So we bought the girls the Pirates Who Don't Do Anything: A VeggieTales Movie for Christmas. We buy them nice Christian movies and assume they'll be a good influence.
However, two and three year olds overlook the message of God will take you on greater adventures than you could ever plan for yourself. Instead . . .
They're sword fighting with butterknives.
(It took Evelyn about three minutes to realize this was not such a hot idea. I overheard her telling Riley that they should just pretend).
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
Reasons to Live Small
We live small. We own one vehicle. We live in a two bedroom, 900 square foot, basement - that's more like an apartment. We have the blueprints to add the top on someday, but part of me doesn't want to. I enjoy living small and here's 6 reasons why and 4 tips for doing it well, which equals ten.
1. It takes much less time to clean.
2. Lower utility/energy bills.
3. Less debt. Let's face it - generally, the bigger it is the more it costs.
4. Family time is a little closer.
5. Less spending. Let's face it - the more places you have to put stuff the more stuff you buy.
6. Forced efficiency. When you have less space, you're forced to be more organized.
7. Speaking of organizing: go up! You'll be amazed how much room even the smallest places have when you use shelving.
8. Build storage spaces. Sometimes it's tempting to let the room be a little bigger and forgo the closets, but closests are key to living small. We have seven! You can even put 'rooms' in the closets. Our office and laundry rooms are.
9.Use lots of color. When you live in a small space, you don't want to feel like it's an assylum. Paint the walls!
10.Let the sunlight in. Open, large windows let light in, mirrors reflect sunlight. All of these create the illusion of more space.
1. It takes much less time to clean.
2. Lower utility/energy bills.
3. Less debt. Let's face it - generally, the bigger it is the more it costs.
4. Family time is a little closer.
5. Less spending. Let's face it - the more places you have to put stuff the more stuff you buy.
6. Forced efficiency. When you have less space, you're forced to be more organized.
7. Speaking of organizing: go up! You'll be amazed how much room even the smallest places have when you use shelving.
8. Build storage spaces. Sometimes it's tempting to let the room be a little bigger and forgo the closets, but closests are key to living small. We have seven! You can even put 'rooms' in the closets. Our office and laundry rooms are.
9.Use lots of color. When you live in a small space, you don't want to feel like it's an assylum. Paint the walls!
10.Let the sunlight in. Open, large windows let light in, mirrors reflect sunlight. All of these create the illusion of more space.
Monday, March 30, 2009
Crayon Catastrophe
So normally, I only blog once every couple of weeks or something like that. So I'm not sure what has gotten in to me, but I thought this was funny enough to share.
So I'm going about my Monday, tackling the laundry, and I go to get the towels out of the dryer to fold. I pull out a bib and it has orange spots on it. A towel - orange spots. I pull the entire load out and everything in the dryer has spots of orange melted crayon all over it! Argh! I guess one got thrown in with the wash. Not only that, but there were big chunks of melted crayon near the vent and the entire barrel was colored orange! I cleaned out the chunks and went ahead and threw my blue towels in . . . I figure the worst that can happen is that all the towels match!
So if you're ever a guest at my house and your towel has little orange spots all over it, rest at ease, it's just crayon!
So I'm going about my Monday, tackling the laundry, and I go to get the towels out of the dryer to fold. I pull out a bib and it has orange spots on it. A towel - orange spots. I pull the entire load out and everything in the dryer has spots of orange melted crayon all over it! Argh! I guess one got thrown in with the wash. Not only that, but there were big chunks of melted crayon near the vent and the entire barrel was colored orange! I cleaned out the chunks and went ahead and threw my blue towels in . . . I figure the worst that can happen is that all the towels match!
So if you're ever a guest at my house and your towel has little orange spots all over it, rest at ease, it's just crayon!
More Political Musings
If you've been reading my previous posts, you know that since this past election with the state of the economy and other things, I've been trying to figure out which political party I should belong to, or better said which political party best represents my views. Well, yesterday I was reading Joel Salatin's speech that he is going to give the House Committee on Oversight and Gonvernment Reform regarding the meat industry on April 17, and I had an epiphany of sorts. I don't belong with any!
"As a Christian libertarian environmentalist capitalist, my testimony will not fit neatly partisan stereotypes; rather, it will cross broad cultural boundaries." ~Joel Salatin
"As a Christian libertarian environmentalist capitalist, my testimony will not fit neatly partisan stereotypes; rather, it will cross broad cultural boundaries." ~Joel Salatin
Conversations with Evelyn, Part I don't know what
I overheard this conversation:
E and Riley: (Squealing and fighting over something).
E: Riley, share (motherly). Share, Riley (slightly more annoyed). Riley, God wants us to share!
E and Riley: (Squealing and fighting over something).
E: Riley, share (motherly). Share, Riley (slightly more annoyed). Riley, God wants us to share!
Laundry and Other Thoughts on Motherhood
So today is Monday. And in my world, it's also laundry day. Ever since I entered into the adult world (i.e. college), I have been deficient at doing laundry. I just hate doing it. I would let my laudry pile up and pile up. Or, I'd wash laundry and just leave it sitting around, unfolded. Well, since God has blessed me with three little girls (who love to change their clothes), and a husband who wears uniforms to work, I have what feels like tons of laundry to keep up on. I've tried other methods of keeping up on laundry (two loads a days, etc.), but they just don't work for me. So for the past several weeks, I've been doing all my laundry on Mondays. I love it!
The only draw back is that on some Mondays I have evening meetings, but Richard is slowly catching on and has been helping me when he gets home from work.
Here's what I love about it. I'm not distracted by laundry all week (thinking I should be doing it). I feel so accomplished by the end of the day becaue I get so much done. I've even started cleaning the bedrooms and bathroom on Mondays as well. I've actually realized, as well, that there's a lot less laundry piled up doing it this way (I thought it would be really bad come Sunday, but it's really not that bad).
I've decided to slowly start organizing my life like this: having one major task to accomplish each day.
Note: I have a super-large high efficiency washing machine and dryer. I probably wouldn't be able to do it all on one day without it.
New subject: Poop. Poop is a constant focal point of parenting toddlers and infants. However, it's been more so lately because Riley is potty training. She's been doing really well. Around 18 months she was doing great, but after Gigi was born we had to take a little break. She started going back on the potty again and I really felt like we had reached the downhill slide. THEN she started holding her poop. This is a big deal because she's been holding it over 48 hours which can lead to impaction and all sorts of other problems.
But God bless the internet! I did some research and we're getting on top of the problem early, so hopefully, we'll be able to get through this without medical intervention.
The only draw back is that on some Mondays I have evening meetings, but Richard is slowly catching on and has been helping me when he gets home from work.
Here's what I love about it. I'm not distracted by laundry all week (thinking I should be doing it). I feel so accomplished by the end of the day becaue I get so much done. I've even started cleaning the bedrooms and bathroom on Mondays as well. I've actually realized, as well, that there's a lot less laundry piled up doing it this way (I thought it would be really bad come Sunday, but it's really not that bad).
I've decided to slowly start organizing my life like this: having one major task to accomplish each day.
Note: I have a super-large high efficiency washing machine and dryer. I probably wouldn't be able to do it all on one day without it.
New subject: Poop. Poop is a constant focal point of parenting toddlers and infants. However, it's been more so lately because Riley is potty training. She's been doing really well. Around 18 months she was doing great, but after Gigi was born we had to take a little break. She started going back on the potty again and I really felt like we had reached the downhill slide. THEN she started holding her poop. This is a big deal because she's been holding it over 48 hours which can lead to impaction and all sorts of other problems.
But God bless the internet! I did some research and we're getting on top of the problem early, so hopefully, we'll be able to get through this without medical intervention.
Sunday, March 29, 2009
Youth Weekend
So after months of planning it, it's come and gone. I'm talking about the Upper Ohio Valley Presbytery youth weekend. Unfortunately, due to Disney trips, Queen of Queen pageants, Spring musicals, track meets, and baseball games, we had a pretty dismal turn-out. Hopefully, by moving it up one weekend next year, we'll be able to get a better response.
But . . . for those who did come we had a great time. It was a lot of fun, great fellowship, good connecting. I mean the point of having these things is to unite the youth in our presbytery, and I think it did do a good job of that.
So today we're not doing anything, and it's great! We really enjoy do nothing days! We're due after the last three days of craziness!
But . . . for those who did come we had a great time. It was a lot of fun, great fellowship, good connecting. I mean the point of having these things is to unite the youth in our presbytery, and I think it did do a good job of that.
So today we're not doing anything, and it's great! We really enjoy do nothing days! We're due after the last three days of craziness!
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