Embracing the challenge

Okay for some reason this took like a month to write, so the date was almost 4 weeks ago, but everything else is pretty current.

Usually this kind of post would be something I would write after a spiritual direction section. Nonetheless this is pre-one of those sessions.  My husband and I went out on a date yesterday and it was really nice to get out because the kid has been super clingy so we weren't able to do much for like a month without him.  But he let us go out on a date without him and he didn't do his escalating crying thing which is awesome because we did have to go back and get him due to a puking incident.

So the conversation we had started with me not being content with how I was living out who God called me to be. In the way that I am good living out my vocation as a mama but I feel that there is something like a niche missing.  I've kinda felt this post grad school for a while, but I just haven't had much time to think about it.  Most of the time there other stuff to do or sleep to be gotten.  I've been selling books on amazon and attempting gardening, but I still feel like something whether it be volunteering or doing something jus 2 hours a week that makes me grow.  And honestly, I still haven't figured this all the way out.  Maybe spiritual direction is good for something this time after all.

But what we did seem to tackle is a bigger vision, one of challenge. Being open to life comes with challenge.  It can be hard if an unexpected life is made or that maybe that a child has a disability which means extra attention and time have to be given or maybe life may seem chaotic with multiple kids that are closer together than what the world says is okay to have siblings.  But this challenge is an awesome one to be faced with because it deals with life. And life is something that should be celebrated.

So as we take on a new baby into our home (whenever he or she decides to come out!) it will be a challenge.  And God willing in the future we will have more babies to love.  But instead of wanting a comfy life where we only do what we want to do, we will be open to what God wants us to do in our lives.  And this is the challenge and it will be embraced...or at least give our best effort to do so.

40 weeks

It's just an average right?  Averages barely mean that any child will be born on their due date.  But passing it now, or close to it as there is about 1.5 hours left in the day, really it makes me think to say, "Kid you can come out already."

~The End

Fun at the Apple Farm

Today we went out to the near countryside (as much as suburbia is the countryside) to visit a local apple farm.  It was a really fun experience because they almost made it a slight amusement park but with activities that mostly require physical activity with a fall flavor.  So we climbed and navigated thru corn, and the boys slid and jumped and ran.  I know we kept the kiddo out during nap time but he thoroughly enjoyed it and we did too.  And we came back with lots of apples and cider to enjoy too.  Here is a little evidence of some of the fun we had.

I've decided at 39 weeks that I am now in operation walk this baby out of me.  So thus, walking thru corn mazes and up and down hills were a perfect way to spend today.  I hope you too are enjoying fall.  Part of me is sad summer is over with the daylight dwindling but I am feeling more and more ready to take on a new challenge with baby #2 and am anticipating meeting him or her.

Random music thought on my birthday

As I was listening to the Taylor Swift CD that my husband got me for my birthday, I was thinking about how it seems in my music listening habits Miss Swift has seemed to replace Avril Lavigne.  I think somewhere post divorce, Avril kind of decided to go skanky pop instead of what she was, so unknowingly I subbed in Taylor Swift and she's been stuck in my one random girl pop artist that I like.  I think the Mine video really made me like her, because who doesn't want a happy ending.  So that's my thought of the day. Now to return to indie/punk rock listening. :)

probably a bad parent

So the kid had continuously climbed up onto the dining room table this morning, and each time I got him back down. The last time he decided to take things into his own hands, but apparently missed the chair as a step on the way back down and was dangling off the table for a wee bit.  The table isn't that high, and really I thought hmm, you got yourself into this, and really no real damage is going to come of it except the table cloth is gonna come with you when you fall on your bum.  So I let him fall.  Laziness or trying to teach a lesson too early probably, but he didn't get hurt one bit.  So parenting failure or not, it is what it is.

Lessons from the garden

So this year as you may have known, I attempted a small garden.  So far the results have been mixed.  I do think that I have learned from it.

First: while herbs grow well in pots, in what I have experienced veggies do not.  And maybe this is due to over crowding, but really the plants seemed to take off once they were put in the ground and out of the pot.

Second: Apparently cherry tomatoes are much easier to grow than bigger ones.  At least this is what is happening over here.

Third: No peppers, I have six live pepper plants and nothing has amounted from them.  Grr. I love peppers.

Fourth: Zucchini totally needs to be in the ground but seems to be kind of fragile as the flowers seem to keep popping off so thus no zucchini either.

Fifth: Apparently I really suck at keeping cilantro alive; the same happened with dill last year.

And those are what I can think of for now.  If you have any gardening advice that I can take away and store for next year's try at gardening without pots (except for herbs), as long as its charitable its more than welcome.  How is your garden treating you this year?

Oh teething baby....

Why do you have to scream so much so early in the morning?

Here's to hoping they pop all the way through by our trip to VA this weekend.

Oh and if anyone wants to come play with the crazy kiddo they are more than welcome.  Just know he screams a lot.