Ten Thankful Things on Tuesday

I'm sitting here in a comfy patio chair, while the wind plays with my ponytail. Selena is next to me in her sandbox, pretending to cook. She's quietly singing and talking to herself. A bee is traveling from flower to flower as I watch and smile. The birds are singing, and the sun is just ... perfect.

So yes, I am feeling thankful.

10. I'm thankful that we went grocery shopping today and that two very kind ladies went out of their way to help me when they saw me struggling with a very full and heavy shopping cart. It reminds me to always be willing to help.

9. I'm thankful that in this time of skyrocketing prices on food and other necessities, that our freezer and refrigerator are full. I never want to take this for granted. So many suffer.

8. I'm thankful for my hard working husband, who always comes home with a smile. I need to work on curbing my selfishness when he has to work late or far away. I am so thankful that he loves me unconditionally and doesn't complain when I ask him every night to rub my feet and back.

7. I'm thankful for my precious Selena, who is such a joy to us. She's becoming such a help to me. When I pull out the vacuum cleaner, she runs to pick up everything that is on the floor and places it on the couch until I'm finished! I'm thankful for baby "sisser," who wakes me up at night with her love taps.

6. I'm thankful for family. My family is so important to me, and they bring me joy. Just last week, my sister spent three days with us, and it was so nice. We miss her!

5. I'm thankful for the support of friends.

4. I'm thankful for yummy candles, delicious coffee creamer, and rich pasta sauce. Oh, and don't forget snuggly blankets, fat books, and our hymns of the faith. Oh - and strawberry frosted doughnuts (I have been promised this treat tonight)

3. I'm thankful that we have been getting closer to our neighbors lately. I hope we can be a witness to them!

2. I'm thankful that our garage door opener broke. Because we had to have a service call, we realized that our opener did not have any safety features, and have replaced it with one that does!

1. I am thankful that nothing, NOTHING, can separate me from Christ's love.

Homey Home

No matter where she has been, Selena is always happy to come "homey home." When she talks about her extended family, she wants to know if they are "homey home." I love hearing her happy voice proclaiming that we are home as we turn onto our street.

A book I am reading, Walking with the Women of the Bible by Elizabeth George, says:

"A Christian home is earth's sweetest picture of heaven and a welcome relief in our stressed and weary society..."

We are in the process of organizing our little haven. I must admit, it has been humbling to watch my husband organizing the refrigerator and bedroom closet. I feel like these are things that I should have been on top of. But these are all learning experiences! I thank God that he is so willing to pitch in and help.

Yesterday, Daddy came home early from work. I felt so happy inside as I looked around our home. A thunderstorm was brewing outside, but inside, the flame of a candle danced merrily. As the wind whipped loudly around the house, a pot of salted water started to bubble on the stove. Our version of bolognese sauce was simmering, as the sounds of Lena and Daddy quoting Mary Poppins floated into the kitchen:

Daddy: "If you invest ...

Lena: "... your tuppence wisely in da bank!"

Together: "Safe! and! Sound!" (laughter from both parties)

I knew I wouldn't want to be anywhere else but Homey Home.

Thanking God for fathers, all that they do, and all that they mean to us.

Some news ...

We found out today that another princess is joining our family. I was completely wrong because I thought it was a boy! Mr. S thought it was a girl, and Lena insisted that she was having a "sisser."

Seeing our new little one on the screen made everything more real somehow. I came home and told Lena that her new baby was going to be a sister. She was at our house with Pop Pop, Nanna and Auntie Nee.

She looked at me and said "I apple?"

After she was happily munching on her apple, she was interested to see the picture of her new baby sister. She even gave it a kiss.

I just wanted to update those of you who hadn't heard. Have a blessed weekend!

Things I'm Lovin'

About this new big girl bed thing:

1. Being able to kiss her goodnight before I go to bed.

2. Putting a little surprise pile of books at the foot of her bed so that she can read in bed after a nap.

3. Teaching her to straighten up her bed (we try anyway!)

4. Quiet reading time is now quiet room time, but it is even more wonderful now that she has a choice of things to do.

Things still on the burner for this summer:

1. Deciding whether or not to nix the pacifier before baby comes or let her still have it at night and naptime to get her through the rough patches. I'm thinking ahead to mommy - in - the - hospital times! Any advice??

2. We've been talking a lot about the potty. She goes occasionally, but I'd like to try to conquer this before there is an infant around.

Things that are status quo:

1. Our begonia is still living, and thriving!!

2. Spring cleaning is going to drift into summer :-)

3. Mr. S is doing a lot of organizing, and I'm sooooo thankful for his help.

4. Sciatica is on again, off again ... but we are doing well with it. Lena is helping me pick things up off of the floor so I don't have to bend over. She's so grown up now!

5. Mr. S and I have had such nice times together lately - whether it be cooking in our snug kitchen, talking until late in the night wrapped in blankets, or laughing until we feel sick. (If you know Mr. S well, you'll know that he loves to be funny, and his wife loves to laugh at him)! It has been really refreshing to me - and I'm thankful for it.

Just a brief update - hope everyone is well!!!!!

Just thinking about things ...

Everyone is talking about the recent tragedy that has occured in the Chapman family. It has been in my thoughts so much. We don't know what may happen in the blink of an eye ...

May God give them the strength to bear it.

I'm turning off my sidebar music for a few days. In the quiet - just breathe a prayer with me. A prayer for comfort for a grieving family, and a prayer of thanksgiving for all God's mercies to each of us.

Before I went to bed on Thursday, I tiptoed into Lena's room and dropped to my knees beside her toddler bed. With my head on her pillow, I kissed her tiny curls goodnight. Each day is precious - a gift. Have a blessed Lord's Day and a wonderful holiday weekend.

She Did It! (follow up from last post)

Well, it appears that it was that easy! Last night went beautifully, except for a little hiccup at 4:11am. I heard her cry out, and found her sitting on the floor next to her bed. Her night light had blown out, and it was pitch black in her room! So I replaced the night light, tucked her back in and didn't hear from her again until morning.

Naptime was lovely, and we took the crib down soon after.

I just can't believe we have gone from this ...

To this ...

Big Girl Bed

I am sitting here in the dark in my living room. I hear hubby typing on the keyboard in the office. Upstairs, the strains of guitar music waft under Lena's bedroom door.

It can't be this easy.

We were able to find a white toddler bed, (the exact one I was looking for in the store, mind you), on Craig's List. We picked it up at a house about two miles away. Lena was with us, and she seemed excited when we told her that it was her new bed.

It has been in the garage for a week, and she says hi to it everytime we pass it.

"Lena new bed," she says decisively.

Tonight, Daddy brought the bed upstairs and we, (meaning mostly Daddy), put it together while Lena climbed all over us and sang loudly. I think she was actually perched on my head at one point.

I felt ambivalent as I took the mattress from her crib, changed the sheet, and watched Daddy place it in her new bed. What happened to that little infant who looked lost in the big expanse of crib?

So we prayed, kissed her goodnight, and stood outside her room for a few moments. Silence.

She's been in her big girl bed for 43 minutes now, and it just can't be this easy. I mean, this girl was seriously attached to her crib.

I can't wait to see how the rest of the night goes. I'll post an update in the next few days!

Updates

What is going on at our house today...

What we are doing:

Lena: taking wooden letter blocks out of a basket and lining them up on the couch

talking and singing

spinning and singing

"helping" Mommy by taking clean clothes out of her drawers and putting them in a basket

"helping" Mommy by organizing the books on the bookshelf

quiet reading time

a comfy, cozy nap in "pitty pitty crib"

taking things out of her toybox and putting them back in

coloring

storytime (library books) with mama

stacking pegs and singing

playing with foam letters

Mommy: blogging and ironing (not simultaneously - I'm good but not that good!)

making dinner

changing towels and bed linens

putting clothes away

praying for Daddy to have a good day and to come home safely in the rain

dusting

folding clothes

starting a recipe notebook (Mothers' Day Gift)

taking a nice comfy nap with an ice pack on that pesky SI joint

missing Daddy

taking the clean clothes out of the luandry basket and putting them back in Lena's drawers

guiding Lena to help with placing all the books back on the bookshelf

giving Lena a bath

paying bills

cutting coupons and planning a grocery shopping excursion for tomorrow

mopping floor

stealing some moments to read

Daddy: in his office doing what land surveyor's do ( a lot, I assure you)

feeling tired and most likely, hungry

looking forward to seeing his favorite women (just a guess here!)

What we are reading:

Psalm 150 (Lena chiming in on "Praise the Lord!)

Lies Women Believe and the Truth that Sets Them Free - Nancy Leigh DeMoss

God's Handmaiden - Gilbert Morris

Walking With the Women of the Bible - Elizabeth George (another Mom's day gift)

We're Going on a Bear Hunt - Michael Rosen

What to Expect When Mommy's Having a Baby - Heidi Murkoff

Spot's Colors, Shapes and Numbers - Eric Hill

Noah's Ark - Jerry Pinkney

Who's Knees are These? - Jabari Asim

What we are watching:

Lena - The Letter Factory (unbelievably, no Mary Poppins today)

Mommy - Love's Unfolding Dream (I'm almost through all my ironing!)

The current fragrance in our home:

Vanilla Hazelnut

What's on the stove:

Mr. S still isn't able to eat anything too chewy, so tonight we are having Easy Shepherd's Pie.

What we are listening to:

Hide Em' In Your Heart - Steve Green

(but I think I'm entitled to at least a half hour of Il Divo at some point in the day!)

Classical Guitar for Lena's nite nite music

what's going on at your house???

Happy Mother's Day!

I feel horrible for posting this so late, but click above to see all the awesome giveaways that 5 Minutes For Mom is hosting!!

Also, Hip Mama's Place is hosting a really neat giveaway. Check it out!!