Farmer Family Scoop

Anticipating Christmas in a New Way

2009-12-07T13:32:00.000-08:00

If You Follow Me Here, Could You Follow Me There?

2009-12-05T11:27:00.000-08:00

Hey! If you are a follower of The Farmer Family Scoop, I would be ever so grateful if you would make the short trip to The Inquisitive Mom and add yourself to the followers there! In addition to my regular musings and family content, I am working on including reviews and giveaways to my blog. I actually have a couple coming up! You would really help me out if you would just take a moment to basically "transfer" your google follow from this site to my new location. Thanks so much! Mindy

Before the Social Awkwardness Sets in...New Post at The Inquisitive Mom

2009-11-30T14:21:00.000-08:00

In case you haven't made the (very) short trip with me over to http://www.theinquisitivemom.blogspot.com, just thought I'd let you know that I just posted http://theinquisitivemom.blogspot.com/2009/11/before-social-awkwardness-sets-in.html.

What are you waiting for?

:0) Mindy

I'm Moving to The Inquisitive Mom...Please Join Me!

2009-11-20T09:29:00.000-08:00

I started this blog after my family moved from our Washington State home to small town Illinois, far from our family and friends. When I discovered how much I loved visiting other blogs to stay connected (and to reconnect), I decided to start one of my own. As the name implies The Farmer Family Scoop was meant primarily to share pictures, updates, and anecdotes about our little family. I initially envisioned that both Tim and I would author the blog.

Over time, I found that the blog was my outlet...Tim wrote maybe a total of two posts. While the primary focus has still been my family, I've also shared some of my thoughts, experiences, and ideas. When my interests expanded to cloth diapering, I started discovering a whole new network of mommy bloggers. I worried that my current blog was moving too far beyond the focus of my family to interest the audience and I also worried that a new audience wouldn't be interested in all of my family anecdotes and pictures. To mitigate this problem, I created http://www.theinquisitivemom.blogspot.com.

After managing two blogs for a few months and reading more and more mommy blogs, I now think I was mistaken. I think there's room for a blog to be personal and also appeal to a broad audience, as long as it's sincere. There's plenty of room in one blog for family, faith, humor, experiences, and information.

I will always love my http://farmerfamilyscoop.blogspot.com site and plan to still post some pictures and family updates here occasionally. But I now think it's time to merge into one blog, so I'm asking if you'll please take a trip with me, follow http://www.theinquisitivemom.blogspot.com/ and add me to your blog roll. In fact, if you're feeling generous, I'd love it if you'd even grab the code from my The Inquisitive Mom blog and add it to your site! I've even imported all of the previous posts from this blog, so you won't miss a thing! Thanks!

Happiness is a Wooden Spoon, a Pot, and a Sibling for Your Band

2009-11-18T06:23:00.000-08:00

Ella still had a bit of time left before school this morning to play with her little brother after breakfast. She's been making more of an effort to play with him and baby him a bit now that he's getting bigger. It seems ironic, but I think it's natural because he must feel more like a "real" person to her now that he can crawl, babble, point, and interact more. I wish I'd taken a picture of my kiddos together this morning, but I was actually sweeping, filling the dishwasher, and simply enjoying the moment. Ella asked for a big pot and spoon, then said "Ezra needs the little one. He needs a spoon too!" The proceeded to bang to their heart's content, laughing, and smiling together, while Ella instructed me to dance. This might sound cheesy, but it was one of those moments of happiness that you feel is being etched on your heart.

As I took a few extra moments to snuggle my little ones to sleep last night, I decided to stop and savor the moments with my kids more. Two kids, plus all that our family has going on, can sometimes make me feel like there's never enough time for anything, so I think I'm rushing through my life a bit. I don't want to look back and wished I'd played for just a few more minutes, read just one more book, or snuggled just a bit longer. So, I"m resolving to pull out the pots more, play My Little Ponies for a bit longer, and to stop more and really listen.

When Two Book Nerds Unite

2009-11-12T07:34:00.000-08:00

Last night, Ella handed her dad a book to read. Turned out it didn't have much of a plot or storyline, but he indulged her and started reading anyway. I came into the room and heard, "Those who work with language know there's no such thing as a synonym." It seems Tim decided to indulge his little girl, start reading "The Synonym Finder," and wait for her to call his bluff. I laughed and told Ella she should appreciate that book because it's the reason she's here today.

Thing is, this isn't too far from the truth. Of course attraction, a bit of luck, a church dance, and (later) texting helped bring Tim and I together, but our first conversation involved a mutual liking of this book. In fact, quite a bit of our getting to know each other and "courtship" involved books. First, "The Synonym Finder," then Tim lent me "The Poisonwood Bible" (I hate the characters & can't get through it. I know everyone loves it, but now resisting it is sort of a "thing," you know?), then he bought me the Harry Potter books for my 25th birthday (I didn't want to read them because they were uber-popular, but I really like him, so I read them), and I gave him "Sonnets from the Portuguese" for our first Valentine's Day.

Dorky, you say? That's okay. As Tim would say, "Nerd is the new cool." ;0)

Ezra Climbs to New Heights

2009-11-06T12:37:00.000-08:00

Now that Ezra's marathon teething session seems to be coming to a close, he's more willing to venture out on his own again and explore the world. He wowed my mom and I last week by crawling, then refused to crawl and only wanted to walk with someone. In fact, there's been quite a few days this past week when he was only happy when holding onto mom's fingers and toddling around the room!
When Ezra approached the stairs last night, I was curious to see what he'd do. He's finally figured out how to "walk" up them with assistance, but he was crawling up to them. Initially, he'd make it up to the first step, then slide down during every successive attempt:

Sometimes you even need a little head push!

We took a break to change his diaper and I let him play again for a few minutes before bed so he could show off for Daddy. If his bum looks out of proportion to you in these photos, rest assured that his diaper is double stuffed for nighttime!

I swear I looked away for a second and he was climbing the stairs, nearly to the top!

I love how pleased he looks with himself!

Suddenly he looks like such a big boy!

Just chillin' on the stairs like he's done it all his life.

Heading back down the stairs is tricky!

Wordless Wednesday: Making Cookies with Grandma

2009-11-04T14:06:00.000-08:00

Grandma Cathy and Ella had a blast making Halloween cookies this past week. Ella talked about it in anticipation the entire week before. For some reason, she also thought they were going to get to eat the cookies in bed, but forgot about this in the excitement of making cookies!

This is a long series of photos, but I just couldn't decide which ones to cut. I wanted Grandma to see them all!

Visit www.5minutesformom.com for more Wordless Wednesday Fun!

Order Scentsy for the Holidays & Get 10% off Your Next Order

2009-11-03T11:39:00.001-08:00

The Scentsy 2009 Holiday collection is here! With snowflakes, a snowman, holly, and an angel, there's sure to be a holiday selection to suit any taste!

Now is a terrific time to order your holiday gifts. Scentsy makes an excellent "thank you" gift for a teacher, gift for a neighbor, or Christmas gift for a discerning friend!

Order your holiday gifts early and receive 10% off your next order! Simply visit my website at www.scentsy.com/mindyfarmer (click on the button link above) and opt to shop from the "Holiday Party." This party is open until Sunday evening, November 8th. Orders must be placed through this party to qualify! Happy Shopping!

We Love Grandma's Visits!

2009-11-03T08:28:00.000-08:00

Grandma Cathy found a way to visit us for a week over Halloween and we were thrilled! Ella thought having Grandma here was absolute heaven. Once again, she only wanted Grandma to help with everything and we'd regularly hear, "Come on, Grandma" throughout the day. I'm convinced there's no better companion than a Grandma! We miss you mom and we're so grateful you came to visit us!

We did all kinds of fun things during Grandma Cathy's visit, starting with an overnight trip to St. Louis. Grandma flew in, we met up with her, stayed overnight (without much sleep due to Ezra), then enjoyed a day in St. Louis. Tim and I were able to do a session at the LDS temple while mom watched the kids (thanks, mom!), then we went to the zoo for some Halloween fun. I don't have a lot of time today with Ezra not feeling well, but I thought I'd post these pics. More field trip and cookie-making fun to come!

Wordless Wednesday: Crawling!!!

2009-10-28T13:33:00.001-07:00

Ezra finally crawled for the first time today! He's been sitting forever, scooting on his bum, and scooting backwards on his belly, and near crawling lift-off for so long. Today, he finally got up on his knees and did it! Now he can chase his sister around the room! I'm so excited about this moment, I'm dual posting on both of my blogs!

Join the fun at http://www.5minutesformom.com

Times are a Changin': Wet Eyes for the Primary Program?

2009-10-26T11:46:00.000-07:00

I've never been shy to admit this: I don't really enjoy children singing. In organized groups, I mean. Of course, I adore it when my own child makes up songs and sings loudly and off-tune. My own offspring is the exception. I don't particularly want to attend a school choir concert, I pass over kid's CDs that feature actual children singing, and I've never been a big fan of the end of the year Primary program at church. I love children and I will attend their concerts and smile during their time to shine, but my eyes will probably stray to the clock a few times.

So, I was a bit shocked yesterday when I found my eyes watering up a bit during the first song of our ward's annual Primary program at church. I thought, "What's happening to me?" My kids are too young to participate. As I read the words in the program, I realized that I'm becoming a bit of a softy. People have always told me that I'd get over this issue with kids singing as my kids grew. But I never believed them. Now I might have to eat my words.

The kids still sang off tune. The smallest ones still mumbled the words and then practically shouted the ones they knew. The older kids still looked like someone was torturing them. But they were singing the sweetest songs about the family and, as I read the words in the program, I was so touched. I loved that these children attended church each Sunday for a year and focused on their eternal families. The words to the songs were so simple and lovely. I instantly wanted to go home and download them so I could learn them along with Ella (they are all new to me).

Here are some of the songs that melted my frosty heart:

Matthew Neeley, “The Family Is of God,” Friend, Oct 2008, 28–29

1. Our Father has a family. It’s me!
It’s you, all others too: we are His children.
He sent each one of us to earth, through birth,
To live and learn here in fam’lies.

2. A father’s place is to preside, provide,
To love and teach the gospel to his children.
A father leads in fam’ly prayer to share
Their love for Father in Heaven.

3. A mother’s purpose is to care, prepare,
To nurture and to strengthen all her children.
She teaches children to obey, to pray,
To love and serve in the fam’ly.

4. I’ll love and serve my family and be
A good example to each fam’ly member.
And when I am a mom or dad, so glad,
I’ll help my fam’ly remember:

[Chorus]
God gave us families to help us become what He wants us to be—
This is how He shares His love, for the fam’ly is of God.

“Seek the Lord Early,” Children’s Songbook of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 108

I’ll seek the Lord early while in my youth,

And he will help me to know the truth.
I’ll search the scriptures and find him there,
Then go to our Father in fervent prayer.
I’ll seek the Lord early, and I’ll obey
His living prophets in all they say.
I’ll keep his commandments; his love will abound.
I will seek the Lord early, and he will be found.

Words and music: Joanne Bushman Doxey, b. 1932

“I’ll Walk with You,” Children’s Songbook of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 140–41

If you don’t walk as most people do,

Some people walk away from you,
But I won’t! I won’t!
If you don’t talk as most people do,
Some people talk and laugh at you,
But I won’t! I won’t!
I’ll walk with you. I’ll talk with you.
That’s how I’ll show my love for you.
Jesus walked away from none.
He gave his love to ev’ryone.
So I will! I will!
Jesus blessed all he could see,
Then turned and said, “Come, follow me.”
And I will! I will!
I will! I will!
I’ll walk with you. I’ll talk with you.
That’s how I’ll show my love for you.

Words: Carol Lynn Pearson, b. 1939. © 1987 IRI
Music: Reid N. Nibley, b. 1923. © 1987 IRI

If you're interested in listening to audio versions of - children ;0) - singing these songs, you can find them at www.lds.org.

A Belated Anniversary Post for My Favorite Person

2009-10-21T07:02:00.000-07:00

Tim and I celebrated our 5th Anniversary on September 4th and enjoyed a wonderful evening away together in St Louis (thanks Bryan and Heather!). We really needed to get away and simply focus on each other. I couldn't believe how physically relaxed we felt and looked after one evening celebrating our anniversary!

Awhile back, I wrote about how love songs in the car always make me think of Tim. I know it sounds a bit corny, but marrying Tim is the best choice I ever made! I love being married and Tim is my favorite person. For our five year anniversary, I thought it would be fun to compile a few poems and songs that always remind me of my husband.

I love you, Tim! Thanks for 5 incredible, joyful years together! This is my belated anniversary note to you:

The Shirt by Jane Kenyon
When I first read this poem in college, it took my breath away with its brevity and sensuality. It expresses so much of how I feel about you in so few words.

The shirt touches his neck
and smooths over his back.
It slides down his sides.
It even goes down below his belt—
down into his pants.
Lucky shirt.

From "It Feels Like Today" by Rascall Flats
From our wedding video - I always imagine us walking out of the temple, grinning, when I hear this song. I can feel the thrill of the moment again and the incredible joy I felt holding your hand, standing next to you, knowing we were married for eternity.

I Woke up this morning
With this feeling inside me that I can't explain
like a weight that I've carried
Been carried away, away

But I know something is coming
I don't know what it is
But I know it's amazing, you save me
My time is coming
And I'll find my way out of this longest drought...

It feels like today I know
It feels like today I'm sure
It's the one thing that's missin'
The one thing I'm wishin'
Life's sacred blessin' and then
It feels like today
Feels like today

XLIII. "How do I love thee? Let me count the ways..." by Elizabeth Barrett Browning

Elizabeth's sonnet for Robert expresses the way I feel for you so eloquently...

How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.
I love thee to the depth and breadth and height
My soul can reach, when feeling out of sight
For the ends of Being and ideal Grace.
I love thee to the level of everyday's
Most quiet need, by sun and candle-light.
I love thee freely, as men strive for Right;
I love thee purely, as they turn from Praise.
I love thee with a passion put to use
In my old griefs, and with my childhood's faith.
I love thee with a love I seemed to lose
With my lost saints, --- I love thee with the breath,
Smiles, tears, of all my life! --- and, if God choose,
I shall but love thee better after death.

From "Accidentally in Love" by Counting Crows
This somehow became "our song" in a way and it always reminds me of you. I want to crank it up whenever I hear it and I miss having it as "your" ring tone.

So I said, "I'm a snowball running"
Running down into the spring
That's coming all this love melting under
Blue skies belting out sunlight, shimmering love

Well baby I surrender to the strawberry ice cream
Never ever end of all this love
Well I didn't mean to do it
But there's no escaping your love

These lines of lightning
Mean we're never alone
Never alone, no, no

Come on, come on
Move a little closer
Come on, come on
I want to hear you whisper
Come on, come on
Settle down inside my love

Come on, come on
Jump a little higher
Come on, come on
If you feel a little lighter
Come on, come on
We were once upon a time in love

We're accidentally in love

From a Fortune Cookie at our Wedding:
Wise words that appealed to me then, but mean much more to me now.

Love does not consist of gazing at each other,
but looking outward in the same direction.
~ Antoine de Saint-Exupery ~

Love,

Mindy

A Moment of Gratitude

2009-10-19T12:22:00.000-07:00

My oldest sister is suffering from both pneumonia and the H1N1 flu right now and I feel so bad for her. I know she is terribly sick and hope she gets better soon. Apparently, the rest of her family was able to get the vaccination and I am so grateful, especially since she has a toddler at home. I am praying that she recovers soon.

I took Ezra in for the second half of his flu shot today (you have to get it twice the first time you are vaccinated for the flu). They told me that they'd actually run out of flu shots and don't normally even start giving them out until October. Luckily, they were able to get some from another clinic. When I heard this news, I looked at my sweet little boy and felt profound gratitude. I felt so grateful that 1. Ella and I had our flu shots last month, 2. A second dose was available for Ezra and, 3. I live in a time when we are blessed with modern medicine and vaccines. I've heard and read several recommendations that everyone get a flu shot this year, even if they don't normally. Now it's just getting Dad in for his.

Everyone will make a choice about this flu shot, as well as the H1N1 vaccination, if and when it is available. I am not getting on my soap box here. Every individual and family will choose for themselves. Sometimes it simply feels good to express gratitude out loud (or on your blog). Today I am so grateful for my little family and to live in a time and place where we can be vaccinated if we choose.

Success (Finally!): Homemade Pizza

2009-10-17T18:17:00.000-07:00

I've been on a mission to make a successful homemade pizza for awhile now, with little success. Every time I've attempted to make pizza a'la Mindy, the results have not justified the time, effort, and money spent. I've used prepared crusts, jiffy crusts, and various dough recipes, all to no avail.

I did a little blog hopping this week, starting at Happily Domestic and linking to Menu Plan Monday at http://orgjunkie.com/". Laura at I'm an Organizing Junkie had a bread machine pizza dough recipe on her site and I decided to try it and then top it with my own selection of ingredients.

I used this delicious dough recipe: Bread Maker Pizza Dough and my bread machine did all of the work. I pulled it out of the bread machine and can't tell you how relived I was when it had the perfect elasticity and was not sticky (the usual results of my previous attempts). Then I simply rolled it into a circle slightly larger than my pizza pan, put the pan over it, flipped everything over, crimped up the sides to create a crust, then lightly brushed some olive oil over the raised crusts.
Then, I added the following:
Ranch Dressing (Maybe 1/2 Cup - spread as you would pizza sauce)
Red Onion and Mushrooms (cooked in oil on stovetop for about 5 minutes)

16 ounces shredded Mozzarella Cheese

1/4 to 1/2 cup shredded Colby Jack Cheese

Canned Artichokes (cut into small pieces)
2 Chicken Breasts, cut into bite-sized pieces (cooked in olive oil on stovetop with Italian Seasoning until cooked through and browned)

I cooked it in a 400 degree oven for 20 minutes and got this:

Wordless Wednesday: Ella's New Do

2009-10-14T19:13:00.000-07:00

Ella gets a new style! Thanks to Kendra - we love it!

See More Wordless Wednesday Links at http://www.5minutesformom.com.

P is for Preschool

2009-10-14T11:46:00.000-07:00

Our girl loves preschool! I laugh a bit now when I think that I was worried that Ella's preschool only offered an everyday schedule. If she didn't go every day, I think we'd have a revolution at our house. We've always read with Ella, as well as incorporated numbers, colors, shapes, and letters into our play. I'm amazed to see how much she's progressed in school after only a month and half, though. My favorite part about school is how excited she is to be independent about putting on her shoes, zipping her coat, going potty, etc.

We had our first parent/teacher conferences last week and I was so impressed by the detailed information her teacher provided, as well as the goals she created for Ella during this quarter. They were simple and achievable and something we could work together on at home as well. Her school is the only NEAYC accredited program in the area, as well as being a public preschool. We're so happy that we have the opportunity to send her to this school!

I wrote an article on Ella's school recently for the Source (go to my Scribd link to read this when the issue posts). They asked me to take pictures as well, so I was able to take a few of Ella in action. She cracked me up, because she barely noticed my presence and just went on busily about her business.

I love seeing how much she thrives in a learning environment and it's so fun to talk to her about school every day. She inevitably answers the question, "What did you do at school today?" with "Painted" and "Rode the school bus." (She rides the bus home because she insisted on it and loves it). Today I tried asking specific questions about what she did and she'd just say, "Yeah." I said, "Did you put your pants on your head?" and random stuff like that. At first, she just responded, "Yeah," but then I saw a twinkle in her eye as she responded. Funny girl!

The school does a terrific job of engaging parents in the units they do at school. The first month, they focused on colors and now Ella loves to frequently ask, "What color is this, mommy?" Her vocabulary (which was already strong) has also increased in this short amount of time, as well as her sentence structure. I especially love her excellent use of "please" and "thank you." :0)

Thoughts from General Conference

2009-10-09T12:12:00.000-07:00

Twice a year, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (sometimes called Mormon), of which I am a member, broadcasts a General Conference for its members. This conference is broadcast worldwide and allows us the opportunity to listen to uplifting, Christ-centered messages. We believe that there is a living prophet today, Thomas S. Monson, as well as living apostles. General Conference provides an amazing opportunity to listen to these men, as well as the women who lead organizations within our church, an. Each time I attend Conference, I increase my testimony and understanding of gospel principles. I am so grateful for this month's General Conference and was touched by so many talks. Next month, two church publications, the Ensign and the Liahona, will publish text of these talks in various languages.I wanted to share some quotes from a few talks that particularly spoke to me.

From The Love of God by President Dieter F. Uchtdorf,Second Counselor in the First Presidency
Think of the purest, most all-consuming love you can imagine. Now multiply that love by an infinite amount—that is the measure of God’s love for you.

God does not look on the outward appearance. I believe that He doesn’t care one bit if we live in a castle or a cottage, if we are handsome or homely, if we are famous or forgotten. Though we are incomplete, God loves us completely. Though we are imperfect, He loves us perfectly. Though we may feel lost and without compass, God’s love encompasses us completely.

He loves us because He is filled with an infinite measure of holy, pure, and indescribable love. We are important to God not because of our résumé but because we are His children. He loves every one of us, even those who are flawed, rejected, awkward, sorrowful, or broken. God’s love is so great that He loves even the proud, the selfish, the arrogant, and the wicked.

What this means is that, regardless of our current state, there is hope for us. No matter our distress, no matter our sorrow, no matter our mistakes, our infinitely compassionate Heavenly Father desires that we draw near to Him so that He can draw near to us.

My thoughts: Days after listening to President Uchtdorf, his words resonated with me and I kept returning to this incredible passage:Though we are incomplete, God loves us completely. Though we are imperfect, He loves us perfectly. Though we may feel lost and without compass, God’s love encompasses us completely."These words so eloquently express what I feel in my heart. As my children grow, feel discouraged, and make choices, this is a message I want them to internalize.

From More Diligent and Concerned at Home by Elder David A. Bednar, Of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles
As our sons were growing up, our family did what you have done and what you now do. We had regular family prayer, scripture study, and family home evening. Now, I am sure what I am about to describe has never occurred in your home, but it did in ours.

Sometimes Sister Bednar and I wondered if our efforts to do these spiritually essential things were worthwhile. Now and then verses of scripture were read amid outbursts such as “He’s touching me!” “Make him stop looking at me!” “Mom, he’s breathing my air!” Sincere prayers occasionally were interrupted with giggling and poking. And with active, rambunctious boys, family home evening lessons did not always produce high levels of edification. At times Sister Bednar and I were exasperated because the righteous habits we worked so hard to foster did not seem to yield immediately the spiritual results we wanted and expected.
Today if you could ask our adult sons what they remember about family prayer, scripture study, and family home evening, I believe I know how they would answer. They likely would not identify a particular prayer or a specific instance of scripture study or an especially meaningful family home evening lesson as the defining moment in their spiritual development. What they would say they remember is that as a family we were consistent.
Sister Bednar and I thought helping our sons understand the content of a particular lesson or a specific scripture was the ultimate outcome. But such a result does not occur each time we study or pray or learn together. The consistency of our intent and work was perhaps the greatest lesson—a lesson we did not fully appreciate at the time.

My Thoughts: Listening to this talk made me grin as I both recalled some laughing fits during prayers as a kid and thought of my little family's Family Home Evenings that often consist of a short story, quite a few songs, and a highly anticipated dessert. I worry sometimes that it's not as spiritually edifying as it should be. Elder Bednar's words helped me to understand that it is the consistency that matter. Even a short thought on eternal families, followed by "Families Can Be Together Forever," then brownies strengthens my family. He also inspired me to consider other ways I can be more consistent in my personal study and worship.

From What Have I done for Someone Today? by President Thomas S. Monson
The Apostle Paul admonished, “By love serve one another.”³ Recall with me the familiar words of King Benjamin in the Book of Mormon: “When ye are in the service of your fellow beings ye are only in the service of your God.”⁴

The Savior taught His disciples, “For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: but whosoever will lose his life for my sake, the same shall save it.”⁵
I believe the Savior is telling us that unless we lose ourselves in service to others, there is little purpose to our own lives. Those who live only for themselves eventually shrivel up and figuratively lose their lives, while those who lose themselves in service to others grow and flourish—and in effect save their lives.

My Thoughts: I think it is significant that Thomas S. Monson, our prophet, chose to emphasize service during conference. When we struggle personally, professionally, financially, etc., it can be easy to look inward. I definitely have a long way to go before I serve others as I should, but I have a testimony that, when you lose yourself in service, that is when you find yourself. President Monson also shared stories of ways young children celebrated his birthday through gifts of service and they inspired me to find ways to help my own children understand the joy of service.

Text, Audio, and Video from these and other talks from the October 2009 General Conference can be found at www.lds.org

I'm a Diaper Discussions Contributer Today!

2009-10-09T06:55:00.000-07:00

I'm a contributer on Diaper Discussions today, sharing my Love/Hate Relationship with Prefold Diapers! Visit A Love Hate Relationship with Prefolds to view my post. Thanks for the opportunity, Julie!

Dads are the Best

2009-10-08T11:41:00.000-07:00

Despite the rain and chill, Ella is still desperate to play outside these days. I do my best, but Ezra and I don't enjoy playing outside for quite as long as she does. Tim took her out yesterday evening, despite the fact that he was tired and just wanted to stay inside. I went out to call them in for dinner and was treated to a delightful sight. Tim had his bicycle out and was riding up and down the sidewalk while Ella chased after him. Ella was slightly winded, with rosy red cheeks, and bright eyes. Her excitement was palpable and she said, "I'm chasing Daddy on his bike!" Mommy is never this fun. Aren't dads the best?!

Wordless Wednesday: First Hair Cut!

2009-10-07T12:50:00.000-07:00

I put a fun photo of Ella's hair on The Inquisitive Mom blog, so I thought I'd highlight Ezra's new do for this one. My friend Kendra couldn't stand the long hairs around Ezra's ears and neck this past Friday, so she just went ahead and trimmed him during our babysitting trade night. When I walked in, she said, "I hope you won't be made at me" and I laughed. I'm glad he got a little trim, but a tiny bit sad I missed it! Oh, well, she did me a favor and he looks like such a big boy (although, thank goodness he left the personality on top!).

Visit http://www.5minutesformom.com for more Wordless Wednesday posts.

Mr. Personality

2009-10-04T18:39:00.000-07:00

I looked at Ezra today and thought, "He won't be a baby much longer." Made me feel a tiny bit sad, but also excited for what's to come. He is such a delightful little guy and gets cuter by the minute. I love how much he shows his personality lately and caught a few fun shots of him this past week. My friend, Kendra, had her turn babysitting on Friday and just couldn't stand the long hair around the ears anymore (She's a Hair Stylist). So, she trimmed up his hair (but left the personality on top) and he looks like such a big boy! Photos to come!

Ezra tried "Yo Baby" Yogurt for the first time this week - Yum!

This messy face is pretty common around our house.

Ezra was delighted by this balloon the other day.

Look at those cool string - and my big boy sitting himself up.

I love his big grin and silly hair!

Everything goes in the mouth. Look at Ezra sharing!

Hmmm...what happens if I drop it?

Where'd it go?

Can I reach it?

Happy Days

2009-09-29T09:17:00.000-07:00

Whew! Things have been busy around the Farmer household lately. I'm still trying to figure out a parenting - work - life - homemaking - church calling balance, but I think that will be a lifetime pursuit! I've always been the type of gal who's had the "you work to play" mindset. This posed a bit of a challenge as I transitioned to becoming a full-time SAHM. In a Mom's world, everything blends together. You have no clearly defined boundaries between work and play. Now that I have my Scentsy business and my writing position as more clearly defined "work," I'm trying to figure it all out again.

Amidst all of this, though, one thought keeps dominating everything: "My life is good." I used to think the best things in life involved leisure - reading a good book, watching a thought-provoking film, or playing games. I still love these things, but I'm not waiting for those moments of "freedom" to feel relaxed or satisfied anymore. Instead, I'm enjoying the time spent with my two little ones and loving my work. It's actually difficult for me to sit down and watch a show alone now, unless I just have to hunker down and fold laundry or organize materials. I save that time for hanging out with Tim. I'd rather be occupied elsewhere. In fact, I'm dually folding laundry and writing this post while Ezra naps. The trick, for me, seems to organize my day so I can focus fully on the moment at hand without worrying about the other things I need to accomplish!

I feel like it's been too long since a fun post sharing some fun Farmer kid facts! I thought I'd take a moment and share some!

Ella Love, love, loves preschool (and Eloise books too.)
If you ask her what she did at school today, she'll most likely describe the snack and tell you she rode the bus. (The two most important things).
Ella rides the bus home from school (I drop her off) because she is so enamored with buses and was so sad when she didn't get to ride it the first day.
She can talk non-stop for what seems like hours, asking "What color is that?" What's her/his/it's name?" "What's that, mommy?" Her curiosity is insatiable!
Her vocabulary seems to expand daily and she is so descriptive now.
Ella adores Halloween and has been telling us things are "spooky" lately, as in "That's a spooky popsicle."
She would always rather play with a friend or mom and dad than play alone.
She is trying learn to ride a trike and gets how it works, but doesn't quite have the patience to follow through.
Ella could still swing all day.
She now likes to ask to watch "Bear Grylles" - Man Vs. Wild.
She is a total sucker for reverse psychology. Mom wants a kiss and says, "I hate kisses." Ella furrows her brow and decides I need kisses.
My favorite game: "I love you, Ella." "No, I love you." "No, I love you." You get the idea.

Ezra continues to charm people everywhere he goes with his big, bright eyes and sweet grin.
He loves to wave, but not on queue and still looks puzzled when other people wave.
Ezra loves banging toys together.
He loves to clap and gets so excited when you say, "Yeah!"
I love it when Ezra tries to pinch pictures in books between his fingers because he thinks they're real.
He has 6 big teeth!
He scoots backwards and it makes him mad!
Ezra loves to stand holding hands and wants to let go and lean on my legs or just hold one hand. He is ready to stand on his own any day!
He's started taking steps when he's standing and holding hands.
Ezra loves feeding himself and would eat bananas and snacks all day if he could (alas, he can't).
His cheeks are so round and soft and sweet - I love to kiss them!

He has a full, happy, delighted laugh.

Scentsational Mom Giveaway: Scentsy DIY (Design It Yourself) Kit

2009-09-26T08:50:00.000-07:00

Head on over to The Inquisitive Mom at www.theinquisitivemom.blogspot.com to enter (several ways) to win a DIY (Design it Yourself) Warmer, Theme Pack, and Scentsy Bar from the new fall catalog! You can check this fun new product out at www.scentsy.com/mindyfarmer as well! Link to my website from my new Scentsy button! Be sure to tell your Scentsational friends about this giveaway as well!

Naps and Dirt

2009-09-24T20:04:00.000-07:00

You'd never guess it by looking at these pictures of Ezra, but I think he could be a runner-up for the "World's Worst Napper" Award. With the change in routine and Ella heading off to preschool, though, I'm beginning to see a light at the end of the tunnel. Later morning and afternoon naps seem to now equal longer naps. Please let this continue!

He never used to fall asleep nursing, but it's a new night-time habit he's picked up (too exhausted from fighting naps all day, I guess). I knew he'd wake up before being transferred to his bed, so I had Tim grab the camera and snap these photos of our sweet little sleepy-head.

My next big project is to break him of waking up at 5 am to nurse. I can't believe I'm still doing this, and wouldn't have with Ella, but he is so stubborn. I am gradually trying to ease him into waiting longer and longer. Ella would have given in and gone back to sleep at this age, but this guy is determined. I just have to hang in there - he can make it until 6:30 or 7!

We've been steadily working on eradicating our backyard of weeds (and unwanted plants) and planting grass this summer. We accomplished this in two areas, but had two to go. Our kind neighbor was gracious enough to take out some large unsightly shrubs dividing our properties, then Tim dedicated himself to the very difficult job of removing the stumps. We worked together to prepare this area, as well as a spot in front of our patio, for grass on Saturday.

Ella and her delightful friends, Truman and Eleanor, had a blast playing in the dirt before we planted grass.

Come Visit Me at The Inquisitive Mom

2009-09-21T11:35:00.000-07:00

When I decided to look into cloth diapering, I discovered a vibrant community of moms interested in this, as well as other simple living topics. I realized that this blog is getting overcrowded with posts about cloth diapering, links to giveaways, and mommy stuff. So, I started a new blog to join this community of moms.

If you're interested in simple living and parenting topics, please feel free to join me at http://theinquisitivemom.blogspot.com! I'd love to see you there!

Kickin' it in His KCK Ones

2009-09-16T06:47:00.000-07:00

Ella and Ezra each had something special to wear today. Ella's preschool class is currently focusing on colors, so they dress up and bring something in a specific color just about every other day. Today is orange day and Ella picked out her outfit. She wanted to wear some Sunday dress shoes, so these were our compromise.

Ella didn't feel like having her photo taken and that's why there's just this one.

Ezra looked so cute in his camo shirt and shoes, so I took some of him (and can't seem to edit myself this morning, so this post has alot of pictures).

Ezra loves this garage-sale find. He seems to understand that the shapes go in the slots, but is still working out the mechanics.

Ezra just received his new KCK one-size diapers yesterday and is sporting them today. I purchased these because of the rave reviews they received from other moms. They are a bit pricey, but you support WAHMs when you purchase them. If you keep in mind that it's a one-size diaper, you've definitely saved money, since you'd have to purchase several sized diapers over time if you didn't select a OS.

I simply couldn't resist taking pictures of Ezra in this clever diaper once I received it. I've also posted pictures of the diapers alone and the video tutorial for anyone who's interested. After handling this diaper, I can see why other mom's love it so much! The clever design truly allows for a good, trim fit on a wide range of babies. When I have additional funds to purchase new diapers, I will definitely purchase more of these in other fun colors! I'd also like to try a color on the inside, so it's a bit more stylish when folded over on a smaller baby.

The behind looks a bit bulky here, but I think that's user-error. You can also stuff it with a slimmer liner if you'd like.
These are soft and snug, but the elastic isn't rough on his skin.

Ezra loves his play table!

I often take shots of Ezra without looking through the lens to try and get him to smile at me.

These silly, off-center pics make me happy!

Mobility is no problem in these diapers.

Suddenly, my chubby baby is getting leaner and longer. I can't believe how much he's changed over the past month! Ella did the same thing and you'd never guess she was so round now!

If you're interested in the KCK Ones, you can buy a pattern and fabric at kaylasclothkits.com There's even a video tutorial. I'm a bit nervous about my ability to sew these, but maybe I'll try it in the future. I purchased mine from Brandy's Boutique. You can purchase from Brandy at http://hyenacart.com/brandysboutique or through her Etsy shop. Her work is excellent, as is her customer service!

Here's a photo of the diapers Brandy sewed for me:

The bottom diaper shows how the diaper fits a smaller baby. The top two show how it adjusts for a larger baby.

Here's a video of how these clever diapers work:

A Wild Time

2009-09-14T10:27:00.000-07:00

Our family enjoyed a relaxing weekend together after a busy week. I do love having Tim only work 4 days - the weekend seemed to come so much faster! We've been looking for someplace fun and different to take the kids. They like going for walks and playing at the park, but sometimes you just want to treat them to something a bit more special.

Tim suggested the Henson Robinson Zoo in nearby Springfield and we decided to give it a try. We'd heard mixed reviews because it's so small, but our family enjoyed a relaxing day in the sun. The zoo is very small and, as a result, extremely affordable. There are no large animals to see, but plenty for the toddler-set to enjoy. Ella especially loved the monkeys and the bears. I liked it when she would ask what the animals names were. Names are a current obsession of hers.

We brought a picnic lunch and tried to eat it in the picnic area, but the aggressive peacocks caused Ella to panic, so we found a bench in the shade by the water and watched the ducks and swans. Afterward, we walked the zoo at a leisurely pace, enjoyed the animals, and relaxed while Ella played in the play area awhile. While this zoo wouldn't offer too much excitement for older kids, it was a wonderful afternoon diversion.

Tim's also discovered "Man Vs. Wild" on Netflix Watch Instantly. This show features a host named "Bear" who travels to remote areas and demonstrates how someone would survive if stranded. I have to admit, Bear is a very engaging host and he's fascinating to watch. Ella sat down to watch with daddy post-zoo and she cracked me up. Bear was demonstrating how one could survive by eating a nasty looking bug and she said, "He's eating the bug." Then, "He's happy. He's full now." She was surprisingly non-plussed by his cutting the head off a lizard, then eating it raw, or skinning a dead camel and drinking fluids from its belly. Her comments during the show were priceless! This morning she asked me to eat a pretend bug at the breakfast table, then told me it was yucky. When we saw bugs outside today, she told me that we don't eat them. Good to know.

Ella loved that we had soda, a real treat for her, and kept saying, "Don't drink it all, Mommy." Thanks a lot. ;0) Here she is, enjoying it along the way.

Ella is such a people person. She's walking with us here, but started following families with kids when she could. In her mind, all kids are "friends" and she' d much rather be with them!

Easygoing Ezra chilled in the stroller and enjoyed playing with mom and dad as well.

After a busy afternoon in the sun, Ella was so exhausted, she even fell asleep mid-snack!

PS. Sometimes people ask and, yes, we bring cloth diapers (and, now, wipes) on a day like this. No, it's not a hassle. And, yes, we've dealt with #2 on the road.

My Diaper Stash Vs. My Dream Stash (Plus a few fun photos!)

2009-09-08T19:44:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I decided it was finally time to take my budgeted diaper money, find some labor day coupons, and build our cloth diaper stash. Internet shopping for cloth diapers is a bit tricky, actually, because there are numerous brands and tons of online stores, but none of them carried all of the brands that interested me. I didn't want to pay outrageous sums in shipping, so I went with shops that had discounts that covered this cost and/or free shipping. My current diaper stash keeps my budget in mind and I think we'll be happy with it (for now), but I also have a dream diaper stash. I thought it would be fun to share the two:

My Beginner Diaper Stash:
Most articles I've read suggest a good 18 to 24 diapers for a baby Ezra's age. In order to keep within my budget, I aimed for the 18 diapers range, so I could have a few "fancier" diapers to go along with the prefolds. I weighed the pros and cons of one-size vs fitted diapers and decided that I'd rather have the convenience of one-size over the re-sell value of fitted. So, for now, my stash will consist of the following:

7 Bumgenius 3.0 One-size diapers. They had a buy 6, get the 7th free sale recently. Now that I've used them a bit more and double stuffed them for sleeping, I really like them. Some moms hate hook and loop (velcro), but I feel like the fit is snugger and they take less time than snaps. Just a personal preference. You can buy these just about anywhere, but I purchased at www.diaperdaisy.com.

3 KCK One Size Diapers. The reviews for this diaper are all outstanding, plus you support a WAHM when you purchase these. They are pricey, but seem like a terrific addition to your stash. You can also purchase the pattern and materials at http://kaylasclothkits.com, but I didn't feel like an experienced enough seamstress for this. (Maybe in the future).

1 Thirsties Duo Wrap: Great cover for pre-folds and fitteds. Purchased from www.diaperdaisy.com.

2 Wonder Wraps One Size Diaper Covers: One size, so I couldn't resist it. Purchased at www.kellyscloset.com.

Swaddlebees Chinese Pre-folds 6-Pack (Large): Reviews said these get softer and more absorbent each time you wash them and that they're simple to fold. This is not my favorite way to diaper, but you truly can't beat the price! www.kellyscloset.com.

2 Bamboozles 2: I love fitted diapers and really liked the Thirsties Fab Fitted, but you would need to purchase so many different sizes. I discovered these bamboo fitted diapers that only require the purchase of 2 sizes at www.punkinbutt.com. I'm excited to try them!

1 Woolly Liner: Wool covers are in the $30+ range generally, so I decided to try this liner with my other diapers to provide extra absorption at night.

2 Snappis Fasteners: These clever inventions help hold the prefold in place without the use of pins! You can buy these anywhere cloth diapers are sold.

24 Flannel Wipes: Purchased these at www.punkinbutt.com and plan to make my own solution and keep in an air tight container wet. I'd like to get a wipes warmer, but would only pay for one at a garage sale. Anyone have one they're no longer using?

Fuzzibunz In-and-Out Diaper Bag: This awesome bag hangs on my laundry room door. I put the wet and soiled diapers inside until washing day (every other day). When I'm ready to do laundry, I simply unzip the bottom, let the diapers drop in, then drop in the bag and wash it too. None of those wet pails everyone imagines! Purchased at www.diaperdaisy.com.

Small Planet Wise Wet Bag: This little bag goes inside your diaper bag to contain soiled diapers (smell and all) on the go. I want a wet/dry bag, but need to try this one and budget for the larger one first.

Regular Tide: I would like to try some of the detergents specifically made for cloth diapers, like Rockin' Green that came with my Diaper Daisy trial, but this works for now.

My Dream Diaper Stash:
Fitteds and Sized Diapers seem dreamy to me, but the up-front cost is just too prohibitive for me right now. If cost wasn't an issue, I would still get one-sized, but I'd want a nice stash of fitteds and sized AIOs. I'd also get alot more of everything. If I could have any diaper stash I wanted, I'd purchase the following:

Bumgenius 3.0 and Smartipants one-size pocket diapers
Rumpster, Oh! AIO (Supposed to be the cadillac of cloth diapers)
Drybees AIO Hybrid (velcro)
Drybees AIO Fleece Nighttime
KCK One Size
Thirsties Fab Fitted
Thirsties AIO
Wool Covers
Kisssaluvs Marvels (One size fitted, but $25 a piece and still need a cover)
Some Blueberry Diapers (just because they're so cute)
Planet Wise Wet/Dry Bag
Bidet to rinse diapers
Punkinbutt Cloth Wipes Starter Package

And ("finally!," my mother is thinking) some pictures of the kids from today:

Ezra discovered the cozy coupe the other day. Ella gave him a ride. I decided to find the little foot rest and let him try it on his own.
He loved it!
There's so much to play with and he loves the key and steering wheel.
My little driver.
Honking the horn.
Love him leaning out the window!
Exhausted at the end of the day and waiting on Dad for dinner, I set fussy Ezra by Ella on the couch while she watched "Kipper." I looked over and they were holding hands. So cute!
Sister giving more spontaneous love!

This is what you look like at 5:30 pm when you've had a total of maybe 50 minutes of naps all day (despite mom's efforts).

Diaper Decision Time...

2009-09-06T19:21:00.000-07:00

Blogging about my cloth diapering adventures has created some fun opportunities to connect with other cloth diapering moms. It's gratifying to know that people are interested in your experiences and ideas. I've come to decision time, but I'm having the most difficult time. I spent quite a bit of time weighing the pros and cons of fitted versions all-in-one diapers. I ultimately decided that I care more about ease of use, than I do about re-sell value. I read quite a bit (more) information and felt that well-cared for AIOs could last through Ezra and probably 2 more babies. It would also save me the hassle of purchasing new fitted diapers each time my baby grows. I will probably need some newborn stuff, but I won't need to worry about that for awhile. We'll see how I feel after trying this system out.

After my last review, I read more about Bumgenius. It seems that Ezra is at an odd size moment for diapers and, if I hang in there, these should fit better as he grows. I just love the cost, the colors, and the hook and loop (velcro), plus the relatively lean fit. Nothing seemed to compare in the same price range. So, I kept the Bumgenious 3.0 from my kit and ordered a 6 pack from Diaper Daisy. I also kept the Thirsties Duo Wrap Diaper Cover.

I am so happy to have cloth diapers again because I hated using disposables with the stink and the garbage. For some reason, the Pampers I purchased simply smell so terrible with only a tiny bit of urine. I kept going to change Ezra, thinking his diaper was full, but it wasn't. Not sure what that's all about: Just that diaper or disposables in general. So far, I'm liking the Bumgenius and haven't had any leaks.

7 diapers are simply not enough, though. But I've done too much research! Everywhere I turn, I discover new diaper options. I found this and it got me started looking at all new options:
http://travelingwithbaby.wordpress.com/2008/08/13/cloth-diaper-essentials-a-comparative-review/ I'm very interested in the KCK One Pocket because the reviews are all so awesome and it looks fantastic! I also love that you support WAHM businesses when you order these. You can actually sew your own by purchasing the pattern at http://kckone.com, but I'm not confident enough in my sewing skills, so I am going to purchase a few through Etsy to try out. They are pricey, but moms swear by them.

Beyond that, I'm waiting on Labor Day sale announcements for tomorrow, comparing a few other brands/prices, then making myself decide and purchase tomorrow. I imagine this will include some prefolds, Drybees, some type of One Size fitteds, a cloth wipes kit, and a wet/dry bag. If you have any last-minute recommendations for fabulous diapers, I'm still taking them! I want to get this whole cloth diapering full-time thing, going though, so time to stop researching and order...tomorrow.

What's on my head?

2009-09-01T19:11:00.000-07:00

I've been waiting for the weather to cool down a bit to put this adorable 9 month outfit on Ezra. Thank goodness I didn't wait much longer because he'll be too long soon! I love the little hat with the bear ears, but Ezra didn't! This little guy has never liked hats.

Hi Mom!
You smiling at me?

What's this thing on my head?

Ella wants to wear it!

I want this off!
Silly Ella, trying to help!
I will get this thing off!
I did it!

Ella's First Day of Preschool

2009-08-31T09:50:00.000-07:00

Ella's had a big day today! It's her 3rd Birthday and she started preschool. I think she was excited this morning - she came into my room at 6:15 ready to get on with the day. We had her favorite, french toast sticks, for breakfast and got everything ready for school, including the powdered mini-donuts for her birthday treat to share. She looked so sweet with her tinkerbell backpack that's half her size and her hair combed with the little pink barrett. I experienced that odd intermingling of emotions you often get as a mom - pride, a little bit of fear, excitement, joy, and sadness.

She seemed a little anxious as we headed to her class, but then found her friend Ce Ce and I'm not certain she even noticed when Ezra and I left...just as I'd hoped. Ezra wasn't sure what to do with all of the one on one attention, but we had a good morning. He sure was happy to see his big sis after school, though!

The funniest moment came when I went to pick Ella up from school. She looked a bit unhappy and I wondered what was up. Turned out that she really wanted to get on the school bus with her friend Truman (our neighbor friend). Silly mom. So, I signed her up to ride the bus home and we'll drive to school together. She had a great time, but is tired, and is excited to go back to school tomorrow. I love my girl!

I know Grandma and Daddy wanted to see pics, so I wanted to get this blog post up this afternoon while Ella is relaxing!

Frankenstein Cake

2009-08-29T18:57:00.000-07:00

My mom gave me a cake decorating book and I made my first child's birthday cake last year - a puppy dog and little paw print cupcakes. I enjoyed the experience and thought I'd try making Ella's cake again this year. We've actually been looking through the pictures here and there for about a month now. Since her tastes are ever-changing, I decided to wait to let her choose a design right before her birthday. Then, one day I decided to ask her if she wanted an ice-cream cake. The girl loves all things ice cream. She got excited, so I started making plans.

I researched all kinds of recipes on the internet, asked Tim what he preferred, and then did a facebook flavor survey. Once I decided to go vanilla ice cream with crushed oreos, fudge, and caramel, I only needed to select the size cake. I'm not sure why, but I can never just do the simple thing in these circumstances. When I counted the number of potential guests, a regular cake just didn't seem enough. So, I pulled out 3 round cake pans, each smaller than the next and decided to make a three-tiered ice-cream cake.

The ingredients are not tricky, but the process is time-consuming and you've got to work quickly. Patience and a deep freezer are also helpful. Everything actually went fairly well, except I overdid things a bit with the fudge and caramel. The problems came at frosting time because I had to frost and freeze, frost and freeze. My sister, Merilee, gave me a delicious, light frosting recipes that combines cool whip and pudding mix. So yummy! I frosted my layers, but they were uneven and unimpressive.
I should have left well-enough alone, froze this, then added m&ms as planned around the layers with "Happy Birthday!" on top.

I decided to solve this by adding canned whip cream around the layers for a "decorative effect." By this time, I had some melting issues as well. After a bit more freezing, I decided to remove the whip cream decoration. To fix this fiasco, I had to add more frosting. Consequently, I ended up with more of an ice cream cake mountain, than the 3 tiered cake I envisioned.

This doesn't look as bad as I remembered, but oddly, I think the picture is being a bit kind.

I added m&m rings to try to define the layers, then placed the cake back in the freezer, my heart sinking. I peeked at the cake throughout the day until - suddenly - it hit me! My mountain could be transformed into a princess cake with a doll on top! The end result is definitely not the refined cake I imagined, but Ella was pleased and there was no freezer-burn in sight! I think it actually tasted a bit like Red Robin's Mile High Mudd Pie in the end.

Princess cake turned out cool, although the dripping filling and sliding m&ms leave alot to be desired!
Ella liked it, but she didn't get to see the "princess" for long because we didn't want the cake to melt. Oh, well. She was happy and I had a fun experience making this!

An inside view after it melted a bit, but you get the idea.

Next time, however, a little more technique and a little less experimentation are in order.

The Scoop on Poop and Washing

2009-08-26T12:13:00.000-07:00

As Tim cleaned the poop out Ella's underwear the other night, I said, "Maybe we're just trying cloth diapers out at the right time in our lives." We were dismayed when we saw the diapers piling up after Ezra's birth and found ourselves purchasing extra diaper pails to contain them. Our mission: get Ella potty trained. While having a potty trained toddler is ultimately rewarding, you deal with a lot of pee and poo, clean out lots of underwear, and scrub quite a few carpets before you achieve success. And, even when they're officially potty trained, accidents happen. All accidents are frustrating and dealing with the mess is a hassle, but the gross-out factor has seriously diminished at our house. So, when people get to the "big" cloth diaper question question: "What about the poop?", I think "It's not that big of a deal."

Whether you use a diaper service or not, it's pretty likely that you'll need to shake some poo off cloth diapers before putting them in a bin or the wash. (Side note: According to the Real Diaper Association, disposable diaper packages actually instruct us to do the same.) I did discover the other day, though, that the stool of breast-fed babies (before any solids are introduced) is water-soluble, so serious pre-wash is not necessary. My experience with an older baby is that changing any kind of poopy diaper is gross. In a disposable, it all tends to stick and squish to baby and diaper. It also tends to creep up and out. With a cloth diaper, it doesn't stick in the diaper and I've yet to have it leave the diaper. You can put the diaper over the toilet and it'll easily come off and 'tada!' you're done.

For my trial, I've used a Funnibunz In-and-Out bag especially made for soiled diapers with a zipper at the bottom. I put all soiled diapers inside, making sure to prepare any velcro for the wash. When washing day comes, I hold the bag over the washing machine, unzip it, and the diapers go in. I wash diapers and the bag together.

For washing, I've seen a few suggestions. Basically, most people recommend a cold rinse, hot/cold wash with detergent, then a second cold rinse. It's simple and takes very little time. I've dried everything in the dryer, except covers that dry rather quickly. I would like to try the sun, but haven't been that ambitious yet. Some AIOs and the Bumgenius take a bit longer to dry.
Interested in more detailed info on washing? Here's a link: http://www.greenmountaindiapers.com/washing-diapers.htm

Questions about water usage? Here's a link and some facts: http://www.thisnaturallife.com/3-great-reasons-to-choose-cloth-diapers/ and a quote:

"Some people would question whether cloth diapers are better for the environment because of the water required to wash them. However, washing cloth diapers at home uses about the same amount of water in one week as a toilet being flushed 5-6 times a day. A diaper service washing their diapers in bulk will use even less water."

Lastly, what does my husband think of all this? Realistically, he doesn't change nearly as many diapers as I do, simply because he works outside of the home. He does do his share, however, and I've had him try changing the cloth diapers. For Tim, it's been no big deal and he's willing to make the transition. I'm pretty sure at this point he's ready to quit talking about it and just get on with it! ;0) (But there's so much fascinating information out there!)

So, now I've come to the end of my Diaper Daisy cloth diaper trial and I've decided to move to full-time cloth diapering. We will, of course, keep disposables on hand for babysitters and long trips. I'm getting the trial together to send back and sad to actually be back in disposables and dealing with the trash. This being said, I am not trying to convert anyone to cloth diapering here or convince people that this is "the way" to go. I've loved blogging about my experience and sharing all of discoveries, though.

Coming Up Next: The trial is over. What diapers did I ultimately choose?

My Link for the Day: http://www.diaperpin.com/clothdiapers/article_10thingsaboutclothdiapering.asp

Standing Tall

2009-08-24T13:33:00.000-07:00

Ezra loves trying out his legs recently. He's started doing that sit and turn thing babies do. Plus, he wants to stand as often as he can. I pulled out the play table for him recently and he adores standing and playing. Ezra's pretty bold, too. He'll take one hand off pretty often and try to stand holding only one mom hand as well. Like all mom's say, I can't believe how quickly he's growing up!

Look at those strong legs!
Love the concentration!
I could do this all day!
One hand off.
What does this do?
Happy baby. A smiling picture without drool, for once.
Love this lip biting he does.
I only need one hand for this, mom.

Navigating the New World of Cloth Diapers

2009-08-22T13:45:00.000-07:00

I experienced changing my first cloth diaper change at 12. The parents of this darling little boy were stereotypical birkenstock-wearing, organic food-eating, avid recycling Seattlelites. Perhaps the image many people have when they think of cloth diapering "types." They'd adopted their little guy in their 40s and spared little expense. I remembered being a bit impressed by these new-fangled diapers - an insert in a cover with velcro enclosures. The instructions seemed simple enough: place the insert into the diaper cover and placed soiled diapers in the bin for the service to clean. I dutifully did as instructed. No problem, except for the afternoon I showed up to babysit and the exasperated mother said, "You put the *#@^ in the toilet before you put it in the pail!" I recall thinking, "You didn't tell me that."

This was the early '90s with no diaper pins or plastic pants in site, but this is the image that pops into many heads when you say "cloth diapers." This is still an option, but not one I'm considering. There are a variety of choices that should meet most family needs these days. You can go strictly with one system or mix and match. Thank goodness for the Diaper Daisy trial because I'm still researching ease of use, cost, and durability. I've read more and solicited Tim's opinion since just a few days ago and I am perhaps changing my mind about the best option for our family.

Thankfully, I still have time to select the best styles for my family (and could always purchase a little now and more later). In the meantime, here are my thoughts on the different cloth diaper styles:

Pocket Diapers: These are considered by many to be the "modern cloth diaper." This clever design has the diaper cover with a soft lining sewn to it. Between the cover and the lining is a pocket, where you can slip in one or more insert, depending on the absorbancy you need. When the diaper is soiled, you remove the insert and put the whole diaper in the wash. Pocket diapers are available in sized or one size options.
What I like: These diapers are simple to use and the option to add extra absorbency, especially at night, is helpful. There's no folding and you can easily stuff your prefolds each time you take them out of the dryer, so they're ready to go when you need them. This is a great diaper to use on the go. They also tend to be trimmer fitting than some of the other options, which is a definite plus - especially when your little one is round like mine!
Considerations: I don't love reaching in and pulling out the wet insert, but it's not really a deterrent. Since the lining is sewn to the cover, the entire diaper has to be washed each time you use it. This can mean serious wear and tear on the fabric and fastenings. For this reason, I am considering going with sized pocket diapers, so each diaper won't endure quite so much washing. They are not the cheapest option, so this will add a bit to the cost, but should hopefully even out when used with multiple children. Also, if you want to resell diapers later, sized will probably hold their value better, in my opinion.

All-in-ones (AIOs): It couldn't get simpler than this. Cover, absorbent layer, all sewn together in one neat package. Use and toss in the wash. It's that easy, just like a disposable, with the exception that you might need to clean poo off first.
What I like: Simplicity. Easy to wash, easy to use, no extra steps needed.
Considerations: Since everything will get washed each time, these diapers will definitely wear down faster than, say, a diaper and prefold. But, if you buy them sized rather than one-size, they'll most likely last longer. This means an investment in several sizes, however. I think they will potentially resell better this way in the long run. With the Thirsties AIO I'm using, there's even a pocket for an extra insert. I'm liking these more and more! They definitely look bulkier on baby than pocket diapers, though.

Diaper Covers: These handy covers provide the waterproof protection and can hold a prefold, flat, or fitted diaper. Unless soiled, they simply need to be aired out, so they can be used a few times before washing. You can purchase sized or one-size covers.
What I like: The reusability factor means less washing and wear and tear. It also means you can purchase a few covers and multiple (less expensive) inserts. Thirsties covers are easy to use and have a nice fit on Ezra.
Considerations: Since covers require an insert, they can be a bulkier system than the others. You can pre-stuff your covers if you like with prefolds, which will save time. The easiest system would be to use a fitted diaper with a cover, but you get the most value with a prefold. If cost were not a factor, I would probably skip this system all together.

Prefolds: The rectangles of fabric you think of with cloth diapering. These come in different sizes and qualities. You can fold them different ways and place them inside a diaper cover.
What I like: Economical and fairly easy to use. When they're soiled, there's usually a dry corner to grab, unlike a pocket insert. They are also very absorbent and you can add an insert during sleep time for extra absorbency.
Considerations: Using a prefold does have a bit of a learning curve, but there's lots of tutorials on the internet. You can use a snappi fastener to help hold it in place as well, which I find very helpful. They look bulky to me and can be leaky if you don't get the fold right, but that's probably user-error. You probably wouldn't leave these with a babysitter or reluctant CD user.

Fitted Diapers: Sized diapers that look like a disposable diaper, but made out of cloth, with everything sewn together. These are not waterproof and need to go inside a cover.
What I like: So simple to use and I really like the fit. They've worked well during bedtime for heavy wetting and are very soft.
Considerations: These look a bit bulkier than a pockets or AIOs because you have two layers on baby. Since they're quite a bit pricier than prefolds, I think you'd choose them for fit mostly. Other types of cd seem to have a similar price without requiring two items. These also take a long time to dry.

One Size Diapers: Instead of purchasing multiple sizes for baby, these clever diapers use snaps, velcro, and elastic to grow with your baby. You can purchase AIOs, pockets, and covers as one size.
What I like: Less diapers to buy. You purchase the one and it should last through toddler years.
Considerations: 7 to 35 lbs is alot to ask of one reusable diaper. Washing is certain to wear the fabric and fasteners over time. If you have future babies in mind to hand these down to or resell value is a consideration, I'm not certain they'll hold up. I'm also not crazy about dealing with the fancy snaps on a squirming baby and I'm having difficulty getting a secure fit with these. They are the most likely to leak at bedtime. I also don't really like how bulky they look with the extra fabric - they would probably require you to up-size your clothes on a little baby. Everyone keeps recommending Bum Genius to me as awesome one size diapers and I like they're simplicity, but they seem very small and Ezra will likely outgrow them before toddler years. Maybe I simply haven't found the right all in one brand. Lastly, it sounds like these aren't terrific for newborns, so you probably will need some sized diapers to get through the first month or two.

Have you actually made it this far? Good for you! Here are my final thoughts on fasteners and styles I haven't tried:

Wool: This pricey(!) option sounds incredible. Requires much less washing, is supposed to be very breathable, and is awesome for night time. I'm planning on getting some wool inserts for bedtime until I can afford a cover.
Snaps: A smart choice to endure washing, but I don't like the fit with snaps quite as much as with velcro.
Velcro: I like the snug fit I can get with velcro, although seems like it would wear out faster with washing than snaps.
g-diapers: The are covers with inserts that you can flush, toss, or compost! Awesome idea! They are pricey, though, so I won't be trying them. I definitely care about the environment, but I am not looking for cloth diapering to cost more than disposables. I have heard that people love to use the covers with other cds, though.

Any moms out there with their own cloth diaper recommendations? I'd love to hear 'em!

My website for the day: www.clothdiaperblog.com

Lastly, for anyone who is thinking, "Enough with the cloth diapers already!", here's some fun photos of the kids!

Can you say, "Nap Time!"
Telling Daddy how it is.
Bubbles in the pool are the best. Ezra actually thought this was funny.
I've got a cat on my back!

Feed Your Stash Friday

2009-08-22T08:00:00.000-07:00

Check this out to win your own free stash of cloth diapers!

1 Week in: My Cloth Diapering Discoveries

2009-08-19T11:37:00.000-07:00

Anyone who knows me well will tell you I like new things. I'm that person who tries a fresh shampoo and raves about it, reads a book and recommends it, and hears about a new idea and researches it. In fact, if you want more info about something, I like nothing better than to be asked to help you out. Give me 30 minutes and I'll have something for you. ;0) This isn't some grand desire to be a know-it-all; I just love to gather information and discuss new discoveries with people!

Now that my life is more kid and budget-focused, my "new" tends to be more focused on ideas, techniques, and strategies for living, rather than on things. My husband, Tim, finds himself patiently listening to explanations and details about these new interests. This passion for whatever I find currently engaging is one of the things Tim loves about me, but I'm certain it's a bit wearying at times. As I've turned more toward budgeting, meal planning, and parenting ideas, he's been incredibly supportive. I'm sure he listens with only one ear tuned in at times, but he encourages me to pursue these interests with enthusiasm. When I started looking into cloth diapering and went on and on about my discoveries, Tim zeroed in on the cost benefits and said, "Let's look into it."

As I've mentioned previously, cloth diapering choices are overwhelming! I initially looked into it, thought, "Wow. Interesting. I'd like to try it," but didn't know where to start. After a couple of weeks, I decided to look into CD again (and remember Tim saying, "Good for you.") and discovered the Diaper Daisy Trial.
One week into the trial (www.diaperdaisy.com), here are some of my discoveries:

Every cloth diaper option has it's pros and cons. This is why no one will definitely tell you what "works best." Truthfully, you have to take into consideration your lifestyle, budget, future children, and personal preferences. This is where the diaper trial is so handy! With several options on hand to try and 2 weeks, you can make an educated decision.

Looks can be deceiving. If you'd asked me what diapers I expected to like a week ago, I would have said, "One-size, All-in-ones (AIO), diapers with snaps, and pocket diapers." These more modern and attractive looking diapers appealed to me. After using the diapers at home and out and about, washing them, reassembling them, and handling them, I'm surprised. For my tall, chubby guy, I prefer sized, AIOs, and prefolds with covers (still cute!). Since I also anticipate future babies, these seem more budget-wise for my family. If you need a tutorial on different type of diapers, visit this link: http://littlefornow.com/pages/choose-cloth-diapers.php

Disposable diapers were not hassle-free. People keep referring to the ease of disposables and the yuck-factor involved with cloth. Truthfully, diapering is gross. Keep in mind that I have an 8 month-old, so I can't vouch for newborn cloth diaper changing. I did, however, change disposables on a toddler and baby for quite a few months and felt like I was drowning in diapers! There was never enough room in the diaper pail and it wasn't always convenient to get to. We put the pail in the garage to cut down on smell and flies were attracted to it. The bag needed to be changed frequently - ick! I was constantly buying diapers and estimated we spent about $60 a month to diaper 2 kids using Luvs and generics. Plus (and maybe I shouldn't admit this), there's always that temptation that a disposable "isn't really that wet" because of the cost.

Reusing and washing cloth diapers is satisfying in it's own way. Perhaps I feel this way because because I'm enamored by the newness of cloth diapering. But it feels good to change the diaper whenever it seems necessary without worrying about cost and to avoid all the waste that comes from disposables. It's relatively easy to wash cloth diapers and they come out smelling fresh and new. For me, this feels like a natural extension of caring for my baby.

Cloth Diapers are soft and luxurious compared to disposables. These cloth diapers feel so great against the skin and I feel good about wrapping my baby in them. Plus, the covers are adorable!

There are certainly cons to going with cloth diapering.

Cloth diapers add bulk, although all-in-ones and some pricier styles are much slimmer.
There's a learning curve, especially with prefolds.
The up-front cost is higher.
Personally, I think pulling the inserts out of pocket diapers is gross.
Night/nap time diapering takes some trial and error.
Sizing is approximate and babies are all so different.
If your partner isn't on board, this isn't the option for you.

My website resource for the day: http://www.punkinbutt.com/cloth-diapering-t-3.html. Practical, detailed answers to just about any cloth diapering question!

2 examples of the "Pocket Diaper" with different sized inserts. You can slip 1 or more inserts into the diaper, depending on needed absorbency. When it's soiled, the whole diaper goes into the laundry.

Next Up: My detailed Cloth Diaper Review. I'll give you the scoop on what I consider to be the pros and cons of each diaper style.

Diaper Daisy Cloth Diaper Trial

2009-08-18T12:41:00.000-07:00

A friend of mine piqued my interest in cloth diapers this past year during a play date. While playing outside, I saw a clothing line with baby clothes and cloth diapers blowing in the breeze. I asked about the cloth diaper and she told me how she used them with her first (about 5 months younger than Ella) and was using them with her second (about 2 months younger than Ezra). She didn't push the issue or encourage me, but I like her lifestyle philosophy of "simplicity" and I went home to do more research on the topic.

To my surprise, cloth diapering is a major business. Long gone are prefolds with pins and plastic pants. In fact, the options in diaper styles and brands are completely overwhelming! I decided to first figure out if cloth diapering truly does save money (I believe it does), is good for the environment (yes, despite water use), and realistic for my lifestyle (possibly). I found some terrific resources for anyone interested in this topic:

www.simplemom.net is one of my favorite new resources! They did a whole Cloth Diapering 101 series of articles on cloth diapering from real moms. I found it fascinating and informative!

http://littlefornow.com/pages/choose-cloth-diapers.php Simple, straightforward info on diaper choices.

http://www.diaperco.com/store/pg/113-What-Cloth-Diapers-Should-I-Buy-.html More detailed info for making your decision.

http://www.diaperpin.com/clothdiapers/article_rightsystem.asp This article encouraged me to try different diapers out and avoid a costly mistake by investing in the wrong thing - which led me to:
The Diaper Daisy Cloth Diaper Trial at www.diaperdaisy.com

The idea here: Cloth diapering choices can be overwhelming, especially if you haven't been exposed to the newest options or ever tried it. Sara, the owner of Diaper Daisy, offers a trial for $9.95 (shipping to you is free) with a deposit. You use the items for 2 weeks and keep it all (and get a $20 credit), keep some, or return all (and pay the return shipping).

This web site has the best email customer service I have ever received! Sara will patiently answer all of your cloth diapering questions and help set up a custom diaper trail for you. If you visit the site, you'll see "Mindy's Custom Diaper Trial." I wanted to try a bit of every style, so mine is a bit pricier. But, ultimately, I'm only out the rental fee, plus return shipping, if I decide cloth diapering isn't for me.

My 2 week trial arrived last Thursday, but I haven't had spare time to write about it until now.
I've had some interesting responses to my foray into cloth diapers, from "Good for you!" to straight up, "You're crazy!" Many moms who didn't have the option of disposables think it's silly to go backwards. I want to chronicle this experience simply because I know there's other parents out there curious about cloth diapering. I'm not trying to convert anyone here - I'm not even certain I'm totally converted yet (but I'm pretty darn close). But if you've ever wondered about cloth diapering or are just curious about what our family is up to, keep tuned!

To Come: My experience (so far) and my (surprising) discoveries.
My Review of the Different Cloth Diapering Options
But What about "The Poo" and the smell?!
How do you wash them anyway?
So, what does your husband think about all of this?
How to use a prefold diaper.
To Cloth Diaper or Not to Cloth Diaper: The Decision.

One of my favorite parts of cloth diapering so far: They're just so darn cute!

Cloth diapers come in the most amazing, vibrant assortment of colors!

Some fit more trim than others, but they all add additional bulk to baby.

I think these are so cute on this tall, chubby guy!

I'd love to see them on a newborn too!

They look cute under clothes, too, but it's definitely tempting to put them on with a t-shirt.

I don't have any (yet), but they also make little leggings, so your little one can show off their adorable diaper when the weather gets chilly!

Who Wouldn't Love this Face?

2009-08-16T18:15:00.000-07:00

I suspected that Ezra was working on a few new teeth lately, but couldn't quite figure out their location. While playing tonight, he leaned right into my shoulder for a hug and decided to also take a big bite. Two tiny, sharp teeth are now poking on through up top, giving him quite the bite! He slept last night without making a peep - perhaps we'll all get some relief from teething pains now. Truthfully, Ezra is generally so good natured and seems to be more so with each passing day.

Up Next: Adventures in Cloth Diapering. Tomorrow, I'll post some pictures and some thoughts about the beginning of my cloth diaper trial.

Accident-Free for One Whole Week!

2009-08-07T09:02:00.000-07:00

Last night, we celebrated one full week of zero accidents! When Grandma Cathy came to visit, she bought Ella the Grace doll and soccer outfit as a reward for potty-training. This was not a big incentive for Ella at first; she was more into candy. Once Ella decided she truly wanted to use the potty, though, she was virtually accident-free. She wants to exclusively use the seat on the big potty and will get out of bed or go indoors to use it! The girl also seems to have a bladder of steel - she can go for a couple of hours after waking up before using the potty and rarely needs to go. Once I learned I could trust her to tell me, I stopped worrying about asking. We just use the occasional, "Are you dry?" reminder. I only force the issue when it's been a long time or we're headed out somewhere. Potty training was painful, but now it's such a dream to only have 1 baby in diapers (more to come on this topic soon!)

Now that Ella is doing so well, I'm phasing out the candy. That's where the doll came in. I started showing it to her every day and her enthusiasm grew. Once I realized she'd reached our goal, we started playing with her other doll and accessories. As you can see, she was thrilled to receive the new doll from Grandma Cathy! She slept with the dolls last night and woke up this morning and told me how she earned them from Grandma. Thanks, Mom, you're the best!

Proud Ella!
Brushing the doll's teeth. I showed her how it could work on hair later. Hey, I love a duel-purpose toy!
Babies playing soccer together.

The excitement! She told me, "Say Cheese!"

I'm a bit embarrassed by the mess in these photos. It's the end of the day, plus the kids played with Scentsy packing paper, then my cookbook project is stacked by the computer. Big mess, but a happy one!
I'm so glad these dolls have hats. Ella loves hats!

Potty training challenged me both mentally and physically and clearly taxed Ella as well. Now that we've made it, though, temper tantrums and Mommy frustration have significantly decreased. Ella is proud of her accomplishment, we celebrate her successes throughout the day, and it feeds her need for independence. Hooray! Preschool, here we come!

Made Me Smile

2009-08-03T10:51:00.000-07:00

I recently uploaded a group of candid photos of my kids and I could feel my mood instantly lighten as I looked at them. I recall smiling and thinking, "this is why I have kids." I remember wondering if having children was really for me in my 20s, but I think these shots say more than I ever could about the daily joys of motherhood!

Tim likes to create silly bath hair for Ella.

I love that she's old enough to appreciate how silly and fun this all is!

Ella's toddler, toothy grin with her big eyes always makes me smile!

Fresh out of the bath, sweet-smelling, soft-skinned baby.

There is nothing better than the look of Mommy-adoration!

Ezra got into the laundry basket and started pulling everything out.

He looked so pleased with himself, I couldn't stop him!

So, I pulled out my camera and started laughing with him!

Ezra's normally drooly (and we try to catch it with a bib), but this produced even more drool!

There's nothing better than sibling love and laughter.

Sometimes Ella tells me, "I love him."

Ezra lights up when he sees Ella, too, and loves to play with her (as long as she's not smothering him, and then he still puts up with it).

And the WINNER is...

2009-08-01T07:32:00.001-07:00

...Merilee Milner! Ella reached her hand in the box this morning and pulled out Merilee's name to receive my 6-month celebration prize!

If you didn't win this month, keep your eye out for this month's drawing and a special incentive coming your way just for entering! Thanks to everyone who did enter for your interest and support!

August is 10% off month - the Spring/Summer Catalog (with just a few exclusions) is 10% off! Take advantage of this great offer to stock up! This is also an awesome month to host a party and invite your friends and family to enjoy this terrific discount!

August Warmer of the month - Surf's Up!

The following Scents will be discontinued September 1st in preparation for some amazing new fall/winter scents. Get them before they're gone!
Blueberry Cheesecake (BBC)
Cashmere (CAS)
Eucalyptus (EUC)
Exotic Vanilla (EXV)
Falling Leaves (FAL)
Fresh Cut Cantaloupe (FCC)
Grapefruit Blossom (GFB)
Grapefruit Pomegranate (GFP)
Havana Cabana (HVC)
Hearth & Home (SOTM) (HNH)
Herb Garden (HBG)
Irish Cream (IRC)
Juicy Peach (JCP)
Leather (Bars and Bricks) (LEA)
Lemon Lavender (LMV)
Lots of Lavender (LOL)
Luxe Vanilla (LUX)
Meadow Pear (MDP)
Mediterranean Spa (MTS)
Mulberry Bush (MBB)
Mysterious (MYS)
Nutmeg & Orange Zest (NOZ)
Pomegranate Orange (PGO)
Red Delicious (RED)
Sandalwood & Cranberries (SWC)
Sangria (SNG)
Sheer Saffron (SOTM) (SHE)
Silk (SLK)
Spiced Orange Harvest (SOH)
Spruceberry (SPR)
Strawberry Sweetie (SBS)
Sweet Indulgence (SWI)
Sugar (SGR)
Sweet Tea Magnolia (SWT)
Tarocco Mint (SOTM) (TRM)
Tea Blossom (TEA)
Toasted Apple Butter (TAB)
Tuscan Garden (TUS)
Verbena Berry (VBY)
Wasabi Ginger (WSG)
Watermelon Patch (WMP)

Contact me anytime at mindyfarmer@hotmail.com to host a party, ask a question, or place an order. You can also order at www.scentsy.com/mindyfarmer. Remember, anytime you have an $150 in orders (even if it's a single order), you've got a party and are eligible for awesome hostess rewards!

Family Nauvoo Trip

2009-07-25T07:14:00.001-07:00

For anyone who lives in this area or who is interested in Latter-day Saint history, Nauvoo is a must-visit place. If you're not familiar with Nauvoo, it became the religious, governmental, and cultural center for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints between 1839 and 1846. In it's prime, the city rivaled Chicago in size. Visitors can now tour historic Nauvoo and see restored homes and businesses. You could spend days there seeing everything and all the sites owned by the LDS Church are free of charge, so it's a great family vacation.

I've been to Nauvoo a few times now with visiting family. Each time we've visited in the fall or spring and have dealt with rain and a small toddler. These have put a damper (hee, hee) on my experience and I haven't enjoyed Nauvoo as much as I'd hoped. Tim took Thursday and Friday off last week so we could see the Nauvoo Pageant and I was determined to have a great time. We rented a log cabin with our delightful friends, the Leonards, and had a wonderful time with them. Ella was in heaven playing with their 3 boys!

During July and August, the big event is the Nauvoo Pageant. Pioneer games, music, dancing, arts and crafts, puppet shows, and other activities are available outside before the show. These are all run by missionaries and volunteers.The Pageant is a tribute to the Prophet Joseph Smith and details the experiences of the early LDS pioneers in Nauvoo. The production includes about 20 professional actors and 150 volunteer and is performed outside at night, starting at 8:45.

I wasn't sure what to expect, but this wonderful peace came over me as I watched the production. I don't always have patience for pioneer stories, but I felt such a connection to this story. Some of my relatives lived in Nauvoo and left their homes in Europe to join the Latter-day Saints in the US. The joys, struggles, triumphs, and challenges of the Saints are a huge part of my heritage. As I watched the actors that night, I felt such appreciation for their experiences and sacrifices.

The Pageant ends with the Saints leaving Nauvo and their precious temple behind. The actual Nauvoo Temple (now rebuilt) stands high on the hill above where the pageant takes place. It is dark behind the stage and then suddenly the temple is lit up and becomes a beacon in the dark. This site filled me with such reverence for the temple.

I loved the opportunity to get away for an evening and spend time as a family and as a couple. I'm already looking ahead to renting a cabin in the off-season. Once Ezra is weaned, this might be a perfect winter weekend get-away!

If you're interested in seeing more photos from Nauvoo, visit my facebook album at http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=107649&id=505131503&l=40ebf465bf.

Scentsy Give Away!

2009-07-19T20:17:00.000-07:00

This month, I am celebrating my 6 month anniversary as a Scentsy Consultant! It's been such pleasure being a part of this company and sharing such a wonderful product. I love meeting people who say, "I love Scentsy!" and introducing people to Scentsy warmers who say, "I want one!" To celebrate my anniversary, I am giving away a Scentsy plug-in and bar of wax! Anyone is welcome to enter (I will mail this prize free of charge within the continental US)! There are several ways to enter, so here it goes:

1. Leave me a comment here and I'll put your name in the drawing 1 time.

2. Blog about Scentsy (and send people to my giveaway) and I'll enter your name 2 times.

3. Share a link to this giveaway on facebook and I'll enter your name 3 times.

4. Send me your name and email to sign up for my once-a-month newsletter and specials alerts and I'll enter your name 4 times. If you would prefer to do this privately, email mindyfarmer@hotmail.com.

5. Order through my Mystery Hostess Online Party at www.scentsy.com/mindyfarmer and I'll enter your name 5 times. Plus, you'll be eligible to win the hostess credits as the "Mystery Online" hostess!

6. Put a link to my website on your blog and I'll enter your name 6 times. ***

7. Host a party with me in July (there's still time!) and I'll enter your name 7 times. You can have an in-home party or a basket party. If you don't live near me or want a portable party, I will send you all you need to hold a basket party and share Scentsy in your office and home!

* Don't forget - Scentsy is giving away 5 $500 Visa gift cards this month! Host a party that reaches $500 in retail and you'll be entered to win!*

Please be sure to let me know what you've done in your comments here and provide your name and a way for me to contact you if you win! Good luck!
***How to put a link to my Scentsy website on your blog.
Right click on picture above and save it to your desktop. Go to your Blog layout and select "Add a gadget." Choose "Add a picture." Add this photo and
put www.scentsy.com/mindyfarmer in the link box. For the Caption, put: Need Scentsy? Click Here.

If You were a Fly on the Wall...

2009-07-17T14:12:00.000-07:00

Seems everyone is slowing down on blogging in the summertime with the sunshine to enjoy. Plus, it's so easy to upload an album to facebook to share. I am determined to someday use my blog posts in digital scrapbooks for my kids, though. I thought it would be fun to post some of the things you'd see and hear if you were a fly on the wall at the Farmer's. I was going to alternate kids, but the photos didn't upload that way.

*Ezra chowing down on solids. Like most babies, he is not a veggie fan. He does seem to prefer all food with cereal mixed in as well.

*Ezra practicing his voice - loudly. Sometimes Ella says, "He's yelling, Mommy." But it's happy noise.
*Ezra kicking his legs and arms in excitement.

*Ezra laughing - this is one of the most delightful sounds I've ever heard!

*Ezra reaching for everything within his eye line. His favorite thing: my hair. If he could just get it in his mouth, he'd be in heaven.

*The kids playing and laughing together. Ella actually felt possessive at the library puppet show today. Some older kids were playing with Ezra and she declared, "No! That's my boy!"

*Ella replying, "Yes, sweetheart?" when I call her name. It's gratifying when they repeat the good things you say, isn't it?

*Ella saying, "Oh, man." Lately, she's told Tim and I "don't say that word. It's mine."

*Ella sitting on the potty! I've decided to let Ella take the lead and things have been going better. I still suggest and encourage, but she decides. Last night she peed and made "tinkles" in the potty. We called both Grandmas to share the news and hear their cheers.

*Ella telling a story she's made up. Love, love, love the imagination!

As an aside, I also want to share how much I love swapping babysitting with other couples in the area. Every Friday night, one of four couples watches everyone's kids. In exchange for 1 busy Friday, we get 3 free date nights! This experience is wonderful for the kids as well because they're used to going over to other people's houses, they're comfortable with other trusted adults, and they learn to be flexible. We're not excited for our night (tonight!), but truly appreciate the date nights!

The Happiest Toddler on the Block

2009-07-10T06:36:00.000-07:00

On the rare occasion I have the opportunity to peruse the library shelves for books, I usually head straight for the new books section. I simply don't have the time (and the kids don't have the patience) for searching the general fiction shelves. I love the new book section because it includes new fiction and non-fiction. Generally, I select books online and put holds on them, but our family decided to visit the library Monday evening for Family Home Evening. Tim and I alternated reading with Ella in the children's section and looking for our own books. (For some reason, Ezra came with me both times...hmm)

While searching the shelves, I came across the book, "The Happiest Toddler on the Block" by Harvey Karp. I thought, "Why not?" and put it in the pile. Once the kids were in bed, I had a some spare quiet time to begin reading. I felt immediately encouraged by the author's ideas. This book intends for parents to implement strategies today and can truly be read in small increments and utilized after each reading. The author suggests simple, straightforward ways to communicate with your toddler and create a more positive environment.

Truthfully, I think I love this book because it helped remind me why I love being a parent. With the birth of Ezra, I suddenly found myself looking at Ella and thinking, "She's not little anymore." We were constantly saying, "You're a big girl now." But the truth is, she's not a miniature adult. Ella is still so new to this world, trying to figure new things out everyday. Karp points out that toddlers are losing all day long - they're smaller, less coordinated, shorter, and unable to do many things on their own. But they don't have to feel like losers at home. Through positive techniques, you can create an environment where everyone wins.

I've found that the most important thing I've gained from this book is to focus on being a more thoughtful parent. We've been struggling with temper tantrums and power struggles lately. After trying some of the strategies in this book for just a few days, I can see a change in our relationship. This is not to say that Ella and I weren't close or loving in the past. Karp's suggestions have simply helped me learn how to communicate better, show more patience, demonstrate respect, and find ways for things to be win-win. As I've been more thoughtful in my approach to parenting, we're both happier and enjoying ourselves more.

Tim has also been a patient listener as I've shared ideas from this book and my experiences trying them out. One of my favorite things about Tim is that he might not pick up a book like this, but he's sincerely interested because I'm engaged in it. He even told me last night that he and Ella tried night-time sweet talk where you talk about all of the good things that happened in your day. I have loved "gossiping" about the wonderful things Ella does (to Dad, Grandma, and her ducks), as recommended by the book.

No book can replace our instincts as a parent or solve all of our parenting dilemmas, but this book came to my attention right when I needed a positive boost. Reading Karp's enthusiastic suggestions helped me feel renewed and excited. He suggests starting these strategies about 10 months and I look forward to trying them with Ezra!

Video Memories and It's all in the Family

2009-07-04T11:33:00.000-07:00

I finally figured out how to upload video from my phone to the computer! The quality of the video leaves much to be desired, but it's still fun to see. The first video is of our little dancer and the second is of her singing. I don't know where she got her rhythm from, but this girl can dance! I think these are from about a year ago. It's incredible to see how much she's grown since then!

When my mom came to visit last year, she was showing Ella letters and, to help her understand the concept of big and small, they ended up calling them "Mommy" and "baby" letters. This has created a whole trend in our house. Here are a few examples to help explain how things are categorized in Ella's world. I love to see how, at this age, her whole world is family-centered.
* When we watch Wall-E, Wall-E is the "Daddy" robot and Eve is the "Mommy" robot. "Where'd the mommy robot go?"
* If we're eating grapes, she always asked for the "baby" grapes.
* Large is "Daddy" sized and medium is "Mommy" sized.
* Anyone who is "mature" is "a Grandma" or "a Grandpa."
* If anyone is upset (in person or on tv), they should "go find their Mommy and Daddy."
* She loves to be chased around by monsters and will say, "Be a Daddy monster!" Then, "Be a Mommy Monster!" This determines how loud you growl.
* When we sing "Old McDonald," she loves to use the same animal in several verses, but change its size.
* She likes to tell me that Ezra is her baby brother and she's the sister.

Ella's becoming so creative and I love it when she makes up words to her own songs now. I'll have to get this on video and post it!

My First Tag

2009-07-01T11:41:00.000-07:00

This is my first blog tag. Here it goes!

Things I'm looking forward to:
1. Friday off with Tim.
2. Watching some Mystery Science Theater this weekend.
3. The next season of Dexter on DVD.
4. Clearing our yard of weeds and planting grass instead.
5. Reading "North and South" (if it ever comes through inter-library loan)
6. Using my free trial of Adobe Photoshop Elements to do digital scrapbooking.
7. Seeing the Nauvoo Pageant for the first time.
8. Spending my entire Saturday playing!

Things I did this weekend:
1. Went on a date to see Transformers 2. Dumb movie. Good date.
2. Had the Nelsons over for Sunday dinner.
3. Celebrated the pipes getting fixed.
4. Played with my kids.
5. Realized that I've come along way in 5 years of marriage. I had my feelings hurt, but saw that it wasn't intentional, and was able to move on (even after he did it a second time!). If marriage doesn't teach good communication skills, nothing will.
6. Taught Young Women's on the fly (and not for the first time)
7. Played a hidden object game on the computer (love these!)
8. Looked through photo albums with Ella.

Things I wish I could do:
1. Take a cooking class.
2. Get the motivation to exercise.
3. Sell $1000 in Scentsy a month (at least).
4. Be patient enough to pump so I could be away for more than 3 hours at a time.
5. Sleep in.
6. Visit my family this summer!
7. Find time to write every day.
8. Get my writing published.

Shows that I watch:
1. 30 Rock
2. Ballykissangel
3. Fringe
4. Dexter
5. Lie to Me
6. Monarch of the Glen
7. The Office
8. Battlestar Galactica

Places I'd like to travel:
1. Australia
2. Maine
3. Hawaii
4. Wisconsin (nearby amazing water parks)
5. England
6. Ireland
7. Argentina
8. Spain

People I tag:
1. Keely
2. Tiffany
3. McKinzie
4. Kristi
5. Jen

It's a Love/Hate Kinda Thing

2009-06-28T13:14:00.000-07:00

Whenever I bring Ezra in for a check-up, they ask how Ella is adjusting to having a sibling. I think they want to make sure he's safe, etc. Lately, she seems so torn between loving and hating her little brother. It's all love for him, truthfully, but she's so jealous of any attention he receives. It's confusing that he has all of these "new" toys - her old baby toys. I encourage her to play with him, but she's a bit grabby. Both kids seemed to be going through a real "mommy phase" as well, which can be an adventure. Lately, Ella is either overwhelming Ezra with love or pushing him down. He takes it fairly well, but is starting to really vocalize his displeasure. As I've mentioned before, sweet Ella loves playing together and never wants to play alone. Would you believe that I gave her a choice the other day - Play alone or take a nap - and she chose a nap. Toddlers are truly an adventure! I adore her, but she is certainly giving the terrible two's a bit of a try before her 3rd birthday!

Ezra's world has completely changed now that he can sit up. It's much easier to play with 6 months+ toys when you can sit and use them. Ella, Ezra, and I must have spent at least an hour the other day in his room simply trying out all of his toys. Honestly, they didn't seem like that many toys when Ella had them. I remember constantly seeing new kinds of toys that were supposed to help with some new developmental stage when Ella was a baby and thinking, "I need that." Now, I look around and think, "Wow. We have a lot of baby toys."

Here's some fun photos of our past week together. Do you ever feel like your kids will wonder where you were in all the photos? Behind the camera! I'm determined to get some photos of Tim and I over the holiday weekend.
Our local library program has a summer reading program that includes toddlers. Ella reached the 4 hour mark and we went to the library to get our reward. Since McDonald's is the sponsor, she received a coupon for a free ice cream cone.

Ella loved getting an ice cream cone and thoroughly enjoyed eating it - as you can see!

This farm toy entertained both kids for quite some time.

I love seeing the kids have a great time together!

Ella was a bit grabby, but here Ezra was able to explore the toy a bit.

Some big sister love!
Ezra's got the toy all to himself after being pushed down by his big sis. Now he really went for it!

What's this do? Can I get it in my mouth? Poor Ella is in time out in the background for pushing, in case you're wondering.

Big smile!
Ella loves to get down with Ezra during tummy time, which is so helpful. Ezra rolled over during tumy time just the other day!

I want to play with him!

2009-06-24T12:46:00.000-07:00

Ezra now has the hang of sitting up and is enjoying a whole new view of the world. In the past week, he's learned to tumble onto his belly and lift himself up to see again. He actually has little patience for tummy time and I sort of have to force it on him. Ella was the same way about tummy time and didn't crawl until 1 because she sat up so early and just reached for everything she wanted. I think Ezra will be a bit more inspired to move as he watches Ella run around.

Sitting up
Still "discovers" his hands on a regular basis. They're fantastic traveling toys!

Sitting on the couch like a big boy.

Love that grin!
Ella is incredibly energetic - I think she skips or runs a tiny bit everywhere she goes. She loves playing with friends, mom and dad, and Ezra. This is wonderful, except she hates the idea of playing alone. She gets excited when Ezra's awake and says, "I want to play with him!" I can just imagine the fun to be had at our house when Ezra's mobile!
We filled the pool up with dish soap - tons of fun!

Ella and Brynne after playing beauty shop.

On another note, it seems like this year's been full of surprise baby announcements. My sister Merilee just had her surprise baby yesterday, a little girl named Cora. I can't wait to see pictures of her! A few other people have announced unexpected pregnancies recently. I have to admit, I have a real fear of having a surprise pregnancy and two babies super close together. The opposite thing seems to be a trend in my family, though. There's 10 years between Meredith's youngest and the one above, six between Merilee's, and six between McKinzie's. Hmmm.... I'm just excited to be at the stage where I can start leaving Ezra for longer stretches. My plan for 2010 - a summer without being pregnant or nursing! Cross your fingers for me. ;0)

Thoughts at the Wheel: A Father's Day Post for Tim

2009-06-19T11:42:00.000-07:00

My thoughts often drift to my husband as I'm driving in the car. I'm not certain why. Perhaps it's a time of peace to focus my thoughts on something other than my kids and maybe it has a bit to do with love as the main theme of most songs. Whatever the reason, I always think the kindest thoughts in the car. If I've been frustrated, it melts away. If I've been unkind, I long to apologize. At the wheel, I think of romantic cards to write and sappy things to say. Honestly, it's wonderful. I had another one of those moments yesterday and decided to write a Father's Day post filled with my "thoughts at the wheel." Here are my thoughts on Tim with photos of our life together, in no particular order.

* Tim is a wonderful father. He comes home from work, eats dinner with the family, spends time with the kids before bed, helps put them to bed, then finds a moment for himself. I can't express how much that means to me.

* Tim is truly one of the best men I've ever met.

* I love how parenting is shared at our house.

* I hope both of our children develop his best character traits: kindness, patience, intelligence, faith, and sincerity.

* I hope our daughter marries a man like Tim.

* I hope our son grows up to be the kind of man his father is.

* I love the way Tim treats my mother and has true affection for her.

* Being teased by Tim is wonderful because it's never cruel and you'll always be safe.

* Even the things that he does that make me feel a bit crazy don't really bother me that much.

* I love his blue eyes.

* I like myself best when I'm with him.

* I know that some people have given me a second chance because they know Tim loves me. "If he loves her, there must be something more." He's that good of a guy.

* Some of my favorite times spent together are late at night when we should go to sleep, but we talk instead.
* I love how play time with Dad is always done with such enthusiasm.

* Tim has incredible determination and can be so stubborn. But his persistence often pays off. Watch out if he decides you should be doing something!

* I like how I cook and he does the dishes.

* I'm grateful for my previous boyfriends: the jerks, the mean ones, the "bad" boys, the kiss-but-don't-commit, etc. They helped me see how incredible Tim truly is.

* I didn't know marriage could be so great. No, really.

* I know why Ella yells "Daddy!" with delight when Tim comes home. I feel it too.

* I like how sometimes Tim will just listen to me talk. There are days spent entirely with children and it just gushes out of me.

* I love how he encourages me in whatever I'm pursuing and shows genuine interest.

* I know it's corny, but I hate the idea of living without him.
* I feel like I've discovered so much about truly living since I met Tim and I am grateful every day.
* Sometimes I wonder how this guy was single at 24. Lucky me.
* And the list could go on and on.
* Looking for photos of my husband was so much fun and I am feeling so nostalgic right now! I loved seeing photos of our family over the past 5 years and remembering the wonder of it all.

I love you, Tim! Happy Father's Day!

6 Months!

2009-06-19T11:25:00.000-07:00

We went to Ezra's 6 month check-up yesterday. They always ask, "Is your husband tall?", which makes me smile. He definitely didn't inherit his height from me! Ezra certainly is tall. He's 29 3/8 inches (97th percentile) and 20 lbs (90thth percentile). His head is finally catching up in the 75th percentile. He is such a chubby, cuddly guy!

Ezra's generally good humored, but he was in an especially good mood yesterday. He smiled and charmed the doctor and nurses. I was so glad when he only cried out a tiny bit for the shots and did great for the rest of the day.

Like every mom always says, it's hard to believe our little guy is already 6 months! I love this age. He lights up whenever he sees me and his smile seems to say, "That's my mom!" It's such a pleasure to watch him grow and change. I love how he and Ella interact together. While it presents many challenging, spending my days with a toddler and a baby is such a delight!

Grandma Cathy's Visit

2009-06-16T11:55:00.000-07:00

We enjoyed my mom's 10 day visit so much! Ella loved doing everything with Grandma and always requested grandma's help with eating, getting in/out of the car, storytime, bedtime, and basically any other time. Lot's of work for Grandma, but a great break for mom. Unfortunately, Ezra was sick for part of the week and even kept both mom and I up an entire night with his crying. Poor guy. Poor us. Despite his sickness, we had fun shopping, playing, and simply enjoying each other's company. Our visits together are never long enough and it was so difficult to say goodbye.

We visited the Magic House Children's Museum in St. Louis before taking mom to the airport and had tons of fun. Even Ezra enjoyed watching all of the people from his baby bjorn. Ella, unfortunately, fell asleep on the way to the airport despite our best efforts. Grandma roused her enough to get a hug and a kiss. When Ella woke up about 30 mins later, she said, "Where's Grandma?" and cried when she realized Grandma left.

Thanks for visiting, Mom! We can't wait to see you again!

Grandma!

2009-06-06T19:40:00.000-07:00

We walked into the St. Louis airport yesterday and glimpsed my mom waiting by the baggage claim. It's been 6 months since we saw her in person, but we talk to Grandma on the phone and using Skype regularly. I thought Ella'd be a bit shy, but when Grandma called out her name and opened her arms, Ella rushed forward in delight. From that moment on, Mom developed a little shadow who follows her adoringly where 'ere she goes.

If Grandma leaves Ella's sight, I hear, "Where's Grandma." When I try to help her get in or out of the car, I hear, "No. Grandma." If Ella needs to do something, but resists, we just say, "Grandma needs to brush her hair (or insert action here)" and Ella instantly needs to do it too. Plus, Grandma is the ultimate playmate. I adore my mom and I can't explain how delighted I am to see the two of them together.

Grandma came bearing wonderful gifts - including these super fun butterfly wings Ella's wearing

We celebrated Mom's birthday today (she'd say she's 39) and Ella loved singing "Happy Birthday!," going out to dinner, and eating strawberry shortcake.

I'm embarrassed to say that I've been eagerly awaiting her birthday visit, but really didn't have it together with balloons or candles (she had to blow out a "2" candle). I feel woefully unprepared - I was just so focused on having her come! But we had a wonderful day together despite my lack of decorations. I'll make up for it this week!

Blowing out the candle together!

They'll be more pictures and stories to come - Grandma visits for 10 days - but I wanted to say, "We love Grandma!"

A New Way of Living?

2009-06-02T11:07:00.000-07:00

I suppose it's only natural to become more interested in ways to cut costs and become more self-sufficient when things are uncertain financially. I've definitely found myself more budget-conscious and interested in ways to be more frugal in the past year or so. Until the past few years, I think I understood frugality mainly in relation to saving at the check-out counter. If I bought it on sale or "got a deal," I was frugal. More recently, I've come to see how frugality encompasses building skills and changing habits, as well as limiting spending, not simply finding deals.

In our church, this is often referred to as provident living. We're encouraged to have savings, 72-hour emergency kits, food storage, a family budget, paying tithing, and develop skills to be self-sufficient. Provident living especially involves joyfully living within our means. While I understood the importance of this advice, I've often found it difficult to apply in my own life for some reason. Tim and I have been slowly, but surely, seriously working on it over the past year and following this advice has changed my perspective so much. I should preface this all by saying that I am still at the beginner stages of all of this, learning as I go, throwing ideas around, and trying things out.

Dwelling on "the good old days" has never suited me. Give me the opportunity to choose a time to live and I'd say now. I don't wax poetic about pioneers or feel nostalgic about the 1950s. This might be one of the reasons I've resisted some of the tenants of provident living in the past. They simply seemed old-fashioned. As I've worked to change my spending habits, improve my cooking skills, and learn creative ways to stretch a budget, however, I've come to believe that the truth is, some ways of living are actually timeless. They are applicable no matter who you are or when you live.

The biggest surprise for me has come in the satisfaction I've found in developing new homemaking skills. As I typed that sentence, the 16 year-old Mindy recoiled. Homemaking skills?! Are you kidding me?! But I've come to see that, just as the workplace helped me to develop and refine essential skills to build my character, knowledge base, self-sufficiency, and confidence, so do homemaking skills. It's surprised me to discover the confidence and security I've found in working on developing homemaking skills and I wish I'd learned more from my mother when she offered. Now I want to learn how to be more self-sufficient and less dependent on ready-made goods. Not that I will never buy boxed food or will sew all my clothes, but I would love to have a vegetable garden, learn basic sewing, improve cooking skills, making my own cleaning supplies, etc.

A recent talk from an apostle of our church, Robert D. Hales, entitled Becoming Provident Providers Temporally and Spiritually has inspired me to seek out new ways to live providently. I would encourage anyone who hasn't read this to do so at www.lds.org. Two quotes really stuck with me:

"I have learned that the three most loving words are “I love you,” and the four most caring words for those we love are “We can’t afford it.”

'We must want, more than anything else, to do our Heavenly Father’s will and providently provide for ourselves and others."

As I said, I'm just in the baby stages of provident living, but it's blessed my life. Cutting excess and debt has especially helped me to understand what a burden these things are. I'm interested in any ideas and experiences my friends and family might have related to provident living. Please feel free to comment here or email me.

Ella-isms

2009-05-28T12:04:00.000-07:00

The things Ella says make me smile. Sometimes I imagine blogs will be our kid's baby books in the future. Blogs are a cool way to stay in touch with family and friends and record things for posterity. Maybe one day I'll print some of the posts and put them in a book. On a side note, don't you also love all of the positive interaction and affirmation that goes on with blogging? :0)

Here's a few Ella-isms I wanted to share:

* "Whatcha wanna make?" (While playing kitchen)
* "Ella got a burpy!" (Always funny for her)
* "Sweet dreams, Daddy." (Even if mommy is putting her to bed).
* "Ella wants _ "(She often refers to herself in third person)
* "Big girls don't go poopy." (We're still working on this one. Big girls don't poop in diapers. Kind of an important distinction).
*Yesterday, we made peach milkshakes. We're sitting together at the table and she starts talking shapes with me. I thought, "this is random." She told me how she liked circles and squares, but that "milk shapes" were yummy.
"What color do you want?" (Often, my first crayon choice is unavailable for some reason, so I have to select another)
*Ella has a long memory. Sometimes she'll tell me about how Westyn hit her or Jaxton ate a sandwich. Who knows when that happened.
*"I got another one! I got another one!" (When catching something)
*"Come on, Mommy!"
*"Wanna play, Mommy?"
*"Play hide and seek, Mommy? You hide!" (When she counts, it's to a quick 3. When you count, it's to 10)
*"Play monster, Mommy?" (Monster comes after me.) "Don't be scared, Mommy. The monster won't hurt us."
*"I want to ride in the red cart." (She is obsessed with store carts that have the little cars in front)
*"I wanna help!"
*"Where's Daddy?" (I don't even have to answer anymore and she tells me) "Daddy went to work."
* "I'm scared." (She has a funny obsession with scary things, but doesn't wake up in the night scared or think there's monsters under the bed. I think it's just a fascinating emotion).
*"What's wrong, little guy? It's okay, Ezra."
*"Ezra's messy." (She likes to help with feeding solids by cleaning his face after every bite)
*"Let's watch a show!"
*"I like him." (About Ezra)
*"What happened to Ezra?" (Whenever he's down for a nap)
*"I want to hold his hand." (An obsession with Ezra. Even if I'm holding his hand, she wants to have it)
*We're learning the first article of faith. She knows "We believe in God the Eternal Father" and is working on the rest.
*She likes to help pray now. It's easy to see who's currently on her mind because she'll often mention a friend or family member's name several times.
*"Big girls (insert something we want her to do here)."
*'Daddy's a big boy."
*"Mommy's a big girl."
*"Ezra's just a little guy."
*She's also reached the "please may I" stage, which I love!
*She has an current interest in tree climbing and wants to climb every tree.
*I love it when she "helps" with something like weeding and grunts while she pulls at a big weed.
*Ella still loves to "read" to us and now knows quite a few lines from books. I especially love this with "If You Give a Pig a Pancake" and "Mr. Brown Can Moo, Can You?"
*"I don't want to (insert sleep, eat, go to the bathroom) anymore!"
*Oh, and the classic "What's that?"

Obviously, I could go on and on and I seriously doubt any casual blog reader has even made it to the end of the list. Needless to say, having a toddler is a true gift - challenging, rewarding, perplexing, enlightening, delightful, frustrating, exhausting, and invigorating. I can't imagine my life without our Ella.

We're Related

2009-05-24T21:46:00.001-07:00

I looked through our "digital library" of Ella photos the other day and thoroughly enjoyed reviewing the images of our little girl over the last 2 1/2 years. She's brought so much joy to our lives and truly helped me to understand the meaning of family. Now that we have our little Ezra to add to the library, I can't help but compare their photos. Tim always disputes that Ella wasn't as chubby as Ezra, especially because it's so difficult to remember now that she's such a thin girl. She might not have been as long as Ezra, but she certainly had the belly and big, adorable legs! I took some photos of Ezra on the changing table to try and do a side-by-side comparison of the two. Here it is:
Round Cheeks
Chubby legs
Birthmark between the eyes
Big Belly

I think they're related!

Big Imagination

2009-05-21T17:55:00.000-07:00

Ella is so imaginative these days. It's such a treat to witness her mind at work as she takes in the world, imitates what she sees and hears, and uses all she learns to play, play, play. All day long I hear, "Come on, Mommy!" Tonight she announced that she wanted her Daddy to help her build a robot (We've done this before after watching Curious George create one). Dad's cool because he's got the tools and they made this:
After she put the box on, she said, "I need a hat!"

It kept falling off, but she managed to maneuver well enough to pick it up.

I feel kind of mean about this last one, but it was such a classic moment. She yelled from her room, "The robot fell down!" and I had the camera in my hands, so...I took a picture, then helped "the robot" up.

We also had a nice afternoon in the backyard the other day enjoying the sun and playing. I love sunny day pictures of kids!
Playing "Where's Ella?" with her hat. She loves hats.
"Here she is!" (Sorry about the snotty nose, but I love her enthusiasm)

I don't know why, but I have an obsession with his dimpled, chubby hands and feet.

This is a Wonderful Time

2009-05-19T11:12:00.000-07:00

I found this quote recently that I absolutely love. It encapsulates my view of the world so well. So, I wanted to share it, along with a few fun pics of the kids from Sunday.

"This is a wonderful time to be living here on earth. Our opportunities are limitless. While there are some things wrong in the world today, there are many things right, such as teachers who teach, ministers who minister, marriages that make it, parents who sacrifice, and friends who help.
We can lift ourselves, and others as well, when we refuse to remain in the realm of negative thought and cultivate within our hearts an attitude of gratitude. If ingratitude be numbered among the serious sins, then gratitude takes its place among the noblest of virtues."

- President Thomas S. Monson

Joy

2009-05-11T08:02:00.000-07:00

This morning, I started thinking of how I've found that joy in life comes from many unexpected (and expected) places. Things that bring me joy (and they didn't always):

- Eating leftovers (saves money and time)
- Saving to buy something big (rather than using credit)
- Saying no to instant gratification - and then occasionally treating yourself. It's so much more delicious this way!
- Eating lots of fresh fruits
- Sticking to a budget
- Listening to the promptings of the Holy Ghost
- Holding my tongue
- Admitting when I'm wrong
- Asking for what I need
- Saying "I love you" often
- Hugging my children
- Baking something from scratch - and sending some with Tim to share with co-workers
- Finding ways for Ella to "help" with everything - even if it takes extra time
- Dancing with my daughter
- Smiling at a stranger
- Kissing my husband
- Listening to the Prophet
- Reading to my children
- Talking with my mom
- Teaching
- Learning something new
- Cooking dinner and seeing my family enjoy it
- Spending time with a friend
- Laughing out loud
- Praying
- Dinner with my family each evening
- Apologizing (and then moving on)
- Trying something new
- Smiling at Ezra - and watching his face light up in return
- Library toddler time
- A little facebook time
- Eating in instead of out - eating out becomes such a treat and it encourages you to be more creative about eating in!
- Listening
- Making new friends
- Sharing my testimony
- Realizing that I'll probably always be working on something
- Looking for the best in others
- Erring on the side of hope
- Stopping what I'm doing to play with the kids - I'm going to do that now. :0)

When did they get so big?

2009-05-06T06:51:00.000-07:00

I had a classic mommy moment yesterday. I looked at Ella and Ezra and thought, "When did they get so big?!" I'm amazed that my little girl is nearly 3 and will be attending preschool in the fall! When I look at Ezra, I remember how chubby she was with big cheeks and big eyes. Now, she's tall and slender with gorgeous brown eyes and wild hair. She constantly surprises me with her vocabulary, imagination, and energy. Ezra is tall and chubby and cheerful. He stares people down wherever we go until they look at him and smile. He's always taking in everything around him and especially watching Ella. Soon he'll be rolling and crawling after her!

I Changed My Mind...

2009-04-30T06:04:00.000-07:00

I've been having one of those weeks of small discoveries. Silly things, but it makes me laugh at myself a bit. As the years pass, I find myself more willing to revisit things I disliked before; either out of necessity, curiosity, or opportunity.

Recently, it's stemmed from a desire to be more budget-conscious and less wasteful. I've never liked leftovers, but I've discovered how much money you can save when you stretch a meal 2 nights or for lunch. The next night is also freed up to play with the kids, pick up before dinner, or make a small dessert instead. I've always thought bananas overwhelmed foods, so I didn't put them in smoothies. Aldi has big bunches of bananas cheap, so I buy them and use them in smoothies - it avoids waste and gets more fruit in Ella. The other night we went to Steak n Shake (a very popular fast food restaurant here). Everyone loves it, but Tim and I have always been disappointed. In fact, we'd just told our friends days before that we didn't really like their fries or burgers, but the shakes were pretty good. The fries smelled so good, so we ordered some...small and crispy (very little potato flavor). I thought, "Wait, these are good." I prefer to shop at a lovely, well-ordered grocery store with a myriad of choices. I detest the Walmart experience. But I live in a small town with few choices and I finally decided to heed Heather's advice. Now I shop at the local Aldi with it's 25 cent (refundable) shopping carts, store brand only, debit card/cash policy, and bring your own shopping bags experience. It's inconvenient, but it saves money and the produce is outstanding. Rather than focusing on the inconvenience, I savor the savings and run to Walmart for the stuff I can't buy at Aldi. Now Aldi is growing on me and I wonder if the other stores truly offer a better experience.

These things are trivial, but funny because I'm such a talker. I love to read and try things and talk to people about it. I'll share my current, passionate reaction, not worrying about how future information might change my opinion. This sometimes puzzles, sometimes annoys, and sometimes gives someone else a good chuckle. I'm not fickle - I'm not constantly changeable. But I used to worry about having to admit that I changed my mind. Now I think it's a good thing to admit. We should be changeable as new experiences come into play. So, I've regularly said that bananas overwhelm food. I make banana bread for my family and still don't like it when I try it. But balanced right in smoothies, they're okay. Maybe I'll find a banana bread recipe that will change my mind...

Family Home Evening

2009-04-28T07:33:00.000-07:00

Even though my children are small and our lessons are often simple, I have come to love Family Home Evening (FHE). For those unfamiliar with FHE, this is an evening (usually Monday) set aside to spend time together as a family. As the kids get older, they help with the evening, which usually involves a prayer, song, spiritual lesson, activity, and treat. I always loved being in charge of the song or the treat as a kid - I'm sure we sang "I am a Child of God" every time it was my turn!

With small kids, FHE is generally short and sweet, but it's a great opportunity to spend time together without any distractions. Ella is learning to pray and loves singing time. We do small lessons on simple topics, such as "family" or "Jesus" or tell a story from the scriptures. Lately, we've been talking about how Aunt Kelli is on a mission to the Phillipines. Whenever we sing, "I Hope they Call me on a Mission," Ella says, "Aunt Kelli is on a mission. She is in the Phillipines." Tim taught her that - he's the proudest brother ever.

Last night, we had strawberry shortcake with fresh strawberries and shortcakes I made that evening. Ella and I often make the dessert together, which is (usually) a fun time as well. We sang some songs and then Tim suggested that we watch Elder Holland's talk "None were with Him" from our church's most recent General Conference. A clip of this talk was on Youtube recently and many people shared it on facebook.

I am so grateful Tim thought to have us watch this beautiful, reverent Easter message together. I cried a bit as I listened to Elder Holland recall the final day of the Savior's life. As I considered the emotional and physical pain He must have experienced, I was overwhelmed by gratitude and love. I know that He suffered and died so that I might return to live with my Heavenly Father again. I also know that it is up to me to take advantage of the atonement. I am profoundly grateful for my Savior's example and the knowledge I have that He lives!

As I looked over at my husband at the close of Elder Holland's incredible message, I saw that his eyes were a bit wet too. It is such a gift to have a shared faith with my husband and to share our testimony of Jesus Christ with each other. Over the past 5 years or so, I've truly come to understand that living gospel principles and following the Savior brings such joy, fulfillment, and opportunities for growth.

I look forward to many more Family Home Evenings with my family throughout the years. It has truly helped my family strengthen our bond, share our faith, and enjoy quality time together. It's such an incredible way to start the week!

Ella searches for eggs during our FHE Easter Egg Hunt a couple of weeks ago.

A Cozy Coupe of Her Own

2009-04-23T12:41:00.000-07:00

I know I've been posting like crazy this week, but I've simply had some fun photo opportunities with the kids. I feel like blogging will be like this for me - nothing to really post for a week, then 3 things to potentially post in a day.

Anyone who's spent time around me lately had heard me talking about the Little Tikes Cozy Coupe. I searched garage sales all last summer and I do not enjoy garage saling. But Ella has loved these little cars ever since she learned to walk and found them in friend's garages. She's drawn to them and doesn't have very many outdoor toys (Tim would disagree), so I've wanted to find one for her.

I finally decided it was simply time to suck it up and purchase one. My sweet friend Heather found one in the Toys R Us ad on sale, so we headed out to Springfield to purchase one Wednesday. Honestly, it was so fun to go out and purchase something just because I wanted to, not because of a holiday. I have truly cut back on my spending habits the last few years, so this felt incredibly freeing! We arrived home from Springfield at naptime, so I had plans to be the coolest mom ever and put it together during naptime. This was not to be. Tons of reviews from parents online said this was a durable toy that their children adored, but assembly is a nightmare. Boy, were they right! Even patient Tim got annoyed with it that night. It might have been worth th $10 to get Toys R Us to put it together!

Ella woke up yesterday morning and found the car in the hallway outside her room. Such a treat! When Ezra took his morning nap, we went out in the front yard and played with it. I see hours of summer fun with the car in our future!

Tummy Time Crack Up

2009-04-22T14:15:00.000-07:00

Ezra's starting laughing more lately and I love it! He has the cutest little laugh and moves his arms and legs in excitement. This afternoon, I would simply look his way and Ezra would just start cracking up. I wish I had a video camera, but I did get these fun photos of him having a great time on his tummy. When he would get fussy on his tummy, I'd roll him over, we'd play and celebrate, then we'd try his tummy again.

Hmmm...What's this?

2009-04-21T14:08:00.000-07:00

Ezra had his first taste of rice cereal the other day. With Ella, we waited until 5 months based on doctor's recommendation, but these things are always changing. When I took him in for his 4 month appointment, the doctor said we could go ahead and introduce it to him and see if he's ready. He's doing a great job with nursing and just seemed ready to try out solids. I guess I'm ready too - I like when solids start to cut down on nursing a bit and help babies sleep a bit better, although this will be a bit down the road, I think. Right now, he's just trying the new texture out.

Since I tried solids out in the morning, I couldn't really get a good picture of the spoon in his mouth, but here he is reacting to the new sensation! I turned my back to get the camera and Ella grabbed the spoon to feed him. Unfortunately, she shoved the spoon a bit far into his mouth and made the poor guy gag. She always wants to "help" and meant well, so it was a struggle to be firm in letting her know she can't feed him without mommy, without discouraging her desire to help.

I also took a few photos of Tim with the kids during our Family Home Evening last night. I love it when Ella holds Ezra's hand and talks to him. I didn't get the camera in time, but just before these photos, Ezra was grinning from ear to ear because of her attentions.

The kids simply love it when Dad comes home (me too!). I love to see them together. It's been nice for me to go out for my calling at church and my Scentsy business - it gives me the opportunity to get some of the "Mommy's home!" excitement, so I don't have to be jealous of the "Daddy's home!" enthusiasm that occurs each night at our house.

4 Months and Topping the Charts!

2009-04-15T13:56:00.000-07:00

Ezra went in for his 4-month check-up this morning. Our "little" guy is happy, healthy, and doing well. He tops the charts at 17 lbs 12 oz and 27 1/2 inches tall. The nurse told me this was 95th percentile for weight and 100th for height. He definitely has his Dad's long torso - this height does not come from me! He actually looks less chubby to me than Ella did, but is still round and cuddly. I adore the rolls on his legs and his double chin. He has a tooth coming in right up front on the bottom and it's making him drool like crazy. The next big question: What color will his eyes be?

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We also saw a new doctor today and I was so comfortable with her. When Ella was sick in the hospital with pneumonia, the two part-time female doctors from the practice were on call. I loved their bedside manners, the way they interacted with Ella, they way she responded so positively to them, and my increased comfort level around them. The doctor we saw before was nice, but I didn't notice the same positive rapport with him. Since there is only one pediatric practice in our town, I was so glad that the doctors were open to letting us make this switch. I had an initial trepidation about offending the other doctor, but he has a healthy practice and is a well-loved doctor for many. I'm sure it was no big deal to have us switch to the newer physician in the practice with a smaller patient load.

Having a pediatrician that you and your children are comfortable with is so essential. I was so sad to leave our physician behind in Washington when we moved. She always created an atmosphere that felt as if she had all of the time in the world, no question was too small, and she truly cared about my child. When I saw the potential for that again, I decided to ask if it would be okay to switch and it felt so good to speak up and do what was right for my family.

The New Facebook: My Frenemy

2009-04-14T09:44:00.000-07:00

I've been using facebook for less than a year and it's already on it's second layout update. This latest update has caused quite a stir; many people instantly hated it. I've been intrigued by the new layout, certain it had to be an improvement somehow, but not sure how to best utilize it. When I discovered quite by accident one day how to connect my blog to upload as a note on facebook each time I create a post, I was thrilled! No more posting on my blog and then potentially posting the same thing on facebook. I still create photo albums on facebook, simply because it's easier to create a slideshow that way.

Yesterday, I decided to figure out the whole newsfeed/homepage thing. Since facebook changed the layout, I've felt like I only see updates from the people who constantly change their status. Since only so many updates fit in the feed, I was seeing updates from people I haven't talked to in person for 10 years and missing updates from my family. I am, of course, interested in the old friends, but this new feed felt very limiting.

Maybe I'm just slow to figure things out, but I decided to explore the left-hand side of the page again. I'd figured out that I can see people's notes and photos seperately there, but how could I control the news feed? Then I realized I could create my own sections on the left and filter the updates. My categories are pretty basic: May family, Farmer family, Work friends, Church freinds, school friends, local friends. The categories are pretty arbitrary, but now I can click on these categories and quickly see updates from a small sub-section of my friends. This is not to imply that I have so many friends, this just makes facebook more manageable and less time consuming.

I am excited to keep playing with the new layout and hope that I'll find more discoveries like these!

A Little Bit of Ezra

2009-04-13T08:15:00.000-07:00

I wanted to share a few recent pictures of Ezra, just because he's so darn cute and I've done so many Ella posts lately. Ezra is such a sweetheart. He's been sick for over a week, we dragged him to Chicago, it's still cold outside, and he's doing his best to smile through all of it. I am so grateful for my little guy and I love to watch him grow. He's just now 4 months and weighed in at 17.14 lbs during his last visit for a virus. He'll go in for his 4 month check-up this Wednesday, so I'll know all the details then. He's started playing on the exersaucer, is dying to roll over, and should be sitting on his own any time now. I love the way he watches Ella and smiles when she plays with him. He cracked me up this weekend because he kept staring at his Dad and then giving him this delighted grin every time Tim looked his way. Is my momma's boy turning into a daddy's boy?!

Easter Package from Grandma Cathy

2009-04-10T18:04:00.000-07:00

My mom made our day with a special Easter package! We were truly spoiled today. She is such a loving Grandma.

I told mom a few weeks ago about Ella's new love of ballerinas. She's been going around our house dancing, declaring, "I'm a Ballerina!" Mom instantly decided Ella needed a tutu and set to both buying one and making one. She sent us an Easter package with the tutus and has been eagerly awaiting it's arrival. The package came today and we were delighted with all of the presents inside!

Ella found 2 tutus - one pink and one red, two crowns, and a wand to play dress-up, as well as a ballerina nightgown.
Ella trying out her new dress-up toys.
I love how proud she is to show her Daddy.
"I'm a ballerina!"
What position is this one, exactly?

Mommy "wore" the red tutu so we could dance together.
She'd say to me, "Spin, Mommy!"
We put on her ballerina nightgown, too, and she ran and danced around the house.
My mother is so thoughtful and takes such good care of us. I fell in love with these lovely children's books by a British author named Shirley Hughes recently. I asked my family if they'd keep an eye out for them at used book stores so I could collect them. Sure enough, there was a Shirley Hughes book for me in the package! Along with the dress-up clothes, we received stickers, books, and clothes for the kids. Not to be left out, Ezra received a little bull dog of his own for Easter.

We love receiving packages from Grandma, whether they're boxes like this one, or a card with to say "hello"and stickers. Thanks Mom - We Love You!

Ella's Pacifier Intervention

2009-04-08T14:02:00.000-07:00

Ella is one of those kids who simply loves her pacifier, or paci (packy), as she calls it. We've relegated the paci to naptime and bedtime only for quite some time. Ella resisted at first, but she's handed it over and said, "Only for night-night" when we've caught her with it. We've wanted to get rid of it, but to be honest, we were all kind of dependent on it. I mean, when your kid will go to bed with no fuss just to have her paci, it's difficult to give it up. It's been a source of comfort for her for a long time.

We visited our friends, the Kelley's, in Chicago early this week. We realized that the paci was in the car when bedtime rolled around. Ella and Paige were having a sleepover, so Mandy suggested this might be the time to let the paci go. I had a lot of trouble listening to Ella ask for the paci, but Tim was willing to stand firm. He told her there that Chicago was "paci-free." I was so surprised when she slept through the night without it the first night and then again the second night! I'm so thankful our friends were patient with a little whining.

We went to the Pier on Tuesday and visited the Chicago Children's Museum (more pics and blogging to come later). As we walked toward the museum, we saw a Build-a-Bear store. A few people have recommended creating a "paci bear" to say adios to the pacifier. We decided to play at the museum, enjoy lunch, then build-a-bear. Tim and Ella went to get the paci out of the van and Tim explained that we didn't need the paci anymore and we were going to make a special animal. Ella picked out a bunny at the store and had a few last sucks on the paci before our turn came up.
The saleslady showed her where her paci would go. Ella didn't like this idea.

I wish she'd been willing to place the paci in the bunny herself, but she didn't resist much when we finally did. If the store had been less crowded, I might have waited longer for her to do it. Of course, I'm not sure she was ever going to shove that paci in the bunny.

She enjoyed picking out a heart and had the bunny kiss it instead of kissing it herself.

She got over the paci going inside and got into watching the heart go in pretty quickly. By the way, her hair was in pigtails that she pulled out, hence the interesting style.

Once the bunny had stuffing, it was cool to see the saleslady sew him up.

I like how possessive she looks in this picture.

After they finished making him, Daddy helped her give him a bath.

Ella and Paige checked out all of the accessories for the animals. Maybe an outfit next time.

We made a birth certificate and named her new friend "Paccy." She loved carrying the little house around with Paccy inside.

The proud new bunny owner carried her house back to the Museum.

She didn't have a nap that afternoon, so she was tired on the drive home and wanted her paci. We kept encouraging her to snuggle Paccy instead. She'd rather have her paci, but the bunny is nice too.

Ella has since asked for the paci and we just tell her she now has Paccy Bunny to cuddle. You can actually feel the pacifier inside and she's asked us to take it out, but we just tell her she's a big girl and doesn't need it anymore. Now Ella sleeps with 2 bunnie; Paccy and her little pink bunny.

I think Ella new it was time to give the pacifier up. Although she didn't want to let it go, she didn't fuss much and has adjusted well. She slept fine last night and this afternoon in her own bed without the pacifier, and that was the true test. I am so excited to finally be rid of the pacifier!

Things You Never Properly Say "Thank You" For

2009-04-03T06:54:00.000-07:00

I put in the video from our wedding day a couple of days ago. We have a slideshow of pictures included with it that we showed at the reception. It includes photos of us as kids and during our engagement. I wanted to see if I could pull a few pics out to compare with the kid's photos. I wasn't able to get the pictures from the video, but I loved watching the slideshow again. Since the video was already in, I decided to watch it as well.

Tim and I have been married 4 1/2 years now and I've watched this video a few times over the years. I was suprised this time, however, by the emotion that swept through me. There's something lovely about seeing yourself on your wedding day, eyes shining, enormous grin, delighted in everything. Every other time I've watched myself, I've seen something to critique or a detail I would change. This time, I thought, "Look at those beautiful flowers...my hair was pretty...I love the decorations...isn't this wonderful?" I suppose I'm far enough removed now to simply enjoy the day as something wonderful and leave all those critiques behind.

My favorite part of the video is seeing all of our family and friends. My neices and nephews and my brother-in-law Ben are so young. Alessia looks shy, Rilyn looks bored, and Aiden is a little bit crazy. Our mothers look beautiful and Tim's Dad is handsome. This will sound funny because it hasn't been that long and Tim is not "old," but he looks so young to me. I love the shots of Tim and his best man, Ezra, together. My wonderful friends Kelly, Becky, and Rochelle are there. We are surrounded by our aunts, uncles, and cousins who've sacrificied a lovely Saturday afternoon to attend our wedding.

I was especially suprised by my emotional reaction to the video showing my family putting together the finishing touches before the reception. Everything feels like a blur when it's your wedding day, but they clearly put in so much work. And I'm certain that we didn't thank them nearly enough. I especially loved seeing my wonderful brother-in-laws putting lights in the lanterns that I know were a pain to hang. They were such troopers that day - I know decorating for a reception was not their favorite thing.

I know this post is corny and nostalgic, but that's okay. 4 1/2 years later, I feel the urge to say, "Thank You!" again to everyone who made that day so wonderful for Tim and I. We are blessed to come from such wonderful, loving families. Watching this video made me miss our families so much! I love being married and it was so sweet to take a look at where it all began.

Can you see the resemblance?

2009-03-31T14:28:00.000-07:00

The big question with every baby is, "Who does he/she look like?" Honestly, I haven't been certain with either of my children. I see a bit of me here, a bit of Tim there. It is so fun to look at photos of Ella, however, around the same age and truly see similarities. I took some cute photos of Ezra the other day and just pulled some photos of Ella around the same age today. They are very different in the sense that she looked very feminine and he looks masculine, but I see such similarity in the cheeks, the eyes, and the mouth. So fun!

My next goal: Compare their pictures to Mom and Dad as babies!

While Reading Alice Hoffman...

2009-03-28T22:05:00.000-07:00

I’ve discovered a love for Alice Hoffman books over the past few years. One of the reasons I enjoy her writing style stems from the fact that it’s so different from my own. Her stories always have the mystical or supernatural about them. The characters she creates are usually in the midst of a crisis or an experience paralyzes them emotionally. They are not always likeable and are usually a bit odd, but these characteristics make them beautifully human. The point of crises tends to make them more emotionally raw and honest. Hoffman’s ability to create a world that reflects these emotions fascinates me. Her descriptions of the world surrounding her characters are often heartbreakingly beautiful. And the supernatural occurrences feel like a reflection of truth – nature comes alive, a character all its own.

I was reading the final pages of “Second Nature” this afternoon. This book is not nearly as lovely and strange as some of her other novels, such as “The Probable Future” or “The Ice Queen,” but it contains many of the elements I enjoy in her novels. Faced with crisis or loss of control, the characters become more open to their passions and less restrained by convention. Without these restraints, they behave in ways that are unconventional. Doing so is incredibly freeing, confusing, delightful, and painful. As I read, I am overcome by their passionate reaction to life and the way nature mirrors this passion.

When Hoffman’s characters fall in love amidst these circumstances, their senses overtake them. They abandon restraint and behave instinctually. Their passion is blinding, disorienting, wonderful. The results can be maddening, disastrous, delightful, and awe-inspiring. Passion consumes them. In the midst of this ardor, her characters often make choices that go against what is expected of them or cause them to behave in surprising ways. While this is a pattern amongst her characters, it does not create sameness or dull similarity. Instead, it is simply amazing how the effect of these emotions varies so greatly in her character’s lives.

Hoffman’s novels filled my thoughts as I drove alone to the store this afternoon. I considered the way an intimate connection to another person alters her character’s lives. You cannot explain what is happening to them with logic. The world comes alive instead – roses, lightening, an oddly constructed house, embody human emotion and experience.

I considered how characters can so quickly align their hearts, minds, and lives with another. How intimacy causes them to behave in unexpected ways – they are brave, niave, impetuous, and vulnerable. What once seemed important is often revealed as trivial in the face of love. I wondered what I would do for my love, how I would respond if he were threatened, what I would give up to be with him, or keep secret to ensure his safety.

I love how Hoffman’s novel invited me to examine love in this way. In truth, when I think of losing Tim, I literally wince, every time. I know I would forgive much of him, forgo my comfort for his own, and defend him in the face of logic. Before I met him, I’m not sure I could have connected to the passion felt by Hoffman’s characters. While my life does not require me to demonstrate my love in these dramatic ways, it’s amazing and wonderful to consider the passion beneath the surface, the intensity of your emotion, the beauty of the connection you feel to another person.

Baby Bright Eyes and Daddy Gets His Wish

2009-03-25T09:06:00.000-07:00

Our Ezra is really starting to show his personality now. I love to go in his room in the morning and peer down into his crib. He'll be fussing for you to come get him, then his entire face will light up with a grin when he sees your face. I love to peer over his toys and surprise him so he'll kick his little legs in delight and coo happily. We need to get some photos of him working on sitting up because he's very close to doing it on his own. I think it's so fun how everyone is trying to figure out who he looks like. One moment, someone will tell me how much he's looking like Tim, and the next someone else says he looks like me. I think he's mostly starting to look like Ella. I've included some recent pictures of Ezra and one of Ella at the same age. What do you think?
Ezra likes to sit in this seat while I cook. Poor guy's stuck in Ella's old pink seat.

He was smiling at me, but kept getting distracted by the camera. This photo was hard to get.

Ella in November of 2006.
Tim's birthday is coming up April 7th. We have been working so hard to get out of debt and stay out of debt for the past few years. He's wanted an X-box 360 forever, but just keeps patiently waiting until we could save up the money. With his birthday coming up, I felt like it was finally his year to get his wish. We had a few gift cards and I've been able to sell some of my Modbe display items, so I just went for it. Tim and I can never do anything simply, though, so he decided he wanted the limited edition red Resident Evil 5 version. I actually love this aspect of Tim's hobby - seeking out the rare items and finding the best deals on used games. Turned out there was one in Springfield, so I took the kids last Wednesday and we crossed our fingers that we would get there in time. We found it and had a special early birthday night for Dad. Ella loved giving Daddy his birthday present! I love my husband so much and I'm so glad he finally got his 360!

I love the look of anticipation on Tim's face!
The only wrapping we had large enough was a Christmas bag.
Ella loved helping Dad with his present.
Yeah! We've been having so much fun with this gift, playing games and watching Netflix "Watch it Now" on our tv using the X-box.

It's Not About Me

2009-03-23T11:16:00.000-07:00

Recently, I've found some of my old insecurities creeping up. I had a few experiences that brought them to the forefront again and a sort of domino effect happened. I don't blame anyone for this - it's simply a reaction I'm having. The older I get, the more I believe that people don't "make" us feel a certain way. We're responsible for how we react and respond to others.

That's part of the problem with these old insecurities - they cause me to doubt myself, worry too much, and focus on the wrong things. So, instead of taking ownership of my behavior and my responses, I fret over other people's responses. I think, "She seems frustrated. Did I do something?" or "I don't think he gets what I'm saying. I should go over it again so he understands me." or "Does she like me?"

Whenever I find myself doing this, I realize my thinking is all reversed. My insecurities have made it all about me. I should think, "She seems frustrated. I should see how she's doing." or "I'm not sure we're understanding each other. I should make sure I understand what he's trying to say." or "I should get to know her better."

None of us our perfect. I'm certainly not. And I think the qualities some people love the most about me are the ones others hate the most about me. But, honestly, when I've applied the "It's Not About Me" philosophy to my life, this hasn't seemed to matter too much. While I don't want to be best friends with everyone I meet, I like just about everyone I meet with this attitude. I give them the benefit of the doubt, expect the best of them, and interact with them honestly. And, when you're doing this, other people seem to respond in turn.

With my insecurities and worries leading me by the leash, I've found myself involved in more misunderstandings, my feelings are more easily hurt, and I doubt my own intentions. Today, I wondered why I was choosing this for myself. What good is the atonement if I can't forgive myself? What good are friendships if I don't trust my friends to see the good in me? What good is progression if you're focused on the past?

I know that I will inevitably put my foot in my mouth in the future. I am sure to seem conceited or to be misunderstood. I will surely unintentionally say or do something hurtful. But my blunders don't need to define me - and they only will if I make them all about me. So, today I felt the need to express this so I could see it written out, acknowledge it, and move on. Ironically, this post entitled, "It's Not About Me" is written for me.

Dreaming of Dad

2009-03-20T06:12:00.001-07:00

In my dream last night, things were completely chaotic. Nothing was quite right and, when I tried to talk to people about it, they simply looked at me incredulously. Despite my conviction that everything felt wrong, I was powerless. In the midst of this confusion and frustration, I started asking everyone if they knew where my Dad was. I moved from room to room searching for him. One room held his shirt, another his hat, and a third his coat. Each time I came across one of his things, a sense of calm came over me. I felt this serenity, as if everything would be okay. I imagined his face, the scent of him, his arms around me, and I felt safe. He was just out of my reach everywhere I went, but knowing he was near brought me comfort.

Every once and awhile, I have dreams about my Dad - he's suddenly reappeared and I go to tell people, but no one believes me, or we spend the day together, then I wake up and he's gone, or I finally find him, then wake up before I reach him. Waking up from these dreams always leaves me feeling as though I've lost him again. It's heartbreaking.

This morning was different. Since my father has been gone 15 years, I can find it difficult to recall his face. I saw him distinctly in this dream. Even though I didn't interact with him, he felt so real to me. I was truly comforted simply recalling him. I woke up feeling content.

As I was nursing Ezra in the wee hours, I thought of my dream and the impact my father had on my life. I remember thinking my dad was simply wonderful - I loved to sit with him, laugh with him, talk things over with him. Being his daughter made me feel safe, loved, and happy. I loved the timbre of his voice, the scent of his cologne, the way it felt to hold his hand. I know he wasn't perfect, but I thought he was wonderful. Ella looks up at her Dad with the same feeling in her eyes and I love it.

I'm a Ballerina!

2009-03-18T12:22:00.000-07:00

Ella has been a complete ball of energy this week! She seems to be making up for the 24 hours spent in a hospital bed. Every once in awhile, she'll start twirling and singing a made up tune. She declares, "I'm a ballerina!" Most days, she chooses a dress to wear now. I thought she'd want to wear cozy clothes on Sunday after being sick. This was not the case: we put the skirt on as a way to appease the prima ballerina. I'm also amazed at her ability to walk in heels - I swear she's better at it than I am!