Bad hair day? There's always this solution.

While some days seem to leave no other options than this...

Josie says there is always another cuter, more fashionable (for an eight month old) option.

The perfect model.

Side swept bangs, so IN right now.

Big eyes to complete the look.

Perfect girl all around makes any hairstyle look good.

She looks so old when she gives me her toothless grin like that. 

Comments

There is this blog I read. She's a girl struggling with her weight but still trying to truly live her life. She's brutally honest and insightful and points out the obvious thoughts that never occur to me until I see it written down by her.

Because of her honesty, she gets some negative feedback. Did I say some? She gets a lot of negative feedback. So me being the fighter that I am commented back on one of them saying something to the effect of "Why do you aim to hurt? Rude." And the comments that came after that aimed at me? I was called a hypocrite (amongst other not nice things) and told that my momma should be slapped for raising me to be so close minded. what the what??

How is that better and not inappropriate than my response to the first negative commenter? The post in discussion was so honest and really was quite brutal. But it was more about her than anyone else. It was about her struggles and insecurity. She kept everything anonymous and did not make it even a little bit obvious about who she was referring to.

The whole reason I bring this up is because my heart hurts so much when I see this kind of stuff. I find that it is hard to not want to lash out with a quick, sharp tongue but I am also aware that it will do no good.

Why are people so brave behind their computer screens and keyboards and anonymous names? I am fortunate that I have not run into a lot of this negativity with my little (loved so much by me) blog. Mostly because I don't have a lot of followers. I have had a few comments, though, that were hurtful or inappropriate. I delete them when I see them, but the damage is done. It's hard to not take it seriously, not wince when you read them and think about it all day.

So for those out there that are reading anonymously: I'm okay with that, but I would rather that you just followed me publicly or commented now and again because the blog is open for a reason. I assume there are people that I may have known a long time ago reading. I can understand being anonymous. I will even admit that there are a few blogs I am following privately because a.) I am too lazy to switch it and b.) I know them through someone and feel like its creepy to follow them. I suppose that does make me a hypocrite. Fine... I'll have to go change that now.

Anyways, my point in all of this is that most of these little blogs out there consisting mostly of personal, rambling thoughts are not meant to be open forums for hateful words and bashing. Many people journal to figure things out and can grow from it and change opinions often. Should these people not be allowed to do it publicly? Should they be forced to hide it or be verbally attacked? It seems unfair to me.

It's part of the reason I don't put as many personal thoughts and religious/political views out here. I'm afraid to be labeled or viewed a certain way before I'm done thinking, growing, and forming my thoughts, opinions, and views. It's sad to me that I feel that hesitation, that limitation, that invisible wall stopping me from true expression.

Maybe someday I'll overcome this and just say "whatever". But now I have my kid(s) to think about. What will Josie say, twenty years from now, reading through this and seeing the negative comments? Will she get a new view about me and think I am ridiculous? Will she be hurt for me? It is just a lot to think about, isn't it?

Midweek Confessions

Oh boy...

I still haven't gotten the pictures up that I was too lazy to work with on Monday. Yep. LAZY.

I have a valid excuse though! I have been reading "Catching Fire" which is the second Hunger Games book and it has sucked.me.in. I'm 3/4 done with it and cannot wait to curl up with it tonight while Mike watches (boring) tv.

I was banking on a snow day today so much so that I literally did not do certain things subconsciously because I thought I would have time to do them today. Of course, the snow was not working in my favor and to work I went (with wet hair and just enough diapers to get Josie through daycare but probably not enough for tonight). I guess you just can't wish things to happen like that.

I am supposed to be training for a 10K but can only do 2 miles right now. That's like not even 1/3 of it. I cannot get myself to run for more than a mile on a treadmill so I have been telling myself that I am working on my speed. For one mile, which only takes me about 10 minutes. That's not a real workout, but don't tell me that at 5:45 AM! And it's snowing, which just brings on the despair as I wait for nice outdoor running weather.

I haven't meal planned this week at all because Mike was gone for one day and I switched that to all week in my head when I was grocery shopping. Therefore we will be creative. Makes a girl nervous though. You may be wondering what I eat when Mike is gone? I have Smart Ones practically screaming my name in the freezer downstairs. I keep buying more even though I never eat the previous purchased meals so it's becoming quite the stock pile.

Linking up! Read the other confessions too. They make the day better.

Weekend Update

This will be the most boring weekend update ever.

1. We watched TV in the living room. Josie explored the whole room numerous times and decided that her favorite place is the coffee table and everything on it. Joy for us, who gets to move everything around while she tries to grab each item.

2. We went to church and battled the weather. It actually wasn't that bad but we've been spoiled. Now that Josie has a big girl car seat, she has to be brave and bear the elements too. (bare? bear?) She could really care less, but this crazy mama is always concerned that she's going to lose her foot or hand from frostbite.

3. The rest... the rest you will see pictures of throughout the week. Truth: my camera is upstairs and I'm too lazy to go get it. So I'll do it later.


Happy Monday!

Flashbacks

Finally! The pictures you have all been waiting for. I did the best I could scanning them with my tablet. Forgive the quality. How fun is it to look back and see shades of ourselves? I love to see the exact moment when someone starts to really look like him or herself. Fascinating...

I want to tell you what I think but I will wait until you've looked for yourself.

Baby Michael

Baby Sarah 

Really, parents? This is the best family photo you could give me in my own baby book? Sorry - just couldn't resist this comment even though I said I'd let you think for yourself. ;)

And just so you can see some side-by-sides:

Life.

So far this weekend has consisted of TV watching, climbing, exploring (the living room), eating a big breakfast, napping (for those under one year), and spending time together.

It's a good life, this little life I have.

Earliest Memory

I hear people talk about their earliest memories and always feel a bit guilty because I don't really feel like I remember much from my early childhood. It's not actually true, that I don't remember things, but my idea of remembering means not just remembering based off of pictures and videos. I'm so grateful that we have those documented images, but at the same time, I can't distinguish what I remember and what I am told.

The other day, I remembered two things that I know we have no documentation of. 

The earliest thing, which I know happened first because of the location, is probably stuck in my head because of the strong sense of fear. Before my mom married my dad (stepfather but dad to me), we lived in a little one and a half story house with a few big trees in the front and back yards. My room faced the back yard, and there was a huge (in the mind of a 2 or 3 year old) tree that had branches right outside of my window. I remember laying in bed watching the shadows and being absolutely terrified because I didn't realize what I was seeing. The mind of a child can be extremely imaginative! I also remember that I was half asleep and that it was a one-time thing. I wasn't always scared of my room or that tree. 

Isn't it funny how that sticks with me? I never associated my actual age with that memory so I never realized that it was one of my first true memories.

The second memory I really remember is from my parent's wedding. I was 3 1/2 years old and was the flower girl. My cousin must have also been a flower girl because she was also standing near the alter during the wedding. I remember her fidgeting and causing trouble, and I really remember being interested in what she was doing while also knowing it was wrong to do it. 

I've always been very aware of right and wrong, and the fact that I remember that feeling so strongly from so long ago just amazes me. I truly must have been born with that to a certain degree because 3 1/2 is pretty young...

Why am I certain that this is not from a video? Because a little girl who shall not be named happened to tape over her parent's wedding video with cartoons. There is no video anymore. They blame this little girl (surely not I!) but she was just wanting to watch a cartoon.

This was in our old house. That house had a big willow tree in the front that I loved and my mother didn't love (ask her about it, she really doesn't love them like I do!). I only remember the good things so to me this house is just the cutest quaintest place. 

I found my baby book and have a poor quality scanner on my tablet so expect to see more pictures soon. Mike's baby book is also around. It's going to be a historical weekend if I get my way!

Every Morning is a good morning

I love getting up in the morning to this sweet picture. Now that she can stand up on her own, she is always beaming when we come in. She loves to stand and look around her room at all the exciting things going on (usually consisting of Buckley, a pile of laundry, and a few toys left over from the last night's clean up).

Not only are morning fun because the well rested beauty in the house is happy and laughing in her crib (containment=getting ready in peace), but she gets even happier when she gets to eat her banana and bread in the morning. 

Can life truly get any better?

Organize that kitchen!

Just like everyone else, I've got the urge to organize. And it is bad. So I will show you how hard I've been working on my kitchen. I don't have good before pictures but I am so excited about the after pictures that I will proudly show them off.

Here's my one before picture. Well, really it isn't "before" because I took them all out of the cabinet and put them on the table. This is all of my tupperware that is getting the boot. I plan on replacing all of it with glass containers to avoid all the junk that plastic gives off like BPA and other chemicals. I'm finally jumping on this bandwagon...

I like being environmentally friendly and recycling and all of that, but I get so sick of the hype of it all that sometimes I just throw in the towel. If you remember, I was a vegetarian for about two months before I got pregnant with Josie. I did this because of everything I was hearing about the meat industry and what was happening to the animals and even more so because I found that my body did just fine without meat. I was no longer ignorant (sometimes that's not a good thing). But pregnancy won in the end, and my cravings and general appetite required it. 

I am all about trying new things and finding what works best. I try so hard to balance what is good for this beautfiul earth that God gave us and what works for us because if I tried to be the "greenest girl in the world" I'd be completely overwhelmed living in a hole in the ground; I'm sure of it.

Baby steps.

So here is my cabinet that had been packed full with tupperware that was worn out and obviously in need of replacement. I purchased some Pyrex bowls (a set of nine bowls with lids) and another set of three that were smaller but still matched). These glass containers take up about the same amount of space, but I don't have (or probably need) as many of them. I'm sure I'll add to my collection eventually but they are expensive (and way longer lasting of course) so it will be a work in progress.

Aren't they pretty?

 The next thing I'd been wanting to do was use the space on the inside of the cabinets. I keep seeing this brilliant idea of putting hooks up and using that space for more than just a door. Who'd have thought? So I found some cheap hooks at Target and put them up in two different cabinets. Voila!

This added a lot of room to one of our very few drawers that was poring out and getting jammed shut all the time. Pictures of that exciting update will come soon.

Then I moved on to the canned foods cabinet. If I had a before picture, you would have seen cans filling the bottom two shelves and pasta along with other random things that don't have homes filling the top shelf. I went through my canned foods and set aside everything that was expired (much to the dismay of my husband who insists that canned food cannot go bad). It left me with half of the cans left. That is so gross. But it also shows me that we don't use canned foods all that much. Why are we storing all of it then? So out it went, and it will not be replaced (until we use some more of the current-not-expired cans). 

I also added this little shelf that matches a shelf we have to separate our plates and bowls (completely made my week when I got it the first time and of course didn't fail me this time). These things work miracles. So lovely to go up vertically instead of just wasting all of that space!

I rearranged our lazy susan (Susan? Since it's a name, should it be capitalized?) which also had a lot of wasted vertical space and filled in the bottom shelf. I haven't perfected good ole Susan yet so that will have to have follow up pictures later. 

I mentioned before that hubby had added roll out shelves to the pots and pans disaster corner. Here they are:

It makes my heart go pitter patter. No joke. I actually grin like a fool when I get to take something out or put something away. I'm sure it will wear off, but I'm determined to enjoy it while it lasts.

More updates later (because you know there is more. I don't ever do something just a little bit!).

I give up.

Sometimes it's just not worth it to even try to fix that hair.

Note to self: Don't put her to bed with super wet hair (which just so happens to happen every bath night).

And another view, just you can understand how ridiculous it is:

But just to show you how I'm not always a failure, I made this meal. Doesn't it look delicious? Black Bean Burgers and oven fries. Yes. Good.

Pancake feed

Last weekend (yes that's how behind I am. Shhh) we went to the Kiwanis pancake feed. We haven't gone to one since Josie has joined us and it's always fun to stuff our faces with carbs and syrup.

All ready to go, a good 20 minutes early (for once)

How do you crawl with mittens and shoes on?

She enjoyed herself some pancake and people watching

Awkward family photo with blank stares, greasy hair, and chaos in the background.

Those blue eyes are mine to look at every day!

Funny how Josie is the one looking at the camera while Daddy is a bit off. 

Still working on these Mama and J photos. It's entirely my fault that they look awkward... 

V Day revisited

Josie got a package in the mail on Valentine's Day from her great aunt Joyce and cousin Brianna. These pajamas are too cute! 

She played in them for a while at night before sleeping (ever so comfortably) in them too.

Did you know it is really hard to get a seven month old to sit still for a picture? The flash took at least 3 minutes to go, I swear.

Thanks for the sweet gift!!