat and Ria has been pretending that Kat is a Mama and Ria tells her to do certain things... it's pretty funny.
Jess had the night off from the Club. He and I reviewed some mail and as a result Jess realized that our financial situation is pretty sticky right now. (MAN, I'm glad we didn't make that trip to VA!! We'd be in some SERIOUS difficulty!!!) He was going to go out and put in some more applications, but he was super stressed out. So the girls and I put him in the laundry room (just kidding ^_^ hahaha) and we spent time together letting him unwind. He did and felt really relaxed about an hour later (too late to go put in applications at restaurants, though). I went on a walk all by myself after Daddy came out. He made dinner and we had a nice evening with the missionaries and a wonderful "Daddy-made" dinner.
After dinner we had a quickie FHE because Mama TOTALLY spaced it on Monday. The topic was The Word of Wisdom. Did I hear a "Why?" in the peanut gallery?? Well, you see, Ria has been obsessed with serving and "drinking" coffee lately. It IS all pretend. But considering that even Daddy doesn't drink coffee anymore AND Mama's belief system involves a belief that coffee is actually BAD for the body, the pretend serving and drinking of coffee felt really troublesome. The brief explanations of "we don't drink that" didn't make a difference. But Ria is very concerned about doing the right thing - WHEN we remind her that we have to do the right thing for Jesus to come to Earth again (second coming). She tells me regularly that she misses Jesus and wants him to come again (see above parenthetical phrase)! So, I knew that framing the concept of not pretending with coffee in the idea that it's something we believe Jesus and Heavenly Father want us to avoid would make a MUCH bigger impact on Ria's actual behavior.
WEDNESDAY
Jess did get out to put in applications! YEAY!!! Mama went on another walk alone. YEAY!!! Ria did NOT pretend about coffee. YEAY!!! And we had a happy, quiet night at home as a family.
THURSDAY
Today has been a really nice day.
The girls and I went to the playground early to play with Philline (mama) and Genevieve (daughter) who are in town until Saturday from GA. They have a home here, so we usually get to see them once a month. They are AWESOME and we wish they lived here! But we love to spend time with them when they are in town. :)
We were at the playground for about an hour and then went to Story Time. Heather (mama) and Ava (daughter) were there again, so we were able to spend some time with them afterward at the playground. We like and enjoy them a great deal as well! Eva (mama) and Miranda (daughter) were there this week (not last), so we got to see and chat a little with them as well. Also very cool. We're so blessed to know some wonderful ladies and little girls!
Lunch time quickly approached and we had to leave the playground to get home to make lunch for Daddy. We had a nice time with him home for half an hour. Ria got to watch Kat's movie and then was supposed to take a nap. Kat often falls asleep during her movie (a short PBS set of Caillou cartoons) and she did today. Ria did not sleep, but she didn't break down in tantrums through the evening either. (YEAY!!)
Mama watched most of a movie on the internet and then we went on a walk on the way to Philline's house for dinner. That was a 21 minute walk. (On the way to and from the library I clocked just under 20 minutes, total.) We had a lovely time spending time with Philline, Genevieve and Mr. Mark (a little, he mostly took the opportunity to have some alone time ^_^). On the way home we took some detours so Mama could clock another 20 minute walk. So, even though it wasn't all together as it usually is, I got about 60 minutes in throughout the day! YEAY!!!
So, all is well - other than feeling constantly bombarded by fatigue! I know I was tired with Ria and Kat (especially Ria because I was working and always stressed out), but this is a whole new experience this time!
BLOOD TEST RESULTS
I don't remember if I even wrote about the flub concerning this issue... but I will now. :) At my last midwife appointment I had blood drawn for the gestational diabetes (my current midwife does require it) and to check my iron levels. I didn't realize it was the GD test time, so I ate a peanut butter and HONEY sandwich for breakfast. I realized, after the blood was taken, that this was the wrong sort of meal to consume prior to this test! I shared the info with Karen and she was glad to know because if it came back positive, we'd trash it and do another after I'd eaten the correct meal (which she gave me the instruction sheet for this time). Well, as it happens, when Karen took my blood she commented that it didn't look likely that I would be anemic because my blood was such a good color, but she definitely seem concerned about the GD test coming back positive.
The results? They actually came in the next day (or two?) and I just forgot to share. :) I do NOT have GD (which I didn't think likely even with the bad meal prior to the test), but I DO have anemia! I basically always have anemia - at least every time my blood has been tested (except for once when I was preggie with Kat). It's at a 10.1, which is totally NOT good, but because I've got plenty of time, I should be able to raise it just fine. So, I'm doing my liquid chlorophyll and vitamin C really regularly and I'm sure I'll be fine when we next check (in a little over a month). This might partially explain the fatigue, but then again NOT. Because I have anemia EVERY time my blood is checked and I do NOT normally feel THIS tired.
Maybe my body is making a boy baby... it's never done THAT.... Who knows!!!
TUESDAY
The busy-ness on Tuesday consisted, basically, of dozing/sleeping on the couch a LOT! I've been SO super tired. And it's not been because of late nite-nite times as much, either. I've been specifically trying to get to bed earlier (and having some success, I might add), but I still wake up and am not fully awake through most of the day - most days! Ria and I haven't even been consistent with classes this week because I've just been so tired. As a matter of fact, the girls didn't watch ANY television (movies) on Monday or Tuesday. They were REALLY awesome playmates most of that time both days. Kat has been pretending to be either a baby or a cat and Ria has been pretending that Kat is a Mama and Ria tells her to do certain things... it's pretty funny.
Jess had the night off from the Club. He and I reviewed some mail and as a result Jess realized that our financial situation is pretty sticky right now. (MAN, I'm glad we didn't make that trip to VA!! We'd be in some SERIOUS difficulty!!!) He was going to go out and put in some more applications, but he was super stressed out. So the girls and I put him in the laundry room (just kidding ^_^ hahaha) and we spent time together letting him unwind. He did and felt really relaxed about an hour later (too late to go put in applications at restaurants, though). I went on a walk all by myself after Daddy came out. He made dinner and we had a nice evening with the missionaries and a wonderful "Daddy-made" dinner.
After dinner we had a quickie FHE because Mama TOTALLY spaced it on Monday. The topic was The Word of Wisdom. Did I hear a "Why?" in the peanut gallery?? Well, you see, Ria has been obsessed with serving and "drinking" coffee lately. It IS all pretend. But considering that even Daddy doesn't drink coffee anymore AND Mama's belief system involves a belief that coffee is actually BAD for the body, the pretend serving and drinking of coffee felt really troublesome. The brief explanations of "we don't drink that" didn't make a difference. But Ria is very concerned about doing the right thing - WHEN we remind her that we have to do the right thing for Jesus to come to Earth again (second coming). She tells me regularly that she misses Jesus and wants him to come again (see above parenthetical phrase)! So, I knew that framing the concept of not pretending with coffee in the idea that it's something we believe Jesus and Heavenly Father want us to avoid would make a MUCH bigger impact on Ria's actual behavior.
WEDNESDAY
Jess did get out to put in applications! YEAY!!! Mama went on another walk alone. YEAY!!! Ria did NOT pretend about coffee. YEAY!!! And we had a happy, quiet night at home as a family.
THURSDAY
Today has been a really nice day.
The girls and I went to the playground early to play with Philline (mama) and Genevieve (daughter) who are in town until Saturday from GA. They have a home here, so we usually get to see them once a month. They are AWESOME and we wish they lived here! But we love to spend time with them when they are in town. :)
We were at the playground for about an hour and then went to Story Time. Heather (mama) and Ava (daughter) were there again, so we were able to spend some time with them afterward at the playground. We like and enjoy them a great deal as well! Eva (mama) and Miranda (daughter) were there this week (not last), so we got to see and chat a little with them as well. Also very cool. We're so blessed to know some wonderful ladies and little girls!
Lunch time quickly approached and we had to leave the playground to get home to make lunch for Daddy. We had a nice time with him home for half an hour. Ria got to watch Kat's movie and then was supposed to take a nap. Kat often falls asleep during her movie (a short PBS set of Caillou cartoons) and she did today. Ria did not sleep, but she didn't break down in tantrums through the evening either. (YEAY!!)
Mama watched most of a movie on the internet and then we went on a walk on the way to Philline's house for dinner. That was a 21 minute walk. (On the way to and from the library I clocked just under 20 minutes, total.) We had a lovely time spending time with Philline, Genevieve and Mr. Mark (a little, he mostly took the opportunity to have some alone time ^_^). On the way home we took some detours so Mama could clock another 20 minute walk. So, even though it wasn't all together as it usually is, I got about 60 minutes in throughout the day! YEAY!!!
So, all is well - other than feeling constantly bombarded by fatigue! I know I was tired with Ria and Kat (especially Ria because I was working and always stressed out), but this is a whole new experience this time!
BLOOD TEST RESULTS
I don't remember if I even wrote about the flub concerning this issue... but I will now. :) At my last midwife appointment I had blood drawn for the gestational diabetes (my current midwife does require it) and to check my iron levels. I didn't realize it was the GD test time, so I ate a peanut butter and HONEY sandwich for breakfast. I realized, after the blood was taken, that this was the wrong sort of meal to consume prior to this test! I shared the info with Karen and she was glad to know because if it came back positive, we'd trash it and do another after I'd eaten the correct meal (which she gave me the instruction sheet for this time). Well, as it happens, when Karen took my blood she commented that it didn't look likely that I would be anemic because my blood was such a good color, but she definitely seem concerned about the GD test coming back positive.
The results? They actually came in the next day (or two?) and I just forgot to share. :) I do NOT have GD (which I didn't think likely even with the bad meal prior to the test), but I DO have anemia! I basically always have anemia - at least every time my blood has been tested (except for once when I was preggie with Kat). It's at a 10.1, which is totally NOT good, but because I've got plenty of time, I should be able to raise it just fine. So, I'm doing my liquid chlorophyll and vitamin C really regularly and I'm sure I'll be fine when we next check (in a little over a month). This might partially explain the fatigue, but then again NOT. Because I have anemia EVERY time my blood is checked and I do NOT normally feel THIS tired.
Maybe my body is making a boy baby... it's never done THAT.... Who knows!!!
Thursday, June 5, 2008
the HEAT!
So, it is officially HOT here! Of course, I suppose it should be since we are subtropical and all, but MAN! It's been in the 90s now for around a week and Story Time days are really the worst because we are outside around noon. The other days that we are out, it's earlier, so we're usually in by just after noon. We didn't get home today until right around 1pm. Seriously, I've actually gotten a burn in the SHADE! Isn't that crazy!? Ok, so maybe you remember me as having pretty fair skin, so that's the explanation. But I have a friend who is olive skinned (from the middle east) and SHE burned after sitting in umbrella shade for a few hours. So, I'm trying to be really careful about hydrating the girls and myself. It's not always easy to carry enough water, though. *sigh*
My walking time is still drastically cooler than the mid-day, but it, too, has heated up seriously. I try to leave at 7pm because by the time I'm getting home the breezes are REALLY great and it has, until now, been really pretty cool. It was not cool when I got home last night! It wasn't miserably overhot (like today) because the breezes from the ocean are GREAT, but the girls certainly don't need a blanket of any kind anymore, either!
So, thus far this week I've walked twice. Tuesday for 85 minutes and Wednesday for 86 or 87. Recently a friend of mine told me that her trainer informed her that working out for more than 20 minutes has been shown to offer little benefit. And that intervals burn more fat than a constant fast walk. Well, as far as the latter is concerned, I totally believe it. But where a fat girl is concerned, I do NOT believe that I should only exercise for 20 minutes of intervals a day! I know that the long walks I take are benefiting my body AND MORE! 20 minutes of intervals would be a good starting place for someone who is my size and all, but I am certain that doing 30+ minutes of intervals has awesome benefits for one as fat as me! Not only have I actually lost weight while preggie, my temperment has become much MUCH more moderate... I feel calmer, happier, and significantly more peaceful. I believe that these results come from the exercise and faith. The one would help, but the other completes the package (and vice versa). I believe Father wants us to work like it all depends on us and pray like it all depends on him... and when we do the two together, things work out! Thus my life now! ^_^
Jess rides his bike to his morning job, which is only about 5 blocks away. But he also has to ride it home at 2pm. It sure is HOT! But, driving wouldn't really be better because the van would sit in the heat to be nice and steamy for the short ride home. AND it would be rediculous to spend gas $$ on such a trip (unless heavy rains required it). We aren't getting much rain here. Probably we'll have more wildfires before too long... it's just turning into a tinderbox around these parts.
Oh, we are officially a single vehicle family again. Jess sold the car for $200, which is about what he put into it as he was trying to get it functional again. We're also saving more and $130 on insurance. Since I really don't drive much at all, we probably will end up ahead on spending even with Jess driving the van to and from the Club. All in all the car was a wonderful vehicle for us, but it really was time to allow it to give up its ghost. Jess couldn't deal with the water pump repair, which is what he figured was the last problem he encountered. While I would love to have another vehicle for the convenience, I really felt from the moment the car broke this time that it was time to use just one vehicle again. And that's not what I felt every other time we encountered a problem prior to this. So, it's all going to work out just fine, I'm sure.
My walking time is still drastically cooler than the mid-day, but it, too, has heated up seriously. I try to leave at 7pm because by the time I'm getting home the breezes are REALLY great and it has, until now, been really pretty cool. It was not cool when I got home last night! It wasn't miserably overhot (like today) because the breezes from the ocean are GREAT, but the girls certainly don't need a blanket of any kind anymore, either!
So, thus far this week I've walked twice. Tuesday for 85 minutes and Wednesday for 86 or 87. Recently a friend of mine told me that her trainer informed her that working out for more than 20 minutes has been shown to offer little benefit. And that intervals burn more fat than a constant fast walk. Well, as far as the latter is concerned, I totally believe it. But where a fat girl is concerned, I do NOT believe that I should only exercise for 20 minutes of intervals a day! I know that the long walks I take are benefiting my body AND MORE! 20 minutes of intervals would be a good starting place for someone who is my size and all, but I am certain that doing 30+ minutes of intervals has awesome benefits for one as fat as me! Not only have I actually lost weight while preggie, my temperment has become much MUCH more moderate... I feel calmer, happier, and significantly more peaceful. I believe that these results come from the exercise and faith. The one would help, but the other completes the package (and vice versa). I believe Father wants us to work like it all depends on us and pray like it all depends on him... and when we do the two together, things work out! Thus my life now! ^_^
Jess rides his bike to his morning job, which is only about 5 blocks away. But he also has to ride it home at 2pm. It sure is HOT! But, driving wouldn't really be better because the van would sit in the heat to be nice and steamy for the short ride home. AND it would be rediculous to spend gas $$ on such a trip (unless heavy rains required it). We aren't getting much rain here. Probably we'll have more wildfires before too long... it's just turning into a tinderbox around these parts.
Oh, we are officially a single vehicle family again. Jess sold the car for $200, which is about what he put into it as he was trying to get it functional again. We're also saving more and $130 on insurance. Since I really don't drive much at all, we probably will end up ahead on spending even with Jess driving the van to and from the Club. All in all the car was a wonderful vehicle for us, but it really was time to allow it to give up its ghost. Jess couldn't deal with the water pump repair, which is what he figured was the last problem he encountered. While I would love to have another vehicle for the convenience, I really felt from the moment the car broke this time that it was time to use just one vehicle again. And that's not what I felt every other time we encountered a problem prior to this. So, it's all going to work out just fine, I'm sure.
Thursday, May 22, 2008
Story Time and an Unexpected Night Off
We had a lovely morning of going to the library and playing at the playground today. It was so completely wonderful, in fact, that I completely forgot to watch the time and we arrived inside at 1:50pm. That was alarming for me because I usually start our big family meal at 1pm. So my mind was jumping trying to think of something I could make in under 20 minutes! I settled on scrambled egg sandwiches. Thankfully we haven't really had those much in the last few months, so it was a nice "new" meal. :)
I was having such a good time and lost track of time because there were two really wonderful ladies at the library with their children today. Sue, especially, is just such a magnet to me... she has this aura of peace and joy about her. I felt as if I couldn't NOT spend time with her. And when I did talk with her she was just wonderful... she was really interested and interesting. She also WANTS to have another child, which is really attractive to me because so many of the women with whom I have (and do) associate are either ambivalent or completely uninterested in welcoming more children to their families. Those feelings make ME feel really uncomfortable because of how I feel about children and the Lord's Will. I am still friends with the ladies like that, but I feel a sort of yawning gap in my ability to relate to them. All of the women of whom I'm speaking have either 1, 2, or 3 children. The women I know who have 4+ and feel the way I'm referrring to, I can sort of understand. But less than 4 and feeling that way?? Ahwell...
The other lady, Jessica, would also like to have another child/more children and she lives right here in my town!!! Actually, she lives two blocks south of me. So, that is wonderful to me because she's also very motivated about dropping pounds (has already lost over 40 on her own) and she walks 4 miles daily (on a treadmill). So, potential for a walking buddy!? She told me today that she almost stopped at my house one day because she thought it was where I lived, but didn't because she wasn't sure. So, I'm excited and hopeful to have another friend right here in town! ^_^
If you're interested in more on my beliefs and feelings about welcoming children into our family (or any family), just leave me a comment and I'll make a whole post about it! ^_^
Jess just came home. Thus, the unexpected night off!! I'm hoping the drizzle/rain will stop and give me an hour to walk in a few hours because I would really love to walk alone. It would be my first walk alone in two weeks. So, tonight has the potential to be a bit of a night off for both of us!
He's talking about fishing at the beach, so we may do that as a family (if the water from the sky ceases). Jess actually wants to go right now, even with the rain. But Mama has to be the guardian of everyone (health in particular). We'll see.
Oh, I'm 20 weeks and 1 day preggie now. And get this, I has SUCH an upset tummy last night (for hours!) that I asked Jess to stop on his way home and pick up some Ginger Ale and Coke. I had the Ginger Ale right when he got home and felt much better.
I don't normally and haven't had ANY caffeine to drink in months and months, but I've heard SO much about how Coke stops the BLAHs in their tracks. I wanted to have some on hand if I feel like I did last night. At one point I thought I would have to run to the bathroom it was so bad! (That all happened well after the walk. You know, when I felt like I was ill and it went away when I stopped walking toward the bridge.) Anyway, it could all be tied into hormone surges or something. And I'm cool with that, but I will use what I can to soothe it, too. Ya know? ^_^ Of course, if it was something more powerful than Coca Cola I probably would just buck up and deal with it, but I would like to have relief from the YUCKIES if they come on again like they did last night. It was just crazy!
I was having such a good time and lost track of time because there were two really wonderful ladies at the library with their children today. Sue, especially, is just such a magnet to me... she has this aura of peace and joy about her. I felt as if I couldn't NOT spend time with her. And when I did talk with her she was just wonderful... she was really interested and interesting. She also WANTS to have another child, which is really attractive to me because so many of the women with whom I have (and do) associate are either ambivalent or completely uninterested in welcoming more children to their families. Those feelings make ME feel really uncomfortable because of how I feel about children and the Lord's Will. I am still friends with the ladies like that, but I feel a sort of yawning gap in my ability to relate to them. All of the women of whom I'm speaking have either 1, 2, or 3 children. The women I know who have 4+ and feel the way I'm referrring to, I can sort of understand. But less than 4 and feeling that way?? Ahwell...
The other lady, Jessica, would also like to have another child/more children and she lives right here in my town!!! Actually, she lives two blocks south of me. So, that is wonderful to me because she's also very motivated about dropping pounds (has already lost over 40 on her own) and she walks 4 miles daily (on a treadmill). So, potential for a walking buddy!? She told me today that she almost stopped at my house one day because she thought it was where I lived, but didn't because she wasn't sure. So, I'm excited and hopeful to have another friend right here in town! ^_^
If you're interested in more on my beliefs and feelings about welcoming children into our family (or any family), just leave me a comment and I'll make a whole post about it! ^_^
Jess just came home. Thus, the unexpected night off!! I'm hoping the drizzle/rain will stop and give me an hour to walk in a few hours because I would really love to walk alone. It would be my first walk alone in two weeks. So, tonight has the potential to be a bit of a night off for both of us!
He's talking about fishing at the beach, so we may do that as a family (if the water from the sky ceases). Jess actually wants to go right now, even with the rain. But Mama has to be the guardian of everyone (health in particular). We'll see.
Oh, I'm 20 weeks and 1 day preggie now. And get this, I has SUCH an upset tummy last night (for hours!) that I asked Jess to stop on his way home and pick up some Ginger Ale and Coke. I had the Ginger Ale right when he got home and felt much better.
I don't normally and haven't had ANY caffeine to drink in months and months, but I've heard SO much about how Coke stops the BLAHs in their tracks. I wanted to have some on hand if I feel like I did last night. At one point I thought I would have to run to the bathroom it was so bad! (That all happened well after the walk. You know, when I felt like I was ill and it went away when I stopped walking toward the bridge.) Anyway, it could all be tied into hormone surges or something. And I'm cool with that, but I will use what I can to soothe it, too. Ya know? ^_^ Of course, if it was something more powerful than Coca Cola I probably would just buck up and deal with it, but I would like to have relief from the YUCKIES if they come on again like they did last night. It was just crazy!
Tuesday, May 6, 2008
Anxiety Decrease and a Talk With Sage
If you couldn't tell already, my entries here are pretty much about my obsessions and our daily activities. I mentioned a couple times already my anxiety about our food storage situation. Well, today I made a purchase of some things for our supply that has decreased my anxiety a little. The items I purchased are not the staples, but since we have lived off our food storage exclusively for a month and almost exclusively for MANY months, I know that these "extras" will keep me feeling a little more normal. That's SUCH a huge thing when trouble hits the fan... at least for me! I found this site MANY MANY moons ago and revisited it since the anxiety hit a few weeks ago. I made my anxiety decreasing purchase from this site and HIGHLY recommend it! http://internet-grocer.net/ They have the basics, of course, but they also have a wide variety of extras I haven't found elsewhere. In particular, I haven't found the canned cheese or butter elsewhere. And while I have seen canned meats elsewhere, they never sound as appealing as the developers of this site make theirs sound. Also, REAL SALT is a pretty big deal. I know there are lots of places to buy it, bt I felt like the price here was quite good. Jess is going to check on his prices and I'll let yall know how they compare (assuming I can remember!).
Joy School this morning at "our" little playground near the library. It was really nice! Sage was there with her girls and another sister from the ward came. I was so happy about that!! :) We had a really nice time visiting and chatting and the kiddos LOVED their playtime. So, basically, Joy School has become a "Morning at the Park." Mostly it's evolved to this because we wanted to welcome younger children (and parents), but also because it's less stress for Sage and me and the girls (our most regular attenders) just love playing together!
Sage brought me home (the whole two blocks). I felt so lame accepting the ride, but it was SO sunny and hot. I already had a bit of pink, so I'm sure I would have ended up with a GOOD burn had I walked the girls home. And Ria is wearing a long-sleeved dress today. She doesn't care about the heat, she says... and I warn her not to complain because she's made the choice. BUT I can't help but feel concern when her cheeks are really pink and she's not drinking enough water. *sigh* What to do! I'm trying to help her/let her learn from her choices rather than strong arm her.
Sage let me borrow her FHE book (TOTALLY going to buy one for myself!!) and I was reading the dark section yesterday and just bawling. Actually, the tears were flowing, but I was not audibly crying because I didn't want the girls to know I was upset. They were playing SO nicely. I was so upset because I've been feeling more and more that I'm doing things the wrong way as a Mama and the things I was reading was just sort of confirming it. :( So, I'm striving to make some pretty significant changes. And, as we all know, change is so totally NOT easy. Especially if there are others involved. I totally understand! I mean, even though the way I have been has not been as wonderful as I should be it's what Ria is used to. So, she's resisting my change. I just have to endure... to the end. And WHAT a challenge! Perhaps THE challenge of life, right? ahwell
That last bit was not where I was planning to go, but anyway! Back to my initial "TRAIN" of thought: I put my stroller into the back of Sage's van and noticed some rice. I asked her a question and that got us talking about food storage and the food issues in the news. I think I have expressed my deep admiration for this lady before. She is the mother of 6 and completely plans to have more. She, herself, is the second child (I think) in a family of 10. And she is just an AMAZING Mother!!! I mean, gosh... I hope I can grow up to be like her!! She's also a return missionary, which should give you a good idea of how spiritually mature (etc) she is. I think her name is just perfect for her. Not only is she wise (like a Sage), but she's also neat and interesting and just really cool (like a spice in life!). Anyway, I was able to share with her this really great guide for buying food storage from the grocery store. It's a monthly guide and by the end of the year you'll have around a year supply of most of things. Some things are higher and others lower. Basically, from our conversation, I felt a confirmation of the urge I feel to compile our "legal limit" of a 3 month supply for each person in my family. So, the rest of our tax return (after the purchase made today) will be spent at the grocery store and on air-tight storage containers for food storage.
I highly recommend http://www.beprepared.com/ for really good gallon buckets, air-tight lids, and metalized bags (though I don't have a sealer... there ARE some for sale on http://providentliving.org/ I believe is the name of the site. I know for sure, as of today, that if you go to http://www.lds.org/ and look on the front page for the bit about home storage you can jump to the correct catalog pages that include a sealer! It's pretty expensive, but you could make it a sort of community purchase! I would love (AND HOPE) to do that. Of course, you could also use the church storehouse OR possibly borrow one FROM the Bishop's storehouse. The info is pretty easily available on the providentliving site. Anyway... I'm going to stop rambling about my current obsession and CATCH YA LATER! :)
Joy School this morning at "our" little playground near the library. It was really nice! Sage was there with her girls and another sister from the ward came. I was so happy about that!! :) We had a really nice time visiting and chatting and the kiddos LOVED their playtime. So, basically, Joy School has become a "Morning at the Park." Mostly it's evolved to this because we wanted to welcome younger children (and parents), but also because it's less stress for Sage and me and the girls (our most regular attenders) just love playing together!
Sage brought me home (the whole two blocks). I felt so lame accepting the ride, but it was SO sunny and hot. I already had a bit of pink, so I'm sure I would have ended up with a GOOD burn had I walked the girls home. And Ria is wearing a long-sleeved dress today. She doesn't care about the heat, she says... and I warn her not to complain because she's made the choice. BUT I can't help but feel concern when her cheeks are really pink and she's not drinking enough water. *sigh* What to do! I'm trying to help her/let her learn from her choices rather than strong arm her.
Sage let me borrow her FHE book (TOTALLY going to buy one for myself!!) and I was reading the dark section yesterday and just bawling. Actually, the tears were flowing, but I was not audibly crying because I didn't want the girls to know I was upset. They were playing SO nicely. I was so upset because I've been feeling more and more that I'm doing things the wrong way as a Mama and the things I was reading was just sort of confirming it. :( So, I'm striving to make some pretty significant changes. And, as we all know, change is so totally NOT easy. Especially if there are others involved. I totally understand! I mean, even though the way I have been has not been as wonderful as I should be it's what Ria is used to. So, she's resisting my change. I just have to endure... to the end. And WHAT a challenge! Perhaps THE challenge of life, right? ahwell
That last bit was not where I was planning to go, but anyway! Back to my initial "TRAIN" of thought: I put my stroller into the back of Sage's van and noticed some rice. I asked her a question and that got us talking about food storage and the food issues in the news. I think I have expressed my deep admiration for this lady before. She is the mother of 6 and completely plans to have more. She, herself, is the second child (I think) in a family of 10. And she is just an AMAZING Mother!!! I mean, gosh... I hope I can grow up to be like her!! She's also a return missionary, which should give you a good idea of how spiritually mature (etc) she is. I think her name is just perfect for her. Not only is she wise (like a Sage), but she's also neat and interesting and just really cool (like a spice in life!). Anyway, I was able to share with her this really great guide for buying food storage from the grocery store. It's a monthly guide and by the end of the year you'll have around a year supply of most of things. Some things are higher and others lower. Basically, from our conversation, I felt a confirmation of the urge I feel to compile our "legal limit" of a 3 month supply for each person in my family. So, the rest of our tax return (after the purchase made today) will be spent at the grocery store and on air-tight storage containers for food storage.
I highly recommend http://www.beprepared.com/ for really good gallon buckets, air-tight lids, and metalized bags (though I don't have a sealer... there ARE some for sale on http://providentliving.org/ I believe is the name of the site. I know for sure, as of today, that if you go to http://www.lds.org/ and look on the front page for the bit about home storage you can jump to the correct catalog pages that include a sealer! It's pretty expensive, but you could make it a sort of community purchase! I would love (AND HOPE) to do that. Of course, you could also use the church storehouse OR possibly borrow one FROM the Bishop's storehouse. The info is pretty easily available on the providentliving site. Anyway... I'm going to stop rambling about my current obsession and CATCH YA LATER! :)
Thursday, April 24, 2008
Another Day In The Sun
We went to Story Time this morning, as per our usual. Kat wasn't having anything to do with the stories. She wanted only to do the craft, which would have been fine except that it would have distracted the other kiddos and we're getting quite a group now! So, she and I sat in the children's area and piddled around.
The playground was our after-Story-Time-stop today. I dared allow the girls to play there because we would be able to stay for quite a while (at least 1/2 hour) before we had to leave to get home and make lunch for Daddy's 1/2 hour break between jobs. The sun was out bright and hot today, but there were some cloudy moments to provide relief while we were at the playground. I've actually got what looks like dandruff because I keep getting sunburns on my scalp! No, seriously! I've inadvertently gotten one at least once a week for the past few weeks. And this week it's two thus far! UGH! Thankfully, my little part-indian children don't have a bit of problem with the sun. They just get a little pink when we're in it and then turn brown. Ok, so they aren't actually BROWN yet, but they are nicely golden. :) You can tell especially on Kat. Her little left-over baby chub rolls make it obvious that she's been in the sun! SO CUTE!
A brother from my Ward called to invite the girls and me to come for breakfast with him and his wife tomorrow. I felt odd about it and bowed-out until a time when Jess could be with us. So, we'll probably have breakfast with them in a few weeks. I was trying to figure out why this invitation made me feel odd because Joseph is a really nice old guy in my Ward and I talk to him every Sunday. I know he likes me very well and I think the main reason for his affection is that he has a daughter named Victoria who is also called Tori AND the same age as me! She's a bit inactive and I think he sort of sees me as a future her. Or how he hopes she may be. (?)
Anyway... I realized that I wasn't okay with the invitation because I really don't enjoy spending time amongst couples (even just one other couple) without MY "other half". And most of the time I really don't have a choice because there are places I'm expected to be and all that whether he's with me or not. But if I can choose I choose NOT to go without him, I will! That made me feel pretty good because there was a while last year during which I didn't care so much and would've rather NOT been around Jessie because of the crud we were going through. So, perhaps I'm healed/healing! YEAY!!! This feels like SUPER good new to me! :)
So, Jess told me this morning that he didn't use ANY of this nicotine losenges yesterday. WOW, right!!!?!! The package of the stuff he has advises 9 per day. Well, I'm just so super impressed with his accomplishment! He was feeling cruddier today than yesterday. Part of the increased cruddy feeling is definitely withdrawl and another (smaller) part is the fact that he used a lozeng today. It was after he told me about using one that I asked how many the package suggests. So, I'm still super impressed with his accomplishment this morning because he's so WAY under the suggested use! :) Anyway, I sent him for a 10 minute nap after lunch. Those minutes are when we get to sort of talk and the girls get to cuddle up to him. So, that bit of lying down at home was really rough on me because the girls NEED their Daddy... but I'm trying my best to help and not complain to him... so I need to do a little somewhere. Sorry if it's annoying.
When Jess got home I had cold grapefruit juice ready for him. In his experience drinking some of that down quickly can be energizing, which is WHY I had it ready, of course. He didn't want any of the other things I read about on http://www.cancer.org/. He actually asked me to read the section on that site about what others can do to help their quitter. ahwell I'm just going with what he says he needs and have to trust that he can manage his lifestyle change.
I have more pictures to get up, but I have already put a few more up today. The link is two posts down. I don't actually know it by heart otherwise I'd put it in here.
THANK YOU!!! to those who have left comments!!! I LOVE THEM!!!! AND, a special THANK YOU to Heidi for the sweet email to share her thoughts on my pictures of the work I've been busy with lately. I LOVE the feedback and suggestions!!!!
The playground was our after-Story-Time-stop today. I dared allow the girls to play there because we would be able to stay for quite a while (at least 1/2 hour) before we had to leave to get home and make lunch for Daddy's 1/2 hour break between jobs. The sun was out bright and hot today, but there were some cloudy moments to provide relief while we were at the playground. I've actually got what looks like dandruff because I keep getting sunburns on my scalp! No, seriously! I've inadvertently gotten one at least once a week for the past few weeks. And this week it's two thus far! UGH! Thankfully, my little part-indian children don't have a bit of problem with the sun. They just get a little pink when we're in it and then turn brown. Ok, so they aren't actually BROWN yet, but they are nicely golden. :) You can tell especially on Kat. Her little left-over baby chub rolls make it obvious that she's been in the sun! SO CUTE!
A brother from my Ward called to invite the girls and me to come for breakfast with him and his wife tomorrow. I felt odd about it and bowed-out until a time when Jess could be with us. So, we'll probably have breakfast with them in a few weeks. I was trying to figure out why this invitation made me feel odd because Joseph is a really nice old guy in my Ward and I talk to him every Sunday. I know he likes me very well and I think the main reason for his affection is that he has a daughter named Victoria who is also called Tori AND the same age as me! She's a bit inactive and I think he sort of sees me as a future her. Or how he hopes she may be. (?)
Anyway... I realized that I wasn't okay with the invitation because I really don't enjoy spending time amongst couples (even just one other couple) without MY "other half". And most of the time I really don't have a choice because there are places I'm expected to be and all that whether he's with me or not. But if I can choose I choose NOT to go without him, I will! That made me feel pretty good because there was a while last year during which I didn't care so much and would've rather NOT been around Jessie because of the crud we were going through. So, perhaps I'm healed/healing! YEAY!!! This feels like SUPER good new to me! :)
So, Jess told me this morning that he didn't use ANY of this nicotine losenges yesterday. WOW, right!!!?!! The package of the stuff he has advises 9 per day. Well, I'm just so super impressed with his accomplishment! He was feeling cruddier today than yesterday. Part of the increased cruddy feeling is definitely withdrawl and another (smaller) part is the fact that he used a lozeng today. It was after he told me about using one that I asked how many the package suggests. So, I'm still super impressed with his accomplishment this morning because he's so WAY under the suggested use! :) Anyway, I sent him for a 10 minute nap after lunch. Those minutes are when we get to sort of talk and the girls get to cuddle up to him. So, that bit of lying down at home was really rough on me because the girls NEED their Daddy... but I'm trying my best to help and not complain to him... so I need to do a little somewhere. Sorry if it's annoying.
When Jess got home I had cold grapefruit juice ready for him. In his experience drinking some of that down quickly can be energizing, which is WHY I had it ready, of course. He didn't want any of the other things I read about on http://www.cancer.org/. He actually asked me to read the section on that site about what others can do to help their quitter. ahwell I'm just going with what he says he needs and have to trust that he can manage his lifestyle change.
I have more pictures to get up, but I have already put a few more up today. The link is two posts down. I don't actually know it by heart otherwise I'd put it in here.
THANK YOU!!! to those who have left comments!!! I LOVE THEM!!!! AND, a special THANK YOU to Heidi for the sweet email to share her thoughts on my pictures of the work I've been busy with lately. I LOVE the feedback and suggestions!!!!
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