Today our family buried an outstanding man. A father to many and friend to even more. He’ll be greatly missed, but we are sure he is resting peacefully with his Father.
(as is evident by all the candles)
Thursday, March 31, 2011
You Will Be Missed…
I Did It!
These may be seemingly “small” things in the grand scheme of things, but it’s these small things that add up to my big triumphs throughout each week. With that in mind – let’s celebrate the small!
1. Even when it became evident that this week’s schedule was going to completely derail, I remained relatively calm. We worked through rearranging flights, leaving cars at airports 5 hours away, and sending boxes via UPS to meet my husband at the hotel in Nebraska next week. It hasn’t been easy – but we made it work!
2. I ran a bunch of errands today – and I mean a bunch! With both boys in tow. We made it to the pet store, gas station, bank, art class, courthouse, lunch, three different grocery stores, and Hallmark. Plus we still fit in an afternoon nap for everyone!
3. We’ve made the transition to whole milk for Nathan. I know this doesn’t seem like much of a success – but my wallet would say otherwise compared to being on formula. 
Make sure to check out other great successes both BIG and small over at Faith and Family Live!
Tuesday, March 29, 2011
Shhh…Don’t Tell My Kids
- Naptime and bedtime directly correspond to the point at which mommy can no longer handle the whining/fussing.
- A scoop of peanut butter on a spoon is not candy.
- The cookie they get at the grocery store every week is free (until they turn 11).
- I try to coordinate John’s therapy sessions to coincide with Nathan’s naps. A little mommy time is nice!
- Sometimes I can hear them calling out from their bedroom at night – but opt to ignore it. If they really need me they’ll come get me, right?
- I’ve actually re-acquired a taste for hotdogs (I loathed hotdogs from high school through my “I have a toddler” days).
- Occasionally I turn on a Disney movie even when they aren’t in the room (mostly so I can choose which one we’re watching that afternoon).
- Bad behavior does pay off (think Chris Brown at GMA and Charlie Sheen) and Santa will still visit even if they have an absolutely rotten December 24th.
- Although their stellar problem solving skills frustrate me beyond compare – I’m a super proud mama when I see those skills at work. (Even if it means having to put things on a higher shelf or allow a child to eat a cookie – “it wasn’t in the fridge mom!”)
- There is a distinct possibility that they will get in trouble even if they tell the truth. Granted, it may be less trouble than if they lie – but telling the truth doesn’t always keep you out of trouble.
Bottom line – there are a number of “un-truths” that we share with our kids. Some for their protection, some for ours, some because it’s simply easier to explain with a white lie. I imagine in the future we’ll have any number of questions that we don’t want to answer with the complete truth. Will we take the tough route and answer them head on? Or will it be easier to tell them that the tooth fairy only pays for teeth that are brushed every day and babies are dropped off by the stork? Cross that bridge when it gets here!
Thursday, March 10, 2011
Success in 4's
Another week has come and gone....wow! Life moves so fast! But let's slow down just enough to recognize and celebrate the small successes in our lives. We all know that the small successes add up to a big triumph.
1. First, and by all means most important....Today my wonderful husband and I are celebrating our 4th anniversary! How blessed I am to have him by my side! In these four short years Matt started a new job, we bought a house, had our first son, moved cross-country into my parents house, almost sold our house, moved into a rental house, had our second son and somewhere in between all still found time to be spouses. Maybe not quite as often as we should have - but enough to know that our relationship is still growing. We're still learning about each other, ourselves and our marriage. We still spend time laughing and loving. I can't wait to see what the next year brings!
2. I waged battle with the Early Intervention system with the support of my dad. The therapy team recommended to the state that he work with 4 different therapists. We won the battle!...I'll keep you posted on the war. In the meantime, John's therapy continues as does his progress. Mommy and Daddy are soooo proud of him!
3. On Monday I managed to deep clean 4 rooms in the house. And I mean DEEP clean. Cabinets emptied, washed inside and out, and restocked. Walls scrubbed as needed. Everything dusted and clutter put away. Makes me feel good to start Lent with a clean house. :)
4. (Because we are talking about 4's here) All four of us made it to mass yesterday for Ash Wednesday. Since we haven't made it to an Ash Wednesday mass in a while (I think since we've been married) this is a big success!
Tell us about your successes over at Faith and Family Live!
1. First, and by all means most important....Today my wonderful husband and I are celebrating our 4th anniversary! How blessed I am to have him by my side! In these four short years Matt started a new job, we bought a house, had our first son, moved cross-country into my parents house, almost sold our house, moved into a rental house, had our second son and somewhere in between all still found time to be spouses. Maybe not quite as often as we should have - but enough to know that our relationship is still growing. We're still learning about each other, ourselves and our marriage. We still spend time laughing and loving. I can't wait to see what the next year brings!
2. I waged battle with the Early Intervention system with the support of my dad. The therapy team recommended to the state that he work with 4 different therapists. We won the battle!...I'll keep you posted on the war. In the meantime, John's therapy continues as does his progress. Mommy and Daddy are soooo proud of him!
3. On Monday I managed to deep clean 4 rooms in the house. And I mean DEEP clean. Cabinets emptied, washed inside and out, and restocked. Walls scrubbed as needed. Everything dusted and clutter put away. Makes me feel good to start Lent with a clean house. :)
4. (Because we are talking about 4's here) All four of us made it to mass yesterday for Ash Wednesday. Since we haven't made it to an Ash Wednesday mass in a while (I think since we've been married) this is a big success!
Tell us about your successes over at Faith and Family Live!
Friday, March 4, 2011
Support
As Nathan starts to approach that 9 month milestone I'm remembering what it's like to have a mobile baby at my feet again. I find myself constantly saying, "Not for baby," "Don't touch that!," "No, no, no! Nathan!" I remember being so excited when John started showing signs of crawling until he crawled to the phone, dialed 9-1-1 and then hung up. That was the beginning of the end of my fascination with mobile children. With Nathan - I find myself dreading the thought of a crawling baby. He's mobile for all intents and purposes; using the army or inchbug method to get anywhere he wants and many places he shouldn't be. And we've already made one trip to the hospital to have his GI track x-rayed when I couldn't find a magnet that belongs to one of John's toys that Nathan was using a teething ring.
It's important for me to remember that daily household living isn’t always as intense as when there is a newly mobile baby on the scene. Getting out the door doesn’t have to produce a cold-sweat. Going to the store doesn't have to seem like the impossible dream.
Babies are wonderful and there are a lot of extra challenges when they are very small. In the very early, very challenging weeks with a newborn, the best lifelines I had were words of encouragement from my husband and from trusted friends. In those sleep-deprived days and nights, what I needed to hear most was “you’re doing great, you’re going to make it, this too shall pass.” I needed an opportunity to laugh a little and love a lot. Looking back, I appreciate every friend and family member who was quick to offer those things to me. But the fact of the matter is - I tend to find my groove pretty quickly. Those first few months when the baby is nursing and carried around in a sling are relatively easy for me. I feel like I can pick up and go at just about any time with little notice. After all, the baby will sleep anywhere, I'm his only food source, and as long as I have a diaper with me - the rest we can fake!
However, I seem to struggle with the "newly mobile, on some sort of a routine/schedule, prefers to sleep in his own crib" stage. I feel like there isn't time to run errands between naps and meals (at least not by the time I fill sippy cups, gather snacks, wrangle the kids into coats, buckle car seats, and run back in to grab my cell phone). Playdates seem next to impossible to schedule when I'm juggling John's therapies and two naps schedules. It’s not that things have been terrible, or I've been pushed into the pit of despair. However, reality is that I would love to have a helping hand about now. I need someone to do a quick sweep of the kitchen floor so I can set Nathan down while I cook dinner or a friend to gather the half-empty drinks from the coffee table before the baby struts over in his walker and dumps them on the floor. I need someone who is willing to come over and chat in my living room so that both my boys can sleep in their own beds at their regularly scheduled times.
Now that I’m on this side of things, I am trying to remain mindful of all the encouragement I received at the beginning. I am doing great. I am going to make it. This too shall pass. This stage, like all the stages, is short lived and one day soon - I'll be wishing I had it back.
It's important for me to remember that daily household living isn’t always as intense as when there is a newly mobile baby on the scene. Getting out the door doesn’t have to produce a cold-sweat. Going to the store doesn't have to seem like the impossible dream.
Babies are wonderful and there are a lot of extra challenges when they are very small. In the very early, very challenging weeks with a newborn, the best lifelines I had were words of encouragement from my husband and from trusted friends. In those sleep-deprived days and nights, what I needed to hear most was “you’re doing great, you’re going to make it, this too shall pass.” I needed an opportunity to laugh a little and love a lot. Looking back, I appreciate every friend and family member who was quick to offer those things to me. But the fact of the matter is - I tend to find my groove pretty quickly. Those first few months when the baby is nursing and carried around in a sling are relatively easy for me. I feel like I can pick up and go at just about any time with little notice. After all, the baby will sleep anywhere, I'm his only food source, and as long as I have a diaper with me - the rest we can fake!
However, I seem to struggle with the "newly mobile, on some sort of a routine/schedule, prefers to sleep in his own crib" stage. I feel like there isn't time to run errands between naps and meals (at least not by the time I fill sippy cups, gather snacks, wrangle the kids into coats, buckle car seats, and run back in to grab my cell phone). Playdates seem next to impossible to schedule when I'm juggling John's therapies and two naps schedules. It’s not that things have been terrible, or I've been pushed into the pit of despair. However, reality is that I would love to have a helping hand about now. I need someone to do a quick sweep of the kitchen floor so I can set Nathan down while I cook dinner or a friend to gather the half-empty drinks from the coffee table before the baby struts over in his walker and dumps them on the floor. I need someone who is willing to come over and chat in my living room so that both my boys can sleep in their own beds at their regularly scheduled times.
Now that I’m on this side of things, I am trying to remain mindful of all the encouragement I received at the beginning. I am doing great. I am going to make it. This too shall pass. This stage, like all the stages, is short lived and one day soon - I'll be wishing I had it back.
Thursday, March 3, 2011
What Are The Little Things?
Every Thursday Danielle Bean over at Faith and Family Live! encourages us fellow moms to celebrate our small successes from the past week. She reminds us that when you work as a stay-at-home-mom it's often the small successes that add up to one big triumph.
So with no further ado - here's the successes from the Garcia clan this week:
1. I have resisted the urge to completely panic even though the computer gurus who currently have my dead laptop are having trouble finding the pictures on my hard drive. They have located the ones from March 2010 and earlier - but nothing from the last year. Please, oh please, Lord - a little intercession would be greatly appreciated! I can't imagine losing a whole year of photos of my family (including the first 6 months of Nathan's life!) I keep reminding myself that I have most of the photos on Walgreens.com and my family and friends have a wealth of photos of my family...but still...prayers and pleas are appreciated!!!!
2. John's next IFSP meeting has been scheduled and this time I'm better prepared. After the last meeting I was so upset about the outcomes, but I won't be this time! I have spoken with the speech therapist, done my research, gotten copies of all his evaluations/reports and more! John's lawyer (read as: Grandpa) will even be there to back us up. We're gearing up for a battle - but I'm optimistic of the potential outcome.
3. The family attended a rally this week to support the state workers of Wisconsin. I know it can quickly get to be a heated topic, but as a child of a State of Illinois employee father and a teacher union-supported mother - I think collective bargaining and unions are important. Since not everyone has a voice at the table (for obvious reasons) I think the least we can do is allow a few to speak/negotiate for the many. Even more important to me is I truly believe that the right to freely associate is God-given. That being said - I don't think anyone, government included, should be allowed to strip any of my God-given rights.
Whether you agree with those who are protesting/rallying or not, I think we can all agree that prayers are needed. Prayers for those involved in the protests, prayers for those at the bargaining table, prayers for those who are trying their best to work with a completely out-of-balance budget. Let us offer up our thoughts for everyone involved to come to a mutual understanding and do what is best for the majority. Really - God has never asked us to do anything more.
So with no further ado - here's the successes from the Garcia clan this week:
1. I have resisted the urge to completely panic even though the computer gurus who currently have my dead laptop are having trouble finding the pictures on my hard drive. They have located the ones from March 2010 and earlier - but nothing from the last year. Please, oh please, Lord - a little intercession would be greatly appreciated! I can't imagine losing a whole year of photos of my family (including the first 6 months of Nathan's life!) I keep reminding myself that I have most of the photos on Walgreens.com and my family and friends have a wealth of photos of my family...but still...prayers and pleas are appreciated!!!!
2. John's next IFSP meeting has been scheduled and this time I'm better prepared. After the last meeting I was so upset about the outcomes, but I won't be this time! I have spoken with the speech therapist, done my research, gotten copies of all his evaluations/reports and more! John's lawyer (read as: Grandpa) will even be there to back us up. We're gearing up for a battle - but I'm optimistic of the potential outcome.
3. The family attended a rally this week to support the state workers of Wisconsin. I know it can quickly get to be a heated topic, but as a child of a State of Illinois employee father and a teacher union-supported mother - I think collective bargaining and unions are important. Since not everyone has a voice at the table (for obvious reasons) I think the least we can do is allow a few to speak/negotiate for the many. Even more important to me is I truly believe that the right to freely associate is God-given. That being said - I don't think anyone, government included, should be allowed to strip any of my God-given rights.
Whether you agree with those who are protesting/rallying or not, I think we can all agree that prayers are needed. Prayers for those involved in the protests, prayers for those at the bargaining table, prayers for those who are trying their best to work with a completely out-of-balance budget. Let us offer up our thoughts for everyone involved to come to a mutual understanding and do what is best for the majority. Really - God has never asked us to do anything more.
Tuesday, March 1, 2011
March Goals
Each month I make a mental list of goals for the month. Some things get done, some things don't. There doesn't seem to be much rhyme or reason to which ones are accomplished and which ones aren't (other than my whim and desires at any given moment). So I thought that maybe, just maybe, if I posted them here on the blog for the world to see...I might accomplish a few more of them each month...time will tell.
So with no further delay - the goals for March include:
*Buy a new laptop. - completed 3/15
* Plant a vegetable/herb garden in the backyard. - it's gone from 85 to snowing...postposted until April
*Get our finances/budget back under control by loading Quicken on our new laptop. - completed 3/21
*Coordinate John's Early Intervention services during an IFSP meeting. - completed 3/8
* Work with John's therapists to coordinate therapy sessions that will fit our schedule better. - still a work in progress.
* Begin proposal for community learning class at Lewis and Clark. - maybe I can start today?
*Have MOMS Club calendar prepared for upload prior to March 25th.
I'll update everyone at the end of the month!
So with no further delay - the goals for March include:
*
* Plant a vegetable/herb garden in the backyard. - it's gone from 85 to snowing...postposted until April
*
*
* Work with John's therapists to coordinate therapy sessions that will fit our schedule better. - still a work in progress.
* Begin proposal for community learning class at Lewis and Clark. - maybe I can start today?
*
I'll update everyone at the end of the month!
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