All of a Sudden

Yikes!

All of a sudden, it occurred to me today all that I need to get done now that August is just a few days away. Confirmation parent letters need to go out, meeting with confirmation leaders needs to be planned and arranged, fall worship plans need to be made and emailed, fall stewardship plan need to be finalized and brought to the parish board, visitation schedule needs to be finalized, and I'm sure there are some things I'm forgetting. For the family, we have to finalize our vacation plans (hello, only two weeks away!), and get our back-to-school shopping done. Now that Lil' Princess is 7, she has definite opinions about what she wants to wear and have, so it does complicate the shopping process at times. And it can make it more fun too. I remember fondly all the shopping trips with my mom, and I hope to have that with her.

There's so much I wanted to get done this summer. Basically, I had hoped to get through our stuff. Go through the whole house, sort through all the boxes, get rid of stuff, and organize what we keep. Which is a ridiculously huge goal, but a good one! I got through about a third of the basement, which I am proud of. It was a HUGE mess, and hard work. But now the main living area is a very nice space that is safe for SweetBaby to play in, and a pleasant place for all of us to hang out in. I just have to keep going, and not let it end there! Finish the basement, and move on up the stairs. The part I'm not looking forward to is the storage room where all the unopened boxes are stuffed, and all the Christmas decorations are lodged. It is the black hole of miscellaneous odds and ends. BUT how amazing it will be when it is done!!! A whole room available for use!!! Maybe I could even set it up as a sewing and hobby room. That would be soooo cool. Focus on the goal.

The World is Green (and Stinky)

Poop. I'm trying to work on my sermon on the Lord's Prayer, but instead I'm dealing with two sick girls and poopy diapers. Funny how parenthood and exhaustion work on your brain. Instead of musing on the significance of the gift of this prayer that Jesus has given us, a prayer that so many generations have shared, and the amazing claims we make within it, I have been thinking about the amazing forms in which baby poop can come. This is because today's was really nasty, sort of a dark green pudding that went everywhere. Just when I thought I'd had it all, I had to get another wipe out to catch another bit. Oh joy!

Somehow, I don't think diapers and poop will work as a sermon illustration. Most really don't want to hear about poop consistency. Usually grandparents are the only ones interested!

Life is Like That

Summer is quickly rolling by. In a little over a month school will resume! I've been working on confirmation, and thinking about what needs to be purchased for Lil' Princess before the school bus comes rumbling down the street. Sweet Baby has grown by leaps and bounds, and seems to be just a breath away from taking steps. And I think the schedule this summer has been crazier than any winter schedule! This week is particularly insane, and I'm still not sure how in the world I'm going to make Wednesday and Thursday work. Since it is impossible to be in two places at once....

We're planning on a little escape, a little vacation in August before everything switches gears. We still haven't agreed on what exactly we're going to do, where we're going to go. RevDad and I have different ideas about what is a relaxing and fun vacation. Soooo...we need to get our rears in gear, we're running out of time! So we'll see what compromise brings us.

Urgh. Time to go to bed. I'm sure SweetBaby will get me up at least once, and tomorrow will be an insane day. Here comes the ZZZZZ's!

Summer Time

Summer is here! School is out, the days are (mostly) warm, and almost all of my flowers are planted. There are a few perennials I want to try out, and some annuals to put in pots on the front steps, but the majority is done.

SweetBaby is finally baptized. It was so nice, our good friend did the baptizing, her godparents came from far away to be there, and two dozen members from my congregations attended the late afternoon service. After-wards we had cake and coffee, and lots of nice conversation. It was a sweet, meaningful time. Lil' Princess loved getting the chance to play with her cousins.

Now its time to figure out how this summer schedule and life is going to work. I think we all feel a little out of sorts, and out of kilter. SweetBaby's napping and sleeping schedule is all out of whack. Lil' P is alternating between excited and whiney. And RevDad and I are just really tired.

New Screen to Enjoy

I got my birthday/Mother's day present yesterday...a new laptop computer. It's so purty!! Shiny, clean, fast, gleaming with possibilities. I just can't keep my happy little fingers off of it. It might even encourage me to write a manuscript sermon this week - one never knows!

It's a very full week at our household. We had a long day going to far-away Big City yesterday, followed by a concert at school last night. Today is a doctor's appt., text study, and a dance lesson for Lil' Princess and a pre-marital counseling appt. for me tonight. Tomorrow is crazy busy too with confirmation and meetings. Thursday I might get to breath a bit.

I'm actually looking forward to thinking out the lessons for this Sunday's sermon. The first lesson, from Acts, is so full of good stuff, and there are so many good directions to go in. Plus its Senior Recognition, so that is a fun and uplifting time too.

A very full week ahead, and a fun new tool to use to get it all done. All in all, I guess I can't complain.

Happy Natality

Happy birthday to me, and my brother, and my niece, and my big girl! It's a big week for births, though we aren't doing anything real big to celebrate. Just nice and relaxed. Just my speed these days.

Never was there such sisters

It's official, SweetBaby is crawling! Forwards, that is. Not quickly or skillfully, but with great determination, and already getting into trouble. We apparently can no longer have anything on the coffee table. And the cords for the keyboard will have to be hidden somehow. She really wanted those cords today. Every time I turned around, she was heading for them. And if you lie down on the floor, she immediately tries to climb up and over you. Our little mountain climber!

Lil' Princess is definitely struggling with this sibling business. She has been the only child for so long. She does love her sister, but it is hard for her to share the attention, and realize that her sister actually comes first for attention under certain circumstances. Without fail, almost every night, she's yelling for me to come exactly when she knows I'm rocking her sister to sleep. And that's why she wants me soooo badly at that very moment. So I've tried to make a point of "picking" her for things, like making sure she knows I'm choosing to read her a story instead of being the one getting Sadie ready for bed. It is wonderful to see that if I bring her little sister in with me to wake her up, she wakes up in such a good mood (otherwise it's a coin-toss between a starting mood of grumpy misery and reluctant obedience - we are NOT morning people in this house).

Right at this moment SweetBaby is attempting to crawl all over RevDad and spouting all kinds of baby talk. Lil' P is busy getting into all the stuff we'd rather she'd leave alone. And RevDad is patiently waiting for me to get done with this post so we can get a small project done before dinner. So, off we go!