Review

OK. So, it's been FOREVER... I will not waste time with any excuses. I feel bad enough. There's no reason to feel worse though. I'm a busy person... in no particular order: wife, mother of 2, full-time job outside the home, plenty of work at home... need I go on? I'm not going to try to recap a whole year+, but I will hit the highlights... which are pretty recent.

Right now at home, the a/c is out AGAIN, piles of laundry to be ironed are on the guest bed or hung in the laundry closet, bathrooms need to be cleaned, furniture needs to be dusted, floors vacuumed and scrubbed, too many spots in the carpet to tackle...

Hubby: trying to create a portfolio for his leadership program... working on his administrator's certification. I'm so proud of him! His job is demanding. There's a lot for him to tackle each day. He handles it well... another reason I'm proud of him. He's an amazing dad... somehow manages to put everything about himself aside when he gets home so he can devote himself to me and his children. VERY PROUD! Got me some roses for our 13th anniversary last week... SWEETIE!

Samuel: Started Kindergarten last Tuesday (8/7):

What you don't see in that picture is what he received Friday before last (8/3):

Yes! It's a cast. He fell in a bouncy house and fractured his humerus right at the elbow. Praise God - he did not need surgery. We are thankful it was not worse! We have a week down and 5 more to go. He's managed to learn to write really well with his left hand. Again... I'm proud!

Benjamin: Now 21 months. Talking up a storm these days. Trying complete sentences. He came home a couple of weeks ago saying Ben-ja-min instead of Ben-min.... made me want to cry. I think that was the first time I thought, "He's not a baby anymore." He's potty-training at day care... I know I know. Seems early, right? But, he's pretty good at it. I'm not strict on it... don't really try much at home actually. But, they like to do it up there, so I'm not knocking it. He gets a gummy bear when he uses the potty, so why not potty!

These two boys seem to the best of friends. They are so loving with each other. And that is a blessing to me. I want them to know and live out love... So far, they're doing great!

As for me: I've been in a weird place lately. It's like I'm in a daze most of the time. Few contributing factors I'm sure of: horrible diet, lack of sleep, little time devoted to the Word. That's the biggest I think - I need the Word more than anything, yet I find little time to read and meditate on Scripture. So, I'm adopting a new philosophy.. quality over quantity. If I can find a scripture that speaks to me.. impacts me somehow.. makes me think or want to change... and then meditate on that over the next several days... If I can get that process to change me, even if only on the inside, I think that would be better than blitzing through my Bible just so I can say I did it.

So, here's my scripture for the past several days... one I'll be on for a while I think. This is tough, but it is the Word and it is required of me.

Observe how Christ loved us. His love was not cautions but extravagant. He didn't love in order to get something from us but to give everything of himself to us. Love like that. (Ephesians 5:2 - The Message)

In Trouble

Samuel got in trouble yesterday at school. He has been hitting his friends this week, but yesterday he had to sit in the director's office and talk to her. His punishment from us was that he did not get to watch a DVD on the way home from school and he could not play concert when he got home. That means, no music DVDs or CDs, no drums, no guitar, no microphone... no concert. Boy, he wasn't too happy when his daddy told him that, but he got over it pretty quickly when his daddy told him that he better zip it "or else". Of course, when he got up this morning, he was ready to get his microphone and sing along with a DVD. :)

Benjamin turned four months this week. We didn't have a big celebration. We did however go buy some formula since my pumping at work doesn't provide quite enough for the little piggy. He had a little taste of some one night this week, but didn't take very much. I'm not sure if it was because of the taste, the temperature, the fact that he'd had about an ounce of milk about an hour prior, or that he was just too sleepy to drink any more.

Last night was the first night for me to attempt putting Benjamin in his crib without the sleep positioner. He's always been in there on his side. It didn't last. He woke up pretty quickly. So, next time I put him in there on his side with a pillow at his back. That was better. I guess we'll slowly work our way to getting him comfortable on his back (at least to start the night). I'm really proud of him. He sleeps usually 5-6 hour stretches (sometimes longer) the first part of the night. He stays awake much of the day since he's at day care, so that helps. I just wish I could get those 6 hours he gets - goes down between 7 and 8 but I'm usually up until 9 at least. I have high hopes for the boy though. If he's anything like Samuel (which up to now, he has been), he'll start sleeping through the whole night around 6 months. I guess that was from being a little more satisfied with food. I'm looking forward to it!

Raspberries

Benjamin came home yesterday afternoon trying to blow raspberries. You know raspberries? When you basically spit with your lips together? Well, Benjamin tries it by sucking his bottom lip in. It's hilarious! I posted a video on YouTube... catch the first couple of seconds to see him. There's a second video that is longer... it takes him a while to get warmed up on it.

While you're out there, you can also see a video I posted when Samuel was three months old blowing raspberries. He's much better at it in his video, but equally as cute!

It's funny how much alike they look. I'm so blessed with two beautiful boys! Here they are side by side - both about 3 months.